「大自然是所有真正知識的源泉。」

— 李奧納多·達文西

“Nature is the source of all true knowledge.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

Looking back, I realize that I began living a nomadic life long before I even knew what that word meant.

回首過去，我發現自己其實很早就開始過著「遊牧」的生活。

I was born in Kaohsiung, and when I was four, my family moved to Sanchong — now part of New Taipei City — because of my father’s job.

我在高雄出生，四歲時因爸爸的工作搬到三重（現在的新北市）。

But when my father’s law research institute in Taipei went bankrupt, our financial situation collapsed. We had no choice but to stay temporarily at a friend’s house.

然而，當爸爸經營的台北法學研究社倒閉後，家裡的經濟狀況急轉直下，我們不得不暫時寄住在爸爸朋友的家裡。

Because of changing school districts, I attended five different elementary schools.

由於學區關係，我在小學階段輾轉換過五所學校。

⸻

Among all those years, my most unforgettable memories were from a small seaside school in Keelung called Hemei Elementary.

其中讓我最難忘的，是在基隆和美的小學生活。

It was a tiny coastal village, and there were only six students in my first-grade class.

那是一個靠海的小村落，我就讀的和美國小一年級班上只有六個人。

Because there were so few of us, our young and handsome teacher treated us with special care.

因為學生少，年輕又帥氣的班導師對我們呵護備至。

⸻

Every day after school, I couldn’t wait to run to the sea.

每天放學後，我迫不及待地跑向海邊。

Along the way, I often saw villagers cracking open sea urchins or cleaning eels, the air filled with the salty, fishy scent of the ocean.

沿途總能看見村民們在剝海膽、殺鰻魚，空氣裡瀰漫著海水與魚腥交織的氣味。

Even though I couldn’t swim and had to rely on floaties, the feeling of being close to the sea was irreplaceable.

即使我還不會游泳，只能靠泳臂漂浮，但那種與大海親近的感覺，無可取代。

It was the first time I discovered that solitude could feel so joyful.

那是我第一次體驗「一個人」也能如此快樂的時光。

⸻

I loved the sea breeze brushing against my cheeks and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore.

我喜歡海風輕拂臉頰的感覺，聆聽潮水拍打岸邊的節奏。

Sometimes I picked up shells or chased crabs; other times, I simply let the waves wash the sand from beneath my feet.

有時撿貝殼、抓螃蟹，有時任由海浪將腳下的沙粒帶走。

In those moments, I felt completely embraced by nature — free, safe, and at peace.

那一刻，我感覺自己被自然擁抱，身心完全放鬆。

⸻

Though I was there for only one semester, that time felt like a dream.

雖然只在那裡待了一個學期，但那段時光對我來說就像一場夢。

It became one of the freest memories of my childhood.

那是我童年最自由的記憶。

Even without anyone by my side, the six-year-old me would run to the beach alone, as if having a silent conversation with nature.

即使沒有人陪伴，六歲的我仍會獨自跑去海邊，彷彿在與大自然進行一場無聲的對話。

Perhaps that was when a tiny seed was planted — the longing for a life of freedom without boundaries.

或許就是從那時起，我心裡開始種下了嚮往自由無拘生活的種子。