8

Ever since I came back from Iceland, I drink.
Wait, not like "a lot", you know, it's just that I won't be drunk or feeling dizzy after merely a glass of beer. Although I nearly passed out in a beautiful bar in Reykjavik after finishing the third glass of beer that night, I started to enjoy the refreshing taste of this golden-color drink. Big thanks to Damian and Gabor for saving me when I almost fell down unconsciously in the English Bar, we should meet sometime again in...I don't know, Taiwan? XD

Anyway, this summer has been a little bit boring so far. I often think about the wonderful three weeks I spent in Seltun and Reykjavik or the adventure in Nepal, or the trip two years ago with my family to the east coast of the US. More often, you will see me spending time reading articles on backpackers.com.tw . It's not that I don't like Taiwan. Actually, after those experiences I've had in different places in the world, I'm starting to love this flourishing small island more and more as time goes on. The streets, the people, the food, the cities and mountains...there is so much to offer in this country! 

It's just that...I feel like something is missing in my life recently. I wake up. I go to work. I eat. I go home. Although this is just an internship which lasts only one month, how would I know if my jobs in the future will be more interesting? Or this is it? This is the ultimate look of my life?

This scares me so much. Shouldn't I be seeing opportunities and potential when I think of the future? I am only twenty and they say twenties should be the most influential decade in one's life. But when I look at those who are currently in their twenties, I don't see the shimmering lights in their eyes. I see people starting to work in the government or companies just like our parents. This frightens me. So this is my life for the next 30 years? I know I might be exaggerating my worries a little bit, but this feeling is real, and the reality is gradually taking control of my life.

So when I feel like running away to some remote places for some time, it is not the place I live that I want to distance myself from. It is the frustration of reality that I want to get rid of. When traveling, I can finally take full control of myself. I walk with my own feet. I decide what I want to do and where I want to go every day. New things happen everywhere. Meeting people in hostels is even more intriguing. It is one of the several places where you get to see the shimmering lights in everyone's eyes. The optimistic atmosphere is why I always enjoy my time chatting with travelers worldwide.

But it is not what's happening at the moment. I am sitting in the office and people are working on land surveying issues from 8 to 17 daily. All I can do now is check flight tickets on Skyscanner and read through reviews on Lonely Planet and imagine what my next adventure would be like.