Advertise on podcast: Fly with Lily

� Fly with Lily | You’re Not “Bad at It” — You’re Just Not in the Right Place Yet Hey, this is Lily. In this episode, I’m sharing a story from when I was 18 — my first and second part-time jobs. In one, I was told I wasn’t suitable, that I “lacked energy.” In the other, I was seen, supported, and slowly found my confidence. Through these two ordinary experiences, I learned something important: Your value doesn’t depend on where you start — it depends on where you’re placed. If you’ve ever been judged, dismissed, or started doubting yourself, this episode is for you. Quote of the episode “Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” � If this episode resonates with you, follow Fly with Lily and share it with someone who might need this reminder today. My website: flywithlily.com

My website: flywithlily.com “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey “你能踏上的最大冒险，就是活出你梦想中的人生。”—— 欧普拉 Childhood memories never really feel far away. Even though my body has changed and the years have passed, the soul that carries everything is still the same “me.” As I grow older, every stage of life brings new challenges that widen and deepen my understanding of the world. After I began my ten-year global journey, people often asked me, “Was your childhood full of changes too? Did it shape the way you live now?” That question made me pause, look back, and reflect on my path of growing up. 童年的记忆其实从未走远。 虽然身形变了、年纪增长了，但承载这一切的灵魂依然是那个“我”。随着年岁增长，每个阶段的挑战拓宽了我的认知。在我展开横跨十年的环球旅程后，许多人问我：“你的童年是不是也充满变动？这会不会影响你成年后的生活方式？” 这个问题让我开始回望、反思自己的成长旅程。 My Father’s Influence — From Strict Upbringing to Freedom My father grew up in a very strict household. He often told me how tough my Japanese-educated grandfather was, and how he once hung him on a tree and beat him for being too carefree. It was such a humiliating moment that he even thought about ending his life. But instead, he made a vow: “When I have children of my own, I will make sure they grow up happy.” 爸爸的影响——从严苛的祖父到自由的教育 爸爸从小在一个非常严格的家庭里长大。他常提起受日式教育的爷爷对他管教有多严厉，甚至曾因他的随性，把他吊在树上打屁股。那次羞辱让他一度萌生轻生念头。然而，他对天发誓：“如果我有自己的孩子，一定要让他们快快乐乐长大。” But life challenged him even more. His first wife passed away, leaving behind two young children. Heartbroken and unable to care for them alone, he left them with their grandparents. Because of his damaged relationship with his father, he eventually chose not to return — creating a distance that continued into our generation. After I was born, I was never close to my grandparents or my older siblings. Every time I visited that serious, suffocating house, all I wanted was to escape. 然而，命运却给了他更多挑战。 他的第一任妻子病逝，留下两个孩子。他悲痛又无力，只能把孩子交给爷爷奶奶照顾。因与爷爷关系恶劣，他最终选择不再回家，也造成了我们这一代的疏离。 我出生后与爷爷奶奶、哥哥姐姐都不亲，每次回到那个严肃压抑的家中，我都只想逃离。 A Childhood of Adventure — Constant Moving & Early Independence If childhood is a journey, my parents definitely arranged an adventurous one for me. When I was little, I spent most of my time with my mother. She dressed me up, took me to Wendy’s, and while she enjoyed the salad bar, I loved the baked potatoes. I would spend entire afternoons playing in the ball pit. In contrast, my father was fiery, often out drinking for work. My parents’ relationship was unstable — sometimes tense, sometimes peaceful. 童年的冒险——变动中的家与独立的开始 如果童年是一场旅程，我的父母确实替我安排了一段充满冒险的旅程。 幼年时，我和妈妈相处较多。她细心帮我打扮、带我去温蒂汉堡，她吃沙拉吧，而我最爱烤马铃薯。我常在球池玩一整个下午。 相较之下，爸爸的个性火爆，常在外应酬，爸妈之间的气氛时而紧张、时而轻松。 After entering elementary school, my parents became even busier. I began walking to and from school alone — an early taste of freedom, but also a doorway to danger. I encountered bad people and frightening situations more than once. Still, my parents believed it was “training,” a way to learn independence. Those experiences sharpened my instincts. Although I was scared at the time, I now feel grateful — they taught me how to protect myself. 上小学后，父母更忙了。 我开始自己上下学──那既是自由，也是危险的大门。我在路上遇过坏人和变态，吓得魂不附体。但爸妈认为这是一种“训练”，让我更独立。 这些经验让我更快成长。虽然当时害怕，如今回想，我反而感谢这些磨练。 Life wasn’t smooth. One night changed everything. Once, my mom accidentally spent the money reserved for rent. At the same time, my father’s company went bankrupt. That very night, we had to move out immediately. Just like that, we began living in other people’s homes. I changed schools five times. Every time I finally made friends, it was time to leave again. It was painful then — but those constant changes taught me to adapt, to enjoy every new beginning. 生活并不一帆风顺。有一晚改变了一切。 有一次妈妈不小心花掉预缴房租的钱，刚好爸爸公司又倒闭，我们当晚被迫连夜搬家。 从那天开始，我们寄人篱下地生活。 我小学转了五次学。每次好不容易熟悉的新环境，下学期又要告别。 虽然辛苦，却也让我习惯了变动，甚至开始享受新的开始。

《原谅，是给自己的礼物》 “Forgiveness Is a Gift to Yourself” Forgiveness doesn’t change the past, but it frees the future. “原谅不能改变过去，但能让未来自由。” Growing up, this memory was undeniably the most painful chapter of my life, and it deeply shaped the person I am today. 在我成长的过程中，这段记忆无疑是最痛苦的，也深深塑造了今日的我。 In junior high, I was an outstanding student, almost always ranking first in the entire school. Yet, I didn’t get into my dream school—Kaohsiung Girls’ Senior High. I eventually chose Fengshan High School and passed the exam to enter the gifted English program. 国中时，我的成绩优异，几乎总是全校第一。然而，我却未能如愿考上第一志愿——高雄女中。最终，我选择了凤山高中，并通过考试进入英语资优班。 Those days were wonderful. Each of my classmates had their own unique personality, and the cheerful atmosphere helped me open up in ways I rarely had before. I finally had more time to study the English I loved, and we had a humorous, open-minded homeroom teacher—Gilian. 那段日子是如此美好，班上的同学各具特色，乐观开朗的氛围也让我开始展现自己较少流露的一面。我能花更多时间学习最热爱的英语，还有一位幽默开明的班导师——Gilian。 She cared deeply for us. She even invited the whole class to her wedding and organized a trip from Kaohsiung to Taipei to visit universities—an experience that broadened my world. 她不仅用心指导我们，还带全班参加她的婚礼，甚至组织我们从高雄到台北的大学参观，开拓视野。 In that class, I became inseparable friends with Jenny. She was lively and outgoing—the center of attention—while I was more introverted, yet I tried my best to be close to her, learning confidence through her. 在这个班级里，我和佳欣成了无话不谈的好友。她个性活泼开朗，是班上的焦点人物，而我则较为内向，但仍努力靠近她，试着学习她的自信与魅力。 Through her, I met Zack, the class president next door. Tall and delicate-looking, he stood out instantly—and he was the boy Jenny had a crush on. 也因为她，我认识了隔壁班的班长——宇哲。他高挑清秀，第一眼就能吸引目光，也是佳欣暗恋的对象。 As time passed, I came to learn about his life. His mother had passed away when he was young, leaving his father to raise him and his sister alone. 随着相处时间增长，我也逐渐了解了宇哲的故事。他的母亲在他小时候便过世了，父亲独自抚养他和妹妹。 Despite his hardships, he remained disciplined and hardworking, always ranking near the top. I admired him deeply, and we gradually became friends who shared everything. 尽管如此，他仍然自律勤奋，成绩名列前茅，从未让家人担心。我对这样坚强的他充满敬佩，也渐渐与他成了无话不谈的朋友。 Coincidentally, our birthdays were only eleven days apart. On his birthday, Jenny and I celebrated with him. For mine, I didn’t expect much, yet he still gave me a gift—a baseball cap, unwrapped, placed on the floor outside my classroom. 巧合的是，我们的生日同在同一个月份，仅相差11天。宇哲生日那天，我和佳欣特地为他庆祝。而当我的生日到来时，他给了我一顶没有包装、放在教室门口地上的棒球帽。 I didn’t think much of it at the time—boys weren’t always thoughtful. But a few days later, he posted an article on the school’s online forum, calling me “vain,” even claiming that no one in class liked me. 当时我不以为意，心想男孩总是不如女孩细心，却没想到，几天后，他竟在学校的电子论坛上发文，指名道姓地说我“爱慕虚荣”，还写道班上的同学都不喜欢我。 As my eyes moved across those cold, merciless words, my heartbeat grew heavy. I couldn’t believe that in the eyes of someone I trusted, I had become that kind of person. 当我滑动滑鼠，视线落在那些冰冷而残忍的字眼上，心跳逐渐加快。我无法相信，在我所重视的同学眼中，我竟成了这样的人。 The hurt and humiliation swallowed me whole. 那一刻，委屈与羞辱交织，将我吞没。 I spiraled into self-doubt. Every day after school, I would hide in the bathroom and cry under the sound of running water. 从那天起，我陷入深深的自我怀疑，每天郁郁寡欢。回家后，我的固定行程变成了躲进浴室，在水流的掩护下哭泣。 This lasted until one day, our teacher said in class, “If anyone feels uncomfortable here, you may apply to transfer.” 这样的日子持续了许久，直到某天，Lilian老师在课堂上说：“如果有同学觉得不适应，可以申请转班。” It was like seeing an escape route from my pain. 那一刻，我仿佛看见了逃离痛苦的出口。 I immediately called my father. I expected him to question me or persuade me to stay, but he simply said, “As long as you’re happy.” 下课后，我立刻拨电话给爸爸，本以为他会细问原因或劝我留下，然而他只是平静地说：“只要妳开心就好。” The next day, I submitted the transfer form, closing that chapter of darkness. 隔天，我便递交了转班申请，正式为这段阴影画上句点。 This was not the first time I had experienced social hurt growing up. I was ignored by friends in elementary school, again in junior high—psychological wounds I didn’t recognize as “bullying” until later. 这次的事件并非我在求学阶段首次遭遇的人际挑战。小学和国中，我都曾被要好的同学突然当成空气，这些心理创伤直到多年后才被我意识到其实也是一种“霸凌”。 From these experiences, I learned one thing: “The best revenge is becoming a better version of yourself.” 那时的我感到无助，也深深受伤，但我学到了一个重要的道理——“最好的复仇方式，就是活出更好的自己。” So when this happened again, I chose growth. I devoured books on personal development—especially Dale Carnegie’sHow to Win Friends and Influence People. 因此，当这次的事情发生时，我选择成长。我开始阅读大量心理成长类书籍，其中卡内基的《如何赢得友谊与影响他人》对我影响最深。

