Nathaniel's 29th Birthday Weekend!! (Huan Di Dian)

I have been blessed with a great brother who is not only one of my best friends but also protects me and challenges me.  I tried to convince myself that I would have come abroad regardless of his presence here but since I've arrived I cannot imagine doing this alone or without his help.  He has encouraged me to remember life's big picture when I freak out about the little things.  He has protected me from financial shortcomings and my own naiveness at times.  He challenges me to take risks and have adventures.  He is the one who challenged me to come here and I knew he will always be the one who understands my spontaneous need for adventure.  My life would be much less exciting without him!  Happy Birthday Big Brother!! I love you! 

The pre-birthday weekend began with a surprise birthday cake that Jessica bought and some gift giving.

Mom and Dad mailed lots of Nathaniel's favorites from the US: chocolate covered pretzels, reeses' cups, beef jerky and snuck in a bag of candy corn for me! Our parents are the best.  I got him lots of cereal, peanut butter, oreos and green grapes...more food!  

The next day, Jessica had to work :( but Nathaniel and I decided to continue with our hiking plans though it was cold and rainy. 

We ventured to Huan Di Dian, near the small town of Shiding, east of Taipei.  

The trail head started at an interesting temple with lots of flashy lights. 

 Then, things got higher...

And higher...

and  narrow near the top but the clouds cleared enough for us to see the view.  

The trail getting narrower..

We finished the trail in about 3-4 hours and made our way back to the parking lot before dark.  Caught the bus to Taipei and went shopping for running shoes.  I unfortunately could not find a women's 9.5 in Taipei.  So, I am running in 8.5 shoes.   The first run felt okay they were comfortable but my toes hit the top of the shoes.  I hope that doesn't cause harm.

Nathaniel found a nice pair that he has already broken in and stocked up on some food and drinks for the hour bus ride back to Zhongli to sleep and get ready for class on Monday.  It was an adventurous day.

Exploring Taipei

Here are some nice times in Taipei. Breaking the routine and doing something a little different, a detour home or an afternoon off from studying.

Shilin Night Market: 30-40 minute by MRT 

I don't enjoy crowds but have been wanting to check out this famous night market for awhile.  It was an early, rainy Tuesday afternoon...best time for less people so I decided to go.  

Colorful FRUIT!! 

My dinner: fried chicken with ham and cheese inside. 60 NTD = 2 USD.

Outdoor Concert @ Treasure Hill Artist Village near my house.  It was free and sitting in the grass with other music lovin' folk was wonderful.  

Getting a visit from an Asheville friend made for a wonderful night and meeting lots of great people through Scott!  It was a blessing being around such laid back, loving people.  

Visiting a beautiful neighborhood flower with my roomies, Erie and Diki! 

The National Palace Museum with classmates Tina and Beth!

Running to the zoo from my house on the beautiful parkway.  

 I live just on the other side of that bride.  45 minutes of running gets me to the park.

There's a street artist with the name "Dick" near my house.  There's a bridge where spray painting is encouraged and then painted over every couple of weeks to free up space for others.  I'm keeping my eye out for more of Dick's work in the future. 

 Garden space at the riverside park.  Not sure who manages this because it is public but I think its great the space is used for something productive like growing vegetables.

I made it to the zoo and got to see the Gibson monkey fooling around and hang from trees before running back.  I also took a McFlurry break at the McDonalds at the zoo.  Run hard, eat hard.  :) 

"It is better to travel well than to arrive."