文：楊立慈 臺南市下營區農會

　　我是來自臺南市下營區農會的楊立慈，很高興能夠獲得這次筆友交流的機會，讓我有機會更加了解美國的生活文化。

　　我的筆友是一位來自美國堪薩斯州的18歲高三藝術生，名叫 Olivia，她與我分享了許多關於美國的生活知識，例如在美國，14歲即可申請學習駕駛證照並在家人陪同下練習開車；16歲時可以取得學習駕照並較為獨立地駕駛，但仍有限制，例如不能載同齡乘客；到了17歲則可以正式考取駕照。聽到這些制度時，我感到十分新奇與驚訝，因為在台灣，不論是機車或汽車，通常都需要年滿18歲才能考取並合法駕駛。

　　接著，我們也聊到彼此的寵物，我養了一隻狗，而她則養了兩隻貓，名字分別叫甲蟲和蟲子，另外還有一隻小狗，聽到這些可愛的名字，讓我感到十分有趣，也更拉近了彼此的距離。

　　在第六週的任務中，我們討論了平時會使用哪些工具來協助完成作業。我向她分享我經常使用 ChatGPT 來幫助整理報告的想法與架構；而她則對環保議題相當重視，也提到使用人工智慧可能會消耗大量的能源與水資源，這讓我第一次意識到，原本看似日常的科技應用，其實也可能對環境造成影響，引發我更多的思考。

　　到了第八週，正好是她的畢業典禮，我很高興能夠為一位從未見過面的朋友送上祝福，她對未來的規劃非常明確，決定持續朝藝術領域發展，我也由衷為她感到開心，在這段交流中，可以明顯感受到她對藝術的熱情與堅持。

　　透過這次筆友企劃，我不僅學到了許多關於美國的生活與文化，也體會到跨越國界所建立的友誼是如此真實而珍貴，即使彼此從未見面，仍能透過文字分享生活、交換想法，這段經驗讓我更加理解世界的多元，也讓我學會以更開放的心去看待不同文化。
最後，這段筆友交流不僅是一項任務，更是一段溫暖且難得的成長經驗，也將成為我學生時期中一段值得珍藏的回憶。

I am Yang, Li-Cih from the Xiaying District Farmers’ Association in Tainan City. I am very glad to have the opportunity to participate in this pen pal exchange program, which has allowed me to better understand American life and culture.

My pen pal is an 18-year-old senior high school art student from Kansas, USA, named Olivia. She shared many aspects of life in the United States with me. For example, in the U.S., people can apply for a learner’s driving permit at the age of 14 and practice driving with a family member. At 16, they can obtain a learner’s license and drive more independently, although there are still restrictions, such as not being allowed to carry passengers of the same age. At 17, they can obtain a full driver’s license. I found these regulations very new and surprising because in Taiwan, whether for motorcycles or cars, people usually have to be at least 18 years old to obtain a license and drive legally.

Next, we also talked about our pets. I have a dog, while she has two cats named Beetle and Worm, as well as a puppy. Hearing these cute names made the conversation very interesting and helped us become closer.

In the sixth-week task, we discussed what tools we usually use to help complete our homework. I shared that I often use ChatGPT to help organize the structure and ideas of my reports. She, on the other hand, is very concerned about environmental issues and mentioned that using artificial intelligence may consume a large amount of energy and water resources. This made me realize for the first time that the technologies we use in daily life may also have an impact on the environment, which led me to think more deeply about this issue.

In the eighth week, it happened to be her graduation ceremony. I was very happy to send my congratulations to a friend I had never met in person. She has a very clear plan for her future and has decided to continue pursuing a career in the field of art. I am truly happy for her, and throughout our communication, her passion and persistence in art were very evident.

Through this pen pal program, I not only learned a lot about American life and culture, but also experienced how genuine and valuable friendships across countries can be. Even though we have never met in person, we were still able to share our lives and exchange ideas through writing. This experience has helped me better understand the diversity of the world and taught me to view different cultures with a more open mind.

Finally, this pen pal exchange was not only an assignment, but also a warm and rare growth experience, and it will become a precious memory of my student life.