IM SO EXHAUSTED but I am trying to be better at this blogging thing so I want to write this before I fall alseep. Lol. Today was my first day in Taiwan, my first day in Kaohsiung, and my first time seeing my old college roommate in 4 years.

My day started nice and early, 630am, since I had to catch the subway to the airport and it’s a loooong ride for me. Incheon Airport is always bustling but lucky for me, I zipped through check-in, security, and immigration.

On the 3 hour flight, which was China Airlines by the way, I killed time looking at the shopping magazines, watching the in-flight programming (they played this Canadian hidden camera prank show that had me cackling but I’m pretty sure I was laughing alone), and they even served us a meal. It was pretty terrible, but at least they fed us.

While I’m in Kaohsiung, I’ll be staying with my old roommate from college. She was an exchange student back then, and now we’ve kind of reversed roles! Except that she slays at English, and my Chinese is nonexistent. She met me at the airport and after we hugged it out, she helped me get a SIM card and we set out into the city. Which was very HOT and HUMID.

We found a salad and smoothie restaurant and it was the perfect pick me up. They serve “green” smoothies and customizeable salads and all of it was delicious.

Then we did a little Daiso run and went to the main train station to buy me a ticket to Taipei for later in the week. We decided to walk around and kill some time before having dinner with her family, and we were recommended by someone at the information booth to go to the shopping area and try some of the famous icecream shops there. It was hot as balls out, plus I was still lugging my bags around, so I was desperate for something cold to eat. We finally found a cotton candy and ice cream shop and it was like a beacon of hope. My friend ordered this fruity DIY drink concoction, while I ordered their signature popscicle wrapped in cotton candy. Both were fun, cute and delicious.

After our dessert, we took the train toward my friends home town. Then I started to panic. She had told me that we were going to ride her motorcycle to from the station to her house, and I tried to be nonchalant about, but when I was finally faced with the task of getting on and grabbing her waist, I was terrified!!! I had never ridden a motorcycle before! But as it turns out, riding on the back of that thing was the most fun I’d had all day!!! I’m definitely looking forward to taking another ride on.

Her family was really kind and served me a vegetarian home-cooked meal made by my friend’s mom and grandma. I’m glad I get to experience Taiwanese food for the first time in such a personal and warm way.

Today was probably uneventful by most people’s standards, but I am completely tuckered out!

I’ll try and post again tomorrow. My friend and I planned some really cool things to do in Kaohsiung!

Hmm…I wonder how much motorcycles cost in Korea…