Of fire chickens, dirt squash, and south melons…

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I know it’s only Wednesday night for most of you, but it’s already Thanksgiving day for me here in Taiwan, so bear with me. In the back of my mind, I know that had I chosen to start law school this fall, I would have been at home baking with my seesters, helping my mom prepare Thanksgiving dinner, hanging out with the Posse, watching football with my dad, decorating the house with my brother, and celebrating in the truest of Wisconsin/Taiwanese fashion…but that’s not the case. The best part is, I thought I would be miserable and homesick like last year, but I am filled with a sense of peace about staying here, thankfulness and, most of all, hope for the holidays and the year ahead. While I am thankful for the cliche family, friends, and health…below is my own list of things I am thankful for:

1) Yonghe Soymilk: Thank you, Yonghe Soymilk for teaching this stubbornly dairy-loving Midwesterner to appreciate the unique flavor of soymilk. I’m also thankful for you for giving me an excuse to eschew oatmeal and fruit for carbopoloozas of shao bing and onion pancakes for breakfast.

2) My friendly neighbors: From the elderly folks who practice tai chi by the lake to the man who does marathon training while listening to opera arias (fyi you are a BADASS), I have the most interesting neighbors and people watching is always fun

3) The current weather in Taiwan: While my co-workers have already started complaining of the cold in Hsinchu, the weather in Taiwan right now is my exact idea of heaven. Mid-60s, breezy, and blue skies…throw in some changing leaves and I would be a happy camper, but you can’t have everything.

4) The slew of new stores opening in Taipei: From Zara to Uniqlo, a plethora of new stores are descending upon Taipei, making this wannabe fashionista very happy (but her wallet very sad)

5) Friends and family coming to Taiwan: With my mom and three of my favorite ladies in Taiwan right now, three good friends coming in December, and one possibly coming in January, I am immensely thankful for these little glimpses of home.

6) Pumpkin and sweet potato everything: Pumpkin spice lattes aside, Taiwan has thrown down when it comes to pumpkin and sweet potato products. As these are two of my absolute favorite fall vegetables, I’ve had no problem with sampling everything I can get my hands on (sweet potato bread? YES!!!!)

Lastly, but most importantly, I am thankful that I believed in myself enough to go off the beaten path and challenge myself to stay here for another year. If I hadn’t stayed, I wouldn’t have learned how to run for miles without stopping (coming from the girl who used to HATE exercise, this is huge) and grow to love that “runner’s high” that comes at the end of every run. I wouldn’t have traveled to Hong Kong and Macau with 18 people had the experience of a lifetime. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take on sales cases by myself or translate whole articles from Chinese to English. I wouldn’t have started ballet again. I wouldn’t have started catching myself thinking in Chinese and having to translate it in to English (I take this as a good thing). I wouldn’t have been able to take my mother and three of the most important women in my life around Taipei and shown them my adopted homeland with pride. Most importantly, I wouldn’t have grown in ways that I never thought I could have during my time here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, big hugs to my fellow ex-pats who may be a little homesick (totally okay!), kisses to my friends and family at home, and best wishes for a happy and joyful holiday season

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