Home Journal 2026.Jan.12
by Master Yang's eldest daughter, Ji Shu/Sue YANG
That afternoon, the familiar host of the Editor’s Teahouse, Zoey, and her husband drove all the way from Hualien to the house without stopping. When they opened the car door, they looked completely exhausted, so we quickly invited them to stretch out on the tatami mats in the Japanese-style room. We sat on the engawa, enjoying the cool breeze, and had afternoon snacks and coffee at the low table with the patterned tiles. After they’d unwound from the stress of driving, we started by talking about the kind of life Zoey was planning—one I’d never thought of before: moving to a new place every six months.
She and her husband have already arranged for a real estate agent to manage their house in the United States. For the next six months, they’ve decided to move to Taiwan and see what it’s like to live there.
I listened as she described the moving plan she was about to put into action, while thinking about something else.
因為如果是我，參加一場論壇結束，我就只想立刻回家
That day, we came up with a topic: What’s the difference between a house and a home?
And I suddenly realized that when I look back on every place I’ve lived, each one naturally has its own meaning to me
Homes That Move and Homes That Don’t
Zoey’s visit to the home came just as she and her husband began making a wish come true: living in a different place every six months
They had been mulling over this idea for a long time, so they first made arrangements with a trusted agent to look after their house in the U.S., which still hadn’t found a tenant, and then they set off for real.
For their first stop, they chose Taiwan, planning to see what it was like to live here for six months. So they invited Zoey to stay one night at Jiayu and wrapped up my final coaching session. That day, we talked a lot about “houses” and “home.” Zoey longed for a mobile lifestyle, moving to the next place she wanted to live every so often. I was the exact opposite. Growing up, I never really liked moving around. Even though I was happy to leave home for a short time to learn—to attend a forum, take part in a workshop, or visit an exhibition—as soon as the event was over, I would usually head straight home, not wanting to spend another moment in an unfamiliar place. Traveling abroad was never part of my vacation plans, either.
For the past few years, I’ve followed the content Zoey shares, watched her write newsletters, and listened to her podcast “The Side Pantry.” She talks about building a brand, and about her life as a Digital Nomad—wherever she wants to live, she goes.
Although our paths in life are completely different, after taking Zoey’s one-on-one coaching course on “brand management,” I suddenly realized something interesting:
Our answers seem to point to the same thing
That is—how to take control of the course of your own life
Does every place you’ve lived have the feel of home?
Before moving into the third wooden house built by my father, I had actually lived in quite a few places. Excluding the four homes I shared with my parents and parents-in-law, I spent most of the rest of my time living in rentals.
For much of my school years and early career, I lived in a variety of rental homes.
Those houses are not, technically, “their own homes.”
But looking back now, those places were actually the strongest fortresses in our lives at the time.
Every time I move to a new place, I put a lot of thought into arranging the space, trying to slowly transform an unfamiliar room into something that feels like home. Later, when I found a partner, my husband decided to move back with me to my family home. That happened to be the time when our house was being built.
And so we began a very special life: living while helping our father build a house
The house wasn’t finished yet. There were no doors or windows, and the walls hadn’t been built. There were only pillars and a half-finished roof, so we even pitched tents and lived inside the house.
Days like these continued for at least five whole years
Looking back now, the house wasn’t actually complete yet
But strangely enough—home already existed
Because I have family around me, even though things can get noisy, at least I’m not facing life’s ups and downs alone
During the pandemic in 2021, my workload suddenly decreased and the pace of life slowed down. It was during that time that my daughter was born.
Our granddaughter’s arrival has been like a gentle lubricant, making this family feel more complete.
Her laughter filled the house, which was still under construction.
Every key holds a chapter of life
To this day, I still keep many keys to places I used to live. Some still have the keychains I had back then, reflecting my tastes at the time.
Each key seems to hold a piece of life in trust.
I’ve realized that the places a person has lived gradually shape who they are today.
Compared with my father’s experiences, I’ve actually had a much more stable life, thanks to my parents.
When he was young, his father traveled around doing construction work, worked as a mechanic, and even went as far as Arabia for work. On that hot land, he spent years without a permanent home. Those years on the road bore the weight life placed upon him and shaped the Master Yang we know today.
Perhaps that’s why he later became so determined to build a house—a home where his family could live for a hundred years
How many keys have you had in your life?
Let’s see: from birth to moving away to study and work, I’ve lived in 11 homes so far.
If we also count the two experimental wooden houses built on the same piece of land while my parents were running a restaurant, then I’ve actually lived in 13 houses and had 15 rooms.
There is one key that I have always remembered.
It was an incredibly busy and exciting time. Every day, I ran between the classroom, the school newspaper club, editorial workshops, the printing shop, a freelance design firm, the dance troupe, and the dorm. Whenever I opened my door, the floor was often covered with assignments, color swatches, and manuscripts. The blue jelly-shaped computer in the corner was still huffing away as it rendered my Cinema 4D projects. On the tatami bed, freshly washed dance costumes and uniforms were piled up, waiting to be folded when I had time.
Looking back now, those days spent living away from home had quietly shaped who I am today.
Perhaps I can never stop because I’ve long been accustomed to moving things forward on multiple tracks at once.
A house is like a relay race
Later, I gradually came to understand something.
Every home we’ve lived in is like a relay, carrying a different version of ourselves.
These spaces record the lifestyles of different eras and gradually shape our vision of future living.
And this kind of longing doesn’t come out of nowhere.
It was created gradually, step by step, in different places.
Perhaps you’ll go abroad to pursue advanced studies in a particular field; or perhaps you’ll temporarily leave your familiar hometown for a job
But when one day, you’ve developed enough abilities and honed your skills
Maybe you’ll start thinking about another question: Can I live where I want to be with these skills?
For me, the answer right now might be this: whether you move or stay put, build your ability to manage your own brand and develop some digital work skills, and you may gradually regain the freedom to choose where you live.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a question:
How many keys have you had in your life?🔑
Which one locks away the days filled with your most cherished memories?
What kind of home would you ideally like to live in?🏠
Welcome to the table at Home House. Join our family and talk with us about what a house and a home mean to you.
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