I usually don’t have a bucket list of things I must do or places I must visit before I die. but if I had one, this moment would definitely be somewhere in the top 50. and yes, my top 50 would probably have more than 50 items.
the thing is, I was sitting by Cijin Coastal Beach on one of those chairs nailed firmly to the ground, probably to stop it from being blown away by the wind, or maybe by a typhoon. it was golden hour, actually sunset, the most beautiful time of day on a normal, rainless day. the sea was right in front of me, separated from where I sat by a stretch of black sand and some kind of creeping beach plants, the kind that grow quietly across the sand. I was bathing in the last sunlight of the day. it was soft and warm. the wind touched my skin gently and it did not feel sticky, sweaty, or salty in the uncomfortable way I often feel at beaches back home, even at An Bang Beach in Hoi An. there was no huge portable speaker blasting karaoke, the kind people usually bring to camping trips or beaches. there were no street vendors asking me to buy something or donate to something. it felt like I was the only one enjoying that moment, reading a book, listening to my own music, and being just a little performative about it, lol. of course, there is something freeing about traveling to a place where no one knows who you are. I did not really care what people might think or say about me, because I did not understand their language anyway.
nearby, music was drifting out from a glamping coffee bar. they were playing jazz songs I did not know, but somehow the music matched everything around me so beautifully. it felt like a gentle hug from the universe: there was the sun with its soft, warm light; there was the ocean, the black sand, the wind carrying a salty smell; and the music. everything blended together and created a very particular experience. it was not as extraordinary as the Milky Way I once saw in Pangong, but it became a mark in my memory that whenever someone reminds me of Kaohsiung, I know I will remember this moment.
it made me emotional, and I don’t think I will ever forget it. not only because everything felt balanced and harmonious, but also because it was completely random. it was the kind of moment you do not expect, but then it arrives anyway which felt as if the universe had quietly arranged everything and guided me there. it was one of those rare moments when you do not have to set anything up or try hard to make it meaningful but everything simply falls exactly where it is supposed to be.
the soundtrack for this moment could be Harvest Moon by Neil Young.