I went from a state with a population of less than 600,000 to a city with neighborhoods of the same size. I went from a city where almost no one looked like me to a city where I blended in. I went from a city where I could count the number of good restaurants with my two hands to a city where I lost track of the good restaurants by my second week. So far, I have had the opportunity to experience so many things unique to Asia and Taiwan. I have tried incredible food, gone on cool tourist trips and met so many new and wonderful people. From visiting Sun Moon Lake, to trying my first beef noodle soup, to climbing Mount Yangming, to riding the high-speed rail, I've done so much in my time here!
And the wildest part to me is that I am not done living here. I still have another semester (or maybe even another year) after this! That's more opportunities to explore and learn more about this great island. This upcoming semester, I will teach at different schools in different cities, getting to meet more students and see new sights. There is still so much left for me here!
I hope that you all take every opportunity you get to travel, whether it is just to another state or to another country. There is so much out there to see and simply not enough time once you get older. Study abroad in college! Go to a summer camp in a foreign country in high school! Take a backpacking trip somewhere during the summer! Travel is one of the best ways that you can learn more about the world and have fun while doing it.
I am actually off to travel to other parts of Asia for the next month. I will be in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam!
