12 Christmas movies to watch this December

whether you celebrate Christmas or not, December is the season for watching holiday films. in a past life, I would curl up in my big chair in front of the fireplace, snuggle in with my cat and some spiked cider or cocoa and watch one of these films. now... well there's no cats or cocoa or fireplace, but I have to get my spirits in holiday mode somehow.

this year I decided that to combat the expat holiday blues, I wanted to watch every Christmas movie that we own. obviously, we own a lot of our favorites. but this is not necessarily a list of "the best Christmas movies ever." I think you can tell by this list that we grew up in the 80s/90s and also that we don't always go for the traditional holiday movies. but I hope that some of these are on your favorites list too.

and because I'm not doing a full-on tree post this year, here's your obligatory photo of my $8 tree in all its glory:

A Christmas Story

I'll be honest, I was never into this movie growing up. but we watched it the other night and I realized the appeal. it's a fantastic depiction of life as a kid, and everything was SO DRAMATIC that it was funny. and the part where the little brother hides in the cabinet is pretty much how I still behave from time to time when upset. [only Husband usually brings me coffee or water, not milk.]

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

this was always my Dad's favorite, and my holiday doesn't feel complete without this tradition. just don't even try confusing the animated original with the live action [which I refuse to watch.] short and sweet, no one can feel grinchy after watching the "you're a mean one" montage and seeing Max with his antler.

Love Actually

if you don't cry while watching this movie, you might not be human. is it completely cheesy and unrealistic and possibly anti-feminist according to some people on the internet? yes. but if you are in need of a good happy cry and some feel-good fluff, this movie has got you covered with at least one of its 57 storylines.

Gremlins

my siblings and I loved this movie when we were kids. watching it as an adult, I realize it's actually more of a scary film that takes place during the holiday season... but it still counts. as a bonus, we also watched Gremlins 2: the new batch, because it's even better than the original. even if it has nothing to do with Christmas.

Nightmare Before Christmas

it's a stop-motion musical, love story, horror and holiday film all in one. I admit it's a little wierd. a singing skeleton who dresses up as Santa Claus? definitely not traditional. but this one is good for easing yourself into the season after Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Die Hard

wait, hear me out. this is a Christmas movie. sure it's a hostage situation cop-gone-bad action film full of snappy one-liners... but it takes place during a Christmas party. besides, watching Snape I mean Alan Rickman as the bad guy bantering with Bruce Willis [back when he had hair] would get anyone's spirits up.

A Muppet Christmas Carol

yet another favorite from my childhood - the heartwarming musical Muppet interpretation of a [kindof dark] classic story. we used to watch this every year while assembling and decorating our Christmas tree. this is another I-have-to-watch-or-it's-not-Christmas film for me. a warning though: you'll be singing these songs until March.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

this is the slapstick exaggeration of the all-American Christmas experience: crazy family, uninvited guests, and over the top decorations. I'm not always into this brand of humor. but. it can be good to laugh at the myriad of disasters that befall the Griswolds, and realize that whatever goes wrong with our own holidays can't really be all that bad.

Bad Santa

what does a mall Santa do after hours? some really terrible things, actually. this one is not for kids. in fact, this one is not for people who are easily offended. but if you're into inappropriate humor, Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls, or sandwiches... you might enjoy Bad Santa.

The Holiday

ok. I really don't like Cameren Diaz and I even more do not like her character in this film. BUT somehow I own this on DVD. Kate Winslet gives a less-than-Titanic performance, but she's still relatable for anyone who has been in a heartbreak around the holidays. the story is a cute idea and it's good for a light and sappy feel-good ending romance.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

a classic. Charlie Brown is sick of all the holiday commercialism, and decides to search for the true meaning of Christmas. and if you can't get behind that idea, at the least you can enjoy Snoopy's antics and feel better about the state of your own tiny expat Christmas tree.

