Over the summer of 2024, I was given the opportunity to participate in a mini-semester at TungHai University International College in Taichung, Taiwan. This mini-semester was 5 weeks long, and I completed 6 credits (3 in Mandarin Language and 3 in Taiwanese Tea Culture and History). This program was a study-abroad opportunity that I found through Mines, however, there was only one other student from Mines and many students from all across the US. During the last week, some of the other students and I were able to go on an excursion down the west coast of Taiwan.

I departed from Denver in late May, and after a short layover in San Francisco, I arrived in Taiwan at Taipei International Airport with about 20 other American students, however, my bag somehow didn’t make it on the flight… After arriving at the hotel where we would be staying for the next four weeks, a group of students and I went to the 7-11. We quickly realized that Taiwan prioritizes convenience as almost every street block has a 7-11 or a Family Mart (3 within a 5-minute walking distance to our hotel).

On our first full day, we went to the bank, walked around the area, rode the bus and MRT, and visited the college campus. TungHai University’s campus is huge, not only is there an entire cattle farm accompanied by an ice cream shop, an area to ride horses, an entire elementary school and high school, but there are also two 7-11s.

The diversity at the International College was amazing; my peers were from all over the world, including Chile, Spain, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, and many more countries. The conversations I had with my peers taught me so much about global politics, identity, and culture that I would have never been able to learn had I stayed in the United States.

Not only did I learn about Taiwanese culture, but I was also able to experience cultural diversity within Asia. In Colorado, the most exposure I had to asian cuisine and culture was our americanized-chinese restaurants. In Taiwan, I was able to truly experience all types of Asian cuisine, from Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese, to Taiwanese food (which also contains dozens of different cuisines.) Although there are very few non-asian people in Taiwan, there is also a great diversity of Asian cultures and identities that I was not aware of.

My favorite Taiwanese foods include sweet potato balls, egg crepes/pancakes, rice triangles, and of course, bubble tea. Many of these foods completely new to me and they were so much better than the American versions. I definitely miss these foods now that I’m back in the US!

While staying in Taiwan, I rode the public bus almost every day. I was astonished by the convenience and efficiency of their public transportation system, which you can use to go almost everywhere in the country. Compared to Denver (which I thought had a great public bus system), Taiwan has a completely different level of public transportation, from buses and trains, to free electric bikes and high speed rails. Although I am grateful and proud to be an American, I realized how many of our systems (including public transportation) are inefficient and inaccessible.

During my time in Taiwan, I had many opportunities to explore cities, nature preserves, beaches, mountains, temples, and many more places. I am amazed by all that Taiwan has to offer and even though I spent more than a month there, there’s still so much more that I want to see.

I do have some tips I’d like to share for those studying abroad in general. First, be open-minded and willing to branch out. You never know who you might meet at a hostel and what adventures they can bring you on. By talking to a variety of people all from different cultures, you can expand your horizons and discover the most interesting people. Second, try not to stay in your home base. You’ll likely be very close to many different countries, so get out there and explore! There’s so much to the world, and if we stay in one spot in our discomfort, you may miss out on many opportunities and blessings. And finally, it’s okay to be overwhelmed! You’re in an entirely new place, with new people, and probably a new language. Take it easy, and cut yourself some slack. You don’t have to have it all figured out, because I surely didn’t. Find bliss in the unknown, for that might be the very place that changes your life.

I really wish I had branched out more during my time abroad. I planned out ALL of my trips for my 5 months in Spain during the first week, and I planned them all with the people I met during my first week there. I really wish I hadn’t done this because although they were fun to travel with, I wasn’t able to really branch out and travel with new people because I had already plan the trips. You’ll also find that after traveling with the same squad over a long period, you will start to get annoyed and conflicts may occur.

Regardless, my time abroad was one of the most amazing times of my life, and the memories I made will NEVER escape my mind. I have since developed a love for traveling and hope to make it a core part of my future.