Thus, I had to cultivate my fledging thought. After applying for and earning a spot in a program, I braced myself for my imminent independence. The thought of leaving everyone and everything I knew, and abandoning the idea of traditional high school, and therefore risking the benefits, was terrifying and exhilarating, however, I knew I had made the right choice. I attended a typical Taiwanese high school with a handful of other international students from diverse countries spanning each hemisphere. Three families allowed me to enter their households and partake in their traditions and customs. I was exposed to people and experiences I would never have had, had I chosen to stay in the United States. I inhaled thin air atop mountains overlooking the world and danced in the surf of an ocean so wide I could barely imagine my old home. For once in my life, I was the minority. My blonde head stood out in a crowd, and I was the one altering my habits to fit another cultures. Routines I had developed over the last 16 years of my life changed overnight. I learned to adjust everything from small habits like taking my shoes off as a entered a house, to responding to a new