台湾。

I. Am. In. Taiwan. Finally! The plane ride was horrible; mainly because I don't like to ride on planes, I decided that on my thirteen hour flight from Chicago to Japan. The food, the people, the scene, the everything! I don't know where to start. Okay, okay. Let us begin with my arrival. Fair enough? Good.

I stepped off the plane, ready to drop on my knees and kiss the ground, thankful that I did not have to get on to another plane for a year. I found my luggage had made it safe and sound, which was a relief. I exited the luggage area to find a cute little Asian family holding a banner with my name on it. The first sentence I said was "I'm not a plane," when I meant to say "I don't like to ride airplanes." Epic fail. My host mother looked at me funny, nodded, and smiled. I turned bright red after Vivian, my host cousin, told me what I had just said. Obviously, they already knew I wasn't an airplane without me having to tell them. The airport was an hour away from my new home. We had stopped at a 7-Eleven to get some food. I didn't eat much because my stomach was upset from the airplane food. But I was almost in tears on the car ride home, because my host dad was looking through the radio for any station that was in English. He speaks not one word in English. I was touched.

The family; Amazing. I've spent most of my time with my host uncle, Victor, Vivian, and my host brother. (I haven't learned their names yet. I don't think I will learn my host brother's because he is going to Russia on an exchange in a couple days.) Victor keeps me on my toes and makes sure I don't fall asleep while the sun is still up. He says in English "Sun up, you no sleep when sun down." Smart boy. Victor and I hang out the most. We ride bikes, kick a soccer ball around, play video games, and like right now, watch Sponge Bob Square Pants in Chinese. Vivian has been my translator. I know some Chinese, but not enough apparently. She is helping me the first week, but after that, no more English for me.

The food. Lord have mercy, the food is amazing. I wish my body was use to eating a lot, but I am not a heavy eater. Vivian thinks I don't like the food; but each time I tell her "No, no the food is amazing! I just don't eat a lot." Regardless, I still don't think she believes me. But all of it, is amazing. My host dad and I go to a local cafe each morning where him and a bunch of other men gather to start the day off with a good cold beer. They are all funny and happy go lucky. Never fails that they will ask me if I want a beer too. I just smile and say "I'm sixteen," in Chinese. The drinking age is eighteen. But, regardless, they'll ask anyway. And I bet my bottom dollar, they'll ask me again tomorrow.

(Ground pork, sprouts, green onions, and noodles. Amazing. It's local Chinese food they eat for lunch. I also had the traditional bubble tea. I would have taken a picture, but it was in a cup with a plastic film over the top. Then you punch a straw through it.)

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

家庭礼品

I thought I would share my hard work and research to make and design the best host family gifts ever. I decided to wood burn. I sketched and detailed a certain animal after I researched it. I had to make sure I wasn't going to offend any one, that would be horrible.
My first plaque has Koi Fish. The fish represent peace and balance. In the middle is the Chinese symbol for family.

The second gift is the Chinese Dragon. The Dragon represents power and purity. (It was the hardest to detail, too.)

The third plaque will be of the Tiger. The Tiger represents sensitivity and pride. I will have it done in a couple days to show the final gift. :)

谢谢, Cassville Rotary Club!

I want to give a shout out to my district club in 6110, Cassville Rotary Club! If you all did not help sponsor me, I would not have this wonderful opportunity to be apart and around amazing beautiful people and share my experience with them. Thank you, Cassville Rotary Club!

我会想念...

In no particular order, I will ramble on and list certain things/people that I will miss and why.

1. Obviously, I am going to miss my mommy. Why: Because she gave birth to me. She has tolerated everything I've put her through, and some how she is still sane. She is my right hand man in the kitchen while we are jammin' to tunes and cooking. She's the best mommy a girl could ask for. :)

2. Vanilla ice cream :)

3.  Apple Jacks. Why: Because it's the best cereal in the whole wild America. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to find them and get my hands around a box in Taiwan.

4. Tate and the other two knuckle heads. Why: Because, regardless of all the annoying things they do, (making weird moaning noises while eating cereal, slurping spaghetti noodles, or running around the house and screaming while shooting nerf guns) they are my brothers and somewhere along the lines I have to "claim" them. Truth is, I'm going to miss the rambunctious dysfunction they bring.

5. My friends. Why: Because I know in the back of my mind that the people we are now are not going to be a year from now. I already miss them because I know there is always the possibility that we will not share the common interests and mindsets when I get back, that in all reality, we only have stupidity in common. But they have helped me shape who I am now, regardless of what the future may hold. They are amazing people and I can always count on them to make me laugh.

6. My room. Why: This is a hard one to answer, because if you have never been in my room, you cannot fully fathom the meaning and wonders it holds. My room has lime green and blue walls. Among the walls hold old photographs of my childhood and who I am now. Hand prints, because whenever somebody new steps into my room they have to put their hand print on any of my walls (haven't had any one put their feet yet, though). quotes and messages that important people have added, wrote, or that have inspired me. My room, is the scrapbook of my life, and I already have a wall picked out for Taiwan. I even have all the tally marks that I have added for a count down for when I leave. My room is awesome.

7. Forks. Why: Because Taiwan eats with chopsticks, nuff said.

8. My grandparents. Why: Because they spoil the heck out of me and they are awesome people.

9. Chelsi Curtis. Why: Because she is awesome. She is the older sister I've always wanted; If I would have ever been able to have an older sister, I would have wanted her to be exactly like Chelsi.

10. Band. Why: Because music is what makes me who I am. Hopefully, I can find myself a nice little Taiwan band. Yeah, that'd be legit.

That's all I've got to say about that, for now anyway.