Our trip to Taiwan with Zoe in November has made a lasting imprint on me. It was not only Zoe's first international trip, but also her first trip to my parents' home country. Taiwan is also the first (and only) foreign country that I traveled to when I was a kid. I did not get to go frequently to be too familiar, but I do have core memories from my visits, and I have stayed connected to Taiwanese culture because of my parents. All of my life, I knew that Taiwan was a special place, and I think Zoe now does, too.
For four-year-old Zoe, who is half Taiwanese and half Cantonese, and mostly American by upbringing, the idea of Taiwan was pretty unfamiliar. She did not grow up hearing as much talk about Taiwan as I did, but we read books that mention Taiwan, she knows where it is on the world map, and that it’s where delicious pineapple cake comes from. She did know that I had gone there on a trip with just my parents and siblings when she was three, leaving her and Wes home without me for a week. Ever since then, she has been asking to go too. This year, I knew that the time was right and she would be able to tolerate the long flight and the time difference. Also, her Mandarin speaking improved a lot after staying at my parents’ house for two weeks after the fire.
