Introduction: Expanding Cities and Shrinking Continents

As one bids farewell to the vibrant and bustling Beijing Capital International Airport, embarking on a journey across the vast and solitary wilderness of Siberia, the ice-clad expanse of the Bering Strait, and the sprawling darkness of the Canadian Shield, the anticipation of entering a new country is tempered by the arduous hours spent in the cramped confines of the aircraft.