5 Days

We are, at this moment, 5 days away from our departure from Taiwan. The whole ordeal has been a little overhwelming. Besides the packing, taping, and sending of all the boxes, we've had the tremendous pleasure of seeing old friends for little "goodbye" events--dinners, evenings out... A big THANK YOU is in order for everyone who has made this past month so meaningful. Hell, we almost decided to stay...

Time ticks pretty loudly right now, and on Friday, May 30, we will spend our last day here for the foreseeable future. I've thought about that day a lot--what will the weather be like (rain?) What will we do on that last day? (If we're still packing, we're in big trouble!) And what will I think as I sit looking out on a rush hour Taipei that will teem and roar and honk long after we're safe on a back porch in Michigan for the summer?

August 27, 1993, (when I first set foot here,) is a day full of memories that still feel very real today--as real as the humidity, sweat, and exhaust fumes that still feel like Taipei summer to me. May 30, 2008, will certainly present many images and feelings that burn themselves into my memory.

Stay tuned for greetings from the other side of the Pacific!