2023 Travel Summary#
While driving to work in the morning, I noticed that the car's total mileage had already exceeded 20,000 kilometers. It's almost been a year since I picked up the car, so I thought it would be a good time to summarize my travels in 2023.
Since I deployed teslamate after getting the car, I can check all my trips through the backend.
Overall Summary#
From when I picked up the car in 23.02 to now in 24.01, I have driven a total of 23818km.
I have visited places like Anji in Zhejiang, Changshu, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Gaoyou, Xiaogan in Hubei, and Huanggang. Of course, most of the time was still spent in Nanjing.
I charged a total of 3.39k kWh, spending approximately 1499.11 yuan, which translates to a cost of 0.42 yuan per kilometer. Most of this cost is due to using off-peak electricity at home, and the supercharging miles provided by Tesla in the early days helped reduce travel costs.
Overall, getting the car has greatly expanded my travel distance. Places that seemed far and troublesome to reach before have become convenient since I got the car. I have been to the Yiwu small commodity market many times over the years.
February#
Car Pickup in Jiangning#
February was the first month after getting the car. As an "old" driver whose license had expired and had never been on the road, driving was still quite challenging. So on the day I picked up the car, I invited a former colleague to join me. I remember that the pickup went quite smoothly. Since we arrived early, the staff helped us complete the necessary procedures after a short wait in the reception hall. Then it was just a simple car pickup photo session.
I am very grateful to Zhu Ge for coming to help that day, guiding me, a novice, to drive the car home.
First Day on the Road to the Company#
A hellish start. On that Monday, since it was my first time on the road and I was uneasy, Kiko sat in the passenger seat to accompany me to the company. Before we set off, we discussed arriving early to have breakfast together, but who would have thought that my first day on the road would be a hellish start. That day was simply filled with debuffs: heavy rain + Monday + school starting. Any one of these conditions would have caused a traffic jam during rush hour, and I managed to encounter all three on my first day. I cautiously changed lanes, occasionally asking Kiko to help me check the distance to the cars on my right. Thus, we took two hours to cover a short 20 km route to the company. I have to complain a bit about Tesla's lack of 360-degree visibility; it can indeed be inconvenient at times.
Liuhe - Digging Rain Flower Stones#
After getting the car, I always thought about going out to play, and despite living in Nanjing for so many years, there were still many districts I hadn't visited. So one Saturday afternoon in February, Kiko and I decided to go dig for rain flower stones. We searched various platforms like Xiaohongshu and Dazhong Dianping, and finally settled on going to Liuhe's Xiaotian Pond.
The road was not easy to navigate, as there were repairs everywhere in Liuhe, leading to bumpy roads, and it was drizzling that day, making it even harder to drive. It took us over an hour to arrive.
Upon arrival, we were dumbfounded. What kind of Xiaotian Pond is this? It's just a small pile of dirt. The sides of the road were all fenced off with iron sheets, leaving only a small pile of stones. But Kiko was still happily digging away. Hahaha.
Tangshan Mine Park#
I remember we set off that day around two or three in the afternoon. The weather was very pleasant, and there were quite a few people camping in the park, along with several banks promoting credit cards.
It looked quite spectacular from a distance.
A puppy just a few months old, freshly bathed and smelling great.
March#
Changshu#
In March, we took a trip to Kaku Sang's place, which is about 250 kilometers from Nanjing. We set off around 8:30 in the morning and arrived just after eleven. It was also my first time on the highway. Speaking of which, I have to praise Tesla's autopilot; it really makes highway driving quite stress-free. The entire journey took two and a half hours, and I hardly felt the fatigue of long-distance driving upon arrival.
Cherry blossoms in Changshu.
Suzhou's "Big Underpants."
"Car Accident"#
At the end of March, I had my car's "first blood." When I left the garage that morning, I was still half asleep and turned right as soon as I got in the car, scraping against the car next to me. After the collision, my mind went blank; Kiko was waiting for me at the garage exit and rushed over as soon as she heard the noise. I am very grateful to Kiko for not blaming me at that moment but instead thinking of ways to solve the problem.
Since it was our first accident, neither of us had any experience, so we sought help from friends nearby. We called the police, contacted the insurance company, and reached out to the car owner.
The owner of the scratched car was also a young man, and after meeting, we quickly apologized. Putting ourselves in his shoes, if he were lying in bed sleeping, with his car parked safely in the garage, only to be woken up by a call from the police saying his car had been hit, anyone would feel uncomfortable.
