The Calm (?) After the Storm

Dear Friends and Family,

I guess the one nice thing about a typhoon is that it confines a person to her home and allows her time to write.  Well, the typhoon has passed, and I know the school year has begun because I have an obvious lack of time.  To add to the craziness of my busy school schedule, Sara and I did the unthinkable and bought a puppy two nights ago.  Of course, this was unthinkable only to me because Sara has been dreaming of this day since she was born.  However, I think she imagined that the puppy would live at her house, and so did I!  Since Sara is not allowed to have pets in her apartment complex, I am housing our little puppy and wondering if life will ever be the same again. 

I Wish I Had Time for More…

Dear Friends and Family,

So much has happened during my first two weeks in Taiwan, and I desperately want to share all of my experiences in detail because I wish all of you could be here experiencing everything with me.  I can’t wait to tell you about driving a moldy car with no power steering fluid that broke down in the middle of the road during my first driving experience in Taiwan, or about the small earthquake we experienced on my second night here, or about the barbecued bird we found in my water heater that had a little something to do with my lack of hot water for the first four days living in my apartment, or about all of the details of weathering the worst typhoon to hit Taiwan in fifty years. 

A Whirlwind Summer & Other Thoughts

July 21, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a whirlwind summer so far, and the excitement is just beginning.  I am less than a week away from hopping on a plane to Taiwan and heading to my new home.  My departure date is July 27, and though I have what seems to be an immeasurable list of things to do between now and then, I feel quite ready to go.

I guess this is sort of a catch-all email before I find myself with limited internet access and even more limited time during the first few weeks of this transcontinental move.