Up, Up, and Away

So here we are again. A crossroads. A split in the path. In one week's time, I will be sitting for the last time on this bumpy, circa 1972 couch, mentally preparing to board an airplane (the following afternoon) which will deposit me in yet another foreign land. Looking back on my first post, which I made exactly 2 years ago (an interesting coincidence) , I find myself in a very similar position. Again, I am on a precipice, psyching myself up to take yet another jump into the unknown. Only this time I have no job waiting for me on the other side of the flight. No coworkers or boss to help show us the way around. Just me, my backpack, and a healthy supply of good humor and open-mindedness.

Looking in the mirror, I don't see a man much different than the one that left his comfort zone so far behind two years ago. Perhaps he's lost a few pounds of excess weight (gained thanks to excessive consumption of adult beverages in Chicago) or gained a few gray hairs. Perhaps he's become an expert at picking up individual pieces of rice with chopsticks. Maybe this very similar looking man has two years of learning Mandarin under his belt and can successfully throw a decent boxing combo followed up with a nice roundhouse kick (thanks MAD guys). Heck, this guy might even be able to walk into a class of 25 Taiwanese kids of varying English capabilities and teach them about Aviation or Camping and have them all leave smiling. Shoot, this tall drink of water may even be able to show you how to maneuver confidently through rush hour on a scooter, avoiding unexpectedly opening car doors and impromptu turns by other vehicles.

Yeah, this guy doesn't look a lot different. But looking through pictures and flippin' through the countless memories I've filed away, I'd say that this man is a smidge different than the nervous 24 year old who sat on the floor of a busy Chicago airport precisely two years ago typing on his computer.

I will never forget floating in the ocean, huge rolling waves gently lifting me up and down as the dark orange sun burned it's way into the purple horizon, setting the whole salty ocean on fire. I will never be able to hear the classical tune "Maiden's Prayer" and not think of a Taiwanese garbage truck making its rounds. Nor will I soon forget the countless friendships that I've developed since moving here, whether they are the ones made simply in passing, such as daily greetings with people in my neighborhood, or ones formed over late nights and Taiwan Píjiǔ (beer) with other foreigners. The laughs shared during trips to new places all over the island, or the shared experience of tromping through thick mountain foliage trying to find the next Hash mark on our monthly Hash runs are unforgettable. This country is warmer than just about anywhere else I've been, and it's the kind of warmth that leaves you both sweaty and smiling because it's not only the tropical heat, but the ready smiles of nearly everyone you pass that keep you warm.

I'll miss all these things, but among the things I'll miss the most will probably be the unexpected friendship of my canine pal, Jack. He's staying with some friends here in Taiwan until my eventual return in January 2013, and I can certainly say I'll miss him greeting me after a long day. Whoever said that dogs are man's best friend wasn't kidding. If only we could be as excited for each new day as Jack is, the world would be a much happier place.

And so I will wrap up this post not with a bittersweet farewell to Taiwan, but instead a hearty "zàijiàn" ("see you again"). That being said, Southeast Asia, here I come. Up, Up, and Away!