March 20, 2019 Changing Tides “Louise, can you pass me the sunscreen?” Jane, my best friend, held out a tanned hand, not bothering to look over from behind her giant sunglasses. Reluctantly, I snatched the pink Coppertone bottle and gave it to her. I waited for her reply, but as predicted, there was none. “Do you think Nick is coming today?”
February 27, 2019 Twists and Turns Recently on Halloween, I released my first book, Homecoming, as the first of my Trescott Series. If you haven’t checked it out yet or would like to do some last minute holiday shopping, click here to check it out. Thank to everyone who purchased and indulged in my first published novel! I love hearing your feedback and I am excited that this Wednesday, on the 19th, you’ll be able to access more of the shenanigans the Trescott kids are up to.
January 13, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: How to Be Happy When I arrived in Taiwan in 2016 the second time, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I was all dimples at training when they explained the more tedious details of our duties as teachers. I grinned as we drove around Taipei, checking out the sights, getting our medical tests done so we could get health insurance, and I even cracked a smile when I moved into my apartment and ran some numbers to budget.
January 9, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: The Buzz About Buxibans Not less than twenty-four hours after touching down in Taipei the second time, I was sitting in a lecture hall among forty other men and women. Some of them were the same age as I was, while others were older with far more teaching credentials than I had. Exhaustion filled me, mostly because I’d spent much of the night chatting with my roommate and one of my now good friends, Rona, after she arrived as well. We awaited our training leaders to start what would be a week’s worth of learning how to teach and more about the HESS curriculum.
December 26, 2018 In the Spirit of Giving Christmas time is one of my favorite times of year, right after Thanksgiving which is equally as thrilling for me. Both holidays embody what I love most: family and friends. It’s all about giving and spending time with those you love, no matter how far and wide your circle of comrades spreads. And while the idea of spending Christmas in Chicago next year is exciting, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic thinking that this was my third and final Christmas spent on the island of Taiwan.
December 23, 2018 What Happens After Your Last Game I remember the first time I stepped foot on the ice in hockey skates. At nine years old, I had donned figure skates for six years leading up to that, but nothing could prepare me for the dozens of bruises and bumps I had all over my body as I got used to life without toe picks. But yet, despite every fall and a few stifled laughs from my teammates that summer, I kept on trying. Thirteen years later, I would step on the ice for the last time, wearing my collegiate uniform and equipment way larger than the first set of pads I wore way back when.
December 12, 2018 Among the Heavens The weekend before Halloween, I ventured to Nantou City. I’ve lived in Taichung over two years and somehow throughout that entire time period, I had yet to go to Nantou. I’d been to Sun Moon Lake, driven through Caotun, but I hadn’t stopped in Nantou. Thus, when my friend from Nantou invited me to see her, the answer was obvious: I was totally going no matter what.
December 9, 2018 Culture Kids Recently, a coworker of mine lent me the book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. For those of you who don’t know, it was on the U.S. Bestseller list and it’s a highly acclaimed book, and rightfully so. Without giving too much away, the contents of the story are pretty simple: it’s about a teacher reconnecting with his student and their very last class together: a class all about life, and how to be a good human. And as you may guess, it only took place on Tuesdays.
December 5, 2018 Tattooed Back in May 2013, I went in for my first tattoo ever. I was terrified, but I spent a lot of my days back then in a constant state of anxiety. So, in an effort to push myself past my comfort zone, I sat under the needle for about an hour. I got my first tattoo, and one that would cause me a lot of controversy for a couple of years: a girl breaking out of chains.
December 2, 2018 Travels from the Time Vault: Czech Republic Growing up, my parents were adamant about exposing us to our heritage. Both of my parents come from diverse backgrounds. My mother is English, Irish, Scottish, and Polish, while my father hails from Germany, Czechoslovakia, and England. Any family gathering we went to was complete with delicacies from every side of our heritage. They spared no expense when time proved available and there was a chance to explore uncharted territory. I was very blessed with a lot of chances to see England, Germany, and other parts of Europe before reaching adolescence. Among those as I reached my teenage years, Czech Republic made it onto my list of places visited.
