From Tiffany - May 29

Before I begin, I would like to thank God for blessing all seven of us with this opportunity of a lifetime.
We have struggled so much and sacrificed so much to make it to Taiwan. Today reminds me of a day last year when I didn’t know for sure whether or not I’ll be going to Taiwan. But as Mei-Chi always says, God will always prevail and he did.

I arrived at the airport around 7:30 am. When I arrived I saw my new family for two months. They were all there, Sam, Ben, Mitch, Mitchell, Adam, and Hannah. It made me happy to see how anxious they were to travel to Taiwan. It’s not everyday that we can travel and study abroad. We all looked forward to this day even though we barely knew each other.

During the mandatory advising sessions, we had hours to break the ice but we still stayed in our comfort zone. It was these moments that forced us to join hands in this educational movement. After we went through security, our parents all waved bye because it will be two months before they see us again smiling with many stories to tell about our journey. On the plane we were separated but we regrouped at the airport in Detroit. During this time, we reunited. We actually looked after each other and were considerate of each other. It was amazing how it happened but it happened. On the plane to Japan, we didn’t see each other for 13 hours. How boring! As soon as we arrived in Tapei we saw Mei-Chi and Jose holding a pretty sign that said “Welcome Jackson State and Mississippi State University”.

What a warm welcome. Our greeters were so nice and sweet. They made us feel welcomed. On the ride to the apartment in the rain, we loved the scenic view. Watching all the Chinese characters really put our minds to work because we have to use what we learned in class. After 20 minutes of driving, we arrived at our apartments. We were so happy for this because dorm life can be stressful. After we got settled we went to sleep so we can wake up early to go visit the school.

From Tiffany