@Xiao Hydrogen, 30-year-old female
After the end of the European exchange student semester, everyone went back to their respective homes. I went on a home visit to my friend’s house in Switzerland. I didn’t look up any guides at all. When I arrived at the station, I waited for someone to follow along. During the day, I bought groceries and cooked cheese hotpot at the supermarket, and at night, I set up a floor stall at a friend’s house. It was very hot, so we went to the nearby lake to swim. We soaked in the water for an afternoon. There were many people, and the water was very clear and sparkling. When we got tired of swimming, we went ashore and took out our shriveled sandwiches to take a few bites, chatting in the wind.
When I travel on my own, it’s actually a tough journey. It’s common to wake up at 7 o’clock and queue up to buy the newly released internet celebrity Kesong (and then immediately go to the next check-in point). When I woke up in the morning with my eyes wide open, my mind was filled with a schedule and roadmap. I was quite happy about it at the time, and didn’t feel tired or particularly anxious.
But many years later, when I look back on that time, I can’t remember the taste of the internet famous shops, and I don’t remember the appearance of the scenic spots. The only thing I remember is the sparkling lake surface and the taste of dry sour bread in my mouth.
@And Zhou, a 21-year-old female
That was a spontaneous trip, and the first time in adulthood that I traveled without my parents’ company. The Qinggan Ring Road is one of the preferred destinations for tourism after the epidemic. We formed a small group with two strangers and embarked on our adventure in that seven seater car. The most memorable experience was at Mingsha Mountain, where I encountered a sandstorm. For the first time, southerners experienced the feeling of sand on their noses and ears. That journey lasted until they returned home, and there was still sand from Dunhuang in their luggage. There are no exquisite and beautiful flying photos as imagined, only the strong wind blowing by the ear mixed with sand grains on Mingsha Mountain. But it was also the first time I truly felt the vitality of the poplar trees on the Gobi Desert in Chinese textbooks. In the yellow sand, only the poplar trees remained firm and towering. It’s hard to explain what kind of shock it was, a scene completely unimaginable in the southern water towns.
In the past, I used to be very obsessed with making movies when traveling, and would never post them on my social media. However, the scenery in the northwest is often so beautiful that I forget the embarrassment of traveling by boat and car. Under absolute beauty, not being able to make movies is no longer important. This trip changed the purpose of countless subsequent trips for me. The truly immersive journey is to feel the environment with my heart, not in the camera. The moment of losing consciousness standing in front of Qinghai Lake healed countless moments in life that were shattered by small things. Later on, I could no longer remember what clothes I had put on that day, but the green water and rough sand in the northwest became the lingering color of that crazy journey of youth.
It’s not like a youth outing at all
Later on, it seemed that there was no longer the luxury of not caring about time
@Nine card 27 year old female
The last long-distance trip during the three-month gap between my master’s graduation and my return to China was also my first time traveling alone, to White Moonlight Italy. Low cost airline, one canvas bag, one person, three cities, left 5 days for Rome. I lived in the house of a netizen I met before leaving, met good friends, and studied international history. In Italy in August, you have to go out early to avoid the scorching sun and crowded tourist crowds. Walking on the empty streets of Rome at seven or eight o’clock, lingering in the Vatican for more than ten hours, and then walking home with a gelato (ice cream) in the early morning under the moonlight, the whole day is still full of energy by eating ice cream. I ate the restaurant recommended by the front desk staff in Florence, and it was very amazing to see that Phili was wrapped in pickled pork belly oil. After being highly praised, the chef even packed one for me. Carrying enthusiastic pork belly oil, taking a walk in the Arno River at night under the influence of alcohol, and hearing someone playing the violin under the sunset, it’s Viva La Vida (Spanish: Long Live Life. It’s a song performed by the British rock band Coldplay). Feeling deeply moved by life, a girl approached and said it was so romantic that she wanted to cry.
There are too many beautiful moments. After two years of work and experiencing life changes, looking back, I can only sigh that it is not like a youth outing, but the seed after the youth outing is the supply package of life possibilities. In the future, there will be little obsession with taking life photos while traveling. The interaction between people, unexpected surprises, and the unique immersive thinking when traveling alone will have a longer appreciation period.
