I was born and raised in Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan. Even though I have been living in other parts of the world (US, China, then US) for 30+ years, I go back to my hometown to visit family and friends at least once a year (except for during Covid time).

My 10-year-old son was born in Taipei. In his early childhood years, we split our time between Taipei and Suzhou, where my husband and I had worked. Since it is only a short flight away, we frequently traveled back to Taipei to visit family and friends during my son’s toddler and preschool years.

In 2020, when my son was 5, we moved to the United States. After the Covid pandemic, we resumed our visits to Taiwan and have been spending every summer in Taipei.

Every time I return to Taipei, I become both a local and a tourist. I feel the warmth and familiarity of my hometown, at the same time I discover new changes in the city and its people.

Thanks to this unique experience, I am able to view Taipei from both a local’s and a tourist’s perspective, and offer interesting viewpoints.