It was a quiet winter morning in Nantou when I visited Sun Moon Lake with a few friends. We stood by the shore, watching the still water ripple gently under a soft layer of mist. We chatted, took a few photos like anyone would—but I found myself pausing. There was something about that moment that made me stop and think.
To be honest, I hadn’t really considered how my trips might affect the places I visit. Travel was just something fun to do during breaks. But being at Sun Moon Lake—this beautiful place that also quietly carried the signs of tourism—got me thinking. I started to notice things: the plastic waste we created without meaning to, the cars we used instead of local transport, the way we interacted with nature more as observers than participants. That morning stayed with me.
When I got home, I started making small changes. I stopped using disposables as much, relied more on buses and trains, and looked up how Taiwan and my own country deal with environmental issues. That led me to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land). I realized even short trips like ours leave a footprint—not just on nature, but on communities and cultures too.
I wanted to learn more, so I joined my university’s sustainability group. We ran a small workshop for students preparing to study abroad. It wasn’t anything big, but we talked about practical ways to be more mindful travelers—like choosing lower-emission transport, respecting local customs, and finding ways to reduce waste. We also shared a couple of tools, like Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees, and HappyCow, an app for finding plant-based food while traveling. It felt good to be part of something useful.
That experience made me want to study abroad myself, which is how I ended up applying for a semester in the UK. I hope I’ll get to see how other communities tackle environmental challenges—not just in policies, but in day-to-day life. And I’d like to bring back what I learn and keep the conversation going.
My time at Sun Moon Lake wasn’t dramatic. There wasn’t a single moment where everything changed. But looking back, it was where things quietly began to shift. It made me pay more attention—to the world, to the choices I make, and to how I want to move through life. For me, studying abroad isn’t just about seeing new places anymore. It’s a way to be part of something bigger, to connect more thoughtfully with the world around me.
