This Is It

So, I can't believe this is it. I am spending today at the hot springs in Beitou and leaving tonight from my dorm to spend time with my grandparents for the weekend. My flight is Monday morning, and I will arrive in Omaha around 8 PM. I have said goodbye to most of the friends I have made and will finish my goodbyes this evening. I am sad we are all going our separate ways, but I am happy to have met each and every one of them. They have made this trip all the more fun and a growing experience. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to visit a few of them back in their home!

What a crazy ride it has been. I can't help but to look around me and see the beauty of this world. I've fallen in love in so many ways and grown in so many perspectives. I've stepped out of my comfort zone and tried new things. I've traveled and seen new places. I've broadened my mind. I've gained a deeper love for language and culture. I've spent time with my family. I've let myself go and be free.

From the beginning, this trip has always been for me to "discover" myself, but it was not until recently that I came to realize that everything I've ever needed was inside of me. That's been truly powerful, and there's nothing that could amount to the value of learning that.

A look into this last week:

I spent most of last weekend visiting tea shops and drinking tea (like a lot of tea). Some were good, and some were not so good. Either way, I still had a lot of fun. I'm like (half of) a tea expert now...or a little less!

We had our last 4 days of Chinese classes this week. We took our final on Wednesday and had a celebratory lunch on Thursday. My friends/classmates and I bought our teacher a cake as a surprise to thank her. Here's a picture of the cake and a selfie with my teacher! She was amazing and made class fun. My Chinese has most definitely improved. I hope to keep up with it when I return home.

My friend Lillian and I took pictures with some of the staff members who worked downstairs. They are there 24 hours and have always been super kind and helpful. They make living in the I-house an even more comfortable and amazing experience. The dorms are a thumbs up. We will miss them!

Finally, my friends Oriana, Lillian, and I did some last minute shopping. We went to bookstores and shops. Lillian is a bit obsessed with some sort of Korean band that I still know nothing about. Haha, so the picture of me having bubble tea with my new boyfriend is just me trying to be her, but I love her so much we got semi-expensive matching-ish bracelets. (Mine's the heart one.) Love you, Lillian!

And random, but I'm going to miss buying my favorite bread at the bakery for breakfast in the morning. It looks like I'm getting really sentimental. However, I know I'll be back in Taiwan again...so until then.

Thanks for sharing this adventure with me! I love you all!

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”  
― Miriam Adeney ll

In This Moment of Now

I am down to my last 7 days in Taiwan, and although I am not quite ready to leave yet, I am excited to be back in the U.S. and see everyone. I went into this study program with high expectations, nervous that it wouldn't be what I wanted. Needless to say, it's exceeded every single one of my expectations, and I couldn't be happier. I've grown in many ways, and even though I can't always pinpoint exactly how, I feel it inside me.

This world is lit up so brightly that I don't ever want to close my eyes. It's beautiful. It's magical. It's surreal. So until I leave, I will drown myself in this moment of now, in this feeling I want to hold on to forever.

Some of my adventures in the past 10 days:

I went with my friend Yara to Kaohsiung. We stayed with my aunt, uncle, and two cousins. On our weekend trip, we did lots of hiking. We even saw monkeys! Ahhhh, too cute!

We visited some grand temples and the lotus pond.

We spent one of the evenings at a beach resort in Kenting, the south of Taiwan.

For two out of the four Chinese classes this week, we went to make pottery and pineapple cakes. We also tried on some traditional Taiwanese clothing. Super fun!