Day One Hundred Thirty-Two.

My last Thursday.

These last few days have been a little uneventful. I don't know what to do now that I only have a few days left. I spent the day sleeping and watching TV--it is too hot outside to do anything! Still, I'd rather sweat here than cry back in the States.

Day One Hundred Thirty-One.

My last Wednesday.

I played ninja with the men's dorm leader today; he may have won the round, but I ultimately won the game.

Day One Hundred Thirty.

My last Tuesday.

Goodbye girls. Thank you for all of the shopping and the goodbye birthday cards and gifts. I will never forget you.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine.

My best friend at home broke his ankle. I wish it didn't take something this extreme to make me want to go back to the states, just for a little while.

Today I learned a very valuable lesson about patience and decision making. While I may not yet be completely comfortable putting it into practice, I will try my best. All we can do is give our best.

More shocking news to make the agenda tonight: Liferan is getting married! Best wishes to my friend and his soon to be bride.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Eight.

This is probably my last night with internet as well as my last night with a roommate. On the plus side, I feel like I have a stress fracture in my left foot and each day I have to climb the stairs to come home or leave, it feels fantastic. Oh wait, that's not a plus side. Somehow, I feel I would rather feel the physical pain than step on the airplane next week. Unfortunately, I have to do both.

I applied for a new job last night. Cross your digits.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Seven.

It looks like I have the privilege of living in my dorm room alone for a week...with no internet.

Sounds like a party.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Six.

My roommates packed up almost everything in the room today. The desks look so barren and the beds are empty; things are packed into large bags, ready to leave. I am somewhat doing the same, preparing my things to move downstairs for my remaining days. I have a good start now, just clothes and electronics outside the bags, save for my day to day toiletries which I can carry downstairs separately.

I'm not ready for this...

Day One Hundred Twenty-Five.

I've been busy preparing to move to the new room. I guess it shouldn't be that difficult since I never really unpacked, but I have to figure out what I'm keeping and what to give away or throw away, etc...

I don't want to go home.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Four.

I can't describe the feeling that rockets through my body when I'm standing somewhere far above a city and looking down upon its twinkling lights. No sounds but the sweet chirping of crickets accompanies my thoughts high on this rooftop overlooking the city that has taught me so much. Taipei, the city that has given me everything I've ever wanted and so much more.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Three.

I feel at peace with myself and with the world.

Only twelve days remain.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Two.

Today was a day of wasted time, cleaning out memories and letting go of all that once haunted my waking existence.

Day One Hundred Twenty-One.

Today I dipped my feet into a stream and found it to be almost boiling hot. To put things a little more into perspective, the temperature outside was in the mid-nineties and I was looking for a refreshing dip in the cool waters to make the heat a little more bearable. Thus you can imagine my surprise. The sensation is quite similar to picking up a nice transparent beverage that you expect to be water and drink up, to find that it's really Sprite. First reaction: Repulsion. Followed then on by realization, adaptation, and then, hopefully, pleasure. I was no exception to this chain of thought.

I'm home from travelling many days sooner than what I would like to be, but unfortunately, life cannot be one long series of consecutive weekends without the in-between. Thirteen days remain.

Families enjoying the hot spring stream.

Day One Hundred Twenty.

[Neihu/Xihu]

Day One Hundred Nineteen.

I am leaving for my law final soon. It is the last thing I have to do for school here at Ming Chuan University. Regardless of how I could spend these last few moments reflecting on my time here, my mind is instead thinking ahead to where I will be this evening.

Destination: Unknown.

Day One Hundred Eighteen.

I've spend the last two hours peering over my law professor's class notes, attempting to study. No matter how interesting I find this information, 72 pages is a little much right now when my mind is exploring the possibilities of tomorrow after the exam.

I'm almost finished.

Day One Hundred Seventeen.

Seventeen days remain.

I feel strange as I see the people I've known for so long beginning to pack up and return to their homes. Somehow I feel like I'm staying...I guess in a way I am. It's all about perspective.

Day One Hundred Sixteen.

Dukkha muccantu.

May all be free from suffering.

Day One Hundred Fifteen.

Be like water.

Day One Hundred Fourteen.

I played host for a beach trip today--the first years are here from WVU. It was the first time I was surrounded by only Americans since I left the states and I couldn't handle it. Things are too different now. I feel sick at the thought of immersion into that culture, surrounded, inevitably, by those same people. I'm afraid.

Day One Hundred Thirteen.

I have drawn for so many hours, my hand has begun to shake

and holding my Sharpie steady is nigh impossible. The result is worth it.

Day One Hundred Twelve.

I just woke up today, and I feel very strange. A combination of the knowledge I am going home soon, my dreams last night, and the person who usually comforts me not physically being here has left me with this 很奇怪的感覺. It's a very odd feeling to simultaneously want to stay in a place, and return home; if I think it through, I can name every single thing from each location that I miss now and will miss when I am gone. Unfortunately, combining the two is impossible. My life is set on a very particular path, crazy and winding. If someone had described this path and this self to me as a sort of "lingering after effect" per say of this trip, I would have laughed in their face. I think, because of these changes and this path however, I am ready to go home. I have achieved more here than I ever expected, reaching above and beyond the goals I set for myself prior to departure. With the way things are going recently, who knows what else I will accomplish in the 22 days that remain. I have started looking back at the days already expired and counting down to Day One. The corresponding day for today (22) is quite uneventful, however I remember exactly what I was feeling on this day and why I wrote it. Quite frankly, looking back on it all, I was so childish to consider what happened to cause this "worst day ever" a tragedy. As proof, I don't even talk to any of those people regularly anymore and I was letting them control my moods and my thoughts on the day. I wouldn't change it though...even if I had the chance to tell myself not to waste my time, I'd just sit back and watch myself blunder through the dark and laugh every time I stubbed my toe.

You run the gauntlet and come out beaten, bloody, and stronger on the other side.

Today is my last class ever here, a makeup from last week's Law class. All that is left is for me to take the finals for Law and Marketing and I will be finished.

Day One Hundred Eleven.

C&C - The Girl.

Day One Hundred Ten.

Law Thesis = Finished.

Day One Hundred Nine.

My days and nights are spent slaving over this Law Thesis. It looks like there's a light at the end of this sewer tunnel however: it will most likely be over tomorrow. Then all I have left is class on Friday AND Saturday, before going to the beach in DanShui on Sunday with the WVU summer exchange first year students. Marketing Final approaching on the 8th....and I have no idea when our Law final is. Everything truly is coming to a close. Today was the last day of my Chinese class and Liferan leaves tomorrow afternoon for home.

All I can think about is how I don't want this to end, but simultaneously I want it to so I can finish what I need to do and return here. Such a bittersweet ending...