March 9, 2021 Time of the Season When I arrived in Florida two years ago, I was convinced that I was going to stay here forever. I lived in Taiwan long…
January 4, 2020 20/20 Vision Happy (late) Holidays and Happy New Year, everyone! In the spirit of the New Year, I felt it was time to be raw and share what’s been happening lately with you guys. There’s so much to share, and much to reflect on, so hold onto your hats.
October 5, 2019 Redefining What Homesick Means A year ago, I sat in my apartment in Taiwan, staring out at the concrete jungle. Part of me felt completely at ease eating my Bento boxes, writing every morning before work, teaching kids English, but another part of me felt this pull back to America. Like I knew I needed to come back for my next chapter. Truthfully, I was homesick.
September 14, 2019 How to Prepare for Hurricanes Now that winter has arrived and many Floridians are putting on their sweaters, jeans, and other long articles of clothing, so, too, has hurricane season come and gone. The word “hurricane” to anyone outside of Florida or new Florida residents sparks a bit of fear and worry. People google it, see the terrifying images of storms like Katrina or Irma and they begin to assume the worst. But I’m here to tell you that despite hurricanes being incredibly terrifying, unless you have a direct hit or you are close to the center of the storm, it’s more likely that you will experience intense winds, lots of rain, and if you’re a surfer, some gnarly waves leading up to the hurricane’s arrival.
June 29, 2019 Twenty-Five Tips for Twenty-Five Years Recently, I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday, and coincidentally, my first birthday in the states in three years. It was weird to say the least, realizing all that had happened in the last three hundred and sixty-five days. My twenty-fourth year was jam packed: living abroad, visiting home, traveling around the island of Taiwan, my first Chinese New Year, moving home, and so much more in between all of the aforementioned.
April 7, 2019 Lanterns and Lollipops I’d never liked cherry lollipops. Maybe it was the sharp distinct cherry taste, or perhaps it was the fact they were red, as I’d never been quite fond of the color. All I’m saying is there are better flavors than cherry when it comes to lollipops.
March 17, 2019 What I Packed To Move Home Ah, packing. It’s always so much more fun in your imagination to pack than it is to actually do so. If you’re like me, you have a hard time packing just once. I’m pretty sure before I left for America, I packed at least four times. I spent hours making sure everything fit, contemplating if I really needed two gray t-shirts, weighing the suitcases again, and then I’d finish it off by staring at my luggage hoping osmosis would occur and I’d feel fine with my packing job. And it’s harder to pack things for a trip knowing you aren’t just traveling, you’re moving. You aren’t sure when you’ll be back so everything has to make the trip across the Pacific with you. (We all know shipping is expensive, nobody got money for that.)
March 13, 2019 What’s the Deal With Cupping and Scraping? Prior to leaving Taiwan for the United States, I will admit: I over indulged in some things, like bubble tea, stinky tofu, night market games, and of course, massages. I am pretty sure I hit up at least three or four massage centers in the last month I was in Taiwan! I have always wanted to try cupping and scraping (yeah, call me crazy, I know I am) and I made it one of my goals to do that before I went home. So that’s just what I did.
March 6, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: To All I Leave Behind Well, we’ve made it to the end of the blog series! As you read this, I will be home in Chicago, being greeted by my family at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to head home, begin anew, and start the next chapter of my life. But I’d also be lying if I told you that I wasn’t upset about leaving behind Taiwan, a place I call home.
February 24, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: Ch-Ch-Changes Recently, I explored some old posts of mine, just to see if I think the same way I did back then about things. It was rather interesting, reading it and remembering exactly how I felt. At the same time, however, I have to admit, I have trouble associating with who I was back then. Just remembering the things I used to see daily in university and back home compared to the things that I am used to now makes me realize how truthfully different my life has become. If you want a glimpse of it, check out this post. Contrasting them is trippy.