The subsequent process involved the police determining responsibility, and then each of us would repair our own cars. I have to say, Tesla repairs are really expensive!
The car I hit, a private Maserati.
Ma'anshan#
At the end of March, Kiko began her nearly six-month exam journey. That weekend of the accident, I had originally planned to drive her and a friend to Ma'anshan. Coincidentally, I had the accident that Friday.
April#
In April, Kiko was busy running around for her exams.
Jiangning#
The exam in Jiangning was for a recruitment position at a middle school in Suqian. The interview was at the Jiangning campus of Xiaozhuang College, and since the interview time was very early at 7:30, we had to wake up very early because our place was quite far from Jiangning. Fortunately, the early wake-up call paid off, and Kiko got the offer as the first candidate.
On the day of the exam, I was wandering around nearby and even accidentally became a spectator at a marathon.
Yangtze River Tide Music Festival#
The most anticipated event in April was the music festival. This festival has had a tumultuous journey, starting in 2021, with tickets being released three times and canceled three times due to the pandemic.
The first time seeing Xu Song.
May#
Huanggang - Going Home#
To be precise, this should be placed in April because this year's May Day holiday was quite special, starting at the end of April.
The days I spent at home during the May Day holiday were particularly busy, attending Kiko's cousin's wedding and meeting a few old friends.
Gaoyou#
I also went to Gaoyou for an exam, and I remember it was a Friday after work when I rushed over. Gaoyou is not far from Nanjing, about 100 kilometers, so it took us just over an hour to arrive.
The hotel we stayed at had a breakfast shop downstairs, so it was convenient for us to have a bowl of local specialty fish soup when we left in the morning. I have to say, it was quite good.
Of course, I also received my first traffic violation with points deducted in Gaoyou.
June#
In the first part of June, Kiko went on a graduation trip. So, we didn't go far for the first half of the month.
Anji#
The "Big Pit" Xiaohang Pit. Kiko found this recommended by others on Xiaohongshu, claiming it to be a small Ili. Having just returned from a trip to real Ili, Kiko decided to go see it for comparison.
Unfortunately, it was the Dragon Boat Festival that day. On the way to Xiaohang Pit, there was a dragon boat race causing a road closure, but fortunately, Gaode Map was very helpful and guided us to a mountain road.
Scenery on the mountain road.
"Small Ili."
Tea plantation.
July#
Life in July was a bit boring; it seemed like I didn't leave Nanjing at all.
August#
Gaochun#
This was the only trip in August, mainly to accompany Kiko for driving practice. From home to Shijiu Lake, it was about 100 km. Kiko drove there, and there weren't many highways, mostly city roads, taking about two hours.
The scenery at Shijiu Lake in August was average, and we didn't see the rumored Totoro Sea.
Colleagues' Wedding#
Another big event in August was that two former colleagues I introduced to Kiko finally got married.
Speaking of these two, it wasn't easy; they had their ups and downs, but fortunately, they eventually walked into the hall of marriage.
That day, I met many former colleagues and witnessed their love.
September#
This month also marked Kiko's first month at work. At the end of the month, Kiko told me when she received her salary, and I felt a sense of pride like a father seeing his daughter grow up.
October#
Huanggang - Going Home#
This year has been one of the rare years I returned home so frequently after starting work. I had already gone home during May Day, and I was supposed to travel during the National Day. However, both of my good friends scheduled their weddings for this year's National Day, so I had to go home regardless.
This National Day trip home was also quite an adventure.
Traffic Jam
Considering the traffic congestion on the highway during the National Day holiday, we decided to leave at two in the morning. Before heading out, I checked the navigation and found that the nearest highway was still marked in red at that time. Stubbornly, we set out, and once we got on the highway, we were shocked to find it was completely packed with cars. At two in the morning, it was all cars. The service areas we passed were also full, and we had to wait in long lines to get in. Ultimately, despite our efforts, what should have been a five-hour journey turned into eleven hours. By the last stretch home, it felt like I was driving with my eyes closed.
Charging
The second silly thing we did on the way home was related to a mirror. In 2022, we installed a new mirror at home, leaving the old full-length mirror unused. Kiko suggested bringing it back home this time. Given the mirror's length, we laid down the back seat for it. To secure it, we wrapped it with a spare rope from the trunk and tied it to the car's rope.
