Welcome to Taiwan

 Do you ever just stop, look around, and think, what on earth did I do to deserve this?

That has been life for the past few days as I settle into a new country amidst a pandemic. I am filled with with pure bliss and euphoria. How this is real life? I ask myself repeatedly. As I write, I rest on the most comfortable bed I have ever laid on, my eyes periodically glancing out onto the bustling streets of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Although I yearn to go explore my new surroundings, I must undergo a 14 day quarantine at a local hotel. I live all the way up in Room 812 where I am treated like a royal. Snacks fill my room, from chips to fruit to drinks. Every morning, I wake up to find milk tea or soy milk resting outside my door alongside some type of breakfast. I eat my meal, watch some TV, and simply wait for lunch to roll around. Once again, at noon, the doorbell rings and a meal is sitting outside my door. If the meal is not sufficient, I can use a delivery service such as Hello Panda to bring more deserts and drinks to my doorstep. A meal here costs less than $3, a drink here costs about $1, and delivery is about 50 cents. However, all of it is subsidized through the NSLI-Y stipend. We were given lavish stipends to spend throughout our 6 month trip here in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. I'll never be able to spend it all. As I sit here full of joy and comfort, I keep questioning to myself, what did I do to deserve this?

While I am quite the extrovert myself, the luxury treatment we receive as students sponsored by the US Department of State on a trip to Taiwan makes quarantine feel like a breeze. Students are selected for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarship based on merit and a desire to learn language. After hearing about my selection back in April of 2021, I have been more than ecstatic to begin my new life abroad. While the program was intended to begin in August, a Covid scare in Taiwan caused our trip to be delayed until now. The possibility of going to Taiwan was undecided for quite a while, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude that I am here today, living out my dreams. I am here until June studying Mandarin at the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages in the third largest city in Taiwan. 

I departed from my home city of Pewaukee, Wisconsin just five days ago, on December 6. I boarded a flight to San Francisco where we had our pre-departure orientation where we met the rest of our cohort members. We have been attending classes together as a cohort since August of this year, but meeting each other in person for the first time was incredible relieving. Meeting a group of people online is terrifying, for you don't really get to know them too well as people. My cohort especially, was very quiet online and I was afraid that I would not get along with the group. However, when we were able to meet in person, my doubts went away quickly. 

Today is Day 2 quarantine here in my hotel. So far, my days have been filled with ordering exciting new foods and delivering to my room, watching TV, writing letters in both Mandarin and English to my future self, alongside talking with my cohort members via Line about how excited we are to get out into the world. Life is so good.

I can't wait to go out and experience everything Taiwan has to offer, but for now I am content with where I am. I know already that this trip is going to be one of the best experiences of my entire life. This is a trip that I don't know that I deserve, but couldn't be more grateful to be part of. I can't even express my gratitude or put into words just how blessed I am to be here today. I can't wait to go out and create some of the most incredible memories that I hope to never forget in this lifetime.

What got me here? I couldn't even tell you. All I know is that whatever it was, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am so, so happy.

Sincerely, Tiara