August 6, 2020 A Change of Pace Laying in the saltwater on the beach two Sundays ago, my fiancé and I were chatting while we watched the clouds passed overhead. The topic of the conversation was the same as it had been for the last few months: my job. I was experiencing the Monday Blues, real bad. We talked and talked–for hours–at the beach, until we came to a decision that was both risky but responsible.
March 13, 2019 What’s the Deal With Cupping and Scraping? Prior to leaving Taiwan for the United States, I will admit: I over indulged in some things, like bubble tea, stinky tofu, night market games, and of course, massages. I am pretty sure I hit up at least three or four massage centers in the last month I was in Taiwan! I have always wanted to try cupping and scraping (yeah, call me crazy, I know I am) and I made it one of my goals to do that before I went home. So that’s just what I did.
January 23, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: Health is Wealth When I came to Taiwan, I was fresh out of working job that involved manual labor, sometimes longer than eight hours a day and six days a week. In a word, I was exhausted. I spent the two weeks I gave myself off from the job laying around, catching up on all the things I didn’t have time to do when I was under the blazing sun. And like in years past, I seemed to gain back all that I had lost during the ten weeks I worked, and then some. And then couldn’t shake it off me.
December 19, 2018 The Scariest Part of Living Abroad Often times from friends and family back home, I’m often told how scary the idea of moving abroad can be. And I have to agree: picking up everything and moving halfway across the world in itself sounds daunting. Honestly for me, it was never too frightening of a plan at the start. I always knew I was going to do it, no matter what. But I may have met my scariest situation yet while abroad.
October 10, 2018 The Key to a Proper Diet The year is 2011. I was seventeen going on finally being a legal adult, preparing for university and collegiate division three ice hockey. In the spring of that year, I’d written my first real full length manuscript (which I never ended up publishing) and I was attempting to get noticed on other smaller websites or journals. As far as my future appeared, things were looking up. Until I glanced around at the other aspects of my life. Then the truth became more than apparent to me: my diet was inadequate.
September 30, 2018 兩年: A Year of Habits To be honest, I thought that my second year would mirror a lot of my inaugural year abroad. I really accomplished a lot during the first three hundred and sixty five days. I’d participated in producing a short film, went on a short vacation to Mazu, and not to mention all the little trips around the island exploring. But then I look back now at the end of my second year here and I’m even more surprised.
September 8, 2018 Why I Went Vegan (Again) Way back when at the age of twenty-one, I was seeing a girl who was deep into veganism. It was, honestly, the first time I had seen or heard anything about it. And I was intrigued by the idea. At the time, I was a little oblivious and ignorant to my own needs. I thought I was healthy and continually found myself in a pattern. I’d lose weight, get real close to where I wanted to be, and then I’d falter back, ending up right back where I started. I was unhappy, not healthy, and I needed a change.