“Love without knowledge can harm more than it helps.” “没有知识的爱，有时会带来伤害。” Since I was little, I have always loved small animals. My home was once filled with fish, ducklings, chicks, rabbits, silkworms, and even cats. Although I was full of enthusiasm and curiosity, I often made mistakes while caring for them simply because I was too young to know better. These experiences left a deep mark on me—mixed with regret and longing—and eventually became my first lessons in learning to respect life. 从小我就非常喜欢小动物。家里养过鱼、鸭子、小鸡、兔子、蚕宝宝，甚至还有猫咪。那时候的我满怀热情与好奇心，但因为太小、太不了解，常常在照顾牠们时犯下错误。这些经历至今仍深深烙印在我的记忆里，带着懊悔与思念，也成为我学会尊重生命的重要一课。 I once had a white rabbit who accidentally got injured. Wanting to help, I carefully applied purple antiseptic on its wound. The medicine stained its fluffy white fur into a patch of purple, and I felt guilty and worried that I had done something wrong. That night, I let the rabbit sleep on my bed, hoping to make up for my “mistake.” 我曾经养过一只白色的兔子。有一天牠不小心受伤了，我想帮牠治疗，于是小心翼翼地在伤口上涂了紫药水。白色的毛被染成紫色，我看着牠变色的毛，心里既愧疚又难过，觉得自己好像做错了什么。那晚我把牠抱到床上陪我一起睡，想弥补我的“错误”。 The next morning, I woke up to find the rabbit gone. I ran to my mother and asked, “Where did the bunny go?” She quietly pointed to the cardboard box outside our door—the place where I often played with it. When I walked over, I saw it lying still inside, already gone. I burst into tears. My mother gently told me that I might have hugged it too tightly in my sleep and accidentally suffocated it. That moment was the first time I felt real heartbreak, and the first time I understood just how fragile life is. 隔天早上醒来，我发现牠不见了。我急忙跑去问妈妈：“兔兔去哪了？”妈妈沉默地指向门外我们常一起玩耍的纸箱。当我走过去，看到牠静静地躺在里面，已经离开了。我哇地哭了出来。妈妈轻声告诉我，可能是我睡觉时抱得太紧，不小心压到牠了。那一刻，我第一次感受到真正的心痛，也第一次明白生命如此脆弱。 Another time, my silkworm eggs had just hatched, and I was overjoyed. I thought sunlight would help them grow faster, so I placed their box near the window. What I didn’t notice was the sudden change in weather. A heavy rainstorm soaked the entire box, and by the time I discovered it, it was too late. I sat by the window, staring at the drenched silkworms, blaming myself for my carelessness. 还有一次，我的蚕宝宝刚孵化，我开心得不得了，以为晒晒太阳可以让牠们长得更快，就把小盒子放到窗边。没注意午后天气骤变，一场大雨把整个盒子淋得透湿。等我发现时，一切都来不及了。我坐在窗边，看着湿透的小生命，忍不住自责，为自己的疏忽而心痛。 I also remember finding a lonely kitten in the alley with the neighborhood kids. Worried that it might get cold, we placed it in a cardboard box lined with a warm towel and covered it with a black plastic bag to block the wind. When the temperature dropped that night, we naïvely thought lighting a small candle inside the box would keep it warm. The next day, we returned only to find a burn mark on the ground and heard the cleaner mutter, “Who was so careless and hurt this poor kitten?” My heart broke instantly. Our innocent kindness had turned into an irreversible tragedy. 还有一次，我和邻居小孩在巷子里发现一只落单的小猫。担心牠着凉，我们找了一个纸箱，铺上毛巾，再用黑色塑胶袋盖住想挡风。当晚气温骤降，我们天真地以为在箱子里点一根蜡烛可以帮牠取暖。隔天回去时，只看到地上一大片焦黑痕迹，还听到清洁人员说：“谁这么不小心，把小猫害成这样？”那一刻，我的心瞬间碎了。年幼无知的善意，竟酿成无法挽回的错误。 There was also a Persian cat who wandered into our house. My father encouraged me to try caring for it, even though we had no idea how to raise a cat. Without a litter box, the cat often urinated and pooped on the staircase, and its long fur would get dirty easily. I tried to help by trimming its fur—and out of curiosity, I even cut off its whiskers. I didn’t know whiskers affected a cat’s balance. It became anxious and unstable, and eventually ran away. 还有一只波斯猫牠自己跑进我们家，爸爸鼓励我试着照顾牠，但我们对养猫一无所知。没有准备猫砂盆，牠常在楼梯间尿尿、便便，长长的毛也常沾到脏污。我想帮牠，就帮牠修剪毛，甚至因为好奇心作祟，还把牠的胡须剪掉。我不知道胡须会影响猫的平衡感。牠变得焦躁不安，最后干脆离家出走。 One day, I saw it in the back alley. It recognized me, but immediately turned and ran away—as if escaping from me. Standing there, I felt a deep sadness and guilt. I realized that even though I loved it, I had been loving it in the wrong way. 有一天，我在家后巷看到牠。牠认出我，却立刻拔腿就跑，好像在逃避我。我站在那里，又难过又愧疚，明白自己虽然爱牠，却用错了方式。 Looking back on all these childhood moments with small animals, each memory is accompanied by regret—but also by growth. These experiences taught me something precious: love isn’t just enthusiasm; it requires knowledge, patience, and respect. Those innocent mistakes became the marks along my path of growing up, reminding me to treasure life more deeply. 回首童年与小动物相处的这些故事，每一段都带着遗憾，但也带来成长。它们教会我一个珍贵的道理：爱不能只有热情，还需要知识、耐心与尊重。那些无心的错误，成了我成长路上的刻痕，提醒我要更懂得珍惜生命。

