Wulai // chasing waterfalls

sometimes, exploring off the beaten track can lead you to a fantastic discovery. when my brother and I visited the Wulai Waterfall last summer, we decided to do some exploring. this led us to another waterfall... maybe not as impressive, but certainly secluded and beautiful.

after riding the somewhat sketchy cable car up to the top of the falls, we discovered a park/resort complex that was nearly empty. there was a pond, and a stream with a series of small waterfalls running through the park. we started wandering and realized that this stream was the one that flowed down to create the Wulai falls. and so we decided to follow it up as far as we could.

we soon encountered what appeared to be an obstacle course. a series of bridges, nets and ropes criss-crossed over the water. we ventured back and forth a few different ways before spotting a trail leading upstream from one side.

we trekked up the dirt path and discovered that it ended in a beautiful cascading waterfall. we were both drenched in sweat, and decided that dipping our feet in a cool stream sounded more appealing that our original plan of hiking back down for a dip in the hot springs.

we left our shoes on the bank and waded in. my brother ventured farther upstream and I was 40% taking pictures, and 60% yelling at him to be careful because. so what happened next shouldn't be that big of a shock.

my left foot slipped as I was taking a step and became wedged between some rocks in the stream. I lost my balance and realized I was about to fall. I wavered for a bit and decided it would be best to fall backward rather than pitching forward and potentially smashing my face or camera on unseen rocks under the water.

thankfully my backpack broke my fall, and I managed to keep the camera above water. I was drenched from the waist down. but other than my foot which had been stuck in the rocks, unharmed. my brother and I had a good laugh about it, then I decided to document the spot in which I fell, as seen above.

before drying our feet and making our way back to Taipei for some much-needed consolatory falafel and hummus, we encountered this little frog hiding in the rocks. I was soggy for the rest of the afternoon and my foot was bruised for a week, but I still think our hidden waterfall adventure was worth it.

linking up with Bonnie, Courtney, Cynthia, and Yalanda for Travel Tuesday

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a cup full of coffee and a heart full of dreams

I've thought a lot about what I'd like my 2015 to involve. the life I would like to create. and there's a phrase that emerged from my thoughts which may just become my daily morning mantra: a cup full of coffee and a heart full of dreams.

is there a difference between a goal and a dream? do semantics really matter here? the point is, I'm setting intentions. it seems the thing to do at this point in the year's inaugural blog post is to share a few of these goals/dreams/intentions. but I'm going to guess you've read [or simply marked as read] more than a handful of goal lists this past week.

more than the actual tasks to be checked off, I want to focus on the approach to 2015. I want to be daring and take risks. go places that I've never been, but also find excitement and contentment in the usual. I want to live each day with a sense of wonder, embody the spirit of exploration, and attempt things that I might just fail at.

with that in mind, this year's motto has evolved into a single word...

five years ago, this word crawled into my brain and refused to leave. I started thinking that you could live life as an adventure no matter where you were... though all the traveling and expat experiences these past few years have certainly made it easier. this word has meant a lot of different things to me. I'm constantly finding new ways to apply it to my life. moving abroad has been an adventure, writing my book has been an adventure. walking through an unexplored part of my neighborhood, shooting a self-portrait in Starbucks this morning, and even taking myself to the doctor last week... all adventures.

you would think by now I'd be sick of the word. but no, not yet. and maybe not ever.

2014 was a blur of trials and travels - no wonder my motto for the year was "challenge accepted." I think my most impressive accomplishment, however, was being ok with NOT completing all of my goals. this year I again have a list of things that I fully intend to achieve. but I think focusing on my attitude towards the year rather than individual goals will have me feeling more fulfilled come December.

