Indefinitely, maybe.

I came to Taiwan after graduating from university in South Africa. The Plan was to live and work here for a year to experience a different culture and to travel a bit. That year changed to a year and a half, and that year and a half changed to 3 years. And up until recently, The Boyfriend and I were going to stay for 3 more years. Needless to say, The Plan went out the window, as it usually does.

We realized how amazing and easy our life in Taiwan really is. The Boyfriend and I both have amazing jobs that we are truly happy in. I can list many reasons why we have just stayed and stayed in Taiwan; we can afford a nice apartment, we can travel frequently, and the cost of living is very low, which is great for saving money and getting ahead. Their public services are efficient, people know how to do their jobs, and I can take taxis, the bus or the subway anywhere in the city.

We also have free national health insurance, which means I can go to the doctor for a consultation, and get medicine, for about US$5. (The same for going to the dentist!) And most importantly, I always feel safe.

Taiwan has been good to us, and we have decided to maybe stay indefinitely. We’ve even talked about raising our future children here. Yes, it is hard to be so far away from our families, but we are fortunate enough to be able to afford to visit them every year.

It took me a while to realize how content I really am here. Taiwan was always just a temporary situation and now it might become a permanent situation, which makes me feel at ease. So, The New Plan is to stay here until... whenever.