“Childhood passions aren’t distractions—they’re the early whispers of the soul.” “童年的热爱，不是浪费时间，而是灵魂的启蒙。” When I was little, I loved spending time playing with my neighbors or school friends. One of my greatest passions back then was collecting stickers. At school, exchanging sticker books became almost like a “social ritual.” During our short ten-minute breaks, we would quickly swap our sticker books and pick out our favorite stickers to trade. If someone liked one of my stickers but didn’t have anything I wanted, I would even “name a price” and sell it to her. That tiny act of buying and selling unexpectedly taught me the joy of making a deal. Looking back, maybe that was the first time I felt like a little entrepreneur—discovering how fun trading could be. 小时候，我最喜欢跟邻居或学校的朋友一起玩。我当时最热衷的一个兴趣，就是收集贴纸。在学校，交换贴纸簿几乎是一种“社交仪式”。短短的10分钟下课时间，我们会迅速交换贴纸簿，挑出想要的贴纸来交换。如果有同学喜欢我的贴纸，但她的贴纸簿里没有我喜欢的，我还会“开价”卖给她。这个小小的买卖过程，竟然让我体会到交易的乐趣。现在回想，那大概是我第一次感受到当“小小创业家”的成就感——原来买卖可以这么好玩！ Because my dad was always busy working, he tended to give me a bit more pocket money, perhaps out of a sense of compensation. To me, that money felt like an adventure passport. Every summer vacation brought me pure excitement because it meant two whole months of freedom. I spent nearly every day at Tom’s World arcade and the small theme park next to it. I was always playing Whac-A-Mole, riding the pirate ship, or dropping from the free-fall ride just to feel that rush of adrenaline. The atmosphere was filled with electronic game sounds, children’s laughter, and the tiny sense of achievement after winning a game. 因为爸爸工作很忙，也许是补偿心理，他常常给我比较多零用钱。对当时的我来说，零用钱就像是冒险的通行证。每到暑假我都超兴奋，因为那代表两个月的完全自由。我几乎天天报到汤姆熊游乐场，以及旁边的小型主题乐园。我不是疯狂打地鼠，就是坐上海盗船和自由落体，感受心跳加速的刺激。耳边充满了游戏机的电子音、小孩的欢笑声，还有每次赢得游戏后那种微小而满足的成就感。 I also enjoyed going alone to rent videotapes and then curling up at home watching Japanese cartoons and dramas. I had a little habit: once I started a show, Ihadto finish it in one go, or my heart felt unsettled. Because of that, I often stayed up all night—but knowing that I didn’t need to go to school the next day made everything feel deliciously liberating. 除了游乐场，我也很爱一个人去租录影带，回家窝着看日本卡通或日剧。我有个小习惯：只要开始追剧，就一定要一口气看完，不然心里不踏实。因此我经常熬夜到天亮，但想到隔天不用上学，心里就觉得特别自由，仿佛拥有全世界。 Looking back, my childhood free time was filled with boundless curiosity and passion. Whenever something interested me, I could devote myself to it for hours—sometimes repeating it dozens of times without ever getting bored. For a period of time, I was deeply obsessed with Western and Japanese music. I loved buying my favorite CDs and concert videotapes. My favorite boy band was Boyzone, and I watched their concert video more than forty times before I finally pressed the stop button. 回头看，我的童年空闲时光充满了无拘无束的探索与热情。只要遇到感兴趣的事情，我可以全心投入好几个小时，甚至重复做几十遍也不会腻。有段时间我深深迷上西洋和日本音乐，特别爱买CD和演唱会录影带。我最喜欢的男子团体是 Boyzone，他们的演唱会录影带我大概看了超过 40 次才舍得按暂停。 That love unexpectedly sparked my self-taught English journey. I would study the lyrics carefully, look up unfamiliar words with an electronic dictionary, and write them onto vocabulary cards I carried everywhere. I memorized them repeatedly on the bus to school. Without realizing it, I had collected quite a strong set of English vocabulary. When I found out that Boyzone was coming to Taipei for a concert, I almost jumped with excitement and begged my dad to let me go to Taipei for it. That concert not only let me meet my idols but also gave me my first-ever solo airplane experience—I was only seventeen. 也正是这份热爱，意外开启了我自学英文的旅程。我会研究歌词，用电子词典查生字，再抄到单字卡上，带着上学路上反覆背诵。在不知不觉中，我累积了一大堆英文单字。有一次知道 Boyzone 要来台北开演唱会，我兴奋到差点跳起来，立刻央求爸爸让我去台北。那次演唱会不只让我见到偶像，也让我第一次独自搭飞机——当时我才 17 岁。 Now, when I look back, those seemingly ordinary childhood moments were actually full of infinite possibilities. Every small passion and every little discovery became a shining fragment on the path of my growth. 现在回想，那些看似平凡的童年时光，其实充满了无限可能。每一个小小的兴趣、每一次探索，都是我成长路上闪闪发亮的珍贵片段。 My website : Flywithlily.com

“人生最美的，不是成为谁，而是发现自己是谁。” “The beauty of life is not in becoming someone, but in discovering who you truly are.” When I was little, because I spent most of my time with my dad, I once dreamed of becoming a lawyer — just like him. He was eloquent, sharp, and wrote beautifully. I admired how people respected him. Dad told me he used to go to the library every single day just to read every book he could find. To me, he was the smartest person in the world. He could almost recite the entire civil code by heart, and that amazed me deeply. But when I tried opening the law books myself, the dense and lifeless words only made me feel bored and distant. That was when I quietly gave up on the idea of becoming a lawyer — yet my admiration for him only grew stronger, because I finally understood how much focus and discipline it takes to walk that path. 小时候，因为总是跟着爸爸一起生活，我曾梦想成为一名律师，像他一样辩才无碍，写得一手好文章，成为令人敬佩的人。 爸爸告诉我，他有一段时间每天都往图书馆跑，为的就是读遍所有的书。 在我心里，爸爸一直是最聪明的人。他几乎能倒背如流六法全书的内容，这让我无比佩服。 然而，当我试着翻开六法全书，仔细阅读那些密密麻麻、冷冰冰的法律条文时，却只感到枯燥乏味，完全提不起兴趣。 那一刻，我悄悄放弃了成为律师的梦想，但对爸爸的敬佩却更加深刻，因为我更能理解那背后的坚持与专注有多么不容易。 Later, I dreamed of becoming a pilot — soaring above the clouds, overlooking the world below. It sounded so cool! But as my eyesight gradually worsened, that dream quietly faded away. Then I thought maybe I could be a flight attendant — after all, who wouldn’t want a job that lets you travel the world? But after learning more, I realized the job was actually exhausting, repetitive, and came with its own risks. It didn’t spark my passion the way I imagined it would. 后来，我曾幻想成为一名飞行员，能够翱翔天际、俯瞰世界，这听起来多么酷啊！ 可惜随着视力的逐渐模糊，这个梦想也只能悄悄收进心底。 于是我转而考虑成为空服员，毕竟能到处旅行的工作听起来很诱人。 但深入了解后，我发现这份工作其实比想像中单调，还伴随着高强度的劳动和潜在的风险，无法真正激起我的热情。 One day in primary school, during a writing class, an image suddenly appeared in my mind — I was in Tibet, milking a yak, surrounded by vast grasslands and gentle animals. That image made my heart ache with longing. It felt like that was what I truly wanted — to live close to nature, surrounded by animals and simplicity. I wasn’t sure if that counted as a “real” job — maybe just a farmer? But I didn’t care about titles back then; I only wanted a life filled with freedom and purity. 最有趣的是，有一次在小学的作文课上，我脑海中浮现出一个画面： 我在遥远的西藏，挤着牦牛奶，身旁是辽阔的草原和温驯的动物。 那个画面让我心生向往，仿佛那才是我真正想做的事——与大自然为伍，与动物为伴。 只是我不太确定，这算不算是一份“正式”的工作？ 或许，就是当个农妇吧？但当时的我并不在乎职称，只觉得那样的生活充满自由与纯粹。 As I continued through school, I discovered my deep love for English. So I thought about majoring in English at university. But when someone told me English majors usually became teachers, I felt a strong resistance. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to be confined to a single path — or maybe I was just craving endless possibilities. Looking back, I don’t think I ever wanted a specific “career.” I just wanted to play, explore, and live a life full of freshness and adventure. 随着求学之路的推进，我发现自己非常热爱英语，于是萌生了读英语系的念头。 然而，当有人告诉我，英语系毕业后大多只能成为英语老师时，我心中产生了强烈的抗拒。 或许是因为我不想被框限在单一的职涯道路上，也或许是内心深处渴望着更多未知的可能性。 回想起来，其实我小时候并没有明确想要成为某个特定的职业， 我只想玩耍，探索这个世界，让生活充满新鲜感和冒险的刺激。 Eventually, I chose to study journalism. At that time, my mom often watched the news anchor Shen Chun-Hua on TV and shared her thoughts on current events with me. I noticed how just a few minutes of news could shift her mood and perspective — and that was when I realized how powerful media could be. It could shape the way people see the world. That realization inspired me to become a news anchor myself, hoping to spread positive influence through stories. By coincidence, I later got accepted into Fu Jen University — the same school where Shen Chun-Hua graduated. 最终，我选择就读新闻系。那段时间，妈妈经常看着电视里的沈春华播报新闻，然后转头告诉我新闻中的事件与她的看法。 我发现，短短几分钟的新闻竟能深深影响她的情绪与思考，这让我第一次意识到媒体的力量竟如此巨大，能够改变人们看待世界的方式。 随后，我便萌生了成为新闻主播的念头，想要制造更多正向的影响。 很巧的是，后来我顺利考上辅仁大学，成为了沈春华的学妹！ However, while in college, I unexpectedly became a part-time English teacher. After graduation, instead of becoming a journalist or pursuing broadcasting, I joined an education company and became a teacher trainer for English instructors. It seemed like the opposite of what I wanted before — but life is funny that way. After making a full circle, I found myself back in education again. And later, I became a podcaster — somehow blending my two worlds: media and English. 然而，大学期间我却意外成为了一名兼职英语老师。 毕业后，我没有成为记者或继续追求主播的职涯，反而进入了一家教育机构，成为英语师资培训师。 这似乎与当初的抗拒背道而驰，但人生就是这么有趣，绕了一圈，却又走上了另一条与教学相关的道路。 更有趣的是，后来我成为了一名播主，算是把媒体与英语这两个我曾经抗拒又热爱的领域，巧妙地结合在了一起。 During those years of teaching, I realized the job gave me something precious — freedom. With decent pay and flexible hours, I could travel, make friends, and enjoy life. As an adult, I also tried different jobs — from being a waitress to an insurance agent — simply because they sounded fun at the time. Each experience, whether a success or a failure, became a unique chapter of my life story. 成为英语老师的那段时间，我发现这份工作时薪不错，能让我用少少的工时换取更多自由的时间，去探索世界、结交朋友、享受生活。 成年后，我还尝试过当服务员、保险业务员等工作，都是因为当下觉得有趣而去尝试。 每一份工作、每一段经历，无论成败，都成为了我生命中独特的篇章。 Now that I look back, maybe I never really wanted tobecomesomething — I just wanted toexperienceeverything. Every dream, every job, was simply part of my journey to explore the world, to know myself, and to embrace the unknown. Perhaps this free, undefined way of living is exactly what I was always meant to become. 现在回头看，我或许从未真正想要“成为”什么，而是一直想要“体验”生活中的各种可能性。 每个梦想、每份工作，都是我探索世界、认识自己、拥抱未知的旅程。 或许，这种自由自在、不被定义的人生，才是我心中最想成为的模样。

