ode to lovely

I miss being on vacation

One week ago I was sitting on the beaches of Grand Turk. Now I'm back to sitting in an office and wishing I were still on vacation.

taipei bound!

I am currently in Tokyo, and thinking about the last time I was in this airport. 

I am SO EXCITED to be heading home to Taiwan. Yes, I still call Taiwan my home. I'm having a really hard accepting the fact that after this trip, it will no longer be my place of residence.

I've been living back in DC for 2.5 months now and I have to admit that I haven't fully adjusted to life in the States. Probably because I left all my things in Taiwan and I'm living with 1/8 of my personal belongings. Luckily, I have a very generous sister who has shared her clothes and things with me. But I'm not so positive that bringing my things home will make me feel more settled. We'll see. 

But, now as I sit here in Tokyo, yet again eating delicious Udon noodles, I am thinking about (and slightly dreading) all the packing I will have to do. I wish I could say this trip was strictly for pleasure, but unfortunately, it's for admin and personal reasons. Time to officially shut down the Taiwan chapter of my life. 

I wish I didn't have to say goodbye, I wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish I could tell you that I'll live here again one day, but I doubt it. Life has to go on. Chapters need to close. Stories have to have endings.

For now, I'm just happy to be going home one last time. One last Taiwan adventure. 

TAIWAN...here I come!!

nyc was good for my soul

I went to NYC on Wednesday night. I probably shouldn't have. I had so much to do at home. So many jobs that I had planned to apply to, but hadn't yet. So many errands to run and people to see. But, I couldn't help myself. And I am 100% certain that going to NYC was the best decision I have ever made. 

First, I got to see one of my bestest friends Elizabeth and her adorable family. Then, on Thursday, I got to spend time with my old ICLP friends. I had a delicious lunch at Locanda Verde with Christine (the goat cheese was to DIE for), followed by drinks at La Biblioteca with Lauren (amazing Margaritas), and then the ICLP meet-up at a Peruvian Chicken Restaurant called Pio Pio. Isn't it crazy that we were once all in Taiwan together and then we all happened to be in NYC 2 years later. 

Then Friday, we went to Happy Hour at The Mermaid Inn for some mouth-watering oysters, mac and cheese, and lobster rolls. This was all followed by Lychee Martinis at Verlaine with Lauren, her sister, and Elizabeth. 

Saturday, Lauren took me out to a yummy brunch at Cafeteria. Loved the ambiance here and my green eggs and ham were delicious. The eggs had just the right amount of goat cheese and my ham was grilled to perfection. Lauren had the Lemon Pancakes and they were the fluffiest pancakes I have ever had. Look how pretty (and happy!) she looks with her delicious breakfast! 

As you can see, my ENTIRE weekend revolved around good food and good friends. It was exactly what I needed. Elizabeth, Lauren, Christine, and Jasmine - I love you girls SO much. 

Now, back to job hunting. Time to get serious. Gotta buckle down and get this shit done. 

greetings from Narita Airport

Hello friends. I'm at an internet cafe in Tokyo right now. I'm EXHAUSTED from lack of sleep, from packing at the very last minute, and from all the tears I shed as I had to say goodbye to good friends and my loving boyfriend.  I arrived here a few hours ago and still have a few hours until my connecting flight to LAX. I just ate a VERY expensive Shrimp Tempura Udon Noodle that cost me $12 and was not as good as the Miso Noodle Soup I had last time I was at this aiport. Total (expenive) food fail.

I decided to head back to DC only 5 days ago. My visa expired today and all my other options were just costly and wasteful. So, I called American Airlines 5 days ago and luckily scored myself a free ticket home using miles. So, home is where I'm headed.

