旅行像洗衣服。不同的衣服穿在不同的人身上被同一時間浸泡，攪拌， 然候又分開，曬乾。 有時會縮水，有時會互染， 但最後衣服會有同一的味道。 衣服穿久了會髒，洗而復新，必潔爽，清涼。
The anticipation before a big trip is complex, a mix of fear, excitement, and uncertainty, all heightened by the knowledge that the adventure has an end date. Though intimidating, this emotional “Whirlpool” is well worth it, as it accelerates personal growth and deepens interpersonal connections.
台中 Taichung
與碧霞阿姨的家人合照。 A gathering with Renee’s family.
台中，我的老家，是我DNA中不可缺少的成分。在台中，我和去世的爸爸一起歡樂。能和碧霞阿姨一家聚在一起，真幸福! 看到老家的那一剎那非常振憾。記憶有如電影般在眼前上映，老眷村，大榕樹，不穿褲子的老北北在眷村大榕樹下涼鳥，老人下棋，軍人來村中放反攻大陸的電影，柴米油鹽，在偉恩颱風時幫爺爺撫著梯子因爲屋頂飛起來了，爺爺説要帶我去浙江他的老家結果反方向去美國，在健行國小被丘啟盛老師拳打腳踢，打快打時被理容店外的流氓恐赫，被狗追，下雨前後家中會出現一大堆蟑螂和飛蟻，眷村鬼故事，家人説廟裡拜的是撒旦，芒果地上撿，拉小提琴被老師罵像在殺豬，下雨躲在媽媽的雨衣中騎摩托車，和奶奶曬衣服包餃子, 有的時後大姑姑半夜會從美國回來帶的禮物又不是我要的電動玩具那幹嘛問我要什麼。 一切都變了，變好了！
Taichung is the foundation of who I am. In Taichung, I felt the joyful presence of my father. Renee, a mentor to my younger self, welcomed us with such generosity, it spoke volumes about the spirit of the place. Beyond being moved, we felt incredibly fortunate to be with Renee and her family. Memories play out before my eyes like a film: the old military dependents’ village, the giant banyan tree, the old man wearing only tidy-whitey cooling off his junk, elders playing chess, soldiers coming to the village to screen anti-Communist films, the mobile truck selling firewood, rice, oil, and salt. During Typhoon Wayne, I held the ladder steady for Grandpa as the roof started to fly off. Grandpa once said he’d take me to his hometown in Zhejiang, but instead, we went in the opposite direction, to America. At Jianxing Elementary, I was beaten by teacher Chiu Chi-Sheng. I was threatened by gangsters outside a barbershop during a round of Street Fighter arcade. I was chased by feral dogs. Before and after rain, the house was swarmed with cockroaches and flying termites. There were ghost stories from the village. I was told that the temples worshipped Satan. We picked mangoes off the ground. I played the violin and got scolded for sounding like pigs being slaughtered. I hid under Mom’s raincoat on the back of a scooter when it rained. I hung laundry and made dumplings with Grandma.
Everything has changed—changed for the better
高雄 Kaohsiung
與老同學在藝術田相聚，左到右，賴盈菲，我，鄭濬哲，張雅惠，顏詩純
我和濬哲在13歲時在五權美術班同學相處了6個月。我追隨爸媽移民美國後和濬哲寫信保持連絡。移民前在台灣最後的6個月，是一段美好的記憶。32年來在和濬哲的連絡中，那段美好的記憶成為了台灣的定義。
在高雄我們被熱情的招待，和媽媽家的舅舅，舅媽，阿姨，表姊，表哥們一起相聚，和老同學們，老朋友(Connie)敘舊，享受著濃濃的人情味。
小時候每當過節，爸媽放假，或爸媽吵架，我和姊姊就很高興，因為可以坐火車去高雄。阿媽家在燕巢，爸爸的軍營在壽山南供處，高雄是我們的第二個家。和表哥們在一起，我學到了台語，也如此台語對我來說是無比的親切。在記憶中的燕巢是和阿媽，舅舅，阿姨，表哥，表姊們一起在大舅賣米的地方聚餐，爸爸和舅舅，表哥，姨丈喝酒大小聲。從台中眷村的外省口音到燕巢林家厝的本省台語，我泡在文化的醬汁中，好幸福啊！
I met 濬哲 in 7th grade and though we were only classmates for six months, we stayed in touch after my family emigrated to the U.S. Those six months leading up to our move were magical, they defined what Taiwan meant to me.
