I’ve started to write this post several times, first while sitting in my room in Taipei, during one of my last few days there. The next time I tried was in the Tokyo airport on my layover during my long trip back to the US. And here I am, back in my first home, ready for round three. It’s taken me so many tries, because what can I possibly say to sum up my year in Taipei?
I lived there for just over a year, so I was desperate to come home and see my family and friends back in the states. But, at the same time, I was heartbroken to have to leave. There is so much that I love about the culture and city, and I had become so close to my colleagues, students, and friends. Despite the fact that I didn’t speak the language, regularly sweat through my clothes from the heat and humidity, and was terrified of the potential for earthquakes, it was home. So, instead of trying in vain to put together an eloquent tribute to the country and people that I love, I will just sum up some of my favorite things.
Here, in no particular order, are some of the things I will miss:
-Beef noodle soup
-My students
-Multicultural A Cappella
-Mangos
-My school
-The cafes in which I was a regular
-Scallion pancakes from the stand by my apartment
-Picnics and drinks on the roof of my apartment
-Friends
-Milk tea
-Night markets
-7-Eleven and Family Mart ice cream
-Running by the river and around the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
And here are the few things that I won’t miss:
-Stinky tofu
-Humidity
-The ever present threat of earthquakes
Even while I’m back in the US, I know that Taipei is still there, my students are still asking questions and making up words (like ‘waterful,’ to mean ‘watery’ or ‘wet’), the a cappella groups are still singing, and the runners are still going around and around CKS Memorial Hall. I’ll make it back someday.
Going Out Your Door 