Going Home

I haven't been back to my home country myself for 5 years. Last time was a very special trip to my life. I confronted my darkest memory alone, which allowed me to trust men again and met my boyfriends later. I fulfilled my dream of making up for not being there for the University life. That was the dream got left behind when I came to NZ. I travelled all around that little island and visited as many universities, my friends and night markets as I could to have a taste of what I was missing. All my friends and I picked up where we left like we had never been apart. I could talk to friends openly and shared all sort of things that ppl in their early 20 should talk about, but I couldn't here in NZ. I did my first backpacking experience in my home country!

Five years later, I am taking two of my best kiwi friends home and I am freaking out. I still have the excitement of going home like I always do, but I am also scared of screwing it up. I have never shown any foreigners my country before and I am not really that familiar with that island anymore. They are coming to Taiwan because of me and they have only 13 days. That thought keeps me up at night sometimes and planning the trip have become my main focus these days. The first thing in the morning in the last 2 weeks has been checking emails from participators and travel consultant and organising the flight. There were different airlines, different stopover options, different departure and paid dates, different airfare, different airport and fuel tax to be considered. I have been practicing my Operation Research skill to optimise the objective function, i.e. cheapest airfare, maximum days in Taiwan, limited holiday leave they can take, matching with my German friend's visit in NZ, coming back for X'mas etc. etc....Meeting up everyone's priority was a challenge. However, I think we finally reach an agreement of the departure date (I hope!!).

Now, I only need to tell my German friend to book his flight to NZ, start organsing his tour in NZ, make sure all 4 of us (1 German+2 kiwis and me) can fly with different airlines but arrive in Taiwan in the same weekend (the same date is out of question already) safely without losing one or the other and THEN I can start worrying about where to take them in Taiwan. Gee.....So SIMPLE!!

I promised him not to worry to meet my family, but I think he should more worry about all my friends who want to meet him eagerly. She said, "Don't worry, we are all nice and we don't bite!!"

"Oh, dear!" I can see his reaction on this.