Cherish the ones you love, for one day they’ll live only in your memories. “珍惜眼前人，因为有一天，他们只会存在于回忆里。” When I was little, my parents and I had a weekend ritual — we would hold hands and walk together to Shang Ji Cheng, a little restaurant that served the most delicious roast chicken in Tucheng, Tapei. 小时候，我们家有个周末仪式——爸爸妈妈会牵着我的手，一起走到在台北土城香鸡城，那里有我最爱的手扒鸡。 Dad on one side, Mom on the other, and me in the middle, swinging their hands like a seesaw, giggling all the way. The moment we stepped inside, that golden, crispy aroma filled the air — to this day, I can still smell it in my memories. 爸爸在一边，妈妈在另一边，我走在中间，一边摇晃着他们的手、一边咯咯笑。那股金黄酥脆的香气直到现在，仍深深烙印在我的记忆里。 They would always leave the chicken leg and wing for me — my favorite parts — and smile as they watched me eat. 爸妈总会把我最爱的鸡腿和鸡翅留给我，看着我吃得津津有味，露出满足的笑容。 After dinner, we would head to the cinema. I remember laughing so hard at Stephen Chow’s movies like Flirting Scholar and Tricky Brains. Dad would say, “My favorite sound in the world is your laughter.” And in those moments, I felt safe. I thought that happiness would last forever. 吃饱后，我们就去电影院。印象最深的是周星驰的《唐伯虎点秋香》和《整人大王》，我笑得又大又开心。爸爸总说：“我最喜欢听妳的笑声。”那时候，我以为幸福会一直这样下去。 But life changed. The laughter faded, replaced by arguments, shouting, and silence. Dad began to hit Mom — and our family dinners became fewer and fewer. Sometimes, Mom still took me to the movies, but Dad was never there anymore. 然而生活变了。笑声被争吵、怒吼和沉默取代。爸爸开始对妈妈动手，我们三个人一起吃饭的画面越来越少。妈妈偶尔还是会带我去看电影，但爸爸已经不再出现。 When I grew older, the roles reversed — I was the one taking Dad to the movies. I still remember watching Con Air together, and later, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a movie that inspired me to travel to Iceland alone. 长大后，角色互换了——变成我带爸爸去看电影。我还记得我们一起看了《空中监狱》，还有后来那部让我踏上冰岛旅程的《白日梦冒险王》。 But by then, things were different. Mom and I often argued, Dad became quiet and heavy with worries about money. I was the one paying for the tickets — and sometimes, he didn’t even seem to want to be there. 但那时感觉已经不同了。妈妈和我常常争吵，而爸爸变得沉默忧郁，总是叹气说没钱。最后，都是我买电影票，而他只是静静地坐着，好像也不太情愿。 Even when my parents occasionally met again, the air felt heavy — like a storm waiting to break. I had already learned to live with their separation, but deep down, I still missed that simple, joyful little family we once were. 即使爸妈偶尔再见面，空气都变得沉重，像随时会爆发的暴风雨。我早已习惯他们分开的生活，但心底深处，仍然无比怀念那个单纯快乐的三人世界。 Then one day, Mom — who always cared about her health — passed away suddenly. A few years ago, Dad also left during surgery. Losing them both broke me open in ways words can’t describe. 后来，有一天，那个最注重养生的妈妈却突然离世。几年后，爸爸也在手术中离开了。我失去了这世界上最爱我的人，那段时间的痛苦，无法用言语形容。 If I could go back, just once, I’d return to that warm, yellow-lit Shang Ji Cheng. I’d hold their hands and say, “Thank you. I really, really love you.” Not wait until everything became a memory. 如果可以重来一次，我希望能回到那个灯光昏黄的香鸡城，拉着爸妈的手，认真地对他们说：“谢谢你们，我真的很爱你们。”而不是等到一切都变成回忆时，才后悔那些没说出口的话。 Thank you for listening to this story from my heart. Maybe you, too, have moments you wish you could relive — to say the words that were never said. So today, if you still can, call someone you love. Tell them how much they mean to you. 谢谢你听完我的故事。 也许你心中，也有那些想重来一次的时刻。 今天，如果还有机会，请告诉你爱的人：“谢谢你，我真的很爱你。”

Hello everyone, Today, I want to share a story from my childhood with you. This memory feels both vivid and blurry — like an old film playing in my mind, with flickering light, faint sounds, and a bittersweet feeling in my heart 哈啰，大家好。 今天想和你们分享一段我童年的故事。 这一段记忆对我来说，既真实又模糊， 像一部老电影，在脑海里有光、有声音，也有心里的一点酸。 When I left northern Taiwan, I had just entered my second year of elementary school. My family moved to Kaohsiung, and from then on, life became a little unstable — like a snail without its shell, wandering everywhere looking for a place to rest. 离开了北部的生活，那年我刚升上国二。 我们全家又搬到了高雄。 从那时开始，生活变得有点颠簸， 像一只没有壳的蜗牛，到处找地方落脚。 By that time, my parents were already living separately. My mom would visit two or three times a week, while I stayed with my dad, living in a tiny storage room at his friend’s place. It was located behind a fire station — small and dark. There was a little glass window on the ceiling, and light would trickle in through it. My dad and I shared one bed. I remember often praying toward that little skylight — it was the same moment I mentioned in my episode “The Broken Bone Miracle.” 那时候，爸爸妈妈已经分开住了。 妈妈一个礼拜会来看我两三次， 而我，跟着爸爸住在他朋友家的小储藏间。 那地方在消防局后面，很小、很暗。 天花板上有一块小小的玻璃，光会从那里透进来。 我和爸爸就睡在同一张床上。 我还记得，我常常对着那个小天窗祷告—— 那也是我在《断骨奇迹》里提到的那个时刻。 My dad drank every day back then. My daily task was to cross the street and buy him half a dozen bottles of rice wine or beer. At night, his friends would come over to drink, chat, and discuss work. Sometimes, the policemen or firefighters next door would play mahjong right beside our room. Strangely, I didn’t mind the noise. Only when my dad got drunk and his voice suddenly grew loud would I frown a little — but I stayed quiet, just being there. 爸爸那时每天都喝酒。 我每天的任务，就是去对面的小店帮他买半打米酒头或啤酒。 晚上，爸爸的朋友会来找他喝酒、聊天、谈案子， 有时候，隔壁的警察或消防员会在我们房间旁边打麻将。 奇怪的是，我并不觉得被打扰。 只是爸爸喝醉的时候，声音会突然变得很大。 那一刻，我总会轻轻皱一下眉头，但还是默默待着。 We didn’t have our own toilet. If I needed to pee, I had to go to a corner of the water-storage room outside. For number two, I had to walk through the kitchen and the living room to get to the bathroom. There were so many rats and cockroaches there. Once, a rat even crawled across my face while I was sleeping — I was terrified. After that, we set traps and sometimes could smell the dead rats afterward. But whenever we found one, my dad would take me out to a restaurant to celebrate. Looking back, it was absurd and somehow adorable — our own little “ritual” together. 我们没有自己的厕所。 如果要上小号，就要到外面的储水室角落解决； 要上大号，得穿过厨房、经过客厅，才能到达马桶。 那里老鼠和蟑螂超多， 有一次，一只老鼠竟然从我脸上爬过去。 那一刻，我真的吓坏了。 后来我们放了捕鼠器， 有时还能闻到老鼠尸体的味道。 但只要找到尸体，爸爸就会带我去餐厅庆祝。 现在想起来，那样的日子既荒谬又可爱。 那是我和爸爸之间，默契的“小仪式”。 Although that period of time was very dark, I always knew — my parents’ love for me never faded. Even though they were busy and emotionally distant, they still loved me in their own ways. I had a lot of freedom: I could run and play with the neighborhood kids, or wander off to explore on my own. When Mom came, she always brought me delicious food. When I broke my arm, she visited every day to massage it or remind me to take more calcium and vitamin B. Dad sometimes went away for a week on work trips, and without Mom around, I had to take care of myself. Before leaving, he would hand me a thick wad of cash — ten thousand NT dollars as pocket money. To me, that felt like a fortune. I’d use it to buy little things I liked, or treat my friends to ice cream and movies. That sense of having control over my tiny world made me feel so happy and free. 虽然那一段时间非常黑暗，但我始终知道——爸爸妈妈对我的疼爱从未少过。 即使他们各自忙碌、情感疏离，却仍然以他们的方式爱着我。 我拥有许多自由：可以和邻居的孩子们在巷子里追逐玩耍，也能自己到处探索。 妈妈来的时候总是会为我带好吃的， 我骨折后手弯弯的期间，妈妈每天都会来帮我的手臂按摩或者提醒我要吃更多的钙片和维生素B； 爸爸偶尔要出门工作，一走就是一个礼拜，没有妈妈的陪伴，我就得一人打理自己的生活， 他总会在离开前塞给我一叠钞票——一万元的零用钱。 那时候的我觉得这是一笔巨款， 我会拿着它去买自己喜欢的小东西，或是请朋友吃冰、看电影。 那种自己掌握小世界的感觉，让我感受到前所未有的快乐与自由。 我的网站：flywithlily.com

