A week of change

This past week has been a week full of change. On Tuesday, my roommate Joanne decided to return to California due to some personal matters. This sent me for a loop, and I had to decide if I was going to stay in the 3 bedroom apartment by myself for a year or seek other options. Luckily, the other foreign teacher in my school, Monica, offered one of the bedrooms in her 4 bedroom apartment. This apartment is much bigger and only about a 20 minute walk to work. It is located closer to the heart of Taipei City, which fulfills one of my life's goals to live in a city environment.

My co-teacher, Mandy, was able to have her husband pick me and all of my things up on Sunday and by 7 p.m. that night, I was completely moved into my new home. Hopefully I won't have to move again until I leave! I will have my new address up as soon as I can get it translated.

With all of the upheaval, it's been nice to have friends here in Taiwan who I can talk to through Facebook, or meet up with for dinner during the weekends. I also find it amazing that, although I am thousands of miles away, I feel as though I'm sitting right next to my family members when we chat on our webcams. I was able to "call" in to see my nephew Cooper's first birthday party. Technology is such a wonderful thing to help ease the pangs of homesickness and it is so nice to be able to see my family while I'm in another country.

I've been working at school everyday, creating lesson plans, teaching materials, and getting aquainted with my schedule. The students start school on August 31, so only another week to prepare for them! I really cannot wait to begin teaching; I miss seeing kids faces everyday.

I didn't get to do much sight seeing in the past week, but will be going to the National Palace Museum on Friday. More pictures to follow!