Reflections On My Time in Taiwan: Cultivating Gratitude
The pursuit of self knowledge is important to me, but it has some fierce competition from the more pressing needs like eating, exercising, and showering regularly. It’s one of those things which is always on my list of priorities, but rarely tops it. Introspection can help identify the little lies we tell ourselves and the unrepresentative experiences that tinge our memory, but it is hard. I do try to “see the forest beyond the trees”, but the trees usually get in the way. In writing this reflection, I want to share the bigger picture of my time in Taiwan. Specifically, I want to share the ways that life here has helped me to cultivate gratitude. My Journey To Taiwan When people ask why I am studying in Taiwan, I often explain that in 2019 I was inspired by an economics professor while studying abroad in Switzerland. When I realized that I would need additional qualifications in order to participate in the type of applied research which made me passionate, it was only natural to seek out a masters program overseas where I could also indulge my wanderlust. Taiwan, the program, and the funding were all aligned to my goals. When
