梦醒即天涯
[mèng xĭng jí tiān yá]
Upon waking from a dream, one finds themselves miles away, figuratively. It portrays the heart-wrenching experience of waking up back to harsh reality from a pleasant or comforting dream; the moment consciousness returns, everything desired seems distant and unreachable once again. It expresses a stark contrast between illusionary comfort versus real loneliness or challenges.