[and if you're really that curious... a few things I have planned are creating and coding a blog redesign, completing a 52 weeks self-portrait project, finishing the editing/revising of my book manuscript, and a whole mess of travels.]

linking up with Nicole

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a year in travels

I was able to travel A LOT this year. I've seen some fantastic places and made some wonderful memories. last year I posted a "recap" post with a list of ways I was awesome in 2013. this year was no less awesome, but I'm trying something different- reviewing the year through my travels. I spent time in 5 different countries in 2014, including my first ever trip south of the equator.

this post will also be full of my favorite photos + links to posts I've shared on these destinations, so if you're new around here it might give you a chance to explore.

we started off our 2014 travels with a 10-day trip to Bali, Indonesia. while I was terrified by the monkeys and somewhat disappointed by the crowds at Tanah Lot, I fell in love with the gorgeous orange stone temples. it was also a delicious experience: we had fun at a Balinese cooking class, tried Luwak coffee [harvested from mongoose poop!] and ate Mexican every day at Taco Casa.

in April, I celebrated my 29th birthday with a trip to Taroko Gorge - maybe my favorite place in Taiwan. my friend and I hiked through misty mountain trails, explored colorful temples, and soaked in a roof-top hot tub. I had been a little upset about turning 29, but the experience was so enjoyable I decided I didn't mind. [I also went back to Taroko in October... I really do love that place!]

then Husband and I took a long weekend in Tokyo to visit Disneyland. I can only begin to describe how completely and utterly magical it was. I laughed, I cried, and I felt like my heart was 25 years younger. it was also a lot of fun to take a "touristy" kind of vacation. I think there's value in all kinds of travel, and losing yourself in acting like a kid/geek/nerd at Disney is absolutely a worthwhile experience.

in June, I flew back to the states and spent a few weeks recovering from jet lag on the shores of Lake Michigan. I soaked in sunsets and climbed lighthouses, hiked through the state park and lounged by the pool.

the next few weeks were a blur of weddings, packing and unpacking, amazing tacos and protein/animal In-N-Out. we traveled from Detroit to Mackinac Island in northern Michigan, to San Diego, California to Austin, Texas and then back to Taiwan.

Hong Kong wasn't an intentional trip. I had to zip over for a quick 2-day "visa vacation." it was my first time traveling solo [not for business in the US, anyway] and my experience wasn't altogether pleasant. but I did my best to make the most of the situation by indulging in some Mexican food and shooting photos from Victoria Peak.

in case you're curious, I flew at least 30,000 miles this year. my passport was stamped 10 times, and I had 3 new visas added. I had a wonderful year of travels, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of this world in 2015. [starting with New Zealand in a few weeks!]

where did you travel this year - which destinations were your favorites? and where do you want to go in 2015?

linking up with Bonnie, Courtney, Cynthia, and Yalanda for Travel Tuesday

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confessions of an expat: holiday edition

Christmas is tomorrow. I'd love to say that our third such holiday overseas is going swimmingly and all is merry and bright. but in truth, it's been a rough week. it's been a rough few weeks actually. so I know this is the traditional time of year for bloggers to wrap themselves in twinkle lights and do mushy photoshoots with husbands and post gift guides and free printables... but the best I have to offer is to catch you up on life lately with a list full of random thoughts and honesty.

I am almost as terrible at writing Christmas cards as I am leaving voicemails. maybe worse, because once you write it down you have to keep it, and keep going. right now my Christmas cards [the 7 that actually made it into the post] are lost somewhere in the mail system between Taiwan and the US. my mother informed me that the birthday card I sent for my dad at the beginning of December only just arrived. oops.

I'm trying my best not to be grinchy, but I'd really love to be somewhere warm right now. I know that many of you are in temperatures lower than mine [40F] and some of you are even enjoying things like snow for the holidays. but here in Taiwan we do not have central heating, and I drive a scooter which makes the wind chill factor x500. my toes are perpetually cold. I'm thinking next year when we get a Christmas vacation we need to spend it somewhere on a beach?

we blew a fuse this weekend. not an uncommon occurrence, given the wiring in our building is a little funky. normally this would not be such a big deal, but the socket in our laundry room decided to fry itself. not all the outlets in our apartment are this sketchy. but for some reason the plug that runs our washing machine AND water heater by some janky extension cord setup is this little guy. terrifying. the outlet has since been upgraded, and I replaced the melty cord. so, yay, we have hot water for the holidays.

in blog news: I've decided to put my sponsorship program on hold for a bit, after this January. I've been thinking of making some changes and with our trip to New Zealand that seems like a good time for a break. if you are interested in snagging one of the two spots left for next month, you can get them 20% off with the code "TIMEOUT"

I'm also dreaming of another blog redesign. I've been learning so much about CSS and everything else in teaching my kids about blogging, and I'm getting itchy to use it. I also can't stop thinking about my sharpie doodles from my survey results. and several new font discoveries. but I'm not sure yet how I want to mix everything together.

but back to Christmas, since believe it or not, it's tomorrow. trying to get my spirits up and this calls for the digging out of old cat-in-antlers photos.

