Well, we are here...

My luggage was only 40 pounds, THANK GOODNESS; however, that means that I could have brought 10 more pounds of stuff. But thats ok. The flights over were uneventful, it was easy to get from one gate to the next, and everyone ended up in the same place in the end. Tiffany, Lily, Daniel Spencer, and Rob and I flew out of Detroit. The 12 and a half hour flight was less than exciting. I sat about 6 seats over from Rob who was the closest person I knew. The guy sitting next to me did not speak to me one time for 12 1/2 hours. He slept for the majority of the flight. I don't know if you all know this about me but I can't not talk for 12 hours. So I made my way over to Rob and stood in the aisle for about 30 minutes. Needless to say, that flight was insanely boring and I am not looking forward to flying that again in 6 weeks.

Anyways, last night was crazy. As soon as we got through customs, we exchanged American money for Taiwanese money. 1 USD = 32 NTD which basically means that everything here looks way more expensive than in America because they only use 100 and 1000 bills instead of just 1, 5, 10 dollar bills but they use 1, 5, 10 dollar coins. 1000 NTD looks like a lot of money but in reality its only about $20 USD. There is also no tax here. Then we met up with Jeremy and Daniel Cook. A girl named Lydia and another girl named Queenie came to pick us up. Lydia is about 24 and works for NTPU and Queenie is 21 and is a student here. They took us to the 7/11 store here so that we could get a mattress pad for our beds and some toilet paper and things like that. Then we went to our dorms. The 3 girls share a room with 4 bunkbeds and the guys are right next door with the same room. The view from our balcony is amazing.

It looks off on to NTPU's campus. After a quick run down of things here and a trip to get some late night snacks, I fell asleep around 1am.

This morning I woke up around 7:30 am. The guys were up by 5am and had already walked through the campus and the streets before the girls were even awake. We got ready for the day and headed over to the Administration building that we had no idea where to find. Lucky for us, we look like complete aliens here so we stood out when we were wandering around looking like lost puppies. Conveneintly, the lady who is in charge of us walked right by and took us to the cafeteria where we ate an... interesting breakfast.

Later in the morning Queenie took us to buy cell phones and we walked around one of the streets with tons of small shops. We saw lots of temples and food vendors and clothing stores. Everything smells wierd here and the food is very different. After a few hours of walking around we were all ready to come back to the dorm with airconditioning. So happy to have AC. It feels like its about 140 degrees here. It is now 4:35pm here and 3:35am back in Huntsville. For the rest of the afternoon we are planning on being lazy and taking naps. We all are going to study our Chinese for the placement test that we have tomorrow. I'm planning on taking a nap, watching The Bachelorette, and studying for the remainder of the afternoon.

Right now im laying in my bunk and I just want everyone to see the view from where I am. Well, thats all for now. Pray that I can adjust to new smells, new and odd food and drinks, and to the ridiculously hot weather. Tomorrow we are going to Taipei City... more to come in a few days!

The Road Not Taken...

... could be the most perfect title for the adventure in which I am about to embark upon.

Last night I was up very late frantically packing and making lists of everything I needed to get done before my parents came to Starkville today to pick me up. I had forgotten about a few last minute things such as bed sheets for my dorm in Taiwan and pillow cases and stuff.

NOTE TO SELF: Do not wait until the day before you leave town to make sure that your suitcase fits the size requirements of the airline or else you will have a very unhappy momma running all over town looking for another one for you...

But now I am in Birmingham in our hotel waiting for Rob to get in town so Daniel and all our parents can have our last meal in America. So dramatic. I know. Now I am just going to cross my fingers and pray that everything is under the weight limits of the airlines.

I wanted to give my wonderful friend Erin a shout out. I hope that you are finding some excitement in Huntsville!!! :)

In a few short hours I will be on the plane to Detriot then to Taiwan!!

Army Strong??

Many of you probably don't know that I have decided to do ROTC at Mississippi State next year. Well, I am now (finally) officially contracted by the United States Army thanks to my lucky shirt, my parents physically making me run every day, and most importantly my friend Eric who ran with me the whole way, pushing me to the finish. I have been up since 4 am. The weather in Starkville was better than I could have asked for.

