I just spent my last weekend here in Taiwan, and it was one of the best yet. On Saturday, Yuan Chi and Charlene (and their families) decided to spend my last Saturday with me. At 2pm, Yuan Chi, his wife and three kids came to get me. We drove to a photo studio where Yuan Chi knows the photographer. Yale and Ula brought all their presents from Maine (the stuffed animals and lobster hats) to be in the pictures. Charlene and her family met us there and we got to take “family photos”. It was really cute because Yuan Chi and his family really have become like a second family to me. I had a lot of fun and the pictures are really cute! See some of them below!
There were a ton more but those were the cutest (:
Then, after they took me to an aboriginal village to a tiny cafe in the mountains for our last meal together. It was so beautiful, the view was stunning. The food was good too! It was nice to just sit with everyone for one last time. We walked around the village for a bit and then went across a cable bridge they have connecting to another smaller village. The bridge moved with every step, so I had a very scared Yale clinging onto my leg the entire walk. It was really cool to see a modern aboriginal village, not a replica, or a museum, a real village. They lived in small shacks and they were all sitting outside, generations together. It was really interesting to see…and some of the kids even talked to me! They couldnt speak any English but they were really excited I was American…and they thought Ula was my daughter!!
Then they brought me home so I could finish up packing, but it was a perfect day and a great last visit with them. Goodbye to my second family here in Taiwan ):
On Sunday, Lakyn and I decided to end our year by hiking Elephant Mountain at sunset. Elephant Mountain gives you a view of all of Taipei and its apparently a must see. And that it most certainly is. It was so beautiful and relaxing and just a perfect end to it all. It gave us time to reflect and just take it all in.
Sorry for the millions of pictures, but it was so beautiful, I couldnt help it! It was the most stunning view Ive ever seen. After we saw the sun set, we decided to go up to the top of Taipei 101 at night. Neither of us have seen it at night, so up 89 floors we went!
It really was the perfect end to the perfect year. I am leaving in two hours, and it still doesnt seem real. I feel like I will go back to school at Su-Ao tomorrow and life will resume as normal. I dont think it will hit me that I’m actually leaving until after I’m gone. I will miss you Taiwan!
Comments