This is why I blog...even if it is for myself!

When I was little, I played soccer pretty much all the time. I loved it! Every fall weekend I have memories of my family and I driving in the family van and staying at hotels for tournaments out of state. I loved playing on my team growing up, because we were good! I trusted my teammates, and quickly learned how much we needed each other if we wanted to keep winning! That was something I was taught from a very early age. But I also learned to appreciate smaller things. I may never have showed it, but there are memories from soccer that I still think about - ones that may not have seemed very important to me at the time.

ONE of the things I remember very vividly about growing up and traveling every weekend for soccer, were the patches I collected from each team we played. For some reason I may never be able to explain, they were really special to me. After every game at tournaments, teams would line up with patches and when we shook hands, we would trade them. I could look at the patches and know exactly who we beat, and by how much. We used to meet up with other players and "trade" the patches, too. I guess this is what kids did during tournament breaks before having cell phones to text their friends or update their status on Facebook.

I loved trading patches, but there were two types I would never trade: 1) Teams that we almost lost to or 2) Teams that we did lose to. Those were the patches that reminded me of why I worked so hard. I collected patches from the age of 10 probably until 14 when it didn't become cool anymore. I had a jacket and my mom sewed them all over it and I used to wear it around with my Umbro shorts and sambas. Hey...it was the 90's.

So, why am I telling this story?

I've been thinking. I haven't written in a couple of days, and truth be told I think it is because right now, I feel just a little lost. Ok, maybe a lot. I guess I have been avoiding writing because I didn't want to admit it to myself -- or to anyone who is reading my blog. No one wants to move to another country and feel at any point like they are lost; but unfortunately I have learned, when you move alone...and know no one...and don't speak the language...that is how you are going to feel. I have been thinking a lot about challenges the past few days...working towards something, and somewhere I was lucky enough to fall back to the story of the patches. It was then I realized this:

It is difficult not being surrounded by people who know you, and understand the work you are putting into something. If we don't hear someone say something supportive or feel someone patting our back every now and then...we feel a little lost. I loved those patches when I was a kid because it was something that showed my passion to everyone, especially myself. It made me realize my journey, instead of focusing on one game or one tournament. I used to look at individual patches and remember either great things I did or things I got yelled at by my coach for doing. It reminded me of the process. So I thought, 'Isn't that why I am here?'

Today, I realized that although I may not have soccer patches to remind me of my journey, I still am on one! This is 2011, and I am blogging, tweeting, and posting pictures...THOSE are my patches! In 1992 my patches showed a journey of scoring goals and winning state championships, but now I am taking on the world!

I have celebrated my first Moon Festival with some of my new Taiwanese friends; I am teaching children who have never met an American before; I am stepping out of my comfort zone at least 5 times a day; I am eating chicken hearts, and cow ears, and ducks blood...all because I know I only live once, and the only way to live is to experience. Who would have thought that getting the right garbage bag would include 7 trips to the store, 5 attempts of "garbage bag" in Chinese, 1 failure that forced the garbage man to yell at me in Chinese -- which of course put me in tears, and 1 unforgettable moment when that same man that yelled, smiled at me because I finally figured it out -- all on my own! Forget a patch...that is trophy worthy!

There are things I have yet to figure out, like How will I get the majority of my students to talk in class? Where will I find sheets that are comfortable? How long IS it going to take my clothes to dry? What kind of iced tea do I like (they are all in Chinese!)

So, I am proud to show off some of my "patches", and to say that I have promised myself to continue blogging, even if it is a tough day!

Some great experiences:

1) Falling in front of 55 students in my first class on my first day.
2) Pulling the fire alarm on my second day. (I thought I was flushing the toilet)
3) Eating what I thought was ToFu only to have my colleague tell me it was ducks blood.
4) Walking past Stinky ToFu thinking..."never will I eat that." but knowing I probably will.
5) Making new friends that don't speak a lot of English, but working through it to share our languages with each other.
6) Explaining the word envy to my advanced class, and asking the students to use it. The response: "Miss Miller I envy you because you are a beautiful person." (how sweet)
7) Eating an amazing dumpling everywhere I turn.
8) Sitting in the movie theatre for 10 minutes only to be told that I am in the wrong seat AND the wrong movie. (yes, they have assigned seats here...FYI)
9) Sitting on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ShiDa nightmarket while eating dinner, enjoying wine, and reading a book.
10) Going for a morning run along the river to kick my day off.
11) Attending English Meditation Class with other people who speak English.
12) Enjoying Vietnamese Pho with a new friend from San Diego who is also teaching in Taiwan.

oh and many many more to come. I haven't even been here for three weeks! Stay tuned!!!

Some photo memories:My school and students, which are both amazing! :)



One of the drawings my students made for the word cruel during Pictionary. I love it!!!



I met him on the way to the market!

Celebrating Moon Festival at a BBQ with my new friends...and trying chicken heart for the first time!

Dumplings, duck, beef noodle soup...and the Dragon Lady (Dragon Fruit Cocktail).