two nights ago, i flew from san francisco to taipei on a special visa to study chinese. because of covid, taiwan remains mostly closed to foreigners and requires three days of quarantine in a hotel upon arrival, followed by four days of "self-initiated epidemic prevention" at a residence in which one has their own personal bedroom and bathroom. the day of arrival is day 0, and i am currently on day 2 of 3 in the hotel.

this is not my first time in a taiwanese quarantine hotel. i spent two whole weeks in one last year when covid regulations were stricter. people tend to think that being locked alone in a hotel room for an extended period of time sounds terrible and boring, but i remember the first experience as novel and amusing. i mean, the hotel bed was comfortable, the bathtub was divine, and i had all day to do whatever i wanted (well, except go outside).

i was excited to undergo quarantine again, and to have time to catch up on the hobbies that i've recently neglected during the chaos of moving countries, like reading, writing, gaming, and crocheting. unfortunately, after only one full day in this room, i've remembered the more unpleasant parts of staying in a quarantine hotel.

the first is the loneliness. after all my friends have gone to sleep, there is no one to keep me company during the greater part of the day. i usually don't mind being alone, but the silence is unsettling when it is not out of choice.

i can also feel the negative effects that quarantine has on my body. quarantine hotels provide three meals a day at scheduled times, but in my opinion, they are hardly appetizing or nourishing. guests are allowed to order delivery through ubereats or foodpanda, but must wait for hotel staff to bring the order from the lobby to the room. at this particular hotel, they only bring the orders during the scheduled lunch and dinner anyways, so it is not convenient if you need something between meals. because of this, and the fact that there is not really room to exercise, i constantly feel hungry and weak.

finally, there is an uncomfortable amount of time to think and, therefore, overthink. instead of relaxing, i find myself feeling anxious about being productive and preparing for the future. i can't really enjoy just watching netflix or playing games, because i feel like i should be doing something more useful, like preparing for school, crocheting, or writing. ironically enough, the only reason you're reading this now is because my feeling of unease was so great that i paused teen wolf mid-sentence to write this blog post.

i hate to sound ungrateful or to end things on a negative note, so i want to emphasize that i know how privileged i am to be able to visit taiwan and live comfortably and safely in a nice hotel, no matter the circumstances. still, i am excited to leave this room, enjoy the fresh air and delicious food, and continue learning.