Not sure if this is a temporary or permanent move. Not sure if I'll be home for 4 weeks, or 8 weeks, or indefinitely. Not sure if a awesome job opportunity awaits me, or if I'm just going to encounter the same problems I faced in Taiwan. Not sure about anything actually. The only thing that is certain is that I cannot wait to see my family after being apart for over one year. It's time to go home and recharge my batteries, eat delicious food, see old friends, and get this US job search going. Let's see how it goes. Staying positive and staying hopeful that what is meant to be, will be. 

hanoi in photos

Hanoi feels like weeks ago, when in fact, it was only 4 days ago. It's been a jam-packed few days since then, filled with massages, facials, hair appointments, and mani/pedis. I've been one very spoiled girl thanks to my lovely Mi, who is the bestest friend a girl could ask for. When I think back on this vacation, I will forever be thankful for all the laughs we had. Thank you Mi for always being so thoughtful, cheerful, and so incredibly generous. You are a gem and I love you!

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and it's time to return home to Taiwan. I'm sad to leave Mi, but I'm definitely ready to return to my boy. I can't wait to put my arms around him and kiss his scruffy face. Taiwan...here I come! Goodbye Vietnam...I will back, I pro-mise you! ;)

coffee and thoughts

Manuel LOVES Vietnamese coffee. So, I sent him this picture a few minutes ago. I bet he's sitting at his office feeling a bit jealous of my delicious breakfast. But he's going to feel so excited when I return home with a HUGE bag of his favorite Vietnamese coffee. I hope he thanks me with one million sweet kisses. 

I've really missed him a lot this trip. More so than other trips. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, huh? 

I really hate thinking about what will happen if my Taiwan visa runs out and I'm still jobless. I guess we will just cross that bridge when we get there. 

ha long bay

Ha Long Bay was amazing. So peaceful and beautiful and I loved every minute. I wish there hadn't been so many tourists, but besides that, it was perfect. Now, off to enjoy a full day in Hanoi. More later!

saturday mornings in HCM

Saturday mornings here mean:

• waking up early, around 7am, as the city wakes up, so do I
• watching fashion tv and envying the models on their perfect bodies
• dancing around to music videos as I pack my things for Hanoi
• trying on some of Mi's dresses and having a mini-fashion show
• skyping with Manuel. lots of giggles and virtual hugs
• Kiki barging into the bedroom and saying "good morning nati!"
• getting ready for a weekend adventure in the north of Vietnam!

the last two days

Some of my favorite pictures from the last two days.

• Delicious soft shell crab - I love Vietnamese food!
• Rocking my new hat that Manuel picked out.
• Visiting Vietnam Airlines flight training school. 
• My green nails match the watermelon.
• Mi looking stunning after getting her hair did. 

august third

Today I:

• Wore the J-Crew shirt my mom bought me for Christmas
• Had an awesome mini-facial and massage at the hair salon
• Received  a conditioning treatment for my damaged hair
• Had my hair blow dried and curled by a cute Vietnamese man
• Realized my hair is way too dark and I really need to add some highlights
• Learned to count from 1 to 10 in Vietnamese - I'm so proud of myself
• Was apprehensive about going on a boat - but it ended up being really fun
• Had dinner, drinks, and great conversations on Mi's rooftop patio
• Wondered about where I will be on my 30th birthday
• Wished my parents could be here in Vietnam with me right now
• Felt so happy and thankful for all the opportunities I have been given

august first in photos

Life in Vietnam is wonderfully simple and full of great moments. I love it here. I am surrounded by the best things that life can offer: Good food, amazing friends, and the beauty of living in the present moment. Life is GREAT.

sin chao from vietnam!!

Hello from Ho Chi Minh! I made a last minute decision to join my friend Toby on his vacation and so I find myself, yet again, in the amazing country of Vietnam! I am staying with my sweet friend Mi again and everything is honestly PERFECT. We had an delicious lunch, followed by the most amazing 1.5 hour massage (that only cost $15), and then a homecooked Japanese style dinner at home. YUM!