We were welcomed, fed and hosted by uncles, aunts, cousins, classmates, and an old friend, Connie. Everyone went above and beyond to care for us, ensuring our health, safety, and spirits were well looked after.
Kaohsiung was my second home. Whenever my parents argued, my sister and I would follow our mother there. Later, when my father was stationed in Shoushan, Kaohsiung, our visits became even more frequent. I learned to speak Taiwanese through immersion. In Kaohsiung, the sound of the language seemed to melt away every barrier in my soul. I am a product of both Taiwan and China, and the memories of being accepted and embraced in my mother’s hometown, where the air was filled with Taiwanese accents, remain a powerful testament to the tolerance and beauty of cultural diversity.
台南 Tainan
炒泡麵真好吃，蹲著吃更有味道！
濬哲一家帶我和Sunny去台南。Zoe 因爲腸胃不舒服留在高雄休息。台南是台灣的老首都，古蹟好多。這裡的芒果真好吃啊！小巷子好美。一天真的不夠，下次再來一定要留下慢慢品嚐。
小時候老師帶我們來台南遠足，安平古堡，紅毛什麼的。遠足的重點是在遊覽車上和小朋友們吃零嘴。台灣小，文物和景點密集和日常容合在一起的，是會被吸進去的，是要請参與性的，是熱情的。這和美國差落很大，人們是不能住在文化景點中的，心理上有距離感。
濬哲 took Sunny and me to Tainan, while Zoe stayed behind in Kaohsiung due to gastrointestinal issues. Tainan, the old capital of Taiwan, is rich with heritage sites and layered histories. The mangoes were unforgettable, they were sweet, fragrant, and full of character. Artisanal shops lined the narrow alleys, each one inviting exploration. One day was simply not enough, Tainan demands to be savored and studied, slowly and with intention.
台東 Taitung
在池上的柏朗大道，金成武樹（背景中），與濬哲一家合照
台東是另一個世界。我們從屏東坊寮搭台鐵藍皮火車到屏東一路仿如飄動在藍海上。台東的空氣中充滿了海和泥土的味道。3不5時戰鬥機低空飛過提醒我們民主的脆弱。這裡的乖乖是米做的口味好多。海和山距離好近, 風景非常的戲劇化。海水中的鹽份多，我的皮膚水滑晶嫩，如魚得水。在都蘭参加了台灣豐年季，嚐試了殗魚和肉。 在這裡的白人會說中文，好多僑民。坐火車，看風景，無限的美麗。
Taitung felt like another world. We rode a slow train from Fangliao, Pingtung, and along the way, it felt as though we were drifting atop the blue sea. The air in Taitung carried the pungent scent of salt and mud. Fighter jets occasionally roared overhead, a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy. Snacks here were mostly made from rice, with an array of flavors such as mango, oolong tea, durian, to name a few. The distance between the ocean and the mountains was remarkably short, making the landscape feel almost theatrical. The ocean’s salinity was noticeably higher; my skin felt plump and moisturized, as if a fish returning to water. In Dulan Township, we took part in the Harvest Festival, where I sampled pickled fish and various preserved meats. A notable number of Caucasians live here, many expats, fluent in Mandarin and deeply integrated into the local community. Trains remained the primary mode of transportation, winding through breathtaking natural scenery with endless moments that inspired awe and exclamation.