Philippians 4:13- I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

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SIDE NOTE: When carbo loading before an event and too late at night, too much carbs is probably worse than none at all... Just take my word for it. --------------------------------------------

Now that my PT Test is out of the way, I can focus on my trip. Slowly but surely I am getting everything ready. My TO DO List is a mile long and seems to grow every day. I have moved back to Starkville for a few days before I head to Birmingham so that I can leave everything for the fall so that it is all ready for me to move in. So, who knew that you have to pick your seats for flights before you go? Uhhh, not me. If you are traveling with someone by airplane, here is a NOTE TO SELF: Make sure your travel buddy tells you where they are sitting so you don't blindly pick a seat and have to sit by a stranger for 18 hours. Anyways, today I have to pack. This is probably the least fun thing I have yet to do. With my unnecessarily excessive amount of clothes, I have no idea how to decide what to bring. Other than that, the last thing I have to do is get my brain in order. I need to get my paperwork together and ready to go. But thats about it! I bought my Chinese Survival Book with phrases like "Where is the bathroom?" and "How do I get to...?" in Chinese. But my friend Daniel, who is also going with me to Taiwan, realized that although we may be able to speak by reading the little book, how will we be able to understand them? I guess we will cross that path when it comes... Hey, I did say it was going to be an adventure, right? Tonight I will see Eclipse, the 3rd movie in the Twilight series. Although I read and disliked all of the books, I still must see the movies, even though they are terrible. But I'm totally Team Jacob. COUNT DOWN: 3 Days.

SIDE NOTE

Just in case you were wondering... I have 10 days until I leave this country to have an adventure unlike anything I have experienced before. As the anticipation and excitement heightens, so do my nerves....

I would also like for everyone to checkout my dear friend Cary's blog. He is also in South Carolina with Suzanne and Laura learning to love and serve God better. I have been keeping up with his experiences, and reading about them is very inspiring.

T minus 11 days AND counting...

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So I have 1 week until I leave for Starkville and then another 4 days until my flight takes off for Taiwan!! Until then, I am spending my days shopping, babysitting, lounging at the pool, and oh and did I mention shopping? I am also currently addicted to The Bachelorette and a new murder mystery show called Pretty Little Liars that I will have to find a way to watch while I am away!

Now that I am in my last week of being home until sometime in the fall semester, I am freaking out about getting everything ready. I feel like I have SO much to do and so little time. Not only do I have to get everything ready for my study abroad, I also have to have everything prepared for move in the day I return to the States since classes start August 18 and my flight returns on August 15! Before I go, I need new tires on my car and the brakes and oil checked. I need to buy plates, silverware, glasses, shower curtains, storage containers, floor mats, toothbrush holders, and everything that I will need to go into my apartment! It will be a crazy few days with getting settled into my apartment while dealing with jet lag. Oh and lets not forget about packing. What clothes am I supposed to bring to Taiwan? It will be hot and humid the whole time over there and it will rain a lot. BUT the people in Taiwan wear long sleeve shirts and pants during the summer so their skin won't get darker. My suitcase? Yeah, its big. And I have no doubts that it will be packed to capacity or my 50 pound weight limit which unfortunately I think will come first. I guess I will pack a few things (or way to many things in this case) and hope for the best.

A few things to pray for me this week are for my mom so that she can get enough information that she wants so that she feels more comfortable with me going, and for me that I can get everything together so that this last week and a half are not stressful. Also, I have to take a PT test for ROTC next Thursday morning in Starkville. This is a very important PT test that I NEED to do very well on and this is really my last chance to take it. Pray that I would be able to run with the ease and swiftness of a marathon runner. Lord knows I need it!

One last thing, I talked to my best friend Suzanne today for the first time in about a month. I haven't seen Suz since the end of May and I miss her dearly. She is the one trying to hit me in the picture above. Suzanne's got some sass that will knock your socks off. We have a very "special" and unique relationship, and without her, I would have a very large hole in my heart. Pray for Suz; she's working now at Wal-Mart instead of Wendy's in Myrtle Beach with Campus Outreach.

Last but not least is my other BFF Laura. One of the most genuine people that I know. She always looks for the good in people and is one of the best listeners that I know. This is the Laura face that Suz and I both know and love and have seen more than most. You may not be able to tell by this picture but she loves us back haha Pray for Laura too. She is also working at Wal-Mart, learning about how its all about serving.

Psalm 46:5

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

ready.... set... HIKEEEEEE

SO... I know this blog is supposed to be all about my trip to Taiwan BUT I just have such an exciting life that I must tell everyone (or the person who happens to stumble along my blog at some point in time) all about it!

