--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As we lifted off, China growing ever more…" description: "\"“As we lifted off, China growing ever more distant from the window-seat, the endless ocean opening up before us, I was torn between the excitement of s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/megan-rich-30318_courage-to-love_as-we-lifted-off-china-growing-ever-more_3176335.jpg" --- # As we lifted off, China growing ever more distant from the… ![“As we lifted off, China growing ever more distant from the window-seat, the endless ocean opening up before us, I was torn between the excitement of something new and leaving that which I'd grown to love. In that moment, I understood we may never come back; that we were floating there suspended…” quote by Megan Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/megan-rich-30318_courage-to-love_as-we-lifted-off-china-growing-ever-more_3176335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/megan-rich-30318_courage-to-love_as-we-lifted-off-china-growing-ever-more_3176335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/megan-rich-30318_courage-to-love_as-we-lifted-off-china-growing-ever-more_3176335.jpg) > ““As we lifted off, China growing ever more distant from the window-seat, the endless ocean opening up before us, I was torn between the excitement of something new and leaving that which I'd grown to love. In that moment, I understood we may never come back; that we were floating there suspended between two worlds, above the world. There was no logic in where we would go from here, nor any limitation. We had each other, and we knew now of what adaptation we were capable. Their faces flashed through my mind, and I wondered if we'd ever find a country like that again, or if we'd ever be as open with new friends, knowing now what it was like to leave them. Like a first love lost. I hoped we'd have the courage to love Germany so that the day we'd leave our hearts would also break. For what is life except that kind of attachment? And isn't it true that one can live in a place all their life, surrounded by comfort and familiarity, and never feel this longing? As the last view of China slipped off the horizon, I promised myself that I would always dare to love, squeezing Patrick's hand, and seeing that in our love for each other, we'd always have the strength to let go.”” [Megan Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on the bittersweet feeling of leaving familiar places, embracing new love, and the courage to let go while holding onto attachment. **In simple terms:** Leaving home brings both longing and growth. Key Takeaway Embrace change, love boldly, and release when needed. Themes change love attachment growth longing Mood nostalgic hopeful reflective Type personal essay reflective When to use this quote - moving abroad - starting a relationship - saying goodbye - adjusting to new cultures Key Concepts transience identity courage adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to love a place versus its people? - How can we balance longing with present joy? A Different Perspective The nostalgia may idealize the past, overlooking challenges of the new environment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-to-love/) [Feel Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-longing-1963482/) [First love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-love/) [Lifted China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifted-china-5802071/) [Like love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-love/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Longing View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-view-5802070/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-lost/) [New friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-friends/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [“ Do you feel it? I want to ask her. Do you still feel what we had together? 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Everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-have-to-have-courage-to-love-somebody-because-you-risk-everything/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Nonviolence is only for the brave men and women of the world because it requires courage – courage to love the beauty of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/nonviolence-is-only-for-the-brave-men-and-women-of-the-world-because/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-can-practice-any-virtue-erratically-but-nothing-consistently/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Courage is the enabling virtue for any philosopher - for any human being, I think, in the end. 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Everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-have-to-have-courage-to-love-somebody-because-you-risk-everything/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“If you have the courage to love, then you should have the courage to suffer, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-h-majaw/if-you-have-the-courage-to-love-then-you-should-have-the-courage-to/) [E.H. Majaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-h-majaw/) > [You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/you-have-to-love-you-have-to-feel-it-is-the-reason-you-are-here-on/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [If we had the courage to love we would not so value these acts of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/if-we-had-the-courage-to-love-we-would-not-so-value-these-acts-of-war/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/my-mission-in-life-is-not-merely-to-survive-but-to-thrive/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Those who have unrequited love, are those who lack the courage to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-have-unrequited-love-are-those-who-lack-the-courage-to-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“From The Courage to Love (Release date 23 August 2013): “My grandfather used to tell me,” Bernard continued, “that a man’s worth wasn’t measured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-montgomery/from-the-courage-to-love-release-date-23-august-2013-my-grandfather/) [E.E. 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One of those men is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-lohman/there-will-always-be-a-few-people-who-have-the-courage-to-love-what/) [Alison Lohman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-lohman/) [Browse all 69 Courage to love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-to-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As we lifted off, China growing ever more distant from the window-seat, the endless ocean opening up before us, I was torn between the excitement of something new and leaving that which I'd grown to love. In that moment, I understood we may never come back; that we were floating there suspended between two worlds, above the world. There was no logic in where we would go from here, nor any limitation. We had each other, and we knew now of what adaptation we were capable. Their faces flashed through my mind, and I wondered if we'd ever find a country like that again, or if we'd ever be as open with new friends, knowing now what it was like to leave them. Like a first love lost. I hoped we'd have the courage to love Germany so that the day we'd leave our hearts would also break. For what is life except that kind of attachment? And isn't it true that one can live in a place all their life, surrounded by comfort and familiarity, and never feel this longing? 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