Andrea Francisco: Experiencing Taiwan Part Three

Andrea Francisco lives in Cincinnati and is a soon-to-be-senior at Indian Hill High School. She will also be interning with me this fall to share her thoughts through my blog. I will have more information about her later, but for now she is sharing her wonderful experience as an exchange student this summer traveling to Taiwan. This is the last in her three-part series about her trip.

Please click here to read part one.
Please click here to read part two.

by Andrea Francisco

As I look back on the past two weeks, I can’t help but laugh and smile, because of all the wonderful memories that were made. Everything about this trip somehow made me feel closer to the world, and for that I can’t thank my host family and all the people I met in Taiwan enough. Also, I feel more mature and like a global citizen who is ready to live the life ahead of me to the very fullest.

Because of this amazing exchange program organized by New Taipei City, I can say that I am much more cultured and have a more positive perspective of the world. I made so many new friends from Cincinnati here in Taiwan that I probably never would have even met back home had I not joined this program. Overall, I believe the most impressive things we did together in Taiwan include going to a huge night market, lighting giant lanterns into the sky, and learning how to spin Chinese Yo-Yos from elementary school kids. In addition, we witnessed countless performances from kids our age and younger, including a dragon show and glee club dance. These kids are breathtaking in their performance and enthusiasm onstage; you just have to go to Taiwan to understand! All in all, I have not only learned a great deal about the Taiwanese culture, but also about myself as a person. This experience is truly unforgettable and definitely the biggest highlight of my summer. I sincerely recommend this program to anyone who is looking for adventure and fun packed into an enlightening experience.