Tripper of the Week - Crystal Wu
Crystal Wu, an expat from Taiwan currently living in the U.S. is our Tripper of the Week....
Tell us about your background. Where are you from originally? I was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (second biggest city in Taiwan). I love Taiwan so much because people are nice and willing to accept other cultures. I lived there until I was 17 then moved to Boyd, Texas in the USA as an exchange student during my senior year in high school. The culture was very different and I had never lived in a small town before. You can't imagine how small it is: only four restaurants in the whole town!
Why did you decide to move to the United States?
I decided to come to the U.S. because I wanted to broaden my view of the world. Because there are so many opportunities to meet people from all over the world here, you can discover many different cultures and change your way of thinking. When I first moved, language was a problem for me since it was my first time to the United States. However, since I lived with an American family and nobody spoke Chinese, the environment was perfect for me to improve my English. I was lucky to live with a great American family; they made me feel like a part of the family right from the start.
Have you had a chance to travel since moving to the U.S.? What is your favorite city?
I LOVE Boston and San Francisco the most. I love Boston's styles of buildings. San Francisco's weather and food are great and close to my country. Since moving to the U.S., I tried to travel as much as possible and had many amazing experiences during my travels with my roommates. What is your favorite experience connecting with locals? In Madrid I was stranded by the Icelandic ash cloud and ended up staying with my local hosts for almost half a month. It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to host them in the U.S.! Where are you traveling next? My next travel destination will be Seoul, South Korea next month. I will be traveling there after visiting Taiwan for a bit. I'm excited to return home and to visit Seoul! Thanks Crystal and Happy Travels! Connect with Crystal via her Tripping profile or via the Travel Photographers Network.