New Year, New Start

Happy 2011, everyone! It's good to be back in the States after two and a half weeks and good to have wi-fi. Honestly though, I miss Taiwan so much already! I'm going to be so depressed without amazing cheap food every single breathing moment. I'm also officially the heaviest I've ever been in my life and with no regrets. My apologies for not writing scheduled posts like I had planned or updating for over half a month - never thought I could survive that long without constant internet access. 

This brings me to another point. I feel like since high school I have been practically living on the internet and not spending enough time with family and friends. If I keep the browser open long enough, hours are gone randomly clicking around and closing and reopening the same tabs. While I feel like blogging has been such an amazing experience, I feel like now it's time to take a break and get back to living offline. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm going to miss every one of you and I can't thank you all enough for the support you've given me these 1.5 years. I'm so blessed to have met so many people with dedication and kindness and interesting things to share. I will continue stalking your blogs and maybe occasionally update but this semester I'm going to focus on getting into medical school and living out my daily life dreams. It's been so long since I sketched for the heck of it. I keep saying I never have time to play videogames or watch movies or hang out but in reality I do. Blogging alone is not to blame but each post takes so much time and to this day I can't let go of trying to perfect what I perceive as a form of digital art and literature. Each photoshoot takes a while and editing even more. I envy and respect those of you who have a job and still blog daily. I am a student first and foremost and it's time I started acting like one. This semester is jam-packed full of science courses and research and MCAT class and community service and it never ends. I'm both excited for it and yet totally unprepared.

When I was standing at the metro station in Taipei surrounded by seas and seas of people, I felt comfortable, I felt excited and I had an epiphany. I want to spend my money traveling and seeing the world. I want to save up not for a fancy camera to take pictures of myself, but for experience, for memories, for Paris, Greece, Barcelona, Okinawa, the rainforest, Great Barrier Reef. I really enjoyed traveling and being in the big city and amongst a new culture - turns out Taiwan is really different from the Asia I know. I was really surprised that people like wearing those face masks while driving around on mopeds. I thought there was another SARS epidemic but actually people use them to stay warm xD There were so many interesting cultural nuances that piqued my curiosity and I'm itching to explore more.

A year ago I wanted to quit blogging because I was scared of change. I was scared of what I would turn into and of the uncertainty. I'm really happy I didn't stop then. Right now, this decision has been carefully thought over during my trip and I am at peace with what I have become as a consequence of the blogosphere. Yes, I have accumulated more clothes and makeup, but I also have more knowledge. I am more comfortable with my appearance and less self-conscious (of course it was more difficult in Taiwan where indeed all the girls were sooo thin!). I am a stronger individual and a faster writer. I close this chapter of my book to begin a new one. 

Good-bye for now my dear friends. Adventure is out there!