Wulai // chasing waterfalls

sometimes, exploring off the beaten track can lead you to a fantastic discovery. when my brother and I visited the Wulai Waterfall last summer, we decided to do some exploring. this led us to another waterfall... maybe not as impressive, but certainly secluded and beautiful.

after riding the somewhat sketchy cable car up to the top of the falls, we discovered a park/resort complex that was nearly empty. there was a pond, and a stream with a series of small waterfalls running through the park. we started wandering and realized that this stream was the one that flowed down to create the Wulai falls. and so we decided to follow it up as far as we could.

we soon encountered what appeared to be an obstacle course. a series of bridges, nets and ropes criss-crossed over the water. we ventured back and forth a few different ways before spotting a trail leading upstream from one side.

we trekked up the dirt path and discovered that it ended in a beautiful cascading waterfall. we were both drenched in sweat, and decided that dipping our feet in a cool stream sounded more appealing that our original plan of hiking back down for a dip in the hot springs.

we left our shoes on the bank and waded in. my brother ventured farther upstream and I was 40% taking pictures, and 60% yelling at him to be careful because. so what happened next shouldn't be that big of a shock.

my left foot slipped as I was taking a step and became wedged between some rocks in the stream. I lost my balance and realized I was about to fall. I wavered for a bit and decided it would be best to fall backward rather than pitching forward and potentially smashing my face or camera on unseen rocks under the water.

thankfully my backpack broke my fall, and I managed to keep the camera above water. I was drenched from the waist down. but other than my foot which had been stuck in the rocks, unharmed. my brother and I had a good laugh about it, then I decided to document the spot in which I fell, as seen above.

before drying our feet and making our way back to Taipei for some much-needed consolatory falafel and hummus, we encountered this little frog hiding in the rocks. I was soggy for the rest of the afternoon and my foot was bruised for a week, but I still think our hidden waterfall adventure was worth it.

linking up with Bonnie, Courtney, Cynthia, and Yalanda for Travel Tuesday

a cup full of coffee and a heart full of dreams

I've thought a lot about what I'd like my 2015 to involve. the life I would like to create. and there's a phrase that emerged from my thoughts which may just become my daily morning mantra: a cup full of coffee and a heart full of dreams.

is there a difference between a goal and a dream? do semantics really matter here? the point is, I'm setting intentions. it seems the thing to do at this point in the year's inaugural blog post is to share a few of these goals/dreams/intentions. but I'm going to guess you've read [or simply marked as read] more than a handful of goal lists this past week.

more than the actual tasks to be checked off, I want to focus on the approach to 2015. I want to be daring and take risks. go places that I've never been, but also find excitement and contentment in the usual. I want to live each day with a sense of wonder, embody the spirit of exploration, and attempt things that I might just fail at.

with that in mind, this year's motto has evolved into a single word...

five years ago, this word crawled into my brain and refused to leave. I started thinking that you could live life as an adventure no matter where you were... though all the traveling and expat experiences these past few years have certainly made it easier. this word has meant a lot of different things to me. I'm constantly finding new ways to apply it to my life. moving abroad has been an adventure, writing my book has been an adventure. walking through an unexplored part of my neighborhood, shooting a self-portrait in Starbucks this morning, and even taking myself to the doctor last week... all adventures.

you would think by now I'd be sick of the word. but no, not yet. and maybe not ever.

2014 was a blur of trials and travels - no wonder my motto for the year was "challenge accepted." I think my most impressive accomplishment, however, was being ok with NOT completing all of my goals. this year I again have a list of things that I fully intend to achieve. but I think focusing on my attitude towards the year rather than individual goals will have me feeling more fulfilled come December.

[and if you're really that curious... a few things I have planned are creating and coding a blog redesign, completing a 52 weeks self-portrait project, finishing the editing/revising of my book manuscript, and a whole mess of travels.]

linking up with Nicole