the art of getting lost

I've been trying to get lost more often. taking long walks through unexplored areas of our neighborhood, discovering new alleys and nooks, spotting hidden temples.

in so many areas of life, I try to operate in the most efficient manner. I want to accomplish as many important things as I can in as short of time as possible [without sacrificing the quality of the outcome, of course.] the way I wash dishes. how I hang the laundry to dry. which road I take to get to downtown when running errands.

logistics are my jam. seriously. when grocery shopping can involve 3 or 4 stops you either learn which routes make sense or you waste a lot of time and gas. my sense of direction is better than most. my memory is scary good with details. and my spacial analysis skills... well I do have an engineering degree. [which I don't use anymore, so just let me brag a little here ok?]

so once I get a sense of how to get from point A to B to C and back again, I plot the most efficient route and tend to stick to it.

not today though. I went out on the scooter and got lost, intentionally.

I took myself out on a sushi date for lunch. the dishes were dirty and Husband came home and suggested I just go, rather than clean them. [in fact they are still not clean because I'm sitting here typing instead of scrubbing... but I never claimed to be a perfect little housewife.]

after lunch I had planned to head to the park and shoot some photos for an upcoming post. but it was windy. really windy. but I didn't want to go home and just sit in the apartment listening to the remodeling they are doing upstairs and thinking I should wash the dishes. so I decided to just drive around instead.

maybe it's because we are moving to Taipei in 6 months and I want to explore more of Hsinchu while I still have the chance. maybe it's because I was subconsciously thinking of my "resolution" to bring an attitude of adventure to this year. maybe it's because I live right by the dang mountains yet can never seem to find a good vantage point for taking pictures of them when we have a clear day. or maybe I just really didn't want to wash dishes.

I just drove around all afternoon. I went downtown and took roads and alleys I didn't recognize. then I headed out towards the hills and got myself good and lost.

and then of course I found my way back. my cheeks were pink and my hair whipped into a wild tangle where it escaped from under my helmet. I didn't find anything out there I had been looking for, except for maybe a bit of myself.

linking up with Nicole

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