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Taiwan is all I remembered it to be, except hotter and more humid. Walking off the plane, the air turns liquid and smacks you right in the face. The streets are always the same - filled with night market food (oh the fried goodness), bustling people and stalls full of clothes (sooo many cute clothes!). There's the familiar sounds of the MRT, the bubble tea cravings and KTV craze. Things like that will never change.
But with that being said, my OCAC experience this time around is already much different.  Everyone is more spaced out, no longer forced to be compacted together like 3 years ago, because of the freedom to go out and scatter (although the whole ko fen deal still applies..). But with this freedom comes good times - late night conversations, wandering far, far away and adventures to be taken. The awkwardness of the first days are slowing wearing away, and as friendships strengthen and comfort levels grow, people are slowly seeping into my heart. It grows warmer everyday, replacing the insecurities of self-consciousness and the fear of being alone.
There's always that tension of enjoying what's here and holding on what's going on across the ocean. Home is a thought that waxes and wanes. It's always a part of me, and I know I'll always be missing something.
People here are in the mindset that we must always be doing something, and sometimes that tires me out. Alone and quiet is rarely an option. But with that being said, things here are good. I already know that the nickname "OCAC Crybaby" will follow me at the end of these 6 weeks.