Home is where the heart is - and where the tracks lead

At 12:37 pm, the elegant and futuristic-looking bullet train zips out of Jiaxing station.

It departs from the familiar scenes of cute little houses dotting the vast farmland and boats heaving with cargo as they float along the Grand Canal's many branches.

After six hours of comfortable riding, I will be back in the bustling and vibrant city of Beijing, refreshed and re-energized after 10 days of Spring Festival holiday.