Home Alone

let's just ignore the bad parenting by the adults and the bratty behavior by the kids and appreciate the moral of the story: no one's family is perfect, but if you can't all get along then you miss out on spending an amazing Christmas in Paris. this movie is full of cheesy but quotable one-liners you can't help but love. and admit it - as a kid you tried setting up some kind of booby trap obstacle course in your house after seeing this movie.

what holiday movies do you watch each year? did I miss any of your favorites?

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visiting Wulai waterfall + hot springs

Wulai is a small town outside of Taipei known for its natural hot springs, aboriginal culture, and of course Wulai Falls. many locals and tourists go for a soak in the river, or rent a room at a hot spring hotel which pipes water in for a more private experience. the water here is not sulfuric, so would be a good choice if you are put off by the smell of other springs.

to get to Wulai, take the MRT to Xindian station and hop on bus 849. Wulai is the last stop, about 45 minutes through a winding and hilly drive. [you can also take a cab, but it will cost you 600 NT instead of 15]

I visited on a hot and misty day last June with my brother - intending to explore the town, see the waterfall, and take a dip in the famous springs. after strolling through the main drag and crossing over the river to the hillside crowded with hot spring hotels, we discovered a strange little blue train. for 50NT, or less than $2US, it zipped us up to the waterfall viewing area in no time. thanks to the misty day and recent rains, the falls were flowing freely. [don't be fooled by how refreshing it looks in these photos though, it was HOT out.]

we were promptly befriended by a cat. both my brother and I love cats, so we spent a few minutes giving this stray some love before washing our hands and heading back to the waterfall. aside from the animals and some dancing shop girls in aboriginal gear, the area was nearly deserted. we visited on a weekday so the lack of crowds was a refreshing change from the crush in the city.

if you climb back into the streets near the viewing platform, you can find the cable car station and take a ride up and across the gorge. round trip tickets cost 220NT [about $7US] and allow you to wander the park at the top of the waterfall as well. even though the day was steamy, we decided to continue our explorations.

we discovered from the top that a series of smaller falls lead up to the large one. there is also a hotel, several cafes and food stands, and what looked to be a children's amusement park. we spent a few hours exploring the park and trails [and accidentally going for a dip in the river - a story for next time!] before taking the tram back down.

you might also notice that I've added a new page specifically with links to my Taiwan travels. my other travel destinations around the world are still listed here, but as I plan to explore and share more about Taiwan over the next few years, I felt this island deserved its own page.

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

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2014 reader survey results

I am super excited to share the results of my first reader survey. I was doodling with a sharpie, trying to think of the best way to present this information... and decided to use my doodles to make things more interesting. [side note: not all drawings are to scale, or geographically accurate. oops.]

first, I want to say thanks to everyone who participated. I learned a lot about my readers [you guys!] through this survey. and I think the results will help guide some of my future content, based on what you liked most and least.

readers like most:

travel stories + photos

personal posts

life in Taiwan / expat experiences

readers like least:

book updates

recipes / food posts

post about blogging

[though many people skipped this question]

readers would be interested in:

travel / destination guides 64%

photography tutorials 57%

writing tips 45%

packing guides 43%

blogging tips 32%

one thing that really jumped out at me was the number of expats reading this blog. nearly 2/3 of readers have, do, or plan to live abroad. since I myself am an expat, and write about expat life often, I guess that makes sense. I know that [for me] connecting with other expat bloggers has been a wonderful thing in helping to deal with culture shock and commiserate about missing home.

here's how it broke down:

NOT expats 37%

currently expats 37%

former expats 16%

future expats 10%

considering that this blog is written in the English language [or something close to it, anyway] it shouldn't be surprising that 53% of my readers live in the US and UK. [and sorry if you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or any portion of any of these countries which my sharpie skills missed or messed up.]

many of you read ink + adventure because you have visited or lived in Taiwan. a few of you are fellow Michiganders and Spartans. others just enjoy reading travel/expat blogs and learning about life across the world. and 16% of you claim to know me in real life.

another discovery was the number of readers who are bloggers. I mean, we all know that if you write a blog, you are likely to also read blogs. based on the survey results: 66% of readers are bloggers, 34% are not [but 13% might like to be.] not shocking - almost everyone who said they enjoyed posts about blogging, or were interested in seeing blogging tips here, were bloggers.

