February 12, 2021 Of Fernweh and Fast Cars Fernweh. I remember first hearing that word in college in Pittsburgh, sitting next to a teammate of mine who had just about as much of the travel bug as I did back then. We were no more than nineteen or twenty, sitting and staring at maps, language books, and googling flight prices. The literal meaning of the word is something I have experienced many times in my life: far-sickness.
December 31, 2020 Ambivalence Today is the day that all of us have been waiting for: the time to say goodbye to 2020. I believe everyone can agree…
January 11, 2020 Love is Love is Love Ah, au sujet d’amour. This is something I have written on before, but not in the most positive of lights. I’ve said a lot about traveling being more important than dating. I’ve alluded to love in other posts of mine, fictionalized la romance, but other than that, if you haven’t noticed, I have steered clear of the subject. Love never used to sit well with me. Used to, being the key word here.
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.
June 22, 2019 On the Road Again It was only two hours into the road trip and due to poor decisions, both Arie and Sam were curled up in the middle row, snoring and sound asleep. If Mom and Dad weren’t here, I’d consider drawing on their faces in permanent marker. But Mom and Dad sat in the front, talking about what music to play and what we were going to do when we got there. The only thing I cared about in their entire conversation was the topic of lunch. Breakfast had been nothing more than bagels.
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 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.
