Finding My Way
Are you someone who loves listening to stories, or someone who loves telling them?
I think I’m both. And I have stories of my own to tell
One day, a special kind of energy found its way into my heart. Where should I begin? When did it all start? And why now? Honestly, I don’t have the answers. But deep down, I knew one thing for sure: at this very moment, I wanted to share my story.
Have you ever heard of life coming full circle?
It was a Saturday evening. I was running alone along the Huangxi River, thinking to myself, “I’m going to have to move again.” A wave of helplessness washed over me. It had been three years since the last time I found myself in this situation.
Back then, I was going through countless challenges. On one of the most desperate Saturday nights of my life, something miraculous happened.
The following morning, it was raining, but I still showed up for a 13.5-kilometer charity run. I had never trained for a run like that before, let alone run that distance in the rain. Yet, somehow, I crossed the finish line within the time limit.
There was only one thought on my mind: once I finished the run, I would go and view a property. It was time to make a decision and put an end to more than a month of emotional turmoil.
I stepped inside the apartment, and less than ten minutes later, I said, “I’ve decided. I’ll take it!”
The person showing me around was the landlord’s daughter. She picked up the phone, and I heard someone on the other end say, “What? No, don’t! Why would a single woman want to live in such a big place?”
I was standing less than 100 meters away, yet I heard every word. And just like that, my heart was hurt once again.
Now, can you begin to understand one of the challenges I face when looking for a place to rent?
Traditional cultural expectations can make landlords more willing to rent their properties to families or couples. As a single woman, finding a home can sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
By that point, I had already viewed 39 apartments in just one month. I understood the situation, but I wasn’t going to give up my furniture or settle for a place that didn’t feel right simply because I was running out of options.
Every piece of furniture I own has its own story. They have accompanied me through different chapters of my life, and I live with them with a heart full of gratitude.
So, I gave myself a little pep talk and prepared myself to face yet another rejection.
But this time, a miracle happened.
I got the apartment! Just like that, I was able to move into a new place and begin again, with a fresh start.
Unlike my previous homes, this new place was completely empty. For the first time, I bought two brand-new air conditioners, installed soundproof windows, made several small renovations, and welcomed some new furniture into my life.
Looking back, I left my parents when I was just 15 years old. More than twenty years have passed since I first started living on my own. Back then, all I had was a small backpack and a simple straw sleeping mat.
And now, I have everything I need to make a home of my own.
If you asked me which piece of furniture I love the most, I honestly couldn’t choose just one. My bed, refrigerator, washing machine, dish dryer, and everything else!
I still remember the feeling I had when I first saw each of these things. Somehow, I just knew they would be coming home with me, becoming part of my life.
After living in Taipei for more than a decade, this was also the first time I had lived in an apartment with three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, and balconies at both the front and back.
It was a special kind of happiness — the happiness of looking at my life and realizing how far I had come. A little reminder of what years of hard work had made possible.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, I grew in so many ways. Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and sometimes things change faster than we can keep up with them.
I have learned to enjoy the present, to stay grounded in the moment, and to appreciate what is right in front of me.
Perhaps that is why the universe has now presented me with another challenge. Once again, I need to find the courage to take a step forward and make a new decision about my life.
But this time, things are very different from how they were three years ago. There is so much more to consider, so many more things to weigh carefully before deciding what comes next.
And so, there I was, running along the river, thinking about everything.
Three years later, here I am again, beginning the search for my next home.
You might be wondering, “Why do you have to move again?”
Well, it all started with a message I received one day:
“I’ve sold the apartment.”
尋找-
故事，你是喜歡聽故事的人，亦或是說故事的人呢？
我想我兩者皆是；我有屬於我自己的。
一天，一股特別的能量湧入我心中，要從什麼時候、什麼地方開始？為什麼呢？老實說，我也無解；但我內心深處知道，此時此刻，我想分享我的故事。
你聽過人生循環嗎？那天週六夜晚，獨自一個人在磺溪河畔跑著步，心想「又要搬家了」，心中一股無助感湧現，距離上次已經是三年前了。當時我歷經無數的挑戰，在我人生中最絕望的週六夜晚，發生了奇蹟；隔天一早下著雨，我仍舊完成了我的13.5公里的公益路跑活動，未鍛鍊過，也是頭一遭下著雨在時間內跑完，心中只有一個想法，跑完後要去看屋，為這歷經煎熬的一個多月做出決定。
一進屋，不到十分鐘，「我決定要租了！」帶我看屋的人是屋主的女兒，拿起電話，電話裡傳來「什麼？不要吧！一個單身女生為什麼要住那麼大的房子？」在不到100公尺的我聽到這句話，心又受傷了一次。現在，你能懂我租屋的困境之一了嗎？受到傳統文化的限制，屋主比較願意把房子租給家庭、情侶等。當時我已經在短短一個月內看了39間房子，我懂，也不會為了要放棄我的傢俱而選擇我不願意的選項。我的每一個傢俱都是有故事的，陪伴著我生活，我帶著感恩的心與他們住在一起。現在我也為自己打了個強心針，等著又要再被拒絕一次；但，這次奇蹟出現了，就這樣我順利地搬進新的地方，一切從零開始。
這新的家，與以往不同，什麼都沒有，我第一次為自己買了兩台新冷氣，裝了隔音窗，還有許多的小裝潢，也有一些新傢俱進駐。回想起我15歲那年離開父母，自己在外住到現在也過了20幾年，當時只有一個小背包和一個小草蓆床；如今我全部的傢俱都有了，你問我最喜歡哪個呢？我會說床、冰箱、洗衣機、烘碗機還有全部的東西，我記得當我一次看到每個傢俱的時候，就有一種你們會與我同住的感覺。這也是我在台北住了10幾年後，第一次住到有三房兩廳兩衛，前後陽台的公寓。那是一種為自己的人生感到開心的事，努力工作的成果。
在這裡，三年過得很快，重要的事我也成長了不少；許多事，計劃趕不上變化，我喜歡享受當下，專注此時此刻，正也因為如此，宇宙給了新的挑戰，得再為自己的人生，勇敢踏出一次，而這次需要面對的已經與三年前的情況大不相同，需要考量到的遠比以往來得多。
就這樣一邊跑著，一邊想著，三年後的現在，我又開始找下個新居住地了。你或許會問，為什麼要搬家呢？
只因為那天我收到了「我把房子賣了」的通知…
