The Fantasia of Penguin

I like this essay.

Maybe I have once experience, so I can understand the words.

Maybe I am tired of my regular life, so I want to be a vagrant oversea.

Traveling Alone - Without Feeling Lonely   origin: www.highway11.net

     Interested in giving solo travel a try? If you aren’t the international backpacker type, then you might want to first try making a solo journey within Taiwan. Individual travel is a growing trend in Taiwan, giving new meaning to the joy of travel.

     Travel offers an opportunity to leave behind your daily routine. Travel has no fixed form, and every journey has its own particular purpose, so making a trip offers all sorts of possibilities to be pleasantly surprised. Travel comes is all shapes and sizes: large-group travel, guided tours, traveling with a few friends, family trips, trips for couples, honeymoons, theme travel, and, of course, solo travel. When you think back on all of the different types of trips you’ve ever made, have any of them been a solo trip?

     Many people travel alone because they find it more relaxing, it provides more exposure to the places they are visiting, and it doesn’t require a fixed itinerary. But solo travel is not only about relaxation and fun; it also provides an opportunity to mentally settle down, find yourself, and make a new start. Some people find themselves with a lot of extra free time when they are changing jobs, while others simply decide that they need a break from an inflexible, routine lifestyle. Solo travel doesn’t require any particular purpose, and it eliminates the need to accommodate yourself to somebody else’s schedule and preferences; when you are ready, you just go! Traveling alone gives you increased independence and flexibility; in fact, you can change your plans whenever you want.
 
     While on a solo journey there is ample opportunity to settle your mind and contemplate the things, which you normally don’t have much of a chance to think about in a calm state of mind. Moreover, you tend to be more focused on the details you encounter along the way, enhancing your sense of enjoyment and leading you to discover and appreciate amazing new things. Another major advantage of solo travel is that it provides more opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, and enjoy genuine friendliness. And who knows, you may even run into your soul mate! These are but some of the attractions of solo travel, and after making their first solo journey, lots of people are hooked!

     What about the disadvantages? Actually, solo travel is not for everyone. You have to learn how to be independent, and you have to get used to relying on yourself. At the very least, you have to be able to pluck up the courage to decide to set out by yourself. If you have been in the habit of group travel for a long time, or if you really like having somebody with you all the time with whom you can share the joys of travel, then solo travel might not be for you.

     So just what sort of person is it who likes to travel alone? From my experience running a bed and breakfast, I’ve found that most solo travelers are women who are sensitive, discerning, and, of course, independent. Perhaps there is something unique about women, which makes them more daring when it comes to solo travel. Over the past two years, however, as bicycling has become more popular, partly due to films and media coverage, lots more men are attempting to circle the island by bicycle, a mode of solo travel which was rather rare in the past.

     Formerly, perhaps one of the main reasons few people opted to travel alone was the relative lack of single room rates at hotels and bed and breakfasts, often making it necessary for solo travelers to pay for a double room. Backpacker hostels are the main exception, but they tend to lack privacy. Sure, solo travel is about being independent, but it really needs to be better supported by the hotel industry. Recently, however, a number of bed and breakfasts on the East Coast have begun to offer discounts for single accommodations in order to attract more solo travelers. Not only do they provide a comfortable place to stay, but they also offer a homey environment where solo travelers can chat and interact with the owner, or if they prefer, enjoy some solitude without being disturbed. Thus traveling alone doesn’t mean being lonely.

     Now then, are you ready to make a solo journey? All you have to do is set aside some time, pack your bags, open your mind, and head out. In the course of your journey you are bound to make some amazing discoveries!

單獨旅行不孤單—單人旅行

      你有想過試試一個人旅行的感覺嗎？如果你還不習慣成為一個流浪國外的背包客，那你應該先試試一個人在國內的小旅行！單人旅行不只是流行風潮，更能讓你體會到旅行中不同的感受和意義。

      旅行是一種跳脫平日生活與工作環境的狀態。因為沒有任何既定的形式去定義旅行的型態，旅行便因不同的目的而存在了各種可能的驚喜與意義。有多人成團的集體旅行、有導遊陪同的在地深度之旅、有好友成群的旅行、家庭或家族旅行、情侶旅行、新婚蜜月旅行、主題探訪旅行…當然也包括了單人旅行！在你的記憶中，回想起來所經歷的每次旅行，一定都有著不同的回憶，但有沒有屬於獨自一人的旅行經驗呢？

      許多人藉由一個人的旅行放鬆心情、增廣見聞或沒有目的漫遊。但單人旅行不只是能追求歡樂、放鬆；單人旅行也可以是一種反省、沉澱與再出發的過程。許多人在轉換工作過程中，突然多了臨時的假期，或是決定在一成不變的生活中出走。單人旅行不需要理由也不需要遷就他人的時間與需求，說走就走！一個人旅行的好處就是可隨時依據自己的想法來調整行程、自主性強、機動性也高。

      單人的旅程中有許多自處的時間能沉澱思考一些平常難以靜心思考的問題或想法，也能更專注地欣賞沿途景緻，去發掘新事物的感動與驚奇。單人旅行更能有機會與途中相識的新朋友對話，真誠地感受到溫暖的人情味！甚至在旅途中邂逅了一段意外的戀曲或結交了一位人生知己。這都是單人旅行的迷人之處，也讓許多人在嘗試獨自旅行後而樂此不疲的原因。

      單人旅行只有好處或是適合每個人嗎？這也不盡然，因為單人旅行是必須學習與習慣「獨立」的過程，你無法只想依靠任何人。所以，至少要有能決定出發的「勇氣」。如果你早已習慣一定要有人陪同出遊，或者你喜歡至少有人能隨時與你分享當下的感受，就可能無緣享受單獨旅行的樂趣了。

      大家一定很好奇什麼樣的人會選擇單人旅行呢？ 在我經營民宿的經驗中發現，單人旅行的朋友多數是女性，她們敏感、觀察力好且獨立有想法！也許因為女性特質讓她們更勇於體驗一個人的慢遊。最近兩年來，因為腳踏車運動風行加上電影、媒體的推波助瀾，使得不少男性朋友勇於挑戰騎單車環島旅行，這是個機會讓他們有了過去較少選擇的單人旅行。

      以往許多人較難以在國內選擇單人旅行的原因，也許是因為較少提供單人住宿的民宿或旅館，通常都是單人住宿雙人價格。若是選擇背包客為主的青年旅館，有時也會較缺乏隱私。一個人的旅行需要單獨與自由，同時也需要支持與關懷！近來東海岸也開始有些用心待客的民宿，推出單人旅行的住宿優惠來鼓勵選擇單獨旅行的朋友。這些民宿提供的不只是舒適的住宿環境，更像是這些單人旅行者在旅程中一處身心都能依靠的「家」，他們能選擇與民宿主人談天互動，也能選擇獨處靜謐不被打擾。這樣的選擇讓單獨旅行不孤單。

      對於單人旅行，你心動了嗎？找個時間，背上你的行李，用開放的心胸去體驗一個人的風景，將會在你的旅行經驗中得到意想不到的驚喜和禮物！