I planned to write about writing today, but my heart just wasn't in it. I lost one a great post last Saturday, folks. It's going to be a hard one to repeat!
When I was in my twenties — young and unafraid — I moved to Asia for three years. I taught English in a tiny town on the north coast of Taiwan from 2009-2012 before moving to Hong Kong to teach 4th-6th grade at a private school in Clear Water Bay. It was a wild ride in both locations (more on that another time), and when I returned home to California in 2012, I was not the same.
The world was more colorful now.
In 2014, life took me from Sacramento to the Bay Area, and, in 2017, I moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee. My work in Asia had shown me that I loved teaching, and, to do that at home, I needed a master's degree. I defended my thesis during the pandemic in 2020, and since then I've been cultivating love and friendships and my career here in Tennessee.
But something was missing. After so many years at "home," I was ready to travel again. And so, since I'm not teaching this semester, I have decided to take a trip. In November, I am going to Romania to meet an old blogging friend (more on that later) and volunteer for a non-profit organization called Firm Foundations Romania. Firm Foundations Romania provides care and educational opportunities to underprivileged children in Brasov, a mountain town just a few hours north of the capital city of Bucharest. I'm not entirely sure what I'll be doing while there — most likely teaching and holding babies in a Romanian hospital — but I will let you know when I find out.
After Thanksgiving, I plan to visit Turkey for a few days. I've wanted to see Istanbul since some friends told me about it in Hong Kong years ago. After all, the more you see, the more there is to see.
And also,
Life is a daring adventure or nothing. — Helen Keller
Stay tuned!