Taipei City— August 31-September 7, 2024

My first week in Taiwan was spent walking around Taipei City. I stayed in a hotel with a very nice third floor view, which I could often just stare out of. I found out there are hundreds of places to find food within walking distance, and over 100 Michelin star restaurants in Taipei alone. My first Taiwanese food was beef tendon, which was pretty good!

I was in a very popular area in the city, and I felt it was easy to disappear in the crowd at times. The buildings have pretty neon flashing lights at night.

I visited the National Palace Museum, saw the President’s palace, and I crossed a bridge to get to New Taipei City, where I quickly got lost and relied on a taxi to help me find my way back to my hotel.

At the end of the week, we had the Fulbright orientation, and every participant gave a presentation. After that, we visited a museum, and I left to take the high-speed rail to Tainan— where I will be staying for the next 10 months.