The motivation behind creating this website was to convey a message: Don’t let societal rules confine you. You don’t have to go with the flow. Be brave enough to carve your own path and live your unique life. When you truly want to do something, focus on it wholeheartedly, block out the noise, and walk steadily toward your own version of success. I grew up in a conservative environment that valued traditional ideals, comparisons, and high expectations. No matter how hard I tried to fit in, I always felt I was falling short. That experience gradually made me lose my sense of self, as if I were forcing myself into a mold that didn’t belong to me. Eventually, I started encountering different cultures through travel. One pivotal moment was a two-week business exchange program in the U.S. in 2017, which left a lasting impact on me.

There, people were encouraged to express their individuality and respected for their differences. Everyone had their own style and way of making choices, rather than following a single standard. That atmosphere got me thinking: Since so many people already live in the same conventional way, could I try something different for my life? Could I create my own path? After returning to Taiwan, I didn’t want this inspiration to fade. So I built this website as my personal lab of ideas. It reminds me to keep challenging myself and innovating, and I hope it can also encourage others to believe: everyone has the right to choose their own way of living. We’re allowed to try, to make mistakes, to fall down—and from there, correct course and start again, eventually shaping a life and path that’s uniquely our own.

This website originally started as a place to document my learning journey and reflections as a backend software engineer. Over time, curiosity led me to explore other fields, and I began sharing research notes and life insights—which surprisingly gained more traffic than my tech posts. The website has gone through multiple platforms and redesigns. I’ve used Japanese platforms like Ameba Blog and FC2, as well as mainstream ones like Blogger and WordPress. Later, I taught myself frontend development and used the Hugo framework to build the current version of this site. Recently, I refactored the entire structure and design using Next.js.

In its early days, the website was called “Aquarius Mina’s Life Journey,” symbolizing my twenties (ages 20–29), a time filled with trials and challenges but also bold attempts to keep going. Now at the threshold of 30, I’ve renamed the site to “Aquarius @MINA’s Life Lab” and the English title to “@MINA INFLUENCE.” It reflects my wish to approach the future with a more mature perspective and capability—systematically observing, exploring, and documenting life while building my own kind of influence.