“Learning to be an American is difficult,” said Mr. Magill, an American Euro History Teacher who left TAS last school year.
“Getting insurance, a car, a TV, Internet, phone, making sure all the household needs are done, unpacking my shipment, repairing things, using my decorative skills in my Condo. Learning how to buy things is a challenge.”
Thirty-six years after he first left the United States for a “two year adventure” in 1978, Mr. Magill has finally returned to Incline Village, Nev. nestled along the northern shores of Lake Tahoe, or “Da-ow-aga” in the Washoe language.
“Good thing that I have friends to help me with the decorating,” he said. “I visited Mr. and Mrs. Lagerquist in Minnesota in late June, and Mrs. Lagerquist helped me buy things online and decorate my bedroom. But I had to buy the curtains in person and I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was embarrassed.”
Mr. Magill is currently tackling a major roof project on his condo that has kept him from traveling as much as he’d like. But he did manage to slip out to San Francisco twice for Giants games.
“I was able to see Ishikawa’s walk off home run in the 9th inning to win the Giants the pennant!”
Mr. Magill’s big move to the States, although difficult, has been pleasurable.
“It is fun having all of my stuff in the same place in 36 years,” he said. “I have been going through boxes of ‘stuff’ under my condo, and I feel like an archeologist.  A lot of great memories were found.”
Moving back to the States also allowed him to see his extended family in the Midwest in June. And for Thanksgiving and Christmas, he was planning to go back again to spend more quality time with his family.
At Lake Tahoe, Mr. Magill loves to go for long walks in the mountains and spend time with friends on the beaches. Unsurprisingly, he also had time to read some great history books.
“Reviews can be offered on demand!” he said.
Mr. Magill has not retired but is currently “between jobs”. “I hope to find work somewhere. I just don’t know where,” he said.
He also hopes to find fried chicken that matches that of Taipei’s Burger Queen. (Yes, you heard me right. It’s Burger Queen not Burger King.)
Although Mr. Magill is now in Lake Tahoe, he still hasn’t escaped TAS yet because he’s still writing college recommendation letters for TAS seniors. And he also misses teaching history and his students and friends and so much more the places and things that he left behind.