@Ah Mingjiang, 33 year old female
When I was in college, one evening I suddenly wanted to go see the sea, so I said in a small group, ‘Let’s go to Hainan.’ Then a few friends bought plane tickets together, and the next day we played cards at Meilan Airport… A group of silly children went to the beach at noon, all sunburned. More than ten years have passed, but my face still has uneven skin color, which is the imprint of youth hahaha. At that time, there was no concept of exquisite travel, no check-in photos, just wanted to go, so we went together. That was the first time I felt how free and carefree “just say let’s go” was, but what moved me the most was the group of friends who walked with me. As you reach middle age (can I also be considered middle age?), some of them are no longer in close contact, but the rough and impulsive friends who have accompanied you are always unforgettable.
@Beipu, 30-year-old female
The most impressive time was to buy a ticket for the Green Train and climb Mount Taishan Mountain at night. After getting off Mount Taishan Mountain, I took the green train hard seat for more than ten hours to climb Huashan Mountain at night. After getting off Huashan Mountain, I went to Xi’an. Finally, I took the green train for more than ten hours to go back to school. At that time, I was not yet 20 years old, without money, experience, or severe social anxiety. The only thing I had was a passion and courage. In that year, smartphones were not yet popular, there were no online ticket purchases, no mobile maps, and no guides. The preparation before departure could only be based on reading a few posts on Douban and using my own shallow understanding to prepare my luggage. I have a deep memory. I talked with strangers on a crowded train, chewed pancakes and green onions at the foot of Mount Taishan Mountain, climbed Mount Taishan Mountain, and was tired and suspicious of life. I shivered at the top of the mountain, but the sunrise was beautiful. The kite in Huashan Mountain turned over on the empty plank road, which was really exciting. I actually met many students of the same age in Huashan Mountain. Xi’an is very interesting and a good city to eat. The biggest feeling is that many times there are not so many restrictions, just do what you want. I will always cherish the self who had unlimited courage and execution ability back then.
@Xiaolin, 26 year old female
That was a sudden decision to travel for a week with a friend who hit it off right away. At that time, they were all unemployed wanderers. My friend drove out his car, and I brought the food I bought. The two of them set off on the road. The most memorable day was on the first day, when he drove all day to the plateau and suddenly found a small bottle of wine that his father had forgotten in the back seat of the car. He thought about taking a few sips in the car. Two people adjusted the seat to the back, the sunroof was fully opened, and all the doors were closed. I was still pouring wine with my head down when he suddenly patted me and said, ‘Look at how beautiful the sky is.’. As I looked up, the stars in the sky crashed into my eyes.
The most memorable experience was the ‘real feeling’ during that trip. Electronic devices only serve the functions of navigation and taking photos of scenery (because it doesn’t look good when both people take photos), and those who travel are real people. You will feel that the wind is warm and soft in the basin, but sharper in the plateau. Due to the limited geographical knowledge, I couldn’t help but guess about sedimentary rocks and shale, as well as deciduous broad-leaved leaves in alpine meadows, and didn’t bother to distinguish between the real and fake. I just felt happy chatting aimlessly along the way. I have traveled a lot since I was young, but this one is still the top one in my heart. Such carefree travels are unlikely to happen again. From being classmates to graduating, we rarely keep in touch with each other due to work, studies, and other reasons. There may be more difficulties in our future lives, but this trip will be a beautiful memory in our hearts.
@Stefan, 24-year-old female
The first thing I recall is my graduation trip from college. I booked my ticket a week in advance and had no idea about the destination except for the plane. I landed in Kunming in a daze. Then I moved on to Dali, which I had been longing for. I couldn’t find a guide, my itinerary was not fixed, and I only started researching homestays on the high-speed train. I inexplicably decided to spend a day riding an electric bike around Erhai Lake with my peers. On a July day, the skin is burned red by the sun, and together with the blue of the sky and lake, the green of the trees, the colorful wildflowers on the roadside, a touch of white on the top of Cangshan Mountain, and the brown of the ancient town buildings, they form unforgettable paintings in my memory. Pressing the switch, I can still hear intermittent songs along the way. In the end, it took 11 hours to stumble and complete the entire journey, buy fruit wine and barbecue, sit on the balcony of the accommodation, and the three of them talked aimlessly, their spirits wandering away and their souls returning to their original positions.
Later on, I often thought of this journey, the chaos, the noise, the exhaustion, the lack of sleep, the beautiful quietness, the relaxation, and the inexplicable, my youth and I.
