April 28, 2019 Reunion on Marbella Pier I was at my usual place. Sitting still on the edge of the pier, I dangled my legs into the water. My toes dipped into the cold saltwater. I opened my mouth and could taste the seawater on the brim of my lips.
March 20, 2019 Changing Tides “Louise, can you pass me the sunscreen?” Jane, my best friend, held out a tanned hand, not bothering to look over from behind her giant sunglasses. Reluctantly, I snatched the pink Coppertone bottle and gave it to her. I waited for her reply, but as predicted, there was none. “Do you think Nick is coming today?”
January 30, 2019 Taking on Taiwan: Not-So-Little Hehuanshan One of the many places I have always wanted to go in Taiwan was Hehuanshan. My curiosity for the destination started when I first got here, listening to fellow teachers of mine talk about how beautiful it was, and more specifically, the sunrise. Part of the central mountain range, Hehuanshan rests right on the edge of Hualien County and Nantou County, making it possible to see both the sunrise and the sunset. As a lover of nature (perhaps an obsessed one at that), I have had this peak on my Taiwan bucket list nearly since the beginning. And I finally made it.
December 12, 2018 Among the Heavens The weekend before Halloween, I ventured to Nantou City. I’ve lived in Taichung over two years and somehow throughout that entire time period, I had yet to go to Nantou. I’d been to Sun Moon Lake, driven through Caotun, but I hadn’t stopped in Nantou. Thus, when my friend from Nantou invited me to see her, the answer was obvious: I was totally going no matter what.