How I Landed in China with Zero Plans: The Power of Mental Recalibration
I recently returned from a trip that, by all logic, shouldn’t have happened. If you looked at my bank account or my calendar in late 2025, you would have seen a whole lot of nothing. In fact, I even posted on Twitter (X) specifically stating I wasn’t going anywhere.
I was broke. Not because I didn’t have money, rather because I was building (OurRoots.Africa).
I told the world I had no money for travel, and I think some people, assuming it was due to change in my circumstances, laughed. But the universe had other plans. Or rather, my mind had already bought the ticket.
The Seed Was Planted in 2024
Looking back, the “action” of my travel in January 2026 was just the final step of a process that started years ago. Back in 2024, my friend Amen asked if we could visit China. At that moment, I mentally started to visualise China travel. I didn’t know it, but I had already arrived.
This reminds me of the famous story of Abdullah and Neville Goddard which I recently watched on youtube (see below). When Neville wanted to go home to Barbados but was penniless, his mentor Abdullah told him:
“You are already in Barbados”.
Neville didn’t understand—he was physically in New York. Abdullah even slammed the door on Neville when he tried to discuss “how” he would get there, because in the mental realm, he was already there.
I realize now that’s exactly what happened to me, because, how did this all happen?
Breaking the “Planner” Mold
If you know me, you know I’m a researcher. I usually plan my trips 3 to 6 months in advance. I book the flights, I scout the hotels, and I map out activities. I did this when Amen and I went to Vietnam in 2025. I did it again for my birthday trip to Malaysia in April/May 2025 (both Amen and I are Tauruses!).
But China? There was no plan. There were no savings. It didn’t even cross my mind to start a “China fund.” Trust me, I didn’t plan it!
The Unfolding: From Alice Springs to Pudong
The way it unfolded felt robotic and effortless. It was as if I was being led somewhere without my will.
I simply left the house. I traveled to the Alice Springs airport and caught a flight to Darwin. I stayed at the Ridge Central Hotel, and the next day, I was on an Air Asia flight to KL, then straight to Pudong.
@afrofeast Travelling to an unknown destination✈️🥹 #trip #alicesprings #dennisobel #afrofeast #ourroots
The logistics just worked. I cleared migration, hopped on the Maglev to Longyang Road, and took a taxi to the Campanille Hotel near People’s Square. I found myself standing in the middle of China without a single “planned” bone in my body. That isn’t me—or at least, it wasn’t the old me.
Why Mental Recalibration is Real
This trip was the physical manifestation of mental recalibration. We often think we need to grind until we’re exhausted to get what we want. But the world is actually much more responsive than we give it credit for.
Mental recalibration is the cognitive process of resetting your internal mental state to align with a new reality. By assuming the state of “being in China” since 2024, I had already performed the mental work. The travel itself was just the “action” following the reprogramming.
Lessons from the Journey
It has only been since mid 2025 that I started to mentally reprogram. The world is manifesting. It is respecting what I ask and giving me what I want. This is my take:
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Actions follow the mind: You don’t “try” to travel; you move because your mind has already arrived.
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Ignore the 3D evidence: Even if your Twitter posts say you’re “broke,” your mental state is the true architect of your reality.
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Trust the “How”: Just as Neville was upgraded to First Class despite only having a Third Class ticket, your path will clear itself once your mind is set.
I returned to Australia without a single issue. I had a beautiful holiday, staying in luxurious hotels in China.
If you want to go somewhere—in life or on a map—start by being there in your mind – now.
About the writer
Dennis Obel is an entrepreneur and passionate traveller. He is the founder of Afrofeast and OurRoots.Africa. He is from Uganda and lives in Australia.