shifting events

Today, I am going to share my personal story with everyone.

First, I have to say that I took everything for granted. I did not appreciate how good Taiwan is. I used to think that living overseas is the best and Taiwan is not a good country to live in. It is not just because I was an adolescent that disliked everything. I also disliked the environment in Taiwan and I did not want to live in my country. However, something really changed my mind. It is connected to my personal experience overseas, especially the time when I was experiencing something very difficult and scary. That memory was mostly lonely and hopeless. That is why this shaping event really changed my mind and it is something that I will never forget in my life. When I think of it, I always feel relieved and painful at the same time. Because of that, I would like to share this story with everyone.

It all must start from the time when pandemic started to spread out overseas. Everything started to close, and people were worried about the coronavirus. My parents and I were worried too. Unfortunately, I was not in Taiwan at that time. Instead, I was studying in Seattle. It was my third month in Seattle, and it had been very tough for me. I was just trying to adjust to everything in my life. It was not only the differences such as the food and the weather, it was also because of the college. I did not understand the lectures very well in college because the professors talked very fast. Also, my classmates did not bother talking to me because I was a foreigner. When I asked for help, most people ignored me. They did not want to have more trouble either. Most of my friends and family members were in Taiwan at that time and they did not know how to deal with the pandemic. I struggled a lot to manage my time all by myself and I felt very lonely. At that time, my perspectives and thoughts raised so many questions in my mind: Why did I choose to come here? Why did I not appreciate what was around me when I was in Taiwan? Also, why was I so stubborn about anything everything? Those questions made me so confused and unhappy because everything was not what I expected to see.

Even though my ticket was canceled five times, I still successfully booked a ticket back home. I stayed at a quarantine hotel for fourteen days and I returned home. The moment that my father drove me home, everything suddenly became so clear for me. The street that I saw that night made me realize that Taiwan is where I belong. The streets near my house are the street I see every day in my life. Those convenience stores and night market mostly stay open all night, and it is the place I am familiar with. Because of that, I do not have to worried about buying food is an inconvenient thing at night. That is something I did not realize before. There were also so many scooters riding on a narrow street, and it is the crowd I am used to feeling. Because of that, no one need to worry about whether it is safe to walk outside at night. I used to think that those noises and crowding are so annoying, but I think that is what exactly I need in my life. Suddenly, I realized that no matter how bad I was experiencing, home is always the only one place that will open to me without any judgment. I used to take everything for granted here, but Taiwan is the place that will always welcome me. From that moment, I did not dislike this place anymore. The scenery of the streets stay in my heart. I wanted to stay here and have a life here. I wanted to live in a place where people cared about me and made me feel that I am at home. It is where I should be, and I will cherish the simple things here.

Pandemic was a very scary moment for everyone. However, it helped me to cherish what I have, and I started to appreciate small things around me. I hope that more and more people will realize that Taiwan is a very precious island. I did not realize it either, but time has changed so many things. I have changed a lot as well. Living in Taiwan always reminds me to cherish what I have and live in every moment without regrets. I feel that I am really on a new journey again. It is all thanks to my family here and the experiences I have. Living here is something I will never forget, and it has shaped who I am.