I think this result might be a little skewed, since I know people who are bloggers are more likely to comment, and I think they are more likely to do something like a survey as well.

another crazy statistic [that is probably quite typical of blog readers and people likely to take surveys] is that 80% of readers are between 18 and 35 years of age.

51% of readers have started following in the last 6 months. I've been putting effort into growing this blog as of late and - it's working! in fact, 61% of you said you discovered this blog via social media or a feature or linkup on another blog. so... welcome, and I hope you'll stick around!

but I have to show some love for my longtime readers too. 28% have been reading for over a year [which dates back before I was taking this blog business seriously] and 14% have been following since the beginning back in May 2012. that includes several people who used to read my food blog before then, and have stuck around all this time. have I told you guys you're amazing recently?

length of readership:

less than 1 month 6%

1 to 3 months 20%

3 to 6 months 24%

6 months to 1 year 21%

1 to 2 years 14%

since the beginning 14%

and of course, the cat rating. when I saw this as an option I couldn't help but add it. some readers commented that they have cat bias [dog people!] and so rated it lower. overall, you guys awarded your survey experience an average rating of 4.39 cats. or... 4 black cats and 1 white cat with a black tail.

the general consensus seems to be you all love my photos, but many of you also enjoy reading for the "personality" and "honesty" in my writing style. one criticism I received was that I don't share enough pictures of myself in posts. well... I have to agree! [and I'm hoping to change that.]

I also wanted to share some of my favorite comments I received in the free response sections. these gave me some serious warm fuzzies. you guys are so sweet, and this is as much to remind me when I get discouraged as it is to share with you:

"the main reason is your honesty - it's not always easy to come by in this world, 

so it's so refreshing to see a take on life as an expat that isn't all travel and rosiness"

"I first fell in love with the pictures, then slowly with the way Jamie writes."

"I'm not authorized to work [in my current country.] So when I read about your personal work 

(your book, blogging habits etc) it makes me feel empowered. 

Even without a "real job" you can still be an accomplished person."

"I really like the way you write, it feels like hearing news from a friend"

"because it's warm & filled with color & opens a window to a world I might never see"

and several of you made statements to the effect of 

"I think I would like Jamie in real life"

thank you so much again for taking my survey! I hope you enjoyed reading the results and that my sharpie doodle graphics kept all the data interesting. this whole experience was both very enlightening and encouraging for me, and I can't wait to compare the results to next year's. hopefully you'll be around then too :)

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the temples of Lotus Lake

the Lotus Lake area of Kaohsiung is packed with temples, pagodas, and pavilions. [I've already shown you the Confucius temple and the Dragon Tiger Pagodas - but there are plenty of temples not marked on the tourist map that I still found beautiful and photo-worthy.

I've said it before and I'm sure I will say it again a thousand times over the course of living in Taiwan: one of my favorite things is that you can find temples while wandering just about anywhere.

all of these temples were visible just by walking around the lake path - and we could spot plenty of dragon-topped roofs just a few blocks further back. just another reminder to keep your eyes open and look beyond the guidebook.

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and now I'd like to introduce you to my featured sponsor this month. Olivia is the Australian traveler behind the blog Halfway Somewhere, where she shares her travels and tips on everything from taking photos while traveling solo to how to survive an overnight train journey. I'm also in love with this clever DIY project she imagined - turning leftover foreign coins into magnets. read on to get to know her better, then stop by her blog for more!

