Let's end with a recap
My last attempt to summarize my time in Taiwan was very cringey. I shall do better this time.
The date is December 31st, 2022. It has been a strange year. Many changes have taken place. The Weeknd's Dawn FM still slaps (how did "Less Than Zero" not even crack the top 40?), but I am no longer a college student. The spring semester was interesting. I put some unprofitable relationships in the rear-view mirror; as unprofitable as they were, they were difficult to let go of. I found greater joy in some older relationships, as well as some newer ones in the Asian-American Resource Center, and in my church. I learned how to play poker (my first time playing, I won on the river with a 2-7). With a car, I finally got to see some of Los Angeles (Pasadena, Riverside, LACMA, Palos Verdes, Signal Hill, J-Tree, a play about the Lehman brothers). And I saw Twice (it still feels like a dream)! I had fun in my classes, like Melnick's very chill Comp Ling class, Harmonic Analysis with Prof. O (and Sunday p-set sessions with my brilliant classmate Jiahui), and Prof. Park's senior-heavy East Asia Ethnography & Film (it was kind of a meme, but now it is unironically one of my favorites from college). With one foot out the door, dealing with a few messy feelings, and afflicted with a mild case of senioritis, I was in a bit of a funky headspace throughout the spring. It wasn't my best semester academically but thanks to a mad dash in pre-finals week I pulled out all A's. I gave a knockout thesis presentation, but admittedly kind of mailed it in on thesis itself (still got departmental honors though). I graduated with summa, that was fun. I'm thankful for all the kind professors who helped me in my journey, and the classmates who made me feel more whole.
As if leaving college and the relationships therein behind weren't enough, the summer brought greater changes. I spent most of my time milling about our attic, reading books (my favorites being Mann's Magic Mountain and Bolano's Savage Detectives) and helping my mom pack boxes for the move out of my childhood home. Slowly but surely, all the drawers were emptied out, the bookshelves cleared of their books, the tools moved out of the garage. Things got a bit tense towards the end, as we tried to reduce the amount of boxes and avoid additional charges from the moving company. The sheer amount of junk we had accumulated over the years was really quite eye-opening! A two-day trip to see some old schoolmates in Madison was a refreshing break. It was fun to watch Buffy with dad. So was chilling with the new puppy Pocket. At first she would bark loudly every time I entered the room, but I like to think that by summer's end we became good friends. Still, saying goodbye to my childhood town and my childhood home made me a little sad. Losing my grandmother made me very sad. She was the person who inspired me most in life. I always knew I'd one day have to go on without her, but even several months later, it doesn't quite feel right.
And now, I am in Taiwan. I never thought I would be here. My application was quite terrible, so much so that going to Taiwan was a complete afterthought. If you asked me back in March, I would have surely expected to be in Mid Wilshire, Los Angeles right now, rather than Hualien, Taiwan. I'm doing just fine. I'm not fluent in Chinese yet, but I'm working hard and have improved a lot. I haven't had any singular life-changing experience, but I've seen a lot of cool places in my area of Taiwan. Thank you to the couple from Taipei who shared their snacks with me at the Old Zhuilu Road. Thank you to Jane, May, and Mama Xu from Xinzhu for being so hospitable, and driving me back to Wenshan on Christmas Eve. I had an unexpectedly fantastic visit to the zoo. I haven't found my soulmate or new best friend, but I've met some really good people through Fulbright, at school, and at church; I get along just fine with everyone I've met here. I don't keep in very good touch with the people back home, but I'm forever greateful for them and will see them soon. I haven't gained the fawning adoration of each of my students, but I'm always trying my best to be a source of positivity and encouragement.
Every year is a bridge, but this year has felt especially so. Sixteen years of school are behind me, as are the most tangible links to childhood. At present, I get to work with some really wonderful kids, in a really wonderful place. I feel a whiff of contentment, something that has eluded me for a good while. God has provided for me, and opened doors for me. May I stay humble in 2023, with an open mind to receive whatever comes and help others in their time of need. The only thing I know about the year to come is that it won't turn out the way I expect.