happy new year [again]

it's officially Chinese New Year here, the year of the snake. we haven't done much in celebration. one, we don't know where or if there are any public festivals going on. two, we are enjoying relaxing back at home and stuffing ourselves with tasty tasty foods we have missed [fried chicken + mashed potatoes, burgers from Rick's, a big pot of chili, mexican, a feast of italian meats, cheeses and wine...]

I went for a walk today to pick up eggs + water, thank goodness 7-11 is always open. most everything else seemed to be closed. the streets were all but deserted. kindof creepy, actually. it was misty out and hazy from all the firecracker smoke. the smell reminded me of being up north on a cold fall evening.

last night firecrackers were going off non-stop, and so Husband and I climbed up to the roof of our building to see what we could see. it was like a 360 guerrilla fireworks show. we would hear something being let off, then try to find it before it exploded. there didn't seem to be any one main display going on, but a hundred different people around our neighborhood, shooting things off at random. from the ground, from the park, from the temples, from rooftops. I got a few lame photos and decided to just sit and enjoy the warmth of Husband's arms and the scotch I brought up in a travel mug.

we had one of those "we're really here, living in Taiwan, doing this. this is our life." moments.

but mostly we sat in the chill and hazy air, and enjoyed the show. I'm not sure if there's anything going on in town [can't find any information on the internet, at least not in English] but it's barely dusk and already I'm hearing firecrackers from the nearby temple. I did find out that the Taiwan lantern festival will be in Hsinchu this year, starting in 2 weeks. but for the start of the new year at least, it seems to be more about spending time with your family than at organized celebrations. [though I could be completely wrong and there's something crazy going on that I'm missing. but honestly, it's rainy out and I think I've got enough photos to edit for the time being.]

hello, 2013.

our original plans for new years [heading to Taipei to watch the 101 fireworks display with friends, drinking lots of champagne and eating German food] were spoiled by an upset stomach. mine. Husband was awesome enough to scoot out in the cold and pick up groceries to get us through the next few days, so we spent the rest of the day on the couch being lazy and watching movies and 30 Rock. by about 10pm I had recovered enough to have some olive cheese tarts and a glass or two of champagne. and we discovered that about 20 channels were showing new years specials, all in Chinese of course. we flipped through and cracked jokes about the crazy outfits, the Asian Justin Bieber and Jonas brothers, and the random celebrities and/or dignitaries they had giving speeches before the countdown. [CNN was counting down to the "fiscal cliff" so we avoided that.] after midnight there were fireworks on every channel, except 3: a lingerie football league game, a game show where girls in bikinis tried to blow a ping pong ball out of a cup of water, and an LA Clippers game.

I felt much better the next day, though we were still pretty lazy spent more time relaxing. Husband did some school work, and then cooked us an incredible meal to start the year off right. steak with onions + garlic, mashed redskin potatoes, steamed broccoli, and the best red wine I've had since leaving the states. and for dessert? vanilla ice cream [for him] topped with warm bananas, nuts, and melted chili chocolate.

not a bad way to ring in 2013. maybe not the same level of excitement as being downtown in Taipei with a million people... but it was still entertaining, tasty, much warmer, and I had some good company. oh. and obviously some seriously sparkly nails. [essie power clutch topped with set in stones... one of my favorite combos ever.]

I have high hopes for the year to come, and wish you all the best in 2013. I look forward to continuing to share my adventures with you [both planned and unexpected.]

and that, dear readers, is the last of the new year's themed posts.

2012: a review, of sorts

I started the year on vacation in sunny Tampa, Florida. Husband and I flew down to meet my dad and my brother for the Outback Bowl - where Michigan State beat Georgia in hands down the most exciting game of football I've ever witnessed. on actual New Year's Day we went to the Salvador Dali museum, which was an all-around amazing experience.

2012 was the year of the nailpolish for me. my essie obsession started the previous fall, but over the year it exploded. I now have 37 bottles of essie. and I love each and every one. this was also the year of what I like to call the "red pants revolution". I got over my fear of being judged and decided to wear what I wanted, even if it meant being overdressed or in head to toe neon. my colored denim collection now includes pants and/or shorts in the following: wine red, mint green, olive green, lemon yellow, bubblegum pink, deep teal, and yellow with white polka-dots. being colorful makes me happy.

our trip to Boston in February was perhaps the most significant event - the one that triggered a huge life-change. I spent a lot of time that week in our hotel room writing and trying to be brave enough to accept that what had once terrified me so much I said I would never do it [moving to Asia] was becoming a reality. but once it was decided, it was a huge weight lifted. Husband and I had been spinning our wheels in the unknown for months... knowing we wanted to move abroad but having no idea where we would end up.

we spent a wonderful few days celebrating [with incredible brunch, mexican, and a bottle of johnny walker blue label] before we had to come home and face the reality of all that needed to be done: passports, visas, moving, packing... deciding what to bring, what to leave, and what to get rid of... quitting our jobs, selling our cars, leaving our family + friends + cats behind.

in our months before we left we tried to spend as much time as possible soaking in what we would miss. a million thanks to all our friends for the memories made... baseball games, concerts, bonfires, going away parties, barbecues, and many many drinks. and our amazing families who took our moving to the other side of the world without [much] complaint.

and then we were here. I know that many things may have been easier had we moved to another country. somewhere I could use my Spanish, anything within the eastern time zone, someplace that takes less time and money to get home from, an English-speaking culture, or Turkey where Husband has spent so much time already. but Taiwan has been good to us. especially in the people we have been lucky to meet here. and regardless of where we go next, this place will always have a piece of my heart.

I won't rehash all the events since moving to Taiwan, but some favorites have been our road trip to Hualien and Taroko Gorge, euchre nights, figuring out how to bake in a toaster oven, learning to scoot, our epic karaoke evening, the daytrip to Yehliu Geopark, painting my chalkboard wall, drinking on the rooftop, exploring the statue garden [post coming soon], and the many dragon-covered temples of our city.

2012, you were an adventure.

still developing

[photo from this great blog]

this has been an extremely difficult post to write. the weight of all the things left undone and unsaid this year - from my 13 by 2013 list to the kitchen full of dirty dishes - is starting to put me into panic mode. but I'm taking a deep breath, deleting, and starting over.

I had a lot of expectations about where 2012 would take me. Taiwan... was definitely not on that list. from the moment we arrived here, it has been a learning experience. eyes opened. fears faced. stereotypes smashed. more than I had imagined, and sometimes less. it hasn't all been pleasant or comfortable, and at times was downright terrifying. but that's life. progress. growth.

and while I've grown immensely in our time here, there is still much I want to accomplish. lucky for me - there's a whole new year just ahead in which to do it.



so here I am: 2013. trying to find my voice. wanting to be authentic, and vulnerable, and me. sometimes terrified. but still growing, changing, discovering. still developing.