在美国的最后一天

It's my last day in America! And I am so excited! I have waited what feels like forever for this moment to finally come. For those of you that think this is a vacation, or a chance for me to runaway. This is an exchange. I have to go to school like a normal kid would, I have to speak their language, and I have to adapt to their culture. I don't know if any of you have done your research, but Yunlin County, Taiwan is no resort. And I won't get treated differently because I am American or an exchange student. *sorry for being so harsh on my opening, but I had to get that off my chest.*

Anyway, to be honest, the exchange still hasn't hit me and I am within hours of boarding the plane. I know I am going on an exchange... but something is still not clicking for me. I am excited, don't get me wrong, but I still think this is all a dream, that I am going to wake up soon. Luckily, this is not the case.

I suppose few of the questions that have really annoyed me were: "Are you going to school there?" Yes, I am. Being my title is Exchange STUDENT, that just kinda gives it away. "Aren't you going to miss your mom?" Yes, I will miss my mom. But she won't always be there to catch me when I fall, especially when I am thrown into live a life as an adult. She is my mother, of course I'm going to miss her. "Won't you be scared?" No, I am not scared because I know when I get there I will figure things out. If you're scared about trying new things, then I wish the best for you in life. I love trying new things and being scared holds you back. And besides, Rotary does plenty of background checks on everyone I am staying with *Lol* "Do they speak English?" No, English is not a universal language. Not everyone knows how to speak it. I am learning Mandarin Chinese, their language. Although, I did get lucky and my host sister speaks some English, but that's because she took the time to learn it.

I have an eighteen hour flight bright n' early tomorrow morning. Then, around 9:30 PM on Friday August 20th I will be in my new home for a year. I've got my visa, passport, even some New Taiwan Dollars. I am set. But for now, I must go get in the van to head for Arkansas to sleep in a motel and awake in the morning to board my flight.

 再见