Ticket to Taiwan + FAQ

Back in December, I signed a contract to go teach in Taiwan for the 2016-2017 school year.  I have known that I will be getting on a plane and leaving sometime at the end of June for several months. The idea of leaving has felt a little abstract and far away though. It was something that would just happen at some point. Earlier this week I received an e-mail of my itinerary and my ticket to Taiwan. Whoop there it is, leaving just got very real y'all! The countdown has officially begun and it is crazy to think how soon it actually is (81 days as of today). Mostly I am excited (Travel! New People! Teaching in a new place!). I am a little nervous though, as would probably be expected (Language Barrier! Being far away from family/friends!) The excitement far outweighs any anxiety that I am having. As I have been slowly telling people that they will not see me for a year, I get asked similar sorts of questions. I have compiled a list of frequently asked questions for your consideration. 

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:
Wow! Taiwan, that seems kind of random. How did all of this come about?
I have always enjoyed traveling and learning about new places. During college, I had the experience to do part of my student teaching in Windhoek, Namibia (read about my experiences here: http://enternamibia.blogspot.com/2012/01/lets-start-at-very-beginning-very-good.html). I loved it. Teaching and exploring a different country and culture was one of the happiest times of my life. I knew that I wanted to teach abroad again. I had a roommate who had attended the University of Northern Iowa's Overseas Recruiting Fair. It is a huge fair with schools from around the world looking to hire American teachers. I signed up to attend the fair and heard from many schools looking for teachers. I interviewed with Taiwan and accepted the position before the fair even happened. 

So, why Taiwan?
I was very impressed with the school and staff at the school in Taiwan. They seemed very organized and committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for the teachers. I also have a couple friends scattered around Asia right now to potentially visit.

When do you leave?
Shesh, I just told you I am leaving and already you are trying to get rid of me? I leave on June 21, 2016. 

How long will you be gone?
My contract is for one year. I could potentially renew and stay longer if I wanted to. 

Where in Taiwan will you be?
I will be in Taichung, which is about two hours south of Taipei. It has a population of about 2.7 million people. 

What will you be teaching?
I will be teaching English to Taiwanese students. The students go to a Mandarin school in the morning to learn the different subjects. They come to my school in the afternoon to specifically learn English. I will be teaching 2nd and 5th grade. 

What have you been doing to get ready?
I am very lucky in that the school is very organized and has been taking care of many of the details. They are taking care of my plane ticket and my Visa. I have not done a whole lot to prepare. I did take a community education class on Mandarin to try to learn some basic phrases (see question below). I hope to continue to learn as much Mandarin as I can before I leave. The only other thing I have been doing to get ready is trying to downsize and get rid of a lot of my stuff.  

What language do they speak in Taiwan?
Mandarin is the official national language of Taiwan. The majority of the population also speaks Taiwanese. 

Are you excited?
Yes and nervous/anxious/all the other feels. 

What's up with the gnome? Why is the blog called "Wandering Gnomad?"
The picture is of a gnome that I have in my apartment that I painted at Color Me Mine. Sarah and David, the people I went with, teased me for picking out a gnome of all things to paint. I choose it because I liked the fact that it had a suitcase and was ready to travel (hence the gnome in gnomad). I tend to move a lot. To figure out how long ago events happened, I count back places of where I have lived (hence the wandering/nomad). Since the gnome is all packed a ready to go, I am hoping to bring him along to my wanderings.