It's been a while since I've posted! (Okay, that's an understatement, but we'll just roll with it.)  This is just a quick update to say that I leave for a study abroad in Taiwan in... 6 hours.  I'll be there for about a month, so I thought I'd keep everyone updated on my adventures there by using this blog!  Incredibly appropriate, seeing as Taiwan has been nicknamed The Butterfly Nation for their vast array of butterfly species:  377 have been recorded, but estimates of actual butterfly population are much higher.  Who knew? 


(This is one of the butterfly species native to Taiwan.  Pretty, no?)


In addition to its beautiful wildlife, Taiwan itself is actually very beautiful!  Dutch explorers who first discovered the small island (After the Chinese, of course) gave the name "Formosa", which literally means beautiful island!



But Taiwan isn't just a pretty country, oh no.  The Taiwanese people have some very rich and varied culture, shaped by a history full of occupations by different nationalities.  Turns out that, because of its strategic location just across the straight from China, international trade junkies have had their eyes on Taiwan for a very long time.  Perhaps unfortunately for them, Taiwan is set in a location that serves as an optimal trade port between the Pacific Islands, Japan, and of course China.  I say unfortunately for them because this location means that, historically, every country with major stakes in international trade has occupied Taiwan at one point or another:  The Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, and Chinese being just some of the nations to have established dominance in Taiwan in the past.  And not all of those take-overs were pretty.


Which brings us to my favorite aspect of Taiwanese culture; an aspect which I think can be summed up in the a description of the Taiwanese national flower...



The plum blossom!


In 1964 (the same year my dad was born!), the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (official name for Taiwan, not to be confused with the People's Republic of China, which is VERY DIFFERENT!) declared the plum blossom to be the national flower of Taiwan.  The plum blossom is a delicate, beautiful, fragrance-producing flower with one prominent quality;  it is astoundingly resistant to bad weather.  For being as light and delicate as it is, the plum blossom is very rarely shaken from its branch during storms, a quality very reminiscent of the Taiwanese people themselves!  You would think that after being rocked so many times by different countries, Taiwan would kind of crumble.  But it hasn't.  On the contrary, Taiwan has become a first-world, booming society with a lot to offer in the way of healthcare (which is what I'm going to study!).  Taiwanese physicians actually invented the laser-knife therapy now used to treat cancer in the United States, particularly at Huntsman Cancer Institute (where I eventually want to work as a nurse!).  Pretty cool, eh?


So that is a short summary of Taiwan.  I can't even express how excited I am to be going there and learning what I can from the Taiwanese healthcare system and culture!  I'll keep you all updated on my adventures in the Butterfly Nation!


GO TAIWAN!