This time around, I have a lot less pressure to do all the touristy things, so I plan to take it easy and soak in the city in a more relaxed way. I brought my computer so I hope I can post more regulary too. But I caught a 7am flight this morning, and after a jam-packed first day, I'm truly exhausted and ready for bed (and its only 10pm). More later from HCM. Goodnight!

the secret hot springs

 

Yesterday, we woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to the secret hotsprings on YangMingShan (YangMing Mountain). I've been to these only a few times before, once by scooter, and once by car, but this time we decided to take a bus. The bus was actually the longest commute of the 3 options (1.5 hours), but at least it was super comfy and we both fell asleep on the way there. We arrived at our stop at 8:30 and began our 20 minute hike to the hot springs. It wasn't a challenging hike, and luckily it was still early, so it wasn't as hot as it usually is at that time. 

I thought we'd be the only crazy ones who would go to hotsprings that early in the morning, but we ran into a few retired Taiwanese couples on our hike. They were super sweet and friendly and shared their fruit and water and snacks with us once we got there. One couple even offered to take us back to the city after we had already soaked for 2 hours. At first I politely declined their offer, but after they insisted 20 times, we agreed to ride with them. Not only did the ride down take only 30 minutes, but they saved us money on bus fare. I honestly can't stress enough how NICE Taiwanese people are. This is not the first time that random strangers offer up their kindness to me. This is probably the number 1 reason why I love Taiwan so much. 

Today, my life is back to normal. I am back to job hunting, back to working out, back to my regularly scheduled program. Time to get serious people. Time is running out!! 

the forbidden city

Today, I visited the Forbidden City. It was so much bigger than I thought it would be and my feet were killing me by the end of the day. But it was all worth it. It was so amazing to finally see it in person, instead of just seeing it in pictures online.

And then there was what I call, the forbidden jump. I just had to do it. It was the perfect addition to my "jumping around the world" album. Plus, I think all the former emperors of China are looking down and laughing at my goofy jump.

More later. I'm exhausted and tomorrow is my last day in Beijing. I can't believe how fast these days have gone by. I'm sad to leave this place, but I know it's time to get back to work.

I still have the Great Wall of China photos to post. More tomorrow. Goodnight.

greetings from shanghai, china

I can't believe I'm here! In one of the biggest freaking countries of the world. In a country with so much history and soooo many people. I am so excited, and quite nervous as well. I never get nervous to visit a new country but this time is different. I have so much riding on the next 28 days. But I'm going to stay positive and hope that everything will work itself out.

I'm going to try to post everyday. And share my journey in Shanghai with everyone. I'm calling it: 28 days in China. I want to remember this adventure and always remind myself on how lucky I am to have these kinds of experiences. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world. More later!

vietnam pictures part deux

In the market:

With Vietnamese ladies wearing traditional Vietnamese dresses:

Smelling Durian for the first time:

Home-cooked meal:
With my awesome Vietnamese friend, Mi:

738 pictures later

After sorting through 700+ pictures it was pretty hard to pick my favorites. I think I'm going to have to make a digital scrapbook of our vacation. But that will have to wait until I get my mac back from the mac doctor. For now, I'll post some of my favorites.

At the War Musuem:
Successfully crossing the crazy streets in Ho Chi Minh:

At a famous church:
Inside the Cu Chi (Viet Cong) Tunnels:

On the MeKong Delta wearing a traditional Vietnamese hat:

More later. Need to go enjoy the rest of my Saturday night.

back from vietnam!

We just spent the last 9 days in the amazing country of Vietnam. I loved every single minute of this trip.  We are so thankful for our wonderful and generous host, Mi Nguyen. We could have never had as much fun as we did if it weren't for her amazing planning skills.

I will never ever forget this trip. It was carefree, simple, exciting, adventurous, relaxing, and full of some of the most amazing food I've ever tasted. There were many times throughout this trip that I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. And the best part is that I had my best friend by my side.

I'll post my favorite pictures soon. For now, I have to reconnect to my world here in Taipei. Back to life, back to reality.

long weekends

I love that I have a kitchen in my new place. This was my homemade breakfast on Monday morning. Hashbrowns with onions, garlic and scallions. With scrambled eggs, mixed in with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and cheddar cheese. It was delicious and it made me feel so incredibly happy.

But the long weekend went by too quickly, as they always do. But the good news is that I leave for Vietnam in a few hours. Taking the red-eye flight to Manila, and then heading to Ho Chi Minh for 9 whole days. I can't freaking wait to explore a new country and eat delicious Vietnamese food.

