Talking to Strangers

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There are 31 days left in the year.

That means I have 31 days left with my family and friends here in the States. I have 31 days to eat all the Tex-Mex and BBQ I want (though I should seriously cut back). Best of all, I have 31 more days until I return to Prague.

Well, I won't actually get back to Prague until January 2 because of the time difference.Technicalities, meh.

I'm excited to get back. My parents perceive this as anxious and seem to think I'm ready to get away from them. This is certainly not the case, I just like being on the go. Living abroad feels like being on the go even when you're not. It's the slightly cheaper way to be on the go.


My grandmother actually forbade me from marrying a Czech man. She's convinced that if that happens then I won't come back to America. So according to her Czech men are out, but that leaves all the other lovely European men. ;)


I kid. 


I am excited though. I'm excited that it will likely be snowing but at the very least super crazy cold when I get there. I'm excited to start a full load of classes. I'm excited to move into my new apartment and get settled into a tiny bit of a routine.

I'm really happy that I already have experience with moving to a new city in another country where they speak a language I don't know. I developed a lot of survival skills in Taiwan and those are seriously going to come in handy.

The best part is that I know what not to do. I should certainly have a routine, but I shouldn't get too comfortable. The whole point is to be put out of my comfort zone, constantly have a challenge and to learn (about myself and the new culture I'm surrounded by).

In Taiwan I got pretty comfortable being surrounded by other foreigners all the time and I didn't push myself as much to make Taiwanese friends (though I did make some). Now I know. I've got to put myself out there more.

I don't think that'll be too difficult though. I'm even putting myself out there more here in the States. 

Texas is generally a pretty friendly state. People here smile and say hi to complete strangers. In the grocery store line you'll start talking to the person in front of or behind you about the crazy things on the front page of a tabloid (The Globe says Prince Charles has several gay lovers...) or a sale or your awesome recyclable grocery bags (I got mine in Vietnam).

So basically I've been doing everything my mom told me not to when I was little and talking to strangers.