Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

I recently posted a picture on Facebook from the movie Mad Max (2015), a post-apocalyptic film where two rival groups race through the desert in steampunk vehicles, and wrote, "Actual picture of my commute to work today." 

It was meant to be a joke because of the sandstorms in Beijing, but one of my friends from back home thought it was real.

I couldn't imagine how they could think that is actually what China is like. China has so many more conveniences and advantages than the West, and many of my friends agree.

"I don't know how I will be able to deal when I have to go back home," said a friend who is about to end her gap year in Beijing. "I've become so spoiled in China."

China seems to be leading the way in innovation and convenience for day-to-day life. Back home I could never shop, whip out my phone and scan a QR code to pay and then be on my way.

There have been rumors of starting bike sharing in my hometown for years to no avail while bike sharing popped up in Beijing overnight. I just step outside and scan a code, and I am on my way. It's all done in a streamlined, easy-to-use app I can access anywhere.

Going out to eat with a group of friends back home was a nuisance not only for the group but also for the servers as well. Splitting checks and swiping 10 different cards or making change for each person in the group can be a pain. But with China's WeChat, you can quickly send your friends your part of the bill.

Another huge advantage of living in China is the cost of living. Outside of rent, you can live as cheaply or lavishly as you want. You can hit a street cart and grab an obscene amount of food for a few dollars, or you can go out to a 500-yuan brunch.

Another attraction for the expat community in China is that you are surrounded by more like-minded people. Since we all have had similar assimilation experiences and more adventurous and outgoing personalities, you find that making friends and finding support come more naturally here.

The list goes on. From being able to afford an ayi and being able to walk out your door and be at a restaurant in a matter of minutes to being able to travel to exotic locations for close to nothing and ordering anything and everything you could imagine online at a fraction of the cost back home, it's all very convenient.

When I first arrived in Beijing, I was dead set on leaving in a year. That year has come and gone. Now, when someone asks me when I'm coming back, I think to myself, "Who knows?"

While my friends think I am riding through desert terrain on a rickety patched up motorbike, I am actually taking a luxury Didi for what is the equivalent of $5 in the US.

With all the conveniences, culture and technology here, I may never want to go back. 

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.