I'm Olivia. I'm an International Studies student from Melbourne, Australia, although I try to get out of the country as much as I can. I like to move overseas and spend 6 months or more in a place as opposed to taking trips where you're constantly on the move, so that's what I write about the most on Halfway Somewhere - moving overseas, studying overseas, taking a gap year, all that fun stuff.

what are some of your favorite posts, and why? I recently wrote one called An Australian's first impressions of America that was both really fun to think up while I was in the States this year and seems to have resonated with a lot of people, both Americans and visitors, which is always nice.

Another one I really like is Can Harry Potter teach you a new language? I grew up on Harry Potter and basically love everything about it, so using it to learn Spanish was a lot of fun. Turns out it's not an uncommon thing to do, which is awesome.

what is your favorite trip you've ever taken? While I've never had a bad trip yet and I love all the trips I've done for different reasons, my favourite is probably my first big one when I moved to Ireland after high school. It was the first time I was on my own and out of my parents' house and I was living and working with some great people who I still see as much as I can, even though we're all spread out across the world now. I'd always wanted to spend my life travelling and that trip was like confirmation that this is what I want to do.

where would your dream trip take you? My dream trip is to buy an old Winnebago and spend months (years?) driving slowly around the world. I'll have to get it in the States since they're so cheap over there, so I'll explore Canada and America for a while and then bring it home to Australia somehow. That's probably two years away now, but I talk about it all the time. I try not to write about it too much since it's not happening soon, but every now and then I can't help it and dedicate a post to that dream.

learn more about Olivia on her blog: halfway somewhere

or follow along with:

bloglovin + twitter + instagram

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the writer's block: feeling grateful

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. a loving husband, wonderful friends, and a growing family [in a few weeks, I have a nephew arriving!] we have a plan for the next few years and know where we are going after this school year is up. I've been able to travel and write, and though I pulled my shoulder last week and haven't been able to type so much... I've generally enjoyed good health.

this month I've asked my sponsors to share what they are grateful for this year - a tradition that my family used to hold around the Thanksgiving table. these ladies have had some incredible travels and experiences [some good and some not so good] but have managed to find silver linings along the way. read on to hear more from them, then be sure to visit their blogs when you're done!

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Kia ora, I'm Sarah, I'm in my late 20's and live in Wellington, New Zealand. Sarah Sees The World is primarily a Travel Blog, but also documents my 30 Before 30 achievements - It’s a list of places I’ve been meaning to visit, challenges I’ve wanted to take on, skills I’ve been planning to learn, and personal breakthroughs I’ve been hoping to have.

what experience are you grateful to have had this year? In June this year I was made redundant. After months of stress leading up to the event the stars aligned - an amazing job opportunity came to me. Even better, the start date allowed me to take 4 weeks off and travel to Canada and visit friends. While there were months of stress combined with a very unpleasant work environment, it's an experience I am grateful to have gone through as I can say I'm in a much better place now as a result of the upheaval, and would not be this happy right now if nothing had changed.

what is your favorite holiday and why? My favourite holiday is Waitangi Day. New Zealand's national holiday which falls on February 6th and commemorates the date in 1840 when the Treaty of Waitangi (effectively our constitution or founding document) was signed. Recently Waitangi Day was 'Mondayised' - before 2013 it wasn't celebrated on a Monday if it fell on a weekend. I won't get into the injustice of the treaty (there are differences between the English and Maori versions of the Treaty signed), but while the day sadly is known for its protests rather than celebrations, it falls at the peak of the New Zealand Summer and is the one public holiday you can actually rely on for decent weather.

how do you manage traveling during the busy holiday season? Fitting in travelling any time of year with a full time job and limited leave is challenging but is something I make a priority. The best thing about Christmas and New Year falling so close together is that by taking three days leave from work, you get 11 days in a row off! While I have family commitments on Christmas Day, I'll be heading off soon afterwards to explore somewhere not yet determined.

read more from Sarah on her blog: Sarah Sees The World

check out some of her favorite posts:

Running a Half Marathon (30 Before 30)

