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​I hatched the idea of moving to Taiwan in a moment of extreme stress. I was in the back of a Bangkok taxi, traveling in the opposite direction of my destination on account of my incompetent driver, and I acknowledged that the constant stress of life in Thailand was no longer sustainable. As I shuffled through all the Asian cities I'd recently visited to think of which might be the happiest future home, Taipei immediately stood out.

Which is not to say I made my decision right then and there—it took several more months of plotting and planning before I found myself living in Taipei. When I finally did take the leap, however, I found not only that my daily life (and my quality of life more broadly) was significantly higher than it had been in Bangkok. Taipei also proved perfectly positioned as a base for all my other travel in the region. (But more on that in a second!)

Taiwan is (or at least it was, before coronavirus) a pretty lenient country when it comes to immigration. If you don't intent on working full-time (and thus, getting a work permit and an Alien Resident Card, or ARC), you can easily enter multiple times per year on whatever visa-exempt arrangement your country has made with Taiwan. Many nationalities can even enroll in the country's e-Gate system! I did this the very day I entered Taiwan, and it's made my life so much easier.

One of my main concerns, moving to Taiwan from Thailand, was that things would be much more expensive. The good news, with the exception of my monthly rent, was that prices were largely the same. While the amount you spend will vary depending on your standards (and, if you're working in Taiwan, your salary), I can say personally that it's possible to live well in Taiwan on around NT$60,000 (around 2,000 USD) per month.​

I'll be honest: I don't avail Taipei nightlife often, on account of my old-man sleep schedule—I go to bed and wake up embarrassingly early. However, whether you spend your time in the student-filled watering holes near Gongguan Station, the karaoke rooms of Zhongshan or the LGBT-friendly bars of the Red House in Ximen, Taipei is a great nightlife city. To say nothing of incredible street eats, whether along Yongkang Street near Dongmen Station, or at night markets like Shilin, Shida and Raohe Street. (Or wandering into random temples just after nightfall, as I'm prone to doing.)​

I don't party very much, but moving to Taiwan has still proven exciting. Prior to Covid-19, this was largely because of how easy Taiwan's location made my trips to nearby countries like Japan, and even back to Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. These days, however, domestic travel has kept me busy, whether I'm visiting cities like Kaohsiung and Tainan, natural attractions like Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and the East Coast Scenic Route or simply hiking near Taipei in Maokong or Yangminshan National Park.​

Is Taiwan safe? Whether in terms of personal security, or if you're asking in specific regard to the pandemic (which I'll address in greater detail later), the answer is unequivocally "yes." As is the case in most other East Asian countries, petty and violent crime in Taiwan are very rare. While standards of road safety in Taiwan are unfortunately closer to Thailand than, say, Japan, you're still relatively unlikely to get in an accident, particularly if you avoid driving at night or while drunk.​

​​​As I've suggested throughout this article, I find life in Taiwan all together more pleasant than I found life in Thailand. While apartments in Taipei are slightly more expensive than their counterparts in Bangkok, the juxtaposition of an organized, ruled-based society with cosmopolitan, artistic and forward-thinking population creates a perfect balance that is both stimulating and eminently livable.

Of course, Thailand wasn't my only framed of reference as I weighed the pros and cons of moving to Taiwan (and as I've assessed them since arriving). I also spent some time living in mainland China; I have extensively traveled in Japan and Korea, two places I also considered living. In general, I'd say that Taiwan combines the best of most Asian countries, while omitting most of the qualities I dislike about each.

The good news? Disruption to daily life from coronavirus in Taiwan has been minimal, thanks to the country's early action on the pandemic, and masterful handling of it since then. The better news? Although Taiwan's borders remain mostly closed as of July 2020, the reputation the island has achieved during the Covid crisis has raised its profile among prospective travelers—and expats.

To be sure, in addition to feeling lucky to have been in Taiwan during this uncertain time, I'm confident in the country's ability to mobilize again in the face of any future crisis. Just as Taiwan is a country where aspects of daily life balance themselves out and contribute to a feeling of sustainability, the larger impression I now have of it is one of resilience and responsibility. Who wouldn't want to call a place like this home?

Moving to Taiwan isn't for everyone, but it sure improved my life. Just as it's geographically located at the heart of Asia, Taiwan's kaleidoscope of cultural and culinary influences makes it a tantalizing melting pot that never gets old or boring. When every day life in Taipei begins to wear on me, I can hop a high-speed train or short domestic flight to dozens of other destinations, from vibrant secondary and tertiary cities, to natural wonders ranging from world-class hiking trails to stunning surf beaches. Even if you don't ever end up calling Taiwan home yourself, I hope this article has inspired you to visit the country!