When we stopped at the first service area, we thought we could charge the car while taking a bathroom break. We tried two or three charging stations but couldn't get any power. Thinking it was an issue with the charging station and that we had enough battery, we continued on our way.
After driving over 300 kilometers, the car needed charging. We found a nearby service area to stop and charge, but the car still wouldn't charge. At this point, we started to panic because if we didn't charge, we wouldn't be able to drive home. We immediately contacted the charging station management and Tesla's official customer service, but to no avail. Since the problematic stations were all State Grid charging piles, I decided to exit the highway and try a third-party charging station.
After exiting the highway, we arrived at a special charging station, scanned the code, paid, and attempted to charge. The vehicle still indicated it couldn't charge. At this moment, the anxiety of insufficient battery combined with travel fatigue and several failed attempts overwhelmed us. We called Tesla customer service again, and the person who answered was very patient, guiding us through various checks. When he said, "Please reset the lock on the charging port," I asked, "How do I reset it?" He replied, "Just pull the small rope near the charging port." After hearing this, I immediately apologized and hung up. Yes, the reason we couldn't charge was that we had left the lock rope on the charging port open.
Xiaogan - First Round of Wedding Pickup#
Due to the bride's request, the wedding pickup ceremony needed to take place in the early morning of October 2nd, so we had to arrive at the bride's house on the evening of October 1st.
From Xishui to Xiaogan, the total distance was over 170 kilometers. We set out around seven o'clock on the evening of the 1st, and it drizzled a bit along the way, but fortunately, the journey went smoothly. We arrived at the bride's house on time.
Arriving in the early morning, preparing for the wedding pickup.
Wedding scene.
Tuanpi - Second Round of Wedding Pickup#
The second wedding pickup was much simpler since it was all within Xishui County, so there was no need to rush. Moreover, we stayed across from the groom's house that night, and the pickup route was led by a convoy, which was quite large.
The bride's family uses solar power.
Wedding scene.
Yangzhou#
I had been planning to go to Yangzhou since the beginning of the year, and by the end of October, I finally made it.
Grand Canal Museum, a highly recommended place in Yangzhou, especially since it's free and has a huge parking lot. The only small incident was that I almost scraped the car's undercarriage on the way there.
Other than that, we strolled around the area near Guandong Street, had some yogurt from Yangzhou University, and in the morning, we went to enjoy Yangzhou's morning tea. Overall, I felt that the morning tea here was not much different from Nanjing's. Buns, wontons, noodles—being from Hubei, I didn't find it particularly appealing.
November#
Changshu#
This trip to Changshu was to attend Kaku Sang's wedding. Kiko and I, as witnesses to her relationship with Xiao Wu, witnessed their meeting, love, separation, and ultimately their journey to the hall of marriage, which ended beautifully.
Xiao Wu's heartfelt expression during the wedding pickup truly moved me at the scene.
The rest of November was relatively monotonous, with regular commutes to work and playing table tennis on weekends.
December#
Chuzhou#
The trip to Chuzhou was also a last-minute decision, as it's very close to home. After a simple discussion with Kiko on Saturday afternoon, we decided to go.
Upon arrival, I learned that Ouyang Xiu's "Drunken Old Pavilion" was written in Chuzhou.
Ma'anshan#
The purpose of this trip to Ma'anshan was completely different from the one in April; this time, we went purely to relax in a hot spring.
There were four of us, and we set out around nine in the morning, arriving in Ma'anshan before ten.
I must say, the freshly cooked noodles at Tang Le Hui were indeed quite good. Kiko, who has a small appetite, surprisingly managed to finish a bowl—amazing!!!
Xinjiekou - New Year's Eve#
As someone who never likes to join crowds, I surprisingly went to Xinjiekou for New Year's Eve. Fortunately, our timing that day was quite clever. We exited the Zhujiang Road subway station just before eleven forty, and after waiting for a few minutes, we caught the countdown. It wasn't crowded, and we didn't have to wait long, so the overall experience was very good.
Conclusion#
2023 was the first year after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, and I finally had the opportunity to go out and explore.
2023 was also the year Kiko graduated from her master's program, transitioning from student to teacher. How well did you adapt, huh?
In 2023, it seems like my only improvement was in my table tennis skills; there wasn't much progress in other areas.