I’d like to really understand everything that led me to become who I am today.
I remember taking the airplane to America that day, full of excitement. At the airport, I saw my aunt and uncle for the first time in what felt like forever—though honestly, I couldn’t even remember how many years it had been.
I stepped onto this strange, foreign land for the first time in my life, without even wondering what was going to happen next.
It was the year 2000, and I was twelve.
My parents had a small factory manufacturing chandelier parts in Taipei County, and we lived on the second and third floors of the building. It was an industrial neighborhood, filled with the sounds of machines throughout the weekdays, and sometimes even on weekends.
Usually, my family would go to our other home on weekends—a house on top of a hill near Taipei City. From my bedroom window, I could see the city lights stretching out below me.
I never realized how lucky I was at the time, or how much I’d kill for that kind of view from the window of my rented apartment in Silicon Valley right now. (Yep, can’t afford it.)
I also never seemed to care much about the spectacular night views that travel guides would call “must-sees.” Why would I? I already had one right outside my window.
I didn’t even know I would miss it someday.
And nope—no other spectacular night view has ever topped that one.
