I have wanted to visit Taiwan for as long as I can remember. Which shows you how long my memory is really good for because I'm fairly certain this dream didn't form until after my first semester of Mandarin in college.
I do remember signing up for that first Mandarin class. It felt crazy. I had already filled my foreign language credits with Spanish, so this four-credit class would be entirely useless as far as graduation was concerned. And what's more, the beginning Mandarin course was only offered at 8am. Every day.
It felt crazy.
And it felt soo good. So unbelievably good. I was so excited that I ordered my books as soon as I could and started studying that Summer.
Fast forward almost nine years and I'm still studying and, given some years of neglect, am probably not all that much further along than I was eight years ago. But last month I finally did it--I bought my tickets to Taiwan.
It feels much less real when you can't hold the paper tickets in your hand. I am not a fan of e-wallets. But with my three-week trip almost completely planned out, hotels and hostels booked, and my new luggage purchased, I am beginning to feel again like I did waiting for that first Mandarin class to start nine years ago.
I'm excited for crowded night markets (I'm not actually that excited for the crowds but my grandpa tells me it is part of the experience), for the river walks and hikes, for a tour of Toroko Gorge, and for beautiful temples. But right now, with the every day grind, what I am looking forward to most is Kenting, a national park on the southern tip where I will stop halfway through my three-week trip.
People had told me that Taiwan was cheap, but I hadn't realized how cheap. I splurged only a little to book the nicest hotel up in the hills overlooking the beach, and I kid you not, when I go to bed at night, my final comprehensive thought is to dream of Kenting.
Candidly,
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