23 fun facts + travel stories

happy friday! we are leaving for Taiwan in less than a week, which means I'm still trying to cram everything in that needs to be done/seen/eaten before we go. and as I was digging through my drafts yesterday I came across a post I started writing several months ago when Elizabeth of Wanderlust nominated me for a Liebster Award.

sad to say, this is not the first time I've been nominated for this kind of blog award and belatedly [or never] participated. I thought now might be the time to make the effort because Dana from Wanted an Adventure nominated me for another Liebster Award last week.

both of these ladies sent me some phenomenal questions related to traveling, and I knew they would be a lot of fun to answer. so today you are getting a two-for-one Liebster post chock full of fun facts and travel stories from yours truly.

first up are the questions I received from Elizabeth:

1. What gave you the travel bug?

I grew up in a family that loved to travel and took many vacations around the US as a child - travel is in my blood. I did my share of teenage complaining about it, but in truth I'm so thankful I was able to see so much.

2. How has travel changed you? 

traveling puts you out of your usual element - and that's when you learn the most about both life and yourself. for me, travel isn't just about seeing amazing places, eating new foods, or getting a tan: it's about growth.

3. What was your biggest travel blooper? 

shortly after arriving in Taiwan we took a trip to Hualien with some teacher friends. somehow we got booked at a hotel that rents room by the hour. we walked into our room to find a very interesting chair that was definitely not intended to be used for sitting.

4. Where are you going next?

back to Taiwan! 

5. Why do you blog?

partially to keep friends and family updated on our adventures, partially because I enjoy connecting with other bloggers... but mostly because I love to write.

6. What are your carry on travel necessities? 

I wrote a post last winter about my 12 travel essentials, but the two absolutes for taking on board would be something to read, and snacks. 

7. How do your families respond to your vagabond lifestyle? 

I think it depends on which family member you ask! but seriously, they've been really supportive of us [while at the same time letting us know we are well-missed]

8. What's your favorite city for eating? 

I lived in Manhattan for 6 months, so New York is definitely up there for me... but I also lived near Philly which has so many amazing places... and then there's Bangkok and Taipei too. can I just eat them all?

9. What's your worst transportation horror story? 

when I was 19 and flying home from a study abroad trip to Spain, I arrived in the Netherlands to find my connecting flight was cancelled. this was before smartphones and whatsapp and everyone having wi-fi devices, so I had no way to contact my parents. the airline wouldn't let me get my checked luggage so I ended up buying some clothes at the airport. they did, however, put me up at a hotel for the night. I met a girl from Rhode Island and we drank wine and swapped stories all night... ok, so not such a horror story.

10. Where do I absolutely have to go and what do I need to do when I get there?

Thailand is still my favorite destination. I would suggest spending a few days exploring the temples and the Grand Palace in Bangkok, hiring a driver to tour the ruins of Ayutthaya, and then heading down south to Railay beach for some relaxing. and of course, eat all of the things.

11. Tell us your top place that you want to travel to and what you would do there? 

I've had a fascination with Egypt ever since I wrote a report on the Great Pyramid in fourth grade. ideally, I would like to time travel back to the late 1800's and attach myself to a wealthy British family of egyptologists... but I would settle for visiting in modern times. I'd love to take a cruise along the Nile and stop and see... everything.

12. What is your favorite food?

even being gluten-free, I have a serious love for pizza. bacon, avocado, or any form of potato [chip, fry, mashed] also make me a very happy Jamie. and wine... does wine count as a food?

and now the questions from Dana:

1. What’s the best food you’ve ever discovered abroad?
xiao long bao, aka: soup dumplings. they're not gluten free, but they are pretty much the only things I "cheat" with nowadays.

2. Have you ever experienced reverse culture shock upon returning to your home country? How or in what way?
reverse culture shock hits me in a lot of ways when I come back to the states, but the biggest has to be the overwhelming feeling of being able to understand everything. commercials, signs, people's conversations... sometimes I really like being in my expat bubble and blocking that all out.

3. If you haven’t blocked it out, what’s the worst accommodation experience you’ve had?
as I mentioned above, we once accidentally stayed in a "love motel." I guess now it's a funny story to tell...

4. Do you prefer solo travel, with a friend/significant other, or group travel?
Husband and I have another married couple that we love to travel with. they are good friend of ours and we work well together as a group- but also can split up for couples activities or girls/guys nights.

5. What’s the place you’re most proud of having visited?
moving to Taiwan after having never visited Asia or done much international traveling was a HUGE deal for me. technically we aren't visiting... but I'm really proud that I was able to move there and not only adjust, but love it.

6. Has there been a place you’ve been disappointed with? Where and why?
Tanah Lot in Bali was a big letdown for me. I had done too much research beforehand [aka looking up photos on Pinterest] and the reality didn't live up. the crowds were insane and the entire area was one giant tourist trap.

