"I am FREE!!"

"I AM FREE," shouted Nicholas, in an triumphant "victory pose."  You would've expected this from someone who had just served a LONG prison sentence or someone who had just won the Lotto.  But, this is our Nicholas who has just finished checking in at the Taoyuan International Airport and ready himself to leave for The Hague on 26 January, 2013, to attend the THIMUN or "The Hague International Model United Nations" program.  Apart from being excited to be the first student from the Taipei American School to attend the THIMUN, which was entirely made possible by his own effort, he is just excited to be AWAY from us for one week. 

While both Felicia and Peter are happy that they have raised a very independent, self motivating, intelligent and confident child, they were nevertheless taken aback for the eagerness of their first born to LEAVE--AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!

This is not the first time Nicholas has spent time away from home.  He started with the school camps which begun in Middle School.  Spending time "alone" with complete strangers started when he was 13 or 14 with the summer program at Stanford.  With each passing year, he had gained more independent and wanted more.  In the past few summers, he insisted and was granted independence to travel alone to come back to Taipei and to fly to California, on his own. 

In another eight months or so, he will be leaving for college.  It will be interesting to see his reaction at that time.