I took my first taxi the other day! Fun and exciting stuff.  Not going to lie I was really scared to take a taxi, Bloomfield did not prepare me for that, but I survived so I call that a success. Besides learning how to take/find a safe taxi I also learned how to get past security at my house.  The first time was a little bit rough.  I live in a condominium and as I found out there is a good security system. There is a large wall around my building and the only way to get in is through the gate in the front of the building. During the day this gate is open but at night they close it. One of my friends parents dropped me off at my home after the movies.  I get out of the car and I wasn’t positive how to get in. So I go up to the person at the gate and they ask me what apartment I’m going to and what family, so I tell her.  Then she starts to call the apartment, I thought that it was a little bit strange but I didn’t know the normal process so I went along with it.  She then said that no one was answering (my host parents went out) so she said that she would send a security guard up there to check it out.  At this point I was pretty sure that it wasn’t normal but I didn’t know what to do so I stood there awkwardly now knowing what to do. Finally, after a few mins of waiting the friend that dropped me off came over and straightened things out.  I still don’t know what happened there but now security knows me so I don’t have a problem. I feel like knowing how to get past security and being able to take a taxi has given me more freedom and has helped me settle in.