只要心中有信念，就没有不能愈合的伤。 When there is faith in your heart, no wound is too deep to heal. 童年时期，我经历过许多意外，身上几道明显的疤痕，都是那段日子留下的印记。 During my childhood, I went through many accidents. The scars on my body are the marks left from those days. 但最让我难以忘怀、也彻底改变我人生信念的，是那场“断骨的奇迹”。 But what I’ll never forget — and what changed my belief in life — wasthe miracle of my broken bone. 那时，我们一家暂时借住在爸爸朋友家的储藏间里。 At that time, we were living in a small storage room at my father’s friend’s house. 有一天，我在消防局后面的停车场和邻居孩子们玩闪电滴滴。 One day, I was playing tag with the neighborhood kids in the parking lot behind the fire station near the place we stayed at. 我躲在一辆消防车上，急着跳下来逃跑时，一脚踩空，整个人摔了下去。 I was hiding on a fire truck and, in my rush to jump off, I lost my balance and fell. 为了不让头部着地，我本能地伸出左手支撑，结果骨头竟从皮肤里穿出来。 Instinctively, I reached out my left hand to protect my head — and my bone pierced straight through the skin. 鲜血瞬间染红整个手臂，我痛得放声大哭。 Blood covered my arm in seconds, and I screamed in pain. 爸爸听到后赶来，把我抱去诊所。 My father rushed over and carried me to a small clinic. 我哭得撕心裂肺，他却冷冷地说：“是自己造成的，不许哭！” I cried uncontrollably, but he said coldly, “You did this to yourself. Stop crying.” 他一直把我当男孩养，认为我必须学会坚强。 He had always raised me like a boy — he thought I needed to be strong. 接骨师强行拉扯我变形的手臂，疼痛几乎让我昏厥。 The bone setter pulled my twisted arm so hard that I almost fainted. 但我再也没有哭。 But I didn’t cry again. 最终，我被送到大医院重新矫正。 Eventually, I was taken to a big hospital to fix it properly. 几周后拆掉石膏时，医生皱着眉说：“妳的手可能永远都会是弯的。” When the cast was removed weeks later, the doctor frowned and said, “Your arm might never straighten again.” 那一刻，十岁的我的世界崩塌了。 At that moment, my world collapsed. I was only 10. 我试着提重物、按摩手臂，怎么样都没有效。 I tried lifting heavy things, massaging my arm — nothing worked. 直到有一天下午，我看着天花板的小窗，忍不住哭了出来。 Until one afternoon, I looked at the small window above my bed and started crying. 我对着那束光默默祈祷，希望有个奇迹。 I prayed silently to that little beam of light, hoping for a miracle. 突然，我听见一个清晰的声音： Then suddenly, I heard a clear voice say— “把你的脚，踩在你的手掌上。” “Put your foot on your hand.” 我照做了，刚开始一阵剧痛，然后我睡着了。 I did what it said. It hurt terribly at first, then I fell asleep. 醒来之后，我的手——真的伸直了。 When I woke up, my arm… was completely straight. 我吓到全身发抖，也感动得流下泪。 I was trembling in shock — and crying in gratitude. 那一刻，我开始相信神，也相信奇迹。 That was the moment I began to believe — in God, in miracles. 从那之后，我学会了勇敢，也学会了信念的力量。 From then on, I became braver, and I learned the power of faith. 只要心中有信念，就没有不能愈合的伤。 When there is faith in your heart, no wound is too deep to heal. My website: flywithlily.com

“大自然是所有真正知识的源泉。”— 李奥纳多·达文西 “Nature is the source of all true knowledge.”— Leonardo da Vinci 海边的自由时光 Looking back, I realize that I began living a nomadic life long before I even knew what that word meant. 回首过去，我发现自己其实很早就开始过着“游牧”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，四岁时因爸爸的工作搬到三重（现在的新北市）。 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，当爸爸经营的台北法学研究社倒闭后，家里的经济状况急转直下，我们不得不暂时寄住在爸爸朋友的家里。 Because of changing school districts, I attended five different elementary schools. 由于学区关系，我在小学阶段辗转换过五所学校。 Among all those years, my most unforgettable memories were from a small seaside school in Keelung called Hemei Elementary. 其中让我最难忘的，是在基隆和美的小学生活。 It was a tiny coastal village, and there were only six students in my first-grade class. 那是一个靠海的小村落，我就读的和美国小一年级班上只有六个人。 Because there were so few of us, our young and handsome teacher treated us with special care. 因为学生少，年轻又帅气的班导师对我们呵护备至。 Every day after school, I couldn’t wait to run to the sea. 每天放学后，我迫不及待地跑向海边。 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. 沿途总能看见村民们在剥海胆、杀鳗鱼，空气里弥漫着海水与鱼腥交织的气味。 Even though I couldn’t swim and had to rely on floaties, the feeling of being close to the sea was irreplaceable. 即使我还不会游泳，只能靠泳臂漂浮，但那种与大海亲近的感觉，无可取代。 It was the first time I discovered that solitude could feel so joyful. 那是我第一次体验“一个人”也能如此快乐的时光。 I loved the sea breeze brushing against my cheeks and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore. 我喜欢海风轻拂脸颊的感觉，聆听潮水拍打岸边的节奏。 Sometimes I picked up shells or chased crabs; other times, I simply let the waves wash the sand from beneath my feet. 有时捡贝壳、抓螃蟹，有时任由海浪将脚下的沙粒带走。 In those moments, I felt completely embraced by nature — free, safe, and at peace. 那一刻，我感觉自己被自然拥抱，身心完全放松。 Though I was there for only one semester, that time felt like a dream. 虽然只在那里待了一个学期，但那段时光对我来说就像一场梦。 It became one of the freest memories of my childhood. 那是我童年最自由的记忆。 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. 即使没有人陪伴，六岁的我仍会独自跑去海边，仿佛在与大自然进行一场无声的对话。 Perhaps that was when a tiny seed was planted — the longing for a life of freedom without boundaries. 或许就是从那时起，我心里开始种下了向往自由无拘生活的种子。 我的網站：flywithlily.com

