Bao & Bun's Bilingual Journey

We’re about to take our 7th trip to Taiwan, and as I wrote down all the times we’ve gone back, I started to feel sentimental. It’s never been easy. I still remember our first trip with 10-month-old twins—lugging an entire suitcase full of formula. Over time, we’ve packed less to bring there and more to bring back, mostly books now.

It’s not just the logistics that make these trips challenging. Even though I grew up in Taiwan, parenting there feels different from simply being an adult. The culture of raising kids is something I don’t fully understand anymore since I’ve been away for over 20 years. On top of that, managing the practicalities—like strollers and car seats in the early years or now planning immersive experiences for the kids—is a constant adjustment. Taiwan feels both familiar and foreign to me. Each trip has taught me new skills, ones that make me feel more prepared to live there, at least temporarily.

Three key things I’m proud of having achieved are:

1. A permanent Taiwan cell phone number
2. A Taiwan bank account
3. A Taiwan driver’s license

Before having kids and before my parents became ill, I used my dad’s phone number whenever I visited Taiwan. My family would provide me with cash to use during my stay and drive me around the countryside. While I was completely self-sufficient in the U.S., I felt helpless navigating the same things in Taiwan. Starting with our first trip, I made it my mission to tackle one step at a time. Sometimes it didn’t work out in a given year, and I had to return the following year with the right documents (the driver’s license took multiple tries). And there were times when balancing the needs of young kids and elderly parents left me completely drained.

In 2021, when my dad became very ill, we even endured two weeks of strict quarantine with the kids. I worked overnight for 2.5 weeks to accommodate U.S. meetings. It was exhausting!

Unlike most native Taiwanese families, my parents are too old to help with childcare or host us. Every trip involves finding a place to stay and planning activities to create lasting memories for the kids.

Looking back, I’m grateful I did the hard work early on. Now, I can seamlessly sign up for classes in Taiwan using bank transfers( the most common payment method), keep the same phone number every time we go, and handle business from the U.S. with ease( because I have the combination of Taiwan bank account and cellphone number). Having a driver’s license has been a game changer, especially since my family doesn’t live in Taipei.

Because of how challenging this was for me, even with my ability to read and speak Chinese, I’ve gained so much empathy for Taiwanese American parents in similar situations. Many want to visit Taiwan regularly but lack the tools to navigate life there efficiently.

Now, the kids are excited about our trips. They’re seasoned travelers who pack their cubes and backpacks with their favorite things. I’m no longer anxious about how they’ll interact with locals. But as I think back on those tiring years, I wonder how many more frequent trips we’ll manage. Many families I know stop visiting often once their kids hit middle school—and that’s just three years away for us.

I hope we can soak up as much as we can before the kids no longer want to come with me. These trips aren’t easy, but they’ve been so worth it.