Brisa Sanchez Vasquez spent a year in Taiwan with the Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) program. She was a guest of the Rotary District on the north end of the island of Taiwan. At the start of her year, the COID restrictions were stricter than in the USA and Brisa spent the first week in quarantine. She started Chinese language lessons while quarantining.

 

The first host family had a daughter that spent time in the US. Brisa attended the local high school 3 days a week and took university classes in Mandarin Chinese for 2 days. High school classes met from 7:30 AM until 5 PM. There were 3 meal options in the high school: a 7-11 store in the school, heaters for home food, or you could order food from Uber Eats.

 

The RYE program arranged tours and fun activities. The university had trips and her host families went on family trips including to the Matsu Islands, historical locations, and camping. Brisa particularly enjoyed celebrating the Chinese New Year when red envelopes are given out containing money. The exchange students celebrated Christmas and birthdays by themselves because they are not observed in Taiwan. After the school year, RYE students went on a tour of the entire country,

 

Brisa's two most cherished memories are being part of the winning track relay team at school and earning her certification in Mandarin.