My father played an immensely influential role in my childhood. Shortly after I was born, he founded the Taipei Institute of Jurisprudence, published a legal newspaper, and gathered a group of law students who both admired and feared him. Before I even started school, I often accompanied him to his office: first riding a bike from our home, then taking the bus into the city, and finally walking through a long underground passage. The dim corridor was always lined with toys and dolls that drew children’s eyes. With their big round eyes, the dolls seemed to be speaking to me. Each time we passed, I would beg my father to buy me one. Although he loved me dearly and had already given me dolls, the then-popular Knight Rider toy car, and even a fire truck, he eventually realized his wallet was “bleeding” too quickly. He began to resist my pleas, sometimes having no choice but to drag me out of the passageway as I wailed and sobbed. 我的童年里，爸爸是一个极具影响力的角色。他在我出生不久后创办了台北法学研究社，出版法学报纸，并拥有一群敬畏他的法学生。还没开始上学时，我常常跟着他去办公室：先从家里骑脚踏车，再搭公车转车，经过一条长长的地下道。那里昏黄的走廊上总摆满了吸引小孩的玩具和洋娃娃。洋娃娃大大的眼睛仿佛在对我说话，每次经过，我都忍不住撒娇要爸爸买给我。爸爸虽然疼我，在那之前已经给我买了洋娃娃、当时最火红的李麦克的跑车还有消防车，当他发现钱包“失血”过快后，开始学会忍住不买，有几次甚至只能硬拖着哭得撕心裂肺的我走出地下道。 ⸻ In the office, my father was strict and stern. If students whispered during class, he might throw an eraser at them, often accompanied by a harsh curse. His students both respected and feared him, but I was the only one who dared to talk back. To curry favor with me, they would slip me pudding and Yakult, making me feel like a little princess with special privileges every day. 在办公室里，爸爸严格又严肃。学生们稍有不慎在课堂中说话，就可能被他一个板擦丢过去，还伴随着一句粗话。学生们对他又敬又怕，但我却是唯一敢顶嘴的人。学生们为了讨好我，常塞给我布丁和养乐多，我每天都像个小公主一样，享受着特权。 ⸻ One day, while playing with a lighter in the office, I accidentally burned a corner of the wall. My father scolded me harshly in front of his students. Tears streamed down my face, but I defiantly retorted, “If you’re so cruel to your favorite daughter, how can you call yourself the president of the Institute of Jurisprudence?” He froze on the spot. Later, he often retold the story to friends as a joke, saying that while the law emphasized both logic and emotion, his four-year-old daughter had managed to silence him with “emotion.” 有一次，我在办公室里玩打火机，不小心烧黑了墙角。爸爸当着学生的面狠狠斥责我，我委屈得眼泪直流，却不甘示弱地回嘴：“你对你最爱的女儿都这么凶，还算什么法学研究社的社长？”这句话让他当场愣住。事后，他常把这个故事当成笑话对朋友讲，法律讲求情理，他当年竟被四岁的女儿用“情”反驳得哑口无言。 ⸻ Looking back, these interactions with my father not only nurtured my debating skills but also taught me the power of having a voice—it could challenge authority and even make the sternest figures pause. More importantly, I came to realize that his strictness was not devoid of love. On the contrary, it was because of his deep love that he dared to show me his truest self and guide me with both firmness and care. My father’s love and sternness, interwoven like two forces, pushed me forward while protecting me, shaping the person I have become today. 回头看，那些与爸爸的互动，不仅让我从小培养了辩论能力，也让我明白“声音”的力量——它可以挑战权威，甚至让严肃的人停下脚步。更重要的是，我逐渐体会到，爸爸的严厉并不是没有爱，相反地，正是因为他深爱我，才愿意用最真实的样子陪我成长。父亲的爱与严厉，就像两股交织的力量，一方面鞭策着我，一方面也守护着我，塑造了我今天的模样。 My website: flywithlily.com

“There is no such thing as a new person, only a new beginning.” “世上没有全新的人，只有新的开始。” Kaohsiung in 1982 was the second-largest city in Taiwan, with a population of about 1.2 million. It was a typical industrial port city, where the air was always filled with the scent of machine oil and the salty sea breeze. Cranes busily loaded and unloaded containers, while the sounds of factories echoed across the city. For Taiwan, it was an era of rapid economic growth, and it was in this very atmosphere that I was born. 1982 年的高雄，是台湾的第二大城市，大概有一百二十万人口。那是一座典型的工业港口城市，空气里总是带着一点机油味和咸咸的海风。吊臂忙着装卸货柜，工厂的声音此起彼落。对台湾来说，那是一个经济快速起飞的年代，而我，就是在这样的氛围里出生的。 For my parents, my arrival was a big event. During an ultrasound, the doctor had told my mother that I would likely be a boy. My father was thrilled when he heard the news, believing that having a son as their first child was a great blessing to the family. But when I was born and turned out to be a girl, his expression reportedly grew complicated. Later, he often laughed when recalling: “The moment you were born, you cried so loudly, like a little boy. Too bad you turned out to be a little girl!” 对我的父母来说，我的到来是一件大事。当时妈妈去照超音波，医生说应该是个男孩。爸爸听到这个消息非常开心，觉得第一胎就是儿子，这对家庭来说是很大的祝福。可是，当我出生那一刻，他看到其实是个女孩，他的表情据说变得有点复杂。后来他常常笑着回忆说：“妳一出生就哭得特别大声，像个小男孩，可惜偏偏是个小丫头！” As a child, my cries were especially loud—so loud they felt like they could blow the roof off. My father often joked, “Your crying drove me crazy! I almost wanted to throw you out of the window a few times!” Of course, my mother always stopped him. Looking back now, I realize that was just my father’s unique sense of humor. 我小时候的哭声特别响，常常哭到好像要把屋顶掀翻一样。爸爸还常开玩笑说：“我都被妳哭到快崩溃了，几次差点想把妳丢出窗外！”当然这句话每次都会被妈妈阻止。现在回头想，那其实是爸爸独特的幽默。 I weighed over four kilograms at birth, truly a “giant baby.” My mother suffered greatly in labor because she gave birth naturally, and she was completely exhausted afterward. What’s more, since she had taken some Chinese medicine during pregnancy, I was born covered in golden hair. My father joked that I looked like a “little golden monkey.” Though everyone found it funny at the time, no one could deny that I was a healthy and adorable baby. 我出生的时候超过四公斤，是个名副其实的“巨婴”。妈妈为了自然产吃了不少苦，生完累坏了。而且因为她怀孕时吃了太多补品，我一出生全身披着一层金色胎毛，爸爸笑说我像一只“金毛猴子”。虽然当时大家都觉得好笑，但没有人能否认——我是一个健康又可爱的宝宝。 My father was a straightforward man and carried a bit of the traditional preference for boys over girls. He often teased me by saying I had been picked up from a garbage heap, which made me angry and cry. Every time, he had to coax me for a long while until I forgave him. As a child, those words hurt, but as I grew older, I realized that was his clumsy way of showing love. Especially in his later years, he would often say: “You and your older sister are the most thoughtful. If I had known earlier, I would have had more daughters.” Those words always warmed my heart. 爸爸的性格很直接，也带着一点传统的重男轻女观念。他常常说我是从垃圾堆捡回来的，逗得我气哭。每次都要他哄很久我才会破涕为笑。小时候这些话真的会让我受伤，可是长大以后我才慢慢明白，那是他笨拙表达爱的方式。特别是在他晚年的时候，他常对我说：“妳和妳姐姐最贴心，早知道就多生几个女儿了。”这句话总是让我觉得很温暖。 Now, when I look back, my name, my birth, and these little stories are all part of the very beginning of my life. They are not just pieces of family memory but also reminders that each of us was welcomed into this world within a specific time and cultural background. These memories have accompanied me to this day and have become the foundation of my understanding of family and culture. 现在回想，我的名字、我的出生、还有这些小故事，都是我生命最初的起点。它们不只是家族记忆的一部分，也提醒我：我们每个人都是在特定的时代背景里被迎接到这个世界的。这些记忆陪我走到今天，也成为我理解家庭和文化的基石。 Thank you for walking with me through my birth story today. As you listen, I hope you can also recall the moment you first came into this world, and how your family welcomed you in their own way. 谢谢妳今天和我一起走进我的出生故事。希望妳在听的时候，也能回想起自己来到这个世界的那一刻，还有妳的家人，如何用他们的方式迎接妳。

