Call me an idealist—I want to rotate every quarter in cities that are home to me. This includes San Francisco, Taiwan, Singapore, and a last open spot I leave open for flexibility. This idea of living is new and something I’m exploring. I won’t be renting long term, but moving to different cities per quarter.
It’s not set in stone, but I’ll be trying this out in 2023.
My reason is this—life is seasonal, as told by my friend Brij. Every cycle has its lulls and ramp-ups. Not everything will be the same, and life ebbs and flows. Just like how seasons move and change, I’d like to spend the next couple of years rotating in different cities that fit my pace of life and help me focus on parts that I care about.
Most importantly though is finding more time to spend with family. I’ve been away from my parents for so long that I want to spend more quality time with them. I read a post recently on the reality of how much time we have left with our parents—it is the number of times you’ll see them in person. For someone like me who only sees her parents once a year and needs to travel overseas, I estimate I’d only have really 20-25 more times to see them. That’s…not a lot. This is my solution to seeing them more, but also maintaining the life I still want for myself.
Career hustle
San Francisco because I have certain ties to Bay Area. This city is where my drive was really honed, where my academic and tech career began, and where my close friends reside. This city brings out my drive.
Family
Taipei, Taiwan because of my cultural background and heritage—my extended family lives here and if given the opportunity, I’d like to extend my community efforts and give back to this country I called my motherland. I’ve spent countless summers here and hope to continue to spend more in the future.
Community
Singapore because of the beautiful two and a half years I’ve spent here. It was the country that offered me solace during covid and 10x my growth while in my later 20s. I’m forever grateful to this city nation and will spend a significant amount of time building the Asian Wander Women community here.
Refresh
The last city I leave empty because who knows what will happen and where I will go—ultimately, this would be changing every year so I can explore and see the world through another lens.
