To be frank, at the beginning of the trip, when we had all just landed in Taiwan, I was really worried about the group of people I was going to be spending all my time with for five days in a place I was unfamiliar with, Kinmen. Most of them were older than me and it made me afraid of potential disparity or segregation, especially because the majority of us have never spoken to each other before.

However, just after one day of exploring and eating together with this group, not only did it top me up with knowledge of my ancestral home, it also created a bond between me and the rest of the people in the Kim Moey Huay Kuan (Singapore).

Before the trip, I had zero sense of belonging to the association because of how little interactions we had and the lack of knowledge I had for Kinmen. But this trip made me realise I have such a huge family out there and made me appreciate our forefathers’ efforts more, as I had learnt the hardship they went through to venture to Singapore, and that extends to even just bringing me into existence.

Also, I feel so connected to Kinmen and am more confident in sharing that Kinmen is my ancestral abode – after interacting with a community from Southeast Asia of similar origins.

The community spirit that was forged through this trip made me more eager towards visiting Kinmen again and feel proud of our ancestors as I realise how the hardships of those before us have brought all of us to where we are today. I am now more grateful for the opportunities I receive easily today like education and the comfort I enjoy at home everyday as I learnt more about the struggles of the past.

坦率地说，在旅行的开始，当我们刚刚抵达台湾时，我真的很担心和一群我将与之共度五天的陌生人一起待在一个我不熟悉的地方——金门。大多数同行的人比我年长，这让我担心可能会出现差异或隔阂，尤其是因为我们大多数人之前从未互相交谈过。

然而，当我开始在金门各地探索，并与这群人一起用餐后，仅仅一天的时间，就不仅让我对我的祖籍地有了更多的了解，还让我和金门会馆的其他成员建立了联系。

在这次旅行之前，我对金门会馆没有任何归属感，因为我很少见到会馆的人，且对金门的了解也不多。但这次旅行让我意识到，我有这么一个庞大的“家庭”，也让我更加感恩我们的先辈。尤其是我了解到他们冒险前往新加坡所经历的艰辛，甚至是为了让我们这些后辈得以生存所付出的努力。

此外，通过和来自东南亚各地的金门乡亲的互动，我感到自己与金门的联系更深了，也更有自信去分享金门是我的祖籍地。

这次旅行所造就的社区精神让我更加渴望再次拜访金门，并为我们的祖先感到自豪，因为我意识到前人的艰辛是如何将我们所有人带到今天的位置。现在，当我对过去的种种困境有了更多了解时，我更加感激今天轻松获得的机会，比如教育，以及我每天在家享受的舒适生活。