We had to undergo 2 weeks of quarantine when we returned to Taiwan after visiting the United States during the summer of 2021.
Coming back to Taiwan in the summer of 2021 was unlike any other trip home. After weeks in the United States, the return journey felt both familiar and surreal, framed by the strict realities of the pandemic. Every family arriving from abroad was required to undergo a full two-week quarantine, so we settled into a hotel room that quickly became our temporary world. Meals came as takeout deliveries left by the door, and daily routines were reduced to their simplest forms—reading, watching shows, and counting down the days until we could step outside again. It was a strange mix of rest and restlessness, as the city we loved waited just beyond the window.
Throughout the stay, we went through multiple rounds of COVID-19 testing, each one a small milestone marking our progress toward freedom. Despite the confinement, there was something meaningful about sharing that space together as a family. We laughed more, improvised workouts, and found comfort in the shared rhythm of our days. When the two weeks finally ended, stepping out into the humid summer air of Taipei felt like a quiet victory—a reminder of how resilient and adaptable our family had become through it all.