“Our names are the stories we carry into the world.” “名字，是我们带入世界的故事。” My Chinese name is Li Zi-Jin (李姿锦), and my father said he personally chose it for me. Li is an extremely common surname—you can find people with the same family name everywhere in Taiwan. Yet, as a child, I felt different because of this name, since the great Tang dynasty poet Li Bai also carried the surname Li. That connection gave me an extra sense of pride and belonging. As for Zi (姿), my father chose this character because it contains both “second” (次) and “woman” (女), symbolizing that I am his second daughter. The last character, Jin (锦), is made up of “gold” (金) and “silk” (帛), representing his wishes for me to have a rich and beautiful life. As a little girl, I often felt that my name carried a mission—that my father’s hopes and expectations were all packed into those thirty-two brushstrokes. 我的中文名字是李姿锦，爸爸说这是他亲自为我取的。李是一个极其普遍的姓氏，在台湾到处都能遇到同姓的人。然而，小时候的我却因为唐代大诗人李白也姓李，而觉得自己与众不同。这样的联想，让我对这个姓氏多了一份骄傲与归属感。至于“姿”，爸爸选这个字，是因为它的结构里有“次”和“女”，象征我是他的第二个女儿。而“锦”由“金”与“帛”组成，代表他对我的期待——希望我能拥有富足而美好的生活。小时候的我常觉得，名字就像一个使命，爸爸的心愿和期待全都压在这三十二划里。 When I was in elementary school, my name became the subject of jokes among classmates. They loved to mimic the sound of “Li Zi Jin” saying it sounded like “ni zi ji” (“yourself” in Mandarin). Outwardly, I laughed along, but inside I felt embarrassed. What’s more, the last character of my name, Jin, was often misread as Mian (It means cotton in Chinese). Eventually, to avoid awkwardness, I let some teachers or strangers call me “Zi-Mian” instead. Looking back, those jokes were probably harmless, but they did plant a seed in me about the connection between names and identity. 小学时期，我的名字常成为同学的玩笑。他们喜欢模仿“李姿锦”的发音，说听起来像“你自己”。表面上我会跟着笑，心里却觉得尴尬。特别是名字最后一个字“锦”，常常被误读成“绵”。后来，为了避免尴尬，我干脆让一些老师或陌生人叫我“姿绵”。现在回头看，那些玩笑或许没有恶意，但确实让我开始思考名字与身份的关联。 In the fifth grade, I got my first nickname—“Spider.” Back then, it was trendy in class to change the last character of someone’s name to “Pig.”(猪） So Zi-Zhu (姿猪) became “Spider” (蜘蛛). My good friend Yashi even designed a spider logo for me: an oval with a smiling face, a bow on its head, and eight little legs. That time of my life was filled with pure joy. We always signed each other’s cards with this little spider, as if it was a secret code and a symbol of our friendship. 五年级时，我有了第一个绰号——“蜘蛛”。当时班上流行把名字最后一个字改成“猪”，于是“姿猪”就变成了“蜘蛛”。我的好友雅诗甚至帮我设计了一个蜘蛛签名：一个椭圆里画着笑脸，头上戴着蝴蝶结，还有八只脚。那段日子充满了单纯快乐，我们总会在彼此的卡片上画上这只小蜘蛛，就像是一种友情的暗号和象征。 After graduating from high school, I left my hometown of Kaohsiung and moved north to attend Fu Jen Catholic University. My entire social circle changed. I became obsessed with fashion and makeup, copying styles from the Japanese magazine Cawaii: heavy eyeliner, bleached blonde hair, and miniskirts to class. But my attempts made me the subject of ridicule for some Taipei classmates. They secretly gave me a nickname, “Xiao Baihe” (Little Lily), because they thought I looked like a hostess from a nightclub, and those who works at the nightclub always have a flower name. Still, I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I thought “Xiao Baihe” was beautiful, and I even enjoyed being called that. Looking back, that experience taught me to stop caring too much about others’ opinions and instead focus on my own preferences and self-expression. 高中毕业后，我从高雄北上到辅仁大学，生活圈完全改变。我开始迷上时尚与化妆，模仿日本杂志《Cawaii》的风格：浓浓的眼线、染成金色的头发、穿着迷你裙上课。但这些尝试却成了部分台北同学取笑的对象。他们私下给我取了个花名“小百合”，因为觉得我打扮得像酒店小姐——而酒店小姐总会用花名。尽管如此，我一点也不介意，反而觉得“小百合”很好听，甚至乐于被这样称呼。回头看，这段经历让我学会不再过度在意他人的眼光，而是专注于自己的喜好与表达。 My first English name was Josephine, chosen by my very first English teacher. But I quickly felt it was too long and changed it to Joyce. It wasn’t until I started teaching English myself that I finally decided on the name I still use today—Lily. I liked the simplicity and grace of “Lily,” which brings to mind the pure lily flower and also echoed my college nickname. Some students who knew my Chinese surname would sometimes call me “Lily Li,” but I didn’t like that combination—it felt too plain. After my engagement, I began using my fiancé’s surname, Wong, and became “Lily Wong.” Even after our divorce, I insisted on keeping this name. For me, it was not only a way to remember that love, but also a way to redefine my own identity. 我的第一个英文名字是 Josephine，这是我第一位英文老师帮我取的，但我很快嫌它太长，就改成了 Joyce。直到我开始教英文时，我才决定用现在这个名字——Lily。我喜欢“Lily”的简洁与优雅，让人联想到纯洁的百合花，也与我的大学绰号呼应。有些学生知道我的中文姓氏，会叫我“Lily Li”，但我不喜欢这个组合，觉得太普通。订婚后，我开始使用未婚夫的姓氏“Wong”，成了“Lily Wong”。即使离婚之后，我仍然坚持保留这个名字，因为它不仅是对那段爱情的纪念，更是我对自我身份的重新定义。 Nowadays, almost no one calls me by my Chinese name anymore. As I’ve traveled the world, a few friends have tried to learn it, but pronunciation has always been a challenge. So they prefer to call me Lily—simple, convenient, and making our interactions much easier. 如今，几乎没有人再叫我的中文名字了。随着我走遍世界，虽然有些朋友尝试学会它，但发音始终是一个挑战。所以他们更习惯叫我 Lily——简单、方便，也让交流更轻松。 Today, my name has become part of my personal brand, Fly with Lily. From “Li Zi-Jin” to “Lily Wong,” each version of my name reflects a stage of growth and transformation. I’ve come to see that a name is not only a label but also a vessel of stories, carrying the ways we draw strength from the past and choose to live authentically in the present. In the future, whether my name changes again or not, I hope it will continue to convey my values: love, gratitude, freedom, exploration, and abundance. 如今，我的名字已经成为我个人品牌 Fly with Lily 的一部分。从“李姿锦”到“Lily Wong”，名字的每一个阶段都反映了我的成长与转变。我发现，名字不仅是符号，更是承载故事的容器，见证我们如何从过去汲取力量，并选择真实地活在当下。未来，无论名字是否再改变，我都希望它能继续传递我的价值观：爱、感恩、自由、探索与丰盛。 我的網站：flywithlily.com 

