Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul!
This blog post is dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the train crash yesterday. They were looking forward to going on vacation and spending time with family. Instead, some were injured, while others lost their lives. Prayers sent to everyone impacted. RIP
Four-day break and it couldn’t come at a better time. My friends and I headed to Eastern Taiwan, to a town called Yilan. Driving is always an adventure here, especially when you can’t read the road signs. We arrived at the highway, only to see the police there. They basically were saying, “No, go another way” I forgot, but on holidays you can only travel during certain hours on the highway.
My thoughts
Oh shit!
Ok, Dawn, follow the traffic.
To the mountains we go.
The scary part is when you are driving with no cars to follow. The first time that I stopped, an old Taiwanese man tried to help. He got me a little further. At the second stop, a young gentleman knew a little bit of English.
He was able to navigate us through the mountains and onto our destination. A three hour drive turned into five hours. Lesson learned- Check the highway closures before a road trip.
Finally, we arrive at our destination! My friend wanted to get a pedicure, so off we went. She found this place called Candy’s. I thought to myself, “No way this place is open.” I sent a line message to the owner and then thought, “Dawn, just ring the bell.” Slowly, the door opens and out comes this cute young woman with all these kids. Thank God my friend Jamila knows some Chinese. Let the negotiations begin!! This woman was trying to sell us numerous things, but I wanted to keep it simple. After many conversations, we finally settled on a price. After the long drive, I was just happy to sleep on a comfy chair.
Before this trip, I went to the dentist for tooth pain. He put me on anti-biotics and I was hoping that it didn’t impact my trip. I was feeling the effects of a stressful drive and tooth pain. After my appointment, I went back to the hotel to relax. I spent much of the night trying to find medication for a headache and Hydrogen Peroxide. One was successful, while the other, not so much. The pharmacist had Hydrogen Peroxide, but it looked like a concentrated dose that shouldn’t be put in your mouth. I just had to laugh through the pain.
Woke up today, ready to hit the beach. I’ve been looking forward to meditating at the beach for some time. I drove to Neimei Beach and it did not disappoint. The drive was excellent, navigating through the winding streets of the fishing village. Seeing all the fishing boats and the merchants selling seafood on the sidewalks reminded me of home. As I approached the parking lot, I saw a statue, Guanyin guarding the beach. Always a good sign for me.
To see the luscious green mountains as the backdrop to the beach was so breathtaking. This beach is different than anything that I’ve seen in Taiwan.
The sand is dark, and the rocks are flat and tiny. As I sat down, closed my eyes and meditated, the sounds of the sea hit differently than home. I took deep breaths in and out as I noticed this new sound. What was this? It was almost like a wooshing sound.
I opened my eyes to the waves crashing against the rocks and as the water retreated into the ocean, it rubbed against the rocks making this sound. Sitting there in silence, I focused less on my pain and more on this sound, feeling grateful for experiencing the ocean from a different side of the world.
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