The Beginning

Last winter I took a trip with my girlfriend to Taiwan. I knew it was going to be a special thing, maybe a 'once in a lifetime oppurtunity,' but now I think it is going to turn into something more than that.

I stayed with my girlfriend's parents in the south of Taiwan, Ping Dong. It was really an interesting experience, I got to see Taiwan from the point of view of a citizen rather than a tourist. I went on the regular shopping trips, to the local stores, the night markets, and so on. I felt like I got to see the real gritty side of Taiwan that a lot of foreigners might miss on a short visit. I did manage to go to a lake and a couple other places outside the city. I visited 'Love River' in Kaohsiung and hung out in a few cities in central Taiwan over a weekend.



As soon as I got back to the US I felt that I had left something important behind. I had made a few friends, and I just felt like the culture really suited me. I'll go into more detail on that in the future.

Now my girlfriend and I have broken up, luckily it was a smooth transition, we are still great friends, and currently roommates. I just graduated from college with a BA in Graphic Design, and I have only a small part-time job. It looks like its the perfect time for me to follow my dream of living in Taiwan. For the last year I have been reading websites, blogs, and forums in order to get the upper hand on the situation. Forumosa.com and Michael Turton's projects were a great help to me. I think I have the will, the skill sets, and the desire needed to make it in Taiwan and I am planning to chronical my progress here with this blog. I thank you for reading and I hope that I can entertain you with my 'newbie' observations and other personal insights.

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