July 10, 2020
Taipei sunset on the 4th of July
Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday back home. Here in Taipei, we had a little gathering in the park and then a bbq. Summer is in full swing with schools letting out and traveling opening up. Of course, not many people are leaving the country. The government is also providing stimulus packages for citizens to spend and travel throughout the rest of the year. My partner and I are taking this opportunity to take a road trip down the East coast of the island. We’ll be doing some hiking and waterfall-chasing through the coincidentally named ERV (East Rift Valley), surfing in Taitung, scuba diving on Orchid and Green Island, and back up the scenic coast.
Planning for this trip has brought out all the excitement and anticipation that normally comes when I’m about to embark on a journey. It’s also given me time to reminisce and reflect on all the experiences I’ve had in the past. Travel is such an important part of my life and has brought so much to my life. Here is an excerpt from the ‘About’ page on my site:
I caught the travel bug back in 2012. I went on a short 2-week trip to Europe with my friend while living in Chicago. Before then, my travels included road trips to baseball and football stadiums, spring break cruises, bachelor parties, and summer house rentals. These trips had been centered around good people and partying. Aside from a handful of trips to China to see family, I had never experienced the world. Traveling to Europe opened my eyes to what was out there (but still with a bit of partying). While still in Chicago, I experimented with mini-solo trips and organizing smaller group trips to various places in the US before embarking on my year-long travels.
My first stop during that year-long trip was Guatemala. I was there for 4 weeks volunteering at an orphanage, studying Spanish, and exploring the country. This was my first solo traveling experience for anything longer than a few days. My time there was truly eye-opening. Working at the orphanage was such a humbling and heart-opening experience. I wrote about my experience way back when. Aside from the beautiful landscapes and history, what has stuck with me five years later is the people. To this day, I think about the relationships and the connections with other travelers, volunteers, my host family, and locals. Many of us have stayed connected through social media and I’ve even reunited with some as I continued to travel.
And this is the same story every time I go somewhere. The experience is different traveling with a partner, a group, and certainly alone. But you get what you put in. It forces you to get out of your comfort zone If you’re invested in and open to the experience, travel can bring out the best in people. You can not only learn about different cultures but you learn a lot about yourself in the process.
🇬🇹 Donate to help the people in Guatemala
Guatemala will always have a special place in my heart. The country has suffered some tragedies over the past few years. The eruption of Mount Fuego in 2018 affected more than 1.7 million people in the region. This was a volcano that many travelers get to see up close. The hike up a neighboring volcano is a popular tourist excursion. It erupts quite often sending small funnels of smoke in the air and bright orange lava oozing down the slopes.
Volcan de Fuego from Volcan de Acatenango
Recently the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the country hard due to the economic shutdown, loss of work, and total halt of tourism. My friend Valerie is raising funds to feed the hundreds of thousands of families struggling to make it through this time. If you’d like to help, please read her post below.
Links and Articles
1. Chase has added even more benefits to their Sapphire cards
Between July 1 and September 30, you can earn even more points through Instacart, gas, and 10x points on subscription streaming services.
2. AMEX giving $50 credit for use at small businesses
Activate this offer by July 26, and you’ll get a $5 credit when you spend $10 at select small business. You can get this credit up to ten times.
3. Earn 10x Marriott points on restaurants and gas
Activate this offer with the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card and get 10x points between July 15 and September 15.
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