I knew when I first went to Spain that I might be backing myself into a corner. I wanted to stay in Europe indefinitely, but the Schengen countries don’t make that easy.
Most countries in Europe are part of the Schengen Area, which allows them to have open boarders. You don’t get your passport checked if you travel between Spain and France, for example. However, it also means that as a tourist, you get a total of 90 days in the whole Schengen Area, rather than in each individual country. Of course, you can get a real visa, but that means committing to 20 hours a week of language classes for a student visa or finding a company to sponsor you for a work visa, which wouldn’t provide the freedom I was looking for. There are a few other sneaky and lesser-known visa possibilities (including freelance) which I may explore in the future, though it seems like those are even less of a guarantee.
After two months of working as an au pair in Spain, I was a bit at a loss for what to do next, given my rapidly approaching 90-day limit. And where do I keep going back to but Taiwan?
Honestly, I felt a little uncomfortable about telling people I was coming back again. Personally, I’m so happy to be here and it’s so reassuring and comfortable to have a place that I know I can always return to, but there’s something about that recurring returning after trying out other things that feels like it could be seen a bit like “failure” (or at the very least, “flighty”). While many of my Taiwan-based friends just good-naturedly rolled their eyes at the news (“Classic Marjorie” was one response), most of the people I’d met in Taiwan in years prior who had also left got in touch to tell me how envious they were that I was going back, and how they were hoping to make trips back this year as well. So, I’m certainly not alone in my desire to return!
After bidding my Spanish family a tearful “adéu” (the baby sobbed in my arms when I said goodbye to her, though not because I was leaving, which she certainly didn’t understand; she just hates mornings), I flew to Vienna for a few days.
At this point, you are probably familiar with my love of Vienna (I studied abroad there in college, it was my first experience living in another country, and most importantly, it’s a fairytale come to life), but despite all the times I’ve been there since college, I’ve never visited during the storied Christmas season!
Christmas markets were, of course, the name of the game. I intentionally went to a few, but mostly you just stumble across them as you walk through the city. You find them spread in plazas, tucked in alleys, and one turns into another as you wander. My favorites were Karlsplatz and Schönbrunn. Rathausplatz was certainly a fun spectacle!
However, after 72 hours of cold and snow, I was ready for a tropical winter. I flew from Vienna to Taipei on Emirates, which had the dual effect of making me feel like a fancy person and a plebeian at the same time.
I mean, I was flying on Emirates, the airline that has suites with beds, showers, and spas in first class. But, I was in Emirates economy class, and I had to watch all the semi-fancy people going upstairs on the plane (they don’t even let you see the real fancy people in the suites, they board through a separate door and their cabin is entirely sealed off from us plebes). Still, it was one of the best flights I’ve ever had, which is saying something from a perpetually nervous flyer like myself!
As of yesterday, I’ve been back in Taiwan for three weeks. And it feels perfect. I don’t know how long I’m staying, and I get anxious when people ask me about that and “what my plans are.” I don’t know, but it feels OK to not know when I’m in a place that I’m familiar with and have a fantastic job that continues to take me back time and again and even values the experiences that I’ve gained during the “breaks” that I’ve taken.
I’m also living by myself for the first time! I have what is technically a studio apartment, but in reality it’s more like a bedroom with a mini fridge and a bathroom with a washing machine. But I love it. I haven’t gone crazy yet, and it’s so nice to have a space that’s entirely mine. I’m also living about 50 feet from a night market (just far enough away from the noise), which so far is a blast! I try not to eat the fried food all the time, but there’s also a good Vietnamese stall for bánh mì and phở bò, people selling fresh squeezed orange juice, and, ok fine, Thai banana roti (fried pancakes).
In addition to my teaching job, I have a few other avenues that I plan to explore (potentially remote work that could allow me to travel), as well as personal goals that I want to work on. I’ve also joined a feminist book club!
Overall, I feel like I’m in control of my life again, and that is a wonderful feeling. Stay tuned for what’s next: I have a three week vacation for Chinese New Year, and I already have some travel ideas, but I’m keeping them to myself until they’re finalized 😉
I also want to mention that Instagram is my main platform for snapshots and stories of Taipei and anywhere else I end up! Find me @goingoutyourdoor
Going Out Your Door 