A month ago, I landed in Taiwan.
Not for a vacation. Not for a conference. For a new chapter — one that I'd been quietly preparing for while everyone thought I'd gone silent.
How I got here
August 3rd, 2026 — my first day as an AI Research Intern at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST).
It has only been a few weeks, but already, this experience has taught me things that go beyond just technology.
Coming from India and suddenly living in a completely different country has pushed me to adapt to a new environment, culture, language, food, and everyday lifestyle.
The work
My weekdays have mostly been about diving deeper into AI concepts — getting hands-on experience, learning from the research environment, and getting a better understanding of what it really means to grow towards an AI Engineer role.
The lab setup: two monitors. One for coding. One for everything else. The multitasking journey has officially started.
The weekends
A little break from work means a short plan to explore somewhere new.
So far, I've explored Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung, tried traditional Taiwanese foods, walked through new places, and experienced parts of Taiwan that I had only seen online before.
One of the best parts of this journey has been the people I've met along the way.
The people
A special thank you to Prof. Dr. Arun Kumar Sangaiah, for welcoming me and giving me this opportunity.
I also got to meet Agamjit Singh, another intern from Thailand, and Neelkanth Mawood, my senior from Mauritius. Having people from different backgrounds around me has made this experience even more memorable.
From being internship buddies here in Taiwan to sharing conversations, experiences, and exploring this new environment together — I'm really glad our paths crossed.
What it feels like
Being this far away from home is definitely a new experience for me.
But every day, I'm learning to adapt, communicate, explore, and become a little more independent.
There is still so much I want to learn — deeper AI concepts, practical implementation, and real hands-on experience solving challenging problems.
These first few weeks are just the beginning.
More Taiwan stories coming soon.