Clean Eyes

A couple of months ago, there was this ten year challenge going around on various social media, mostly Instagram and Facebook.  I remember looking through photos (and yes, I did post one just for fun) and thinking to myself that I literally look the exact same.  My hair was more or less the same length, color, and I was more or less happy to the same extent, at least upon first glance at the image.  But if you dug beneath the surface, Marie of 2009 and Marie of 2019 are very different.

A Little Bit of Chemistry

“Now we are going to talk about the chemical equation for Sodium Chloride.  Anyone care to offer the answer?” My chemistry teacher, Mr. Anderson, rambled on and on about chemical equations.  My eyes were glued to the back of Luke’s perfect head of hair. It seemed like every curl on the back of his neck turned upwards at just the right angle.  How did he have such perfect hair?  My hair barely did as it was told even after using the straightener.

Taking on Taiwan: The Ups and the Downs

During the first six months of my time in Taiwan, the world was shiny and new.  I remember–quite vividly–walking into any store (even a 7/11) and being over the top excited about everything that I saw.  The snack packs of seaweed, sushi, soy milk, Coca-Cola, tissue, toiletries, disposable underwear, literally everything I saw, because everything was new.  And for a long time, that’s what life was like in Taiwan: a mix of terrifyingly brand new and exciting.  There is, however, that time when your everyday life becomes the norm.