The final hours of the journey was all driving and lots of time to think. From the roads of freedom in Taitung with nothing in the way to regulate one's pace to semi-rural country side in Hualien and the appearance of traffic lights, each stationary moment waiting for the red to turn green became more and more of a frustration because its increasing frequency also means the near end of my journey and return to what I was trying to escape from. The thought of enduring another year of chaos was amplified by the traffic congestions as I drove through Hualien city, and the rain, thick fog and packed roads seemed to be pre-arranged as a means for me to acclimate before the "real world" really kicks in.
Driving through Su-Hua road, which is supposed to be a twisty road on a drop-off cliff with spectacular view, I had little to no intention to stop and enjoy it. The weather was bad, roads in poor condition as well and road of jam packed with trucks hauling rocks and cement. Arriving at Su-Ao, where I am supposed to be back in civilization, also where the freeway starts, I told myself that I am in no hurry, and took my time finding a place to have a simple dinner. Then, I decided that I did not want my last bit of the journey to be on the boring freeway, took a big detour and had a blast carving through the pitch-black and wet mountain roads from Yilan to Taipei. Driving hard on the extremely twisty mountain road and working my car was like the final struggle before my departure of this journey back to my regular life. From pitch black to occasional street lights, to houses and then shops, I was back in the city in no time. I was running lively in the mountains like a dog off leash then, now I am stuck sitting in the traffic, watching the counter telling me how much longer of wait before I am allowed to move again. Life is ,once again, regulated.
And so I am back at home, a place where I station myself in the urban. In a way I was trying to reduce the "pain" by quickly unpacking everything and returning my life to the normal state as if the journey never happened, like returning from Vegas, except it wasn't just an escape, but ultimately where I hope I can live a life. Like a blockbuster movie with sequels, I look forward to the next one, with the difference that I know it's not going to be worse than the original.
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