Today, I attended the Mississippi State Womans football clinic with amazing and beautiful Mrs. Rhonda and a new, sweet friend Sherry. It was the most fun I have had in a very long time. Let me first start by saying that my love for Mississippi State University has only grown stronger since the first time I set foot on campus and. I can't imagine being any place else for the next 4 years (I am in a 5 year major). What is the saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder"? If its not, we are just going to pretend like it is. This is the place that I have come to love and call my home after only one year of living here. I have been away from my new home for about 4 weeks. SIDE NOTE- Leaving college for the summer for the first time was a very hard thing to do. I had to leave my new favorite place in the world and I had to leave all of my new friends and come back to real life where there are small, annoying children, yard work to be done, and an excessive amount of "Yes, I go to Mississippi State and I am majoring in International Business and Chinese" must be said. So these have not only been a long four weeks, but an exceptionally long four weeks full of reality checks so that I might return to the real world at some point and become useful instead of my lackadaisical self. And lackadaisical is a word just for the record, meaning "1) without interest, vigor, or determination; lethargic; 2)lazy" which would describe my behavior thus far. Oh, and it is "Absense makes the heart grow fonder." This statement is true. I absolutely could not be more proud to be a Bulldog.

Well, anyways, this camp was full of women alum, both young and old, that was led by Head Coach Dan Mullen (that I added a picture of with the very attractive Tim Tebow after he won his Heisman just for kicks) and the rest of his coaching staff who are so full of energy , a love for the game and the school, and drive to win. We listened to the Defensive Coach and the Offensive Coach who demonstrated what the players on the field do and how they get all the players to know their plays since they are a No Huddle Offense. We learned how to properly throw and catch the ball, tackle, sack a quarterback (and I have grass burns to prove it!), dive into the end zone with the winning touchdown, and we participated in drills that the MSU football players have to execute every day. We listened to the coaches wives speak about their lives and about how they take care of the football players celebrate birthdays with them and become their second mommas while they are away from home. In addition to getting the inside scoop on plays and practice drills, we got to see the locker rooms, study rooms, weight rooms, and Game Day Locker Room. Not only did we get to do all that, we got to run onto the field through the smoke with Dan Mullen while the big jumbo-tron was on and they were playing loud music just as the players do before each game!! What an exciting day! I am already looking forward to next year's camp! And now I'm looking forward to the next football season so much that I can't even stand it!!

On a different note, I possibly have strep. Isn't that lovely. On an even better note, I'm going to the Zac Brown Concert on Friday with my good friend Erin, though, which makes for a very wonderful weekend, plus I am going to get to see my bff Cameron who is having a birthday on Monday and I won't be able to be there. I am just going to have to make it up to her!

I will leave you all with this verse- Psalm 46:5 "God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."

Also, one last thought. Still missing the besties who are working at Wendy's and Wal-Mart in good 'ole Myrtle Beach, South Carolina working for the Lord. You go Suz and Laura! Love y'all!!! :) Laura, I hope you're working with some sweet old man who needs a sweet granddaughter figure in his life for the next few months because you are one of the most compassionate people I know (which is hard for others to believe considering your mad face that we see ever too often haha).

And Suz, can you say, "Is this for here or to go"? All I'm gonna say is.... "On da mic is a queen so listen to me sing she wanna three supa size onion rangss..." haha

"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus...."

I had no idea what God would have in store for me when I changed my major to International Business and Chinese at the spur of the moment during orientation! Little did I know that the very next summer I would be traveling to Taipei, Taiwan to study abroad for 6 weeks!

For those of you who do not know where Taiwan is located, I have a map for you right here. Taiwan is the island looking thing to the right of China. I have circled the capital of Taiwan, which is Taipei, where I will be staying for the majority of my stay.

There has been a long time of preparation; several things have had to be completed before being allowed to embark on this adventure such as filling out a lot of paperwork, being admitted to National Taipei University (the school we will be attending), applying and waiting for approval for a Taiwanese Visa, booking plane tickets for the TWENTY FOUR HOUR travel, and the list goes on! After all of that, I received my itinerary today, and I could not be more excited!!! My schedule includes taking Chinese language and culture classes, Business classes, and various classes that teach traditional pot making, and many others! I will also be able to visit with a Taiwanese family for an entire day to learn more about traditions in the home, and I will also be able to ask them questions about the culture. In addtion to classes, we were given the opportunity to have a 5 day trip around Taiwan as well as several days of free time to explore Taipei. What an amazing experience this will be!

My flight takes off on July 4th, and I will be flying all the way there with my friend Rob and will meet up with the 5 others coming from Mississippi State at the airport in Taiwan. I will be there from July 5th through August 15th. Until then, I will be babysitting, attempting to remember all the Chinese I have learned, and trying to figure out all this blog stuff. I will keep you all updated and hopefully I will be able to update this several times a week!

Please pray for my safety traveling and living in an unfamiliar country as well as the safety of my friends who are going with me. Also, please pray that God will give me the strength to try new and exciting things and to be a light to my future Taiwanese friends (hopefully I will make some!) while I am there.

Thank you!!

Steph