Goodbye, Megan.

I just inherited a cell phone, scooter, heater, planner and a Texas coloring book among other items that won't be making the day-and-a-half trip to Texas.


Megan, I want to say thank you.

Not just for the stuff, though, without your help I wouldn't even have made it to Taiwan. I'm positive I would have chickened out half-way through the application process or maybe I would have changed my mind at the last minute by convincing myself it is ridiculous to move to Asia.

Now I say: Why not move to Asia?

You helped me get here, get settled in and get excited about teaching all these kids. I never saw myself as an ESL teacher, especially not in a foreign country, but you were encouraging and nudged me little by little.

Thanks for helping me sort through the details. Thanks for being my little piece of Texas and reminiscing with me about home (Oh, tacos, barbecue and Barton Springs). Thanks for showing me the tea shop, taking me to the Carrefour, telling me what's good to eat around here and showing me a few shortcuts.

Thanks for being patient during my mild freaks outs and my moments of clinginess. I appreciate that you took me under your wing even though there was nothing forcing you to do so.

I can tell you that you were a great teacher. Your kids loved you and, of the ones I met, they're pretty smart. I'm sure at least some of that was your doing.

I can also tell you that people in general loved having you around. You only left this morning and people are already talking about how glum the dorm is going to be without your smiling face (OK, maybe they didn't say glum, but you get the idea).

Anyway, this is my first goodbye in Taiwan — look there's another first you've helped me get through — and somehow, even though I'm highly likely to see you again, I feel like it's probably the most important one I'll have.

I'm sure you've realized this now, but I think you underestimated yourself when you first came to this tiny country. You're a very strong-willed person. When you put your mind to something, you can get it done and make the most out of it while you do.

Good luck at the White House. You'll do great. You'll have tons of fun. And then you'll be on to yet another adventure after that.

Countdown: 16 hours 'til I leave

It is amazing to me that by this time tomorrow I will be more than halfway to Taiwan already. Hopefully I will be asleep.

My flight leaves at 2:10 a.m. PDT. I know that sucks, but I think leaving before dawn and only having to deal with 12.5 hours of flight is way better than leaving at some "normal" time only to have a million layovers and 32 hours of airports and planes. 

That was seriously my other options.

This way, I'll hopefully sleep for the majority of the 12.5 hours and be relatively awake when I arrive in Taipei at about 6 a.m. I think adrenaline will probably carry me through the rest. 

I don't have a lot of experience with jet lag, but it seems to me that if I can stay awake most of the day Friday and just crash from exhaustion that night, then I might be able to adjust fairly easily.

Of course, nothing ever works this way, but I can hope.

I am full of hope and nerves in case you hadn’t noticed. I had this terrible dream this morning that did not help at all. It was just really sad. Honestly, it had nothing to do with Taiwan so much as my anxiety.

Again, that’s something I can get over. It will just take time.

I am also full of excitement. Megan said she would be at the dorm waiting for me with a cup of tea in hand. It’s really great to know someone on the other side. That little greeting is going to be a HUGE help.

She said she’s putting together a little packet of sorts that will help me through.

Also, one of her friends started this Web site called Taiwan English. It’s a helpful Web site for people teaching ESL in a foreign country. It is, of course, specifically geared toward working in Taiwan, given their experience.

I was looking over it and it seems to be turning into quite the helpful Web site.

I have a few last minute things I have to do before I leave. I need to get to the bank and to repack my bags.

At least it will keep my mind busy.

 

Countdown 'til Taiwan: 18 days

Graduation from college was eminent, I didn't have a job and the market didn't look good. After applying to upward of 80 jobs, I decided to take a step back.

"What else can you do with a journalism degree?" I thought to myself. "Teach English, of course."

Given that I now hold a degree in Journalism and not education, I don't have many of the necessary qualifications to get a teaching job in the States — even the great state of Texas where our education system ranks number 49 in the nation for SAT verbal skills.

That coupled with the fact that everyone was having tough luck finding a job, I decided maybe I could weather the storm somewhere else. I could use the change in scenery anyway.

A friend I met while working at The Daily Texan in college is teaching in Taiwan now. I started by asking her about half a million questions and then she referred me to her school and a recruitment agency. I scored interviews — and subsequently jobs — with both the Gloria English School and Reach to Teach Recruitment within the next week. 

Let me recap: After four months of searching across the nation for a job at any newspaper, magazine, trade publication, non-profit, etc., I found nothing. But I was offered two jobs in Taiwan after only a week. 

The Taiwanese don't waste time when it comes to their kids' educations.

I accepted the position with GES. They offer housing options and are just outside Taipei so I can get the hustle and bustle of the city when I want it, but I won't be overwhelmed by it. 

I'll be the first to admit that since we moved out of the East Texas country when I was 12 I have had no problem with being a city girl. But, being in a smaller (though what I believe to be still quite large) town, I think will force me to be more aware of my surroundings and really delve into the local culture. 

What's the point in moving to another country for (at least) one year if you're not going to jump into the culture? 

Over the next couple of weeks postings will be relatively slow but I intend to talk about my expectations, concerns and general feelings, which will mostly be described as "overwhelmed," "nervous," and "excited."

Once I get to Taiwan, I'm sure postings will be frantic but, hopefully, regular so that we can take this journey together.

I say goodbye to my lovely friends, family and life here in Austin in a week. Then I visit my sister in Seattle for a week in the Northwestern outdoors where we'll be crabbing, whale watching, and almost definitely drinking beer. 

From there, it's a 12-hour, non-stop, one-way flight to Taipei where a guy named Steve will be my first impression of Taiwan. Let's hope it's a good one.