二十年後，會讓自己遺憾的不是做過的事，而是沒去做的事。Twenty years from now…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. “ Mark Twain

三年多前的一個晚上八點，我拿著筆記型電腦，坐在A棟五樓會議室準備要與協理、經理討論今天發生的異常狀況與處理方式。會議室牆上掛著一幅畫，鄉村庭園的風景畫。我的思緒從好幾個excel的報表中頓時停下來，看著那幅畫。我無法解釋有種莫名的羨慕出現，也許說得確切一點，是一種嚮往。也不確定我在嚮往什麼?只知道突然想停下來休息。但我現在才正要開始會議；今天的工作還沒結束。開完會回到我的辦公室，無奈的表情出現在我臉上；疲憊的手指還需要敲打著鍵盤，還有異常處理的action要交代下去，明早來還要特別看data.

There was an evening around 8pm more than 3years ago. I was holding a laptop in a meeting room, sitting in front of a desk and get ready to report to the managers about the abnormal issue that happened earlier that day. There was a painting on the wall. A country scenery painting. It grabbed my attention out of the excel files, and I couldn’t help myself from yearning for that. I even didn’t know why. Somehow I wanted to stop all of these, but it was just the beginning of the meeting. Went back to my desk with a tired look. Still got my hands working on the keyboard. Gonna get everything done for the daily meeting tomorrow.

這樣的日子早已習以為常，生活就是對工作有責任感，完成老闆們的期望與交辦事項，回家打開電視，看什麼不重要，只要能讓腦袋放空就好，希望明天早上開晨會前，不會有更多的異常出現。澳洲打工度假好幾年前就想過，但一日復一日這樣的流水生活，淹沒了心中的芽。曾經以為日子就是這樣子了，在科技業工作大家都一樣。是否真的有不一樣的生活?是否要在而立之年出去看看?

I got used to these days. Life was being responsible for my job, spent more time to do better to meet someone else’s expectation. Then got home, turn the TV on. It doesn’t matter what it was on it, as long as it help my brain stop for a while. And hopefully there would be no more abnormal happens tomorrow. Working Holiday??? That crossed my mind years ago. But the days buried the idea soon. That was my everyday life. Everyone is doing the same thing. But I wondered is there a different life style?

於是只買了一張單程機票，我去了! 不但在澳洲待16個月，還自己去歐洲旅行好幾個月。原來生活真的不只是這樣。當然經歷了不少辛酸與辛苦，但都是銳變的過程。我曾跟澳洲當地人一起生活一年；曾在世界最美的荒野一人走了六天；在保加利亞村落找不到住處快冷死在路邊；在希臘的巨石上訝異著自然奇觀；在歐洲談一場異國戀；在土耳其看一個個的熱氣球升起；在泰國打泰拳。很高興我去了。沒有三年多前的決定，這一切都不會發生，不會知道世界很精彩，真的有不一樣的生活。沒有三年多前的決定，就會像馬克吐溫說的一樣，二十年後，會讓自己遺憾的不是做過的事，而是沒去做的事。

I bought a one-way ticket. That was it and gone. Not just 16 months of working holiday in Australia, and also made myself travelled in Europe. I never thought this trip would last so long. I didn’t know I would be gone for 20 months. It was not easy but I was incredibly happy. I lived with Australian locals for a whole year. Solo Hiked for 6 days in the most beautiful wild in Tasmania. Almost got myself freeze in middle of nowhere in Bulgaria. Stood on a giant rock and shocked by the unbelievable scenery in Meteora. Fall in love with someone in Europe. Trained Muay-thai in Thailand. Really grateful these things happened to me. It wouldn’t happen without the decision 3 years ago. Then I wouldn’t know how wonderful this world is. I wouldn’t know there is a different life style. Then will be exactly like Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”

這不是一個容易的決定，因為我們要放棄自己熟悉的人、事、物，面對陌生的一切會讓人害怕。放棄穩定的工作，以後也不確定能不能找到相同的收入；大家都在存錢買房子，為了退休做打算，這樣的決定好像違反了整個社會價值觀。我的朋友，這的確不是一個容易的決定!但是你走出去，只要不喜歡，隨時都可以回來。不是你做這個決定若後悔了，就不許你回台灣生活。如果你善於你的工作，我聽過許多例子都回到原本的工作職位，最多也少賺幾個月的薪水而已，但是帶著不同的心情回來工作。少這幾個月的薪水，對於能不能買得起房子也不會有太大的影響。但如果你像我一樣，出去後發現很享受旅行，那對這個決定你也不會感到後悔了。

It was not an easy call. We have to give up the life, people, things we know best. Have to quite the job and might worry about how to get another one while get back. Everyone else is saving money for a house and retired life. That makes the thing you wanna do seems so wrong and it against the whole society. It’s not easy, my friend.
But remember one thing. Even if you go, you can come back any time you want. If you don’t like the trip, then come back home. If you are good at your job, then you can probably go back to the old job with a different point of view. If you are not good at your job, you probably don’t like it anyway. What you lost most is only a couple months of income. That doesn’t do much with your house deposit. But if you do enjoy the trip like I was. Then you won’t regret the call.

去探索吧!離開安全的港灣，了解生活不是只有工作跟收入，然後換取更貴的房屋與家具。出走吧!你發現人與人的相處比新聞上寫的要好多了。收起你的船錨，走出這個島，你會發現自己生在台灣，其實比世界上大多數的人要幸運了。

Sail away the safety harbour! You’ll know life isn’t just about work and paid, and get a big house and furniture. Throw off the bowline! You know people are much nicer than TV news. Give it a go! You’ll realize you are lucky to be born in Taiwan.

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