By Sebastian Ramos
Attended Summer 2024
Imagine you're an 18-year-old college student living with your parents. You've never traveled to another country; family trips were a commodity from when you were younger. Most people living in one borough don't honestly know what it's like to leave it. They keep their activities only in their hometown. So, what is it like to leave your hometown, let alone the United States, to travel to another country?
By Jan Calle Ortiz
Attended Summer 2024
It all started during our first meeting with everyone going abroad for the summer, a few of whom would become my best friends. I was excited to learn more about the program during this meeting. I knew a few classmates who were also going, and it was a perfect opportunity to get to know them better and establish friendships.
By Ashley Taylor
Attended Summer 2024
In Taiwan, I immersed myself in the language, culture, and daily life, which enriched my understanding of Chinese outside of the classroom, which I think was the most valuable part of the experience. Every day brought about something new, from tasting local street foods like sweet potato balls and bubble tea to visiting temples and night markets, where I was able to practice speaking with locals. Exploring places like Monkey Mountain, Taipei 101 and Love River, deepened my appreciation for the culture and the language. I also learned about Taiwan’s history and cultural traditions, gaining insights into the unique blend of influences that shape its identity, all thanks to the multiple trips that were planned by the Huayu Program. My time there pushed me to be more independent and open-minded, especially as I navigated language challenges and a new way of life. Looking back, the experience has given me memories and skills I’ll carry with me forever and I can honestly say it was the best summer of my life.
By Isobell Addo
Attended in Summer 2024
Going abroad has always been a dream of mine. I have never thought I would have the chance to do so, this early in my college journey. After learning about this program, I knew I had to go. From that moment on, it was like a whirlwind—purchasing tickets and insurance, finding a place to stay, researching life in Taiwan, and mentally preparing to leave home consumed my mind the week before my flight. The day of my flight I was very nervous, I had never taken an international flight let alone been on a plane for that long. Good thing I didn't have to go alone. I met a friend through the orientation and we would only get closer as the summer progressed. The flight itself wasn't bad, and before I knew it we had landed in Taipei.
By Diego Pilay
Attended In Summer 2024
Arriving in Taipei and going to Kaohsiung, I realized two big things. For one, after uttering an incomprehensible sentence in Chinese, the locals would reveal that they speak English and are more than happy to help foreigners. Two, that this country is quite modernized and traversable. To this day I am dumbfounded by how you can get from the northernmost part of the country to the southmost in a matter of a few hours by the high speed train. The combination of these two things allowed me to smoothly settle in Taiwan as most interactions with locals were quite enjoyable, and as a New Yorker I won’t be too out of place hopping on a train or bike to get to where I want to be. Kaohsiung is especially traversable in this manner. Though, everywhere in the country is pretty hot and humid, so some of those bike rides resulted in a beat up sweaty me. But the sights and places accessible through it were great.
By Edison Santacruz
Attended In Summer 2024
My time in Taiwan was like nothing I’d experienced before. I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport on June 2nd. Stepping off the plane felt akin to stepping off a rocketship into a whole new world of pristine white flooring and walls. The airport was like a museum of sorts; decorated with technicolored picasso-esque statues as tall as I am, relics with bilingual explanations of what they were encased in glass, as well as a wall of orchids commemorating the 16th president and vice-president of Taiwan’s inauguration. My cheeks were undoubtedly sore from smiling so much, but soon came my first hurdle of the trip. I did not know how to get where I needed to go.
By Susan Wang
Attended in Summer 2024
If you had asked me five months ago, back in May, I would have told you that I had never traveled outside of New York—or even envisioned myself traveling anywhere by myself before. Now, standing here five months later in September, having checked off two places from my bucket list—Taiwan, of course, and also Thailand (I’ll touch on that briefly since our focus is on Taiwan after all)—I’m filled with countless stories of unforgettable experiences I can’t wait to share.
By Selina Zeng
Attended in Summer 2024
No one can prepare you for the initial blast of homesickness you face the second you step out of the bus and onto Kaohsiung streets. “This is real.” The first meal I had at Seven-Eleven was my wake-up call. I was with my friend from Hunter, Atlas, whom I had coordinated to come on the same flight with. As I tried the famous Seven-Eleven’s tea eggs, pairing it with a low-fiber, low-sugar soy milk in a pretense to be healthy, I felt a sinking sensation at the bottom of my stomach, “I am in Taiwan.” For months, weeks, and even days before my flight to Taiwan, I did not process I was going to study abroad for 3 months until I was there. Physically there. What do I do now? Where do I go from here? Those were the questions I asked myself, and the same questions that engulfed me in dread for the coming days. I felt truly alone in this country, away from my friends and family, which is ironic because Atlas was quite literally sitting across from me.