Husband has to teach, so we will wait until he's done with class to open gifts. we aren't doing anything major this year since we've been saving for our trip to New Zealand [actually, that's pretty major] but he's super excited to give me something he bought. and we still have a few movies left on our list to watch. I desperately need some muppets in my life. OH. and we found a bottle of gluten-free vodka, so I'm totally making myself a dirty Christmas martini.

hopefully you have a very happy holiday [whichever one or ones you celebrate] and I'll be back in a few days

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Taiwan thoughts.

if I had to pick one word for Taiwan, it might be juxtaposition.

bright temples and billboards add contrast to the cement buildings that don't stand a chance of looking new for long in this climate. modern high-rises and Starbucks spring up next to ancient moats and abandoned lots. crumbling brick structures in a lush green rice field, scooters zipping down a road that winds through mist-shrouded mountains...

Taiwan can be dirty and dingy, blindingly colorful, or peaceful and refreshing. sometimes all at once.

and as much as some days I don't love it, I do love it.

and those are your Taiwan thoughts for today.

now: meet Christina of Route Bliss. photographer and road-tripper extroidinare, she also shares a little bit of everything on her blog. if you're looking for wanderlust inspiration - check out her dream destinations series. she's also got you covered for the holiday - with everything from budget-friendly last-minute gift ideas and holiday travel tips, to an adorable and festive way to turn your souvenirs into ornaments! this lady has been hanging out on my sidebar for a while now, but today you'll get a chance to know her a little better. check out her interview below, then head to her blog to say hello!

I'm Christina, the girl behind the scenes here at Route Bliss. I'm a 30-something single wannabe vagabond whose practicality and realist side keeps her planted in East Texas. By weekday I write lots of reports at my job as well as daydream frequently where I want to travel to next, ways to motivate myself to getting fit for health and happiness's sake, and experimenting in the kitchen to make my favorite not so healthy foods healthier. I also like to take lots of photos of pretty things, furry critters (aka canines and felines), and beautiful destinations.

two of your favorite posts: The post that 'launched' Route Bliss in August 2013. One of the handful of posts where its my heart instead of my brain, pouring words out on the screen.

And this post from 11.12.13 -- while its a mini night photography tutorial, its also the first astrophotography image I shot.

any travel plans or goals you have for next year? Right now I'm in the process of mapping out a huge summer roadtrip in the western US for Summer 2015. I've had the time off approved by my supervisor, but due to some major work changes in the near future, I am not revealing too much in case it has to be shortened/altered between now and then.

what is your favorite trip/vacation you've ever taken? Oh geez, that's a tough one. As a youth, both trips my family took to Disneyland and the Grand Canyon. I love the Disney parks and the stops at the natural wonders along the way, especially the Grand Canyon, are what started my love of the national parks as well as photographing our natural wonders. As an adult ... I can't choose. There's things about Vienna, Austria I loved even though it was a bittersweet trip. I loved the 2009 roadtrip I took as well as my 2013 one ... and I can't forget the parts of Route 66 I've covered so far either!

share one of your favorite travel moments from 2014. The only traveling I've done this year was to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit my best friend ... so spending time with her and capturing her engagement and bridal portraits as well as experiencing every moment of her wedding day with her.

any special plans for the holidays? Other than sleeping in for 10 straight days, absolutely nothing beyond the norm with my parents and brother on Christmas Day!

where would you dream trip take you? Either to Iceland or New Zealand.

describe yourself in 3 words: Determined. Loyal. Overachieving.

learn more about Christina on her blog: Route Bliss

and follow along with:

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