The Yacht Week; Greece

Vancouver

or follow along with:

bloglovin' + facebook + instagram

Dollie of Two Wooden Spoons. I float in the space between home body and travel junkie. My blog is a space for me to explore and share my writing through stories. And just like a photographer slowly trains themselves to find and capture the truth (whether it be love, beauty, hardship, or pain) in every situation, writing has taught me the same thing. My blog is a space where I work on figuring myself out. This is a space filled with humor, success, failure, and a whole lotta’ quirkiness (and wine) to help mask the anxiety.

what experience are you grateful to have had this year? This year my husband and I traveled to Romania with my mom to go and take my 86 year-old grandmother on a road trip through Transylvania. After more than a dozen trips back to visit family in Romania, this was my first time seeing more than one tiny corner of the country. It also happened to be my grandma's first time seeing the country outside of her tiny village and the neighboring city. Getting to experience that with her, and giving her the opportunity to see her own country, was something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

who or what are you feeling most thankful for? I am grateful for my grandmother's health and that she was able to join us on our roadtrip across Romania. Many children who grew up with grandparents in another country know how difficult it can be to be away from family. You never know if your visit will be the last one, or if an elderly family member will make it through the next several years it takes to save the money for the trip.

what is your favorite holiday and why? Every year is a tie between Halloween and Christmas. I love Halloween because of the fun traditions and low stress of the holiday. My husband and I save every costume and prop we've ever purchased to creating costumes is always a great time. I'm sure it'll be even more fun when we have kids and get them involved in dress up time. Then again, I love Christmas too because of the magical feeling in the air. There is something peaceful and cozy the weeks leading up to Christmas that isn't around any other time of year.

read more from Dollie on her blog: two wooden spoons

check out some of her favorite posts:

Reality and Writing

This Is What 30 Feels Like

A Letter To My Younger Self

or  follow along with:

twitter + instagram + bloglovin

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.

what experience are you grateful to have had this year? I'm not sure I'd call my dad's severe heart attack something I'm "grateful" for, but I am so very very grateful that he survived it thanks to everyone involved in the process being where they needed to be at the right times/places and as well as for the power of prayer from all of my real life & online/blogging friends and family. His heart was only functioning at 35% when he was taken from the ER to the cath lab on August 4th and a couple weeks ago he completed cardio physical therapy.

who or what are you feeling most thankful for? Aside from still having my dad in my life, that I still have a job. I can't elaborate on the interwebs, but sadly a few coworkers got pink slipped in the last couple of weeks.

what is your favorite holiday and why? Thanksgiving. Not only was my younger brother (& only sibling) born on Thanksgiving, it is a time to be so very thankful for what we have and the blessings we've had.

how do you manage traveling during the busy holiday season? I've only traveled once during the holiday season -- prepare and don't wait until the last minute! Make a list of what you'll need so you aren't scrambling at the 11th hour and forgetting a critical item that you may not be able to find at your destination (or might cost far too many pretty pennies).

share a holiday vacation memory. Spending Christmas 2003 in Vienna, Austria -- its a bittersweet memory as my granny passed away on Christmas Eve and I was far away from my family, but my penpal's grandparents welcomed me into their home and gave me plenty of hugs, a meal with a couple items from home, and the famous Sacher Torte as a surprise dessert :)

read more from Christina on her blog: Route Bliss

check out some of her favorite posts:

RB Budgeting: gift-giving strategies

Fitness Friday: what to do and where

RB Budgeting: budgeting for price fluctuations

or follow along with:

instagram + bloglovin + twitter

ps: if you'd like to join my sidebar and be a part of the writer's block next month, spaces are still available through my sponsorship page!