蘭嶼 Lanyu
在民宿旁和濬哲一家合照，在颱風要來前，荒島大逃難！
2013年吧，我的朋友Mike和Julianne 突然買票要去台灣。雖然當時的我沒去過蘭嶼，但我說服了他們去蘭嶼。他們帶回來的故事我不能了解，有些東西是要自己去體驗的。我們的蘭嶼和濬哲一家去，有人帶，真好！我們騎摩托車環島，上山下海，泡冷泉，浮淺，看地下屋，吃飛魚。蘭嶼好美，我想在這裡住上一年，好奇本島人們的日常，創作，玩耍。
Maybe it was in 2013 when my friends Mike and Julianne visited Taiwan. Although I had never been, I somehow convinced them to include Lanyu in their itinerary. They returned with stories I couldn’t quite relate to, which only deepened my desire to experience the island for myself. Our trip to Lanyu was guided by 濬哲 and his family. Traveling with someone who truly loved and understood the place gave us quicker access to hidden details and heightened the sense of shared joy. We rode motorbikes around the island, up mountains and down to beaches. We soaked in a cold spring, snorkeled, visited earth-ships, and ate fried flying fish, rested in the communal gazebo for reflection. Lanyu was beautiful. I love to live there for a year, making art, playing, and quietly observing the rhythms of island life
花蓮 Hualien
花蓮鐵道文化區
和濬哲，雅惠與Cooper道別後，我們上了火車去花蓮。 花蓮的山好大。因爲下雨，我們在花蓮休息著。太魯閣，下次吧！
1999 年我和姊姊到花蓮拜訪我爸爸的大哥，大伯，和他老婆，大媽。大伯開了一台沒有後坐的車子來火車站接我們去他的“別墅”，“坐在皮箱上吧，小伙子”他說。大伯的工作是軍墓管理，好像在吉安鄉。我記得“別墅”（宿舍）在半山腰，看的到海和花蓮的夜景，很美！大伯的車子開一開，排氣管還會掉，下車去撿。他是個很有特色的人，擁有藝術家的精神。那年在道別之前大伯把自己養的大鴯殺了給姊姊和我帶著在火車上吃。我和姊姊捧著昨天和在玩的大鴯肉，等大伯遠離後，阿彌托福天主包祐的放在了垃圾桶。在花蓮我懷念以往身的大伯，我想看看他創意罵人的樣子，會啟發靈感的。
I spent about ten days with 濬哲 and his family. Somehow, it feels like there were so many things left unsaid. The extended time together came to an abrupt end, leaving little room for reflection or closure. And yet, it was a gift that we remained present with each other, there was never a dull moment, and our days were full of activity. We said our goodbyes at the Taitung train station and continued on to Hualien. The mountains there were even more monumental, towering over us with a quiet authority that demanded reverence. Because of the rain, we weren’t able to visit Taroko National Park, but we’ll be back.
Back in 1999, my sister and I visited my father’s older brother and his wife, our Big Uncle and Big Aunt. He picked us up from the Hualien train station in a pinto with no backseat. Every so often, the exhaust pipe would fall off and need to be picked up and reattached. “Sit on the suitcase, young man,” my uncle said. He worked as the caretaker of a cemetery for “fallen heroes and honorary citizens”, soldiers. His dormitory, which also served as his office, was located in Ji’an Township, just south of Hualien, halfway up a mountain. I remember the breathtaking scenery: rows of betel nut trees, the vast Pacific Ocean, and the city of Hualien glittering below at night. Big Uncle had the air of an artist, nontraditional, full of character. When he dropped us off at the train station, he handed us a box of goose meat he had cooked himself. It was the same pet goose my sister and I had been playing with throughout our visit. We placed the box in a trash can with a quiet prayer. I think of Big Uncle often, and I wish I could see him again, just to hear him cuss someone out. His creative use of language always left an impression on me.
台北 Taipei
與佳瑩去参加民主運動
台北，台灣的首都，是代表台灣在國際上的城市。小時候台北是優越，進步，素貲的象徵，因爲我們不常上台北。我記憶中的爲一一次是和爺爺從台中坐客運去找二伯伯一家。那次我待在堂哥的房間裡把他的七龍珠全看了一遍，哪裡都沒去。也OK啦，幫爺爺省錢嘛，很乖的。 我已中年了，鳥山明也掛了，該去台北看看了吧，至少白菜五花肉要看一下，不然白來了！
很多人問我爲什麼這麼久不回台灣？因爲不管在哪裡，能夠是一種特權，而生活都是一樣的幸苦的。