From Lazy Days in Lancaster to...What Just Happened?

Lancaster County is such a wonderful place. It was a great place to grow up, and it is always a pleasure to come home to. Lucky for me, I have had long summer breaks ever since I graduated from college, so I get the chance to spend a delicious month or two in my home town. There's just something about the summer time in Lancaster; it conjures up all of the old memories: bonfires, fast motorcycles, camping trips, hiking, swimming in lakes, drinking Mike's hard on friends' back porches. I'm used to living in dusty, loud cities for the past few years, and so when I get to visit home, I like to go for a nice long walk to reintroduce myself back into life. When I first got back to Lancaster, I found a wonderful walking spot over a covered bridge and in between cornfields, and I couldn't help smiling as I watched the green hills and the sun setting behind the silos. I could breathe in as deeply as I wanted to, and this time it was tinged only with grass and cow manure and not gas fumes and marijuana (you can smell it basically wherever you walk in DC). It is truly a place of rest for me, and while I don't want to live there right now, and I am always searching for my next spot to go, it has a strong hold on me, and as I travel, it is never far from my mind. This summer, I got to spend a lot of time with my parents, my one sister, relatives, and friends. I always like to make sure I get the time to do that before I go away again for a long time, and this time, I'm not exactly sure when I'll be back for a visit! It was a beautiful summer, full of friends, writing, parties, reading, and just letting myself relax before this big change. I knew it would be a big one, and my brain and body needed a break to prepare. 

So, I got on the plane on August 3, hopeful and slightly wide-eyed. I had no idea what to expect, and I just hoped the trip itself would go well! I said goodbye to my sister, and headed back again into the seriously entire "unknown". I sat and watched movies, read, and slept on my two journeys (5 hours and then 12.5 hours). You don't think about where you're going until you look at the map and it's 10 minutes to landing and you see the plane hovering over the city you're about to land in. I have just traveled over the entire Pacific Ocean. Gosh, is it big or what? You know it's scary when you look at the digital map on your screen, and you see names on it as your plane flies by, but you realize that those are names of ocean trenches. No land. For miles and miles. So, I had my usual experiences with other people flying with me. I'm pretty much mute on planes. I don't want to talk, but this one old guy wanted to chat about why I was going to Taiwan and blah blah blah. And, this other man, all dressed in white, created a mini posse in the back, and whenever I'd go back would say, "Welcome! You party girl. She likes a party." And...creepy. I saw him about 5 more times, and he always said, "Welcome!" 

"What???" I just wanted to ask "Why, oh why, are you dressed all in white linen clothing?" 

Oh, by the way, why does anyone ever fly domestically?? You must pay for meals and pay for movies! It's ridiculous! The flight attendants wore T-shirts, and the safety instruction session was a rap/dance video. Too strange. International is the way to go. People are more formal and serious, there's more space, better movies for free, free alcohol, and better food! I do have an issue with the water situation though. I bring on a big bottle, and since it's a 12.5 hour flight, I will run out. But, it's sleeping time mostly on those kinds of flights, so there's no one walking around to see if you need anything. I go back to get water, and from behind the curtain, they pass me out the smallest cup possible. So, I take my thimbleful of water back to my chair, hoping it will keep me hydrated for the next 2 minutes at least. 

Anyway, I finally saw the plane hovering over Taipei, and I stared at the screen, and in my sleepless haze, I thought, "What have I just done? Am I crazy? What am I doing?" It made me think of the Bear Hunt story: "You can't go over it, you can't go under it, you've gotta go through it." In my mind it was more of a "You can't go back now, so let's do this." And, when I don't sleep, I get a little crazy, so I calmed down later, but come on! This is a huge transition. I got all of my bags, and wandered around, sticking out like a big sore thumb with my blonde hair and giant cart of bags. I had to wait about 3 hours for James, and then we got picked up by the hostel driver. After a night of sleep, I felt better, and could better handle the magnitude of the situation.

So, we've made it. Here we are. Taipei is cool. My hostel is outside of Taipei a little in a different part called New Taipei City. It's kind of like Sharjah, except better, cleaner, with more trees, and better roads. People are nice, but dear Lord, do we need to learn Mandarin. Like right now. I respect it though. I'm in Taiwan now, I better shape up and learn the language. English is boring anyway. 

Not much has happened yet, but I'm off to school tomorrow for my first day of orientation. I cannot WAIT to feel like I have a purpose again, and to feel my brain at work! We've done a bit of sightseeing and eating out, and there is so much to do. I'm excited to be living in this city. The  metro is easy, and things aren't that expensive. I'll update you further when things start rolling. Wish me luck! I'm so glad to be doing it with someone else this time. It makes things seem so much easier. Talk to you soon!