Getting Back into the Swing of Things

I'm Sorry that it has been way to long since I've posted anything worthwhile. I hope you enjoy this super long post. I mean there nothing better than listening to music and finally writing down some thought from my amazing trip from Taiwan. Hope you enjoy and I'm sure I'll be writing more and more. Thanks again.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything down. The past couple weeks have been pretty busy as I have been spending more time with friends and exploring a little more of Taiwan. It’s weird on how I have spent more time with other things, while I haven’t really traveled much in Taiwan. I guess what they say is true, one semester isn’t really long enough for one to take it all in. There is just way too much to do in such a short length of time.

It feels like almost yesterday that I flew into Taiwan not knowing what I had got myself into. I remember the feeling of, “What have I gotten myself into and holy shit, did I make the right choice.” But as I begin to pack to travel back home, I realize that there wasn’t a better way to spend the past 4-5 months.

As always, I try to take things in and try to figure out the lesson in all of my travels/adventures. I’ve come to find out, it’s always a battle of balancing all the different things in life. Whether that balance is studying Chinese or spending time with friends, going out to see Taiwan’s night-life or waking up early to go travel, and trying to stay my healthy self or saying F-it and just eat whatever I want.

It has been tough to understand how all the different cultures work and how some things are similar while others are total opposites. If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that I know absolutely nothing about this world. It’s been the best being able to learning all the different cultures and different ways of living as I’ve spent the past months living in the TKU international house.

I’ve always thought of myself being open and patient, but I was very wrong about that. I think the one major lesson I’ve learned from this study abroad program was to develop patience for everyone. It was a very hard lesson to learn as I’m used to my American self as we have very little patience with people that aren’t thinking before doing things. (Again a balancing act was in place here, do I just not care and go with it or should I be like, here this is an easier way… now this small sentence doesn’t apply to every situation that occurred but it gives a small incite.)

I’ve come to miss a lot of things from back home, but I’ve also come to love a whole new world of living. It’s been great to almost drop everything I used to do in America while picking up a brand new set of hobbies and way of living in Taiwan. This has helped me with figuring out what to spend time on in the near future when I will be working most of everyday and having to balance the small hours that I will be given as free time.

No matter how hard I try (not that I want to) I cannot stop playing basketball or the wanting to play guitar. But I’ve picked up a couple new hobbies while being here, learning Chinese and the want to keep learning new things. Exploring different options out there and just really experiencing things that I didn’t know what was out there. Going to Taiwan, it was like I was a kid in a candy shop. There were so many new and cool things that kept me entertain for a long time. That has inspired me to go get active within whatever community or city I plan on moving to when I find a spectacular job.

When I look back to the reasons I went to Taiwan, they really weren’t anything spectacular and very kind of selfish reasons. Selfish in a way that I wanted to grow personally, and ditch everything I had at that moment (job, friends, a very bright looking path, etc…) to see what was out in the world. I’ve talked about it before, but one of my goals in life was to travel the world. This comes from the fear of coming back to my hometown. I love my 父母 (fu4mu3- Parents) and my friends, but at the same time I view my self as a failure if I came back and started the first part of my post-graduate life there. I know it seems silly, but I’ve had that fear for a long time as I’ve seen people that graduate from high school and always come back. Year after Year, same friends, same personality, and I never wanted that. I will always keep my closest friends and that’s important to me, but the feeling of never taking a chance… I know I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. And sure, there is that chance that I may take that chance, it not working out, and I’d be forced to come back home. Well for those that think like that, I have two things for you to ponder. 

1. At least the chance was taken. The best thing that comes from that is that you learn something new about yourself. That chance may have taken up 1 year of your time and $10,000 but in my eyes its worth that expense to come to the realizations and personal growth. 
2. That’s not how you should ever think/feel. When taking a chance, a risk on something that you may have doubts that it is the right field, or you feel like it is right and everyone says no, the most important thing is to not think in a negative light. You should be like, “I’m going to go here, find this and that, do those things, and it’s going to be great.” 

Sure there is a  lot of fear involved but thinking that the chance, “could not” work out is silly. It’s like taking a chance, but believing it may not work out. It’s one of those oxymoron type deals…  

That's about it for today and I'll most likely be writing more often so it'll finally be worthwhile to check this regularly. 

Cheerio,

Alastar Swift

PS: I Miss All My Friends. Here's to all of you and hopefully I'll see you all very soon.