I'm getting emotional just from writing these very words. I don't remember the last time I had this much fun. We shared laughs every day from the early morning to midnight. I don't really know how to put my thoughts into words because words can't really convey the feelings inside of me right now, but I'll try my best to translate them.
Our team of teachers was a ragtag bunch, with the majority of us being female and only two of us male. Most of us had no experience teaching elementary school children, but we tried our best. In the end, that's what matters right?
I remember our first meeting together after we learned that we would be a team going to Suang-Wen Elementary School distinctly. It was actually kind of late at night, and I was playing cards with some other colleagues. I remember us sitting in the shamble of a living room that we had in our desolate living quarters. We introduced ourselves, and back then we only knew our names and our major strengths in which we could employ for our teaching. Comparing ourselves from now to back then, we were so much closer to each other, almost like family.
To my students in Suang-Wen, I really will miss you all. I look upon our time together fondly, whether it'd be teaching our morning dance or sharing jokes with each other. It's a shame that I won't be able to teach you ever again even if I do come back next year. Please, remember our promise—a lesson that you can glean from me if you didn't learn anything new: always listen to your elders, and treat them with respect. If you do so, the elder will always treat you back with the same level of respect. One last thing: I consider you all my own little children, as I see in every single one of you a little bit of me.
To those whom I met in Taichung, that one night we spent together having fun was a wonderful experience. We had only just barely met an hour ago, and yet we were having fun like we knew each other for years. For that I am grateful, for I did not know how I would fit into your already tight group. I had loads of fun, and it was a great experience of college life. During our motorcycle ride around town, I looked around at you all, and also at my surroundings, taking in the view and lights around me, enshrining it inside my mind.
As I return to my usual and repetitive life back the U.S., I look upon all the souvenirs I received, from the letters to the pictures. It was a drastic change from the normal life, as I came out from the shell of being inside the U.S. to being with you all. This experience was unforgettable, and I hope I was able to play a big part in your experience as well. I love you all from the bottom of my heart, and I don't regret a single moment of our eventful journey together. I hope you all will remember these words that can't convey my thoughts and emotions boiling inside of me very well. I hope we can all meet again, whether it'd be in the U.S. in three years, like we promised, or when I come back next year. Thank you once again for this invaluable experience and memories.
