Spring semester in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

This past spring, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Taiwan with Middlebury. . Much like most of the other kids in the program, I had never heard of Kaohsiung before, and so I wasn't sure what to expect from the city. I was met with a fully prepared educational curriculum and support system crafted and maintained by our wonderful teachers. I quickly adapted to a life spent going to the beach after morning classes, eating dinner at new places with classmates at night, and even drank 108 手搖飲 bubble teas (over the course of the entire program, of course). Aside from thoroughly enjoying the city, I was also fully satisfied with the academic portion of the program. The one-on-one tutorial class allowed me to fully delve into a topic of my choice, and the chance to do a internship with a news channel taught me more about Taiwanese culture and Kaohsiung's inner workings than I ever could've learned on my own. I felt my Mandarin skills improve in real time while I learned how to converse with locals. I made friends in the most unexpected places, even having long lovely conversations with small shop owners who let me feel warmth and friendliness of Taiwan. Overall, my time studying in Taiwan has been one of the most rewarding times of my life, giving me irreplaceable friendships and experiences that I will cherish for years to come. It truly does not take much to fall in love with this city.