Flying… It is one of the longest and deepest desires of the heart. Piloting a plane from take-off to landing and feeling the high-speed sprint of being separate from gravity is fascinating for most people.
The first flight training center approved by the Taiwan Civil Aviation Authority was established in Taitung, the lush, green county with blue skies.
“If you want to be a pilot, you can choose to either complete your training abroad or here. You can then fulfill your dream of flying!” says Lorenzo Salvadore confidently, as if he could actually read every mind of those who dream of flying. Lorenzo was born in Milan, Italy, a city renowned for fashion and design. Since he often flew between European countries with his parents as a child, he has always had the dream of being a pilot. And now, he has become an experienced flight instructor.
Lorenzo has been working and living in Taitung for about two years. He is well aware of where to go to eat and where to have fun in Taitung. “I really like Fugang Fishing Port, which has the freshest seafood, as well as Changbin Township, which is also beautiful. Whenever I have a vacation, I just want to run to the beach!” he says passionately referencing several beaches. As soon as Lorenzo finished his introduction of the beaches in Taitung, he began talking about the mountains he likes to go to. “I love Luye, which has beautiful tea gardens and grand pineapples fields. I would also like to try the paragliding there, but I haven’t yet. I’ve tried the hot air balloons in Luye, but found it quite boring as it was too slow for me,” he adds with a laugh. Probably only pilots are qualified to say that riding a hot air balloon is boring!
There was a constant smile on his face as he continued to describe his experience of living in Taitung for two years. He demonstrated that he is delighted with his life here and that Taitung is truly a beautiful place to live. But his first impression of Taitung was not like this. On his way to Taitung for the first time, he remembers looking down on Taitung from the airplane and thinking to himself that it is a desolate, countryside place. Fortunately, Lorenzo is not one to judge a book by the cover. He remembers telling himself that no matter what, he will try his best to immerse himself into the life of Taitung.
Lorenzo is impressed with the changes he has experienced in Taitung over the last two years. “Two years ago, there were not many foreign tourists in Taitung. But now there are more and more people that know about this beautiful place. Taitung County Government has been working hard to market Taitung internationally. For example, the English marketing video clips that were created are magnificent, and really moving,” he says. However, he still thinks there is room for improvement. “There is little English information about renting and buying houses. I personally experienced this problem in the beginning.” Through his experience, he gives practical and valuable advice.
“If possible, I would like to continue living here,” he says. In comparison to the crowds and busy lifestyle of the big cities, Lorenzo feels that he is extremely fortunate to live in Taitung. Taitung’s leisure and comfort, coupled with its purity and nature, has allowed him to have a good quality of life. Although Taitung might not look like much from a quick glance, the daily life and richness of Taitung is extraordinary.