7. Top 3 places on your bucket list?
all of Egypt, Istanbul in Turkey, and Machu Picchu in Peru

8. If I were to bump into you on your travels, what are the chances you’d have a map of the place on you?
maybe 25% chance of map... and that includes both paper kinds and screenshots on my phone

9. Finish this sentence: The thought of going on a long road trip makes me...
want to stock up on snacks.

10. To camp or not to camp?
we are planning to do some camping [or at least car camping in New Zealand and I'm really excited about it!

11. You arrive at your hotel and they tell you the Internet isn’t working. Your first thought is...
"dang it." but my second thought is "oh well, let's go find a drink."

if you're familiar with the Liebster Award, you should know that now it's time for me to nominate some of my favorite blog friends and let them answer some of my questions. well, I think I had two great sets of questions to work with, so I'm just going to let my nominees choose which set [or combination] they would like to answer! here are the five bloggers I'd like to nominate:

Polly // A Girl and her Travels
Christina // Route Bliss
Jackie // Boy and Girl Globetrot
Dannielle // Chicadeedee
Phyllis // Desperate English Teachers

if I've nominated you [and you decide you want to participate] then you should answer your choice of questions above in a blog post. link back to me [please] and then nominate some of YOUR favorite bloggers and write up some questions you'd like them to answer. most importantly: have fun!

last but not least, I want to say thanks so much to Dana and Elizabeth for nominating me!

I'm ready to go back to Taiwan

I woke up this morning and sat out on the patio to drink my morning coffee and write this post. that's pretty awesome. but then the craziness of "I'm an expat living at home for the summer with things left to do before I leave" happened.

Husband came out to remind me that we need to get international drivers permits, so that turned into 30 minutes of conversation and trying to figure out how and where to get it done. by then I was too hungry to go for the run I had planned once I was done blogging. and after breakfast we realized that we needed ingredients for making pizza for the nephews for dinner. so I showered and we left, stopping to run another errand that involved 2 stops and 5 phone calls. by the time we got back it was 2pm. we scarfed down the takeout sushi we has snagged and I went to work on the pizza dough. while it was rising, we went through our finances because a: we are meeting with our financial advisor on wednesday and I have plans tuesday, and b: flying back to and traveling around the US all summer gets expensive. then it was time to make the pizzas and eat the pizzas.

and finally, 12 hours after I originally planned to finish this post, I'm here. [here specifically being in the back bedroom of my mother-in-law's house where it's quiet.]

suffice it to say: I'm ready to head back to Taiwan. we have 10 days left here and I plan to enjoy them as best as I can [of course] but there are a few things I'm really excited to do once I'm back in our expat home...

get back to my routine. 

vacation can be fun, but when you're never in one place for more than a week... the constant newness can get old. staying with family, borrowing cars, trying to fit in plans with everyone means every day is different. and usually, your schedule is dependent on [or at least affected by] someone else's. in Taiwan, I'm spoiled in that I get to wake up every morning and pretty much do whatever I want. I can set my own routine with the only considerations being "how much food is in our fridge?" and "do I have clean underwear?"

be healthy. 

making time to exercise this summer has been... a challenge. I've been getting out to run once or twice a week, and that's just not enough for me. we have also been eating a TON of amazingly delicious and not-very-good-for-you foods. most of these things we don't have access to in Taiwan, and may not see for another year [or two] so we eat them while we can. I am thrilled that I can have easy access to things like gluten free beer and bread. I am not thrilled about the snugness of my jeans.

write. 

I was pretty ambitious in thinking I would get my book finished and edited this summer. um, no. that didn't happen. and now that my blog vacation is over, I have to work posts and emails and sponsor management back into the equation as well. but when faced withe the choice of catching up on blogs vs. grabbing a drink with old friends or playing video games with my nephews... I think you know what I've been doing.

plan more travels. 

is it silly to say I want to go home so I can plan to leave again? maybe, but this is going to be another big travel year for us. I'm hoping to take a girls weekend to Hong Kong Disney, we are spending 3 weeks in New Zealand over Chinese New Year, and I'll be chaperoning a student trip that travels from Budapest and Bucharest down to Istanbul over the course of two weeks next summer. we also have friends visiting in October and I plan to give them the full hiking/eating Taiwan experience around the island. planning travel is one of my favorite things, and I can't wait to dive in and sort this all out.

have my own space. 

I love our families, but living with your parents at age 29 can get a little cramped. especially after the freedom of my recent lifestyle. I'm used to waking up and having the apartment to myself, being able to get ready and have breakfast at my own pace, work in my office or go to Starbucks or really do anything and all at my own pace. and with blissful silence. [guys, I'm an introvert. and I need my silence.] I miss my office and my scooter and our bed and just... I miss home and our space.

am I the only one who feels a 2 1/2 month vacation might be a little too long? does this only happen to expats returning to their home country for a visit? I've had a wonderful summer and it's been great to see everyone... but I miss my scooter and my dragons and my dumplings and my everyday life.

Taiwan, I'm ready to come home.