Vietnam...here I come!

my trip was solely based on friends and food

• Rihanna at the Garden was incredible. Best concert I've seen in a long time. Bought my sisters and Elizabeth's tickets the day before the show, and we were SO lucky to have their seats TWO away from where Lauren and I were sitting. What are the freaking odds? Especially since it was a sold out show.
• Before the concert, I made homemade lasagna. I highly recommend this recipe. And then after the concert, I shared a Gyro with Elizabeth from a food cart. Who knew street meat could be so damn good!
• I ate a vegan meal at Candle Cafe today, which is on the upper east side. My sister has been a vegan now for almost 2 years. I hate that she won't eat meat with me like the good ol' days, but she was so excited to eat vegan food in the city that I decided to be nice and join her in her vegan ways. The restaurant is one of Alicia Silverstone's  favorite NYC restaurants and it did not disappoint. But, I still like real meat better than seitan. Just saying.
• After lunch, we headed to Babycakes for cupcakes (also an Alicia Silverstone recommendation). Who knew vegan cupcakes could be so delicious!
• Then had the most delicious corn on the cob, smothered with cheese, a dash of paprika, a touch of lime, and grilled to perfection at Cafe Habana.
• The food journey ended with a slice of pizza at Bleeker Street Pizza, near NYU.
• I think I gained 3 lbs and an extra stomach roll from all the food I've devoured  in the last 4 days, but it was worth it.
• My whole trip was based around good friends and good food. Last week was a rough week, filled with frustrations, tough decisions, tears, and realizations. But this week was amazing and this trip was just what I needed. It reminded me that I need to stay positive and good things come to those who wait.
• Today, on Friday August 13th, I've decided I have to finally, once and for all, let go. Let go of what could have and should have been, and accept the consequences of my decisions. I need to find peace of mind again.

50/50 day part deux trois

Today all I did was watch a zillion episodes of How I Met Your Mother while scrapbooking. I only made two pages but it felt GREAT to be creative again. I so wish I could post them but I cant because 1. my scanner broke and 2. they're both regarding super private things. Also, I finally created a photo album on the sidebar dedicated to all the traveling I have done around the world. It's not complete, so I'll be adding to it as I clean out my hard drive and discover more pictures from the past. But until then, take a look if you're interested in my crazy travels.

for claudia

This post is for my bestest friend Claudia, who checks my blog every single day to see if I have posted...Claudi, you are the reason I paid my typepad fees and decided to blog again.

So, if you missed my blog, no need to miss me anymore. And I am going to make a big effort to write regular posts. They will be honest, and raw, and unedited. I'm sick of hiding the truth and sugarcoating my feelings. Expect a big post soon.

Picture above is from my recent travels to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, which was A-MA-ZING. :)

i love my foodie friends

I don't have that many cultural sight-seeing shots from South Korea. Probably because I spent the majority of the time eating my way through Seoul. Examples:

 

 

Now, it's back to reality. But, I still have one week of vacation left. I plan to do a belated spring cleaning, hopefully book a ticket home, clean out my hard drive, and workout every single day. I want to have a productive, yet relaxing last week of freedom before my last semester of chinese studies begins. Ok, back to it.

plus one, makes four

Busy day ahead. I have lots to do before my 5pm flight to Seoul. I have acceptance letters to turn in, emails to write, phone calls to make, laundry to fold, and a suitcase to pack. And hopefully I can squeeze in a killer workout somewhere in between. Super excited to get away. Back on Saturday.

i didn't go alone

There were drinks. Most of them with fresh mangos. BEST drinks I've ever had.

 

There was digging holes and digging Simon in said hole. 

 

There were boat rides. And snorkeling. And parasailing. And underwater photos.

There was a yellow raft that was pulled by a speed boat. Best 15 minutes of my life. 

There were breathtaking sunsets. And late evening ocean swims.

And of course, there were several jumping shots. 

 And that my friends, was my trip to Boracay. Happy weekend!