Journey to Taiwan
The journey to Taiwan was a long one that started around 3:00 a.m. EST on May 26th, 2022 from my hometown of Greensboro, NC. I didn’t sleep the night before due to excitement (and last minute preparations). My parents drove me to RDU airport where I would be flying out to Newark Airport, to San Francisco to finally fly out to Taipei, Taiwan. As much as I was excited to finally get to go to Taiwan, there was a bitter-sweetness to leaving my family again, as I had only just gotten back from my semester abroad in Latvia two days before flying out to Taiwan. Nonetheless, I braced myself for a long, long day of travel.
A happy (but sleep-deprived me) waiting to board the plane to Taiwan!
Arrival at the Airport
By the time we arrived at the airport in Taiwan, it was already dark outside, but I could immediately feel the heat and humidity. Inside the airport, the other CET students and I had to wait in line to buy a SIM card as required by the Taiwanese government. We were then allowed to pick up our luggage and exchange currency. Afterwards, we all had to take a rapid covid test before being able to leave the airport. This was interesting because it was a saliva-based test as opposed to the swab tests I was accustomed to. After everyone had been tested and our buses to our quarantine hotels had arrived, all of us (luggage included) were sprayed with alcohol from top to bottom before we boarded onto the bus.
Finally on the bus to the quarantine hotel!
Quarantine Hotel – First Impressions
As per the covid policies mandated by the Taiwanese government at the time of my arrival, I would have to complete a 7-day quarantine from a hotel room that I would not be able to leave until the end of the quarantine period. My room was very comfortable and came with a big bed, window, TV, and to my surprise, a Japanese-style toilet with bidet!
A Tiktok recap of my journey to Taiwan!
@xle.f I made it to Taiwan! #taiwan #taipei #fyp #polyglot #language #中文 #留學 #留學生 #台灣 #台北 #留学 #studyabroad #studytok #asia #parati #おすすめ #traveltok