I sometimes forget that my parents—at some point—were my age too.
They also went through the turbulent 20s in Taiwan, from figuring out graduation, finding a foothold in a career, moving to the US despite heavy family disapproval, and navigating a new life in a world that was so foreign to theirs. For my father, it was doing an MBA in Texas while figuring out how to move the family abroad at the same time and integrating into a society that was not so friendly to those who couldn’t speak English. Heavy with another child, my mom planned the household logistics while taking care of my older sister and me (in her belly). The move from Taiwan to America was not easy.
Now that I’m older, I realize the privileges I had and the person who I am is largely partial to my parents and their choices. A lot of what they’ve done to get here has molded and shaped a lot of who I am. In our immigrant household, love shows up in different ways. It’s mostly through acts of service, which can be peeling oranges for one another, quietly slipping a $20 for the movies, waking up early to make me a warm meal, or being forced to learn karate because it’s “good for us.”
At age 20, I was already traveling and studying abroad in Beijing. At 20, my parents didn’t have those privileges. Now that I’m older and able to take them around, I show them my love through traveling.
Because I love traveling, I wanted to share that world with my parents as well. My biggest love language would be booking flights for my parents. Because they hold such a strong immigrant mindset, they seldom buy things or do things out of pleasure. While I’ve had my privileges growing up, I also worked hard to get to where I am. I started working at 16 and it made me proud to create my own little wealth at that time. I don’t take money for granted, but I also like spending it on people that I love. Through my love of travel, I am able to spend quality time and experience new things with my parents.
They love traveling too; we’ve gone to Japan and Europe as a family. I want my parents to experience the same delights that I get to, even though they’re both retired, I want them to see beautiful parts of their world.
In 2023, I took my parents on a trip to Taichung, Taiwan to enjoy the views outside the city at Qingjing Farm, the Mini Switzerland in Taiwan. I was visiting after my 3 year stint in Singapore and made a pitstop in Taiwan before heading back to San Francisco. I wanted to give my parents an experience of a lifetime, so I planned this getaway trip for all of us.
I remember seeing Nantou as one of “the places to visit” on Agoda while researching places to visit. The rolling green hills, the adorable fluffy sheep, and the clear blue skies were what drew me in. As someone who is a big believer in forest bathing, I thought it’d be a great idea to bring my parents out of the city and into nature.
I booked a spot for us to stay at Cingjing Baiyun Resort for 4 nights, which was roughly $600 USD for two beds and a balcony view. With a gorgeous 360 degree view of the rolling hills, I knew this was the right hotel to book and stay at. It also had a beautiful courtyard with ample seating for its guests. My dad did a lot of kungfu outside, while swatting around his badminton racket for practice. Meanwhile, mom and I would lounge on the chairs and soak in the sun. It was a peaceful place to say the least—you would feel like you’re up in the clouds.
I booked the place using my travel credit card with Chase. (As of Feb 21, 2024, the Chase Sapphire Reserve will give you 60,000 points as a sign on bonus but please due your due diligence before signing up.) Because I love travel hacking with credit card points, I often use points to book my parents flight to and from Taiwan, as well as any family trips we have.
We received buffet breakfast that was included, but everything else was self planned and organized.
Our itinerary included:
– Cingjing Farm
– Cingjing skywalk
– little Switzerland garden
– hiking around on the random short trails
– discussing family plans for the future
One of the funny things is that the wifi up in the mountains was spotty. It was sometimes annoying to deal with, but allowed us to have the space to converse, joke, and enjoy each other’s company. My dad even brought along a tea pot and filter. How he was able to bring it along in his luggage, I’m not entirely sure.
There was one point during our travels where my dad was sitting on the balcony reading a book, my mom in a chair on her iPad, and I was journaling. In this weird comforting way, it felt like being young and living at home again. That feeling of safety and comfort is not easily replicated unless with family.
While I was abroad in Taiwan, I also made sure to check on my parents’ health and my own health. There was a lot of doctor’s appointments for my parents, which included a visit to the dentist, dermatologist, and general physician. I personally was using SafetyWing, a monthly insurance plan for travelers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs. This allowed me to feel safe about traveling abroad, while making sure my parents were in good health and enjoying themselves too. Health is really wealth—if you don’t have the health to go out and explore, you can’t do anything regardless of how much money you have.