I’m happily holed up in my cocoon. I live in a small loft studio, with the full-size windows giving the illusion of a grand space. Since the soft lockdown started, I have gotten lost in my little moments of happiness. I’ve kept up my promise to love myself more this year. I turned 25 Lunar years on February 12th; perhaps that’s why quarter life crisis thoughts have been hitting me like what’s up.

I recently bought the cheapest piano keyboard i could find, and I’ve been playing away like a child playing with her new toy. I love starting something new. Most of the time I stick with it for a bit, and half the time I stay with it long enough to get what I want out of it. I’ve never been good at doing one thing for a long period of time; any aspirations of reaching Juilliard-level proficiency have been laughable. My mind can’t live in one world forever. But that doesn’t stop me from dabbling in many worlds and experiencing the little joys and frustrations that help me appreciate the truly talented a better.

I’m glad I lived in this COVID-free island for a year, but I’m afraid we’ve let our guard down. While the US seems to be going back to normal, our inhabitants are growing more restless. Still, we are better off than other harder hit areas, where border control is not as easy. I have been at home 98% of the time in the past 2 weeks. I’m prepared to make that 100% for the coming weeks or months, if I give up in-person grocery shopping.

Perhaps a thing to note is that Taipei gets extremely hot, humid, and insufferable for half the year. We have entered this stage in May, and I must say I’m relieved to stay at home during this time. The long, leisurely walks that I took during the colder months of the year are now but distant memories.

Some parts of Taiwan have also been hit by droughts and blackouts. I started taking shorter showers and whispering words of gratitude for my working AC and charged laptop. I’ve experienced water shortages in every country I’ve lived in; never where I lived, but always close. I don’t read the news much, but when I do, it’s just a reminder to stay humble in my lifestyle. How can I live extravagantly, if my consumption takes away from those who need it more? It’s not even a question of doing good. It’s like committing a crime knowing that people will get hurt. I could be on the receiving end any day myself.