I will never forget that day in Kaohsiung, around 2010, when we held our engagement banquet at my family’s house. A college friend came to congratulate me and said, “You’ve made it.” But in that moment, I didn’t feel a trace of joy. 我永远忘不了那天，在高雄家里举办订婚酒席，大概是2010年。一位大学同学来祝贺我，说我“成功了”，可那一刻，我心里却没有一丝喜悦。 At the time, I was preparing to marry the man I thought was my prince charming. But the wedding preparations nearly broke me: invitations, outfits, makeup, and hair were all left to me to arrange. I had to take care of my father’s feelings, while also hosting my fiancé’s parents who had flown all the way from Ireland, along with their friends from Hong Kong. Thankfully, my half-sister—though we don’t share the same mother, she has always been caring—was by my side to help. Without her, I wouldn’t have made it through. 那时的我，正准备嫁给当时心目中的白马王子。但筹备过程中，我几乎被压垮：邀约、服装、妆发全得自己张罗，还要照顾爸爸那边的情绪，同时也迎接从爱尔兰远道而来的未婚夫父母与他们在香港的朋友。幸好有我同父异母的贴心姐姐陪我一起帮忙，不然我真的撑不住。 But what exhausted me the most was the criticism from my in-laws after the engagement: my table manners, my clothing, my behavior… I had been bullied as a child and a teenager, and that same feeling of “being disliked when I was myself, and still not being loved when I tried to please others” came flooding back. 但最让我无力的，是在订婚之后，婆家对我的各种不满：餐桌礼仪、穿着打扮……我从小曾被霸凌，那种“做自己被讨厌、委屈自己也不被喜欢”的情绪，再次涌上心头。 His parents even told him, “If you insist on marrying Lily, we will cut ties with you.” Yet I was moved by his determination and his love. Even when we went to Hong Kong to register our marriage without either set of parents present, he still chose to stand by me. 他的父母甚至对他说：“如果你坚持娶Lily，我们就断绝关系。” 我却感动于他的坚持与深爱——即使在我们到香港公证结婚那天，双方父母都没有出席，他还是一样选择站在我这边。 But in the end, the marriage still fell apart. Barely a year and a half later, I discovered his affair with his assistant. To be honest, I hadn’t been happy for quite some time. Looking back now, perhaps what he did actually gave me a way out. 只是，这段婚姻最后还是走向破裂。结婚不到一年半，我发现他与助理的婚外情。诚实地说，那时候的我早已不快乐。现在回头看，也许他所做的，反而是给我一条出路。 I left him, and I also left behind the home and the seven years of life I had built in Shanghai. It was a true new beginning. 我离开了他，也离开了我在上海筑起的家和七年的生活。那是一场真正的重新开始。 I set out with $10,000, planning to travel for three months. But one journey turned into ten years, and I have now traveled through more than forty countries. My luggage, once heavy, has been reduced to less than seven kilos. 我带着一万元美金上路，原本只打算旅行三个月，没想到这一走就是十年，踏遍四十多个国家。行李从沉重到精简，如今只剩下不到7公斤的随行装备。 I discovered freedom—the freedom to go wherever I wanted, to meet whoever I wanted, and most importantly, to carry an inner peace with me. 我体验了自由——想去哪就去哪，想见谁就见谁，还有一份心灵的平静。 Along the way, I went through deep transformation in body, mind, and spirit. I learned to forgive, to accept, to release, and to surrender. I learned to live in peace with myself. 因为在这段旅程中，我也经历了身心灵的蜕变。我学会了宽恕、接受、放下与臣服。我学会与自己和平共处。 Many people say they envy my life. To be honest, I also envy the version of me who exists today. Over these years, I have cried, broken down, and even thought of ending my life. But I have also experienced the sweetness of love, the ecstasy of life, and now, a quiet contentment. 很多人说羡慕我的生活，说实话，我自己也很羡慕现在的自己。这些年，我哭过、崩溃过、也曾想过结束生命。但我也经历过爱情的甜蜜、生命的狂喜，还有如今的恬淡自在。 In the past, I often struggled to write, feeling blocked and empty. Now, with the help of AI tools, I can create with flow and share my emotions, stories, and reflections. This is something unimaginable for our parents’ generation, and I feel grateful to live in a time with such possibilities. 过去的我，常常写不出东西，觉得文思枯竭。现在，透过AI工具，我能流畅地创作，分享我的心情、故事与体悟。这是我们父母辈无法想像的事情，我为自己能活在这个时代、拥有这样的可能性感到感恩。 This memoir is dedicated to myself, and also to you, who may be searching for direction in the midst of uncertainty. 这本回忆录，是献给我自己，也是献给在迷途中寻找方向的你。 May these stories bring you comfort, and a little courage. 希望这些故事能带来陪伴与一点点勇气。 If you’d like to connect, feel free to write to me at [email protected]. You are also welcome to join my Morning Club, my entrepreneurship community, or visit my website: flywithlily.com. 如果你愿意与我交流，欢迎写信到 [email protected]。 也邀请你加入我的双语女子晨间俱乐部、创业社群，或来逛逛我的网站：flywithlily.com。 We meet on the road. May we light the way for each other. 我们在路上相遇，愿彼此照亮。 This memoir series will be updated weekly on Fly with Lily podcast. I’d love for you to come back often, listen, and leave me a message. You can also support me by leaving a 5-star review on Ximalaya, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify—I’ll be sharing some of your reviews in future episodes. 本回忆录系列预计在《学英语环游世界》播客中一周更新一次，欢迎常回来收听或留言给我。并在喜马拉雅、Apple Podcast和Spotify留下五星的评价给我鼓励，我会在节目中分享出来。

Nothing good will ever happen to you if you never leave your house. 如果你永远不出门，好事决不会发生在你身上。 Before my evening flight back to Barcelona, I also booked several cooking classes making pizza, tiramisu and pasta, as well as a walking tour in downtown Rome. Luckily, the classes connected seamlessly. I had a full schedule and I made several friends who I still keep in touch with till this day. 在回去巴塞罗那的晚上班机之前，我在罗马市区预定了几堂制作Pizza、提拉米苏、和意大利面的课程，还有一个在市中心的徒步之旅，幸运的是这些课程都连接的天衣无缝呢，让我一整天都行程滿滿的，而且还交了几个至今我们还保持联系的朋友。 That was the end of my journey in Europe. I had so many beautiful memories and had seen most of the cities I was eager to visit. I had met the people I wanted to meet and also got together with some friends before I went back to Taiwan.  这就是我在欧洲旅行的终点了。我拥有好多美丽的回忆，还看到了许多我曾经渴望拜访的城市。在我回台湾前还见了许多我一直想见又和一些朋友重逢。 After I got back to Taiwan, I had some quality time with my family and then I was figuring out where I would like to go after I had some much-needed rest. Then the pandemic hit. A lot of my friends in Europe were suffering from the sudden change in their lives and restrictions on things that previously seemed normal. I only talked to a few of my hosts briefly however they seemed quite low and there was a point at which it felt like the world was ending. At this time, a lot of people in Europe and other countries died from this horrible disease and many more were stuck on their computers and within their homes for weeks on end.  回到台湾后，我和家人共度了一些美好的优质时光，然后在我充分休息正要计划着下一站要去哪里的时候，新冠肺炎的大流行蔓延各地。我在欧洲的朋友都因为这个在他们生命中的突然转变和生活受到的限制而受苦着。我仅仅和几个曾经接待过我的沙发主人说话，然而他们都心情低落也感觉世界好像就要灭绝了。因为在那个时候，在欧洲和许多国家有许多人死于这个可怕的疾病，还有许多人待在家里被电脑给困住不知道多久了。 Now in hindsight, I am really glad I took the trip. I really am. Though it was hard and I was exhausted from the trip, I followed my heart, and I didn’t waste time. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to create so many beautiful stories to tell. I saw so many beautiful sights and scenery however I was most interested in the people who lived there. At this point, I don’t know when the world will be normal and safe to travel again. It’s very possible that we will have to continue to travel with caution and socially distance from people we meet from now on. Back when I was traveling, these ideas never crossed my mind.  现在我回头看，我真的很高兴那时我启程了。虽然路途很辛苦，我也精疲力竭，但我一路跟随着我的心所以也没有浪费时间。不然我就不会有机会制造和说这么多美丽的故事。我看到了许多美丽的风景，然而我最有兴趣的还是住在那里的人。此刻，我并不清楚何时这个世界会回归正常并能够再度旅行。也很有可能从此之后，我们必须要继续小心的旅行着并保持社交距离。而这些是我在旅行的时候，从来没有想过的。 I was used to flying all the time, and I even created a brand for myself called Fly with Lily. However, the train made it so easy to travel to nearby countries. The eurail ticket was also a money saver too and I took 56 rides with a two month pass, which came to around 900 euros.  我以前总是不停的到处飞，我甚至开创了一个品牌叫做「和Lily一起飞」。然而，这个火车旅行让我们可以更方便的到邻近的国家去旅行。环欧火车的通票也非常的划算，让我省了不少钱，在两个月的旅程中，我用900欧元搭乘了56趟火车，和横跨了10个国家呢。 At the end of my journey, I saw how far I had come from when I first thought about the idea of traveling around Europe by train. These thoughts developed after a conversation with my good English friend in Barcelona, Greg, who suggested that train travel was a great way to leave a smaller carbon footprint than flights and was more environmentally friendly. He had lived in Sweden for almost twenty years and even shared that some Northern Europeans advocated “Flight Shame”.  He jokingly told me that maybe I should stop encouraging people to “fly” since I was building my personal brand “Fly with Lily”.  Over the years while I was traveling around the globe, I became more aware of the impact of my actions on the place I lived in and I felt inspired by Greg to try this new approach for myself. When we can travel again, I would love to try more train journeys in different countries and continents. My experiences convinced me that this method of travel is not only more environmentally friendly but that there are so many exciting adventures to be had. At the top of my list is traveling around China by train, experiencing the many sides of this vast country and sharing what I see with my loyal listeners.  在旅行的最后，我终于能看到从一开始有这个想要用火车旅行的想法是如何一路支持我美梦成真。这些想法在我和我在巴塞罗那的英国好朋友，Greg的建议下而促使了行动，Greg在瑞典居住了将近二十年的时间，有次他告诉我北欧正在进行一个叫做“飞行耻（Flight Shame) ”的活动，说火车旅行比飞机旅行更要能减少碳排量还能更环保。他开玩笑地告诉我或许我应该要停止鼓励人去“飞”。在这几年的环球旅行中，我的确更有意识到我的行为是如何影响我居住的地方。而且我也被Greg给鼓舞到了，并也想要尝试用新的方式来影响地球。如果我们又可以开始旅行了，我会想要在更多不同的国家和大陆进行更多的火车旅行。我的经验也让我更加确信这样的旅行方式不仅更环保，还可以创造更多的冒险经验。在我的愿望清单上，中国会是我未来最想要用火车来旅行的国家，也希望可以用这样的方式看到这个广大国家的更多不同面向，并且和我重视的听众们来分享我所看到的。