Early in the year, I visited my sister at her new home in St. Mary's Georgia. I suffered a severe sunburn just hours after getting off the plane in Jacksonville, Florida, as we went directly to the beach and against my better judgment, I chose to forego sunblock. Her three son's kept me busy fishing at the pond in her backyard when we weren't driving around looking for photos to shoot, and my sis made sure I ate very, very well. At the end of the trip, I flew with my mom back to Nashville (her first flight and I was so pleased that she loved it), and for my remaining day of vacation, I helped my brother mow her lawn, change her tire, and took him out to dinner at O'Charley's - his first time to dine there. Just being able to share that moment alone with him earns it one of the highlights of my year. Watching him destroy a plate of steak and ribs did my heart good.
In September, I was able to see a dream of mine through to fruition; I went to Taiwan for the second time. Since my last visit in 2006, I had this unquenchable thirst to go back. Sometimes, you visit a place for one reason, but return for another. The rediscovery of a novel script I had begun in 2008, which was set in a small town there only added to that desire to return as I knew I would never finish the story if I didn't immerse myself in the location and culture again. As it turned out, I came to love the town of Danshui even more during my five successive visits there. It has become the ideal place for me to relocate if I ever hit the jackpot (literally). Additionally, I met some new "old" friends for the first time, and spent time getting to know each other better. I also built stronger bonds with old friends that I knew from their time in Oklahoma. Everyone I met treated me like royalty, including a retired English teacher who beckoned to me in Da'an park to come and swap stories with him for a while. When my flight left and was flying along the northern coastline, I watched sadly as the lights of Taiwan and those of the fishing boats slowly faded from my view. There will always be something surreal about the effect Taiwan plays on my heart and mind. If I could describe it, I surely would but it is beyond a description I'm capable of supplying. But then again, that's how I came to journey there the first time.
As for the people who deserve praise for their roles in making my year so splendid, I give kudos to Nong and Sally for their ability to put up with me and still call me "friend." I could write pages about them, but for the sake of brevity - thank you both. For my friends, A Young and Haruka who both visited from their respective countries and stayed at least one night as my guests. They are such lovely young women who despite being extremely intelligent, somehow enjoy my immature humor and continue to seek me out for a good laugh. For Mindy, Bea, Jennifer, Lydia, Sandy, Wei Wei, Yali, and Vivi, you were incredible hostesses to me during my stay in Taiwan. There wasn't a single time (other than the car sickness in the back of the bus near Keelung) that I didn't enjoy and this is in large part due to their tireless efforts to show me the time of my life. I know they wanted to show me the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan and drove themselves crazy trying to find the right places to show me, but the truth was that the beauty in Taiwan was them. For my dear friend, Hyesil who returned to her country at the beginning of the year - you are sorely missed for your chitchats over lunch. There has to be a few males for me to be thankful for and those would be Joseph and Mohammad. True friends reveal themselves by actions and both of them have proven to themselves beyond any doubt. Joseph put me up at his place in Taiwan and proceeded to become like an Asian brother that I never had. Mohammad is equally possessed with the photography/all things Korean bug so we are friends by default. I enjoy the fact that with these guys, I can literally sit down and discuss anything. There are still others that I adore from afar.....so many friends that I chat with online who once lived here, but have returned to their home countries. I am always so pleased to hear from them and it helps to break up the monotony of being physically trapped in one place while my mind dreams of other more exotic paradises.
Finally, I want to thank God because He made all these people and places special for me. He has given me a life that I neither sought out nor deserve, but am so glad that it was in His will for me. I rarely meet anyone that I feel is more blessed than me and that I attribute to God's love.