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BIG NEWS and the future of ink + adventure

the next few months will be bringing some changes to both this blog and my life. I considered waiting longer to share this news. but for one - I'm not always great at keeping secrets [just ask Husband how many birthdays/holidays he's known his gifts in advance.] and secondly - I've been hinting at this for a while and I know you're impatient to hear. I debated combining this announcement with my reader survey results, since it seemed to make sense... but I'll just mention a few things here and give you a full results post shortly.

well at this point you've probably already scrolled down to peek... but here's our big news:

WE'RE MOVING!

in case you're new around here [and according to the survey, almost half of you have come on board in the past six months] you should know that my Husband teaches at an international high school. we have been at this school in Hsinchu for two years, and are currently on our third year.

while we have loved this community, made some amazing friends, and will always be thankful for our first international home... we have decided that it is time to move on. it will be bittersweet to leave, but the good news is that everything we loved about this place won't be too far away. because. we are moving to...

TAIPEI!

we are both unbelievably excited. Husband has accepted a teaching position at one the the best private schools in Asia, which will allow us both to continue pursuing our professional, personal, and financial goals for the future. life in Taipei will afford us easy access to many things via the MRT system - dumplings, dragons, western import goods, IKEA, museums, mountains, night markets... and all without having to deal with helmet hair. and of course that comes along with many other more serious benefits. [not that dumplings aren't seriously important.]

this is the right move for us right now. it won't be a huge adjustment, as we are staying in the same country and are familiar with the neighborhood we will be living in. we already have friends in Taipei, and will only be a short high speed train ride from our friends in Hsinchu. there is a small part of me that wanted to move somewhere new and exciting... but our situation will allow for continued travels around the region and the world. so there will still be lots of excitement and adventures in our life!

um, and obviously this occasion was cause for donning lipstick and having a photoshoot.

one of the [many] questions my parents had for me when we first chatted about this move, was what would happen to my blog? absolutely, I intend to continue blogging. and the bulk of the content will continue to be travel and expat related - which is what readers said you love to read about most.

because we will be staying in Taiwan, I want to dig a little deeper into this lovely island. there is so much here that I still want to explore, and to share. I often receive emails from readers who are planning to visit or move to Taiwan. I'm hoping to publish much of the knowledge I've shared with them already, as well as new ideas that future travelers and expats can benefit from. that being said - I'd love to hear what you want to know.

well. now that the cat's out of the bag, I don't have much else to say. [other than to maybe reiterate how excited I am about this!]

I hope you all have a lovely week, and a happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it.

xo.

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Kaohsiung // dragon and tiger pagodas

have you ever wanted to stick your head in the jaws of a tiger? or know what it's like to be swallowed by a giant, scaled beast? our visit to the dragon and tiger pagodas at lotus lake in Kaohsiung let us do both in the the span of 20 minutes.

[warning: this is going to be a photo-heavy post... because you know how I love my dragons]

these twin pagodas are perched on the south end of lotus lake, seven stories tall. you begin by walking a winding bridge path, then enter through the enormous dragon. climb a few levels of spiral staircase and you'll find yourself face to face with dragons on a smaller scale [but no less fascinating.] this was the second time I've gotten up close and personal with my scaly friends. I love how they are always similar but not quite the same.

both pagodas are decorated inside and out with elaborate carvings, paintings, and tilework. they aren't exactly ancient... the pagodas [and much of the other attractions in the lotus lake area] were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. but then again, much of Taiwan is not any older than that either.

you exit through the tiger's mouth, since "entering a dragon's throat and coming out a lion's mouth symbolizes turning bad luck to good fortune." or at least according to this website. the tigers done up in tilework were also pretty amazing. I've seen a few creatures other than dragons, but these guys with their stripes were a unique sight. [or maybe this is just because I love cats?] we also enjoyed the breeze from a few levels up, since it was well into the 90F range.

if you are in Kaohsiung and looking to spend a few hours, you can walk around the lotus lake and visit these pagodas and several other attractions, including the Confucius temple. this area is definitely touristy, but still fun to explore. [I mean... how many opportunities will you have to walk through the belly of a tiger?]

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