‘Escape’: a word near and dear to my heart. As soon as I learned I could, it grew into an ever-present life motto. My newest addition is finding small escapes, maybe an hour or a half-day if I’m lucky. Even challenging myself to appear there, but be completely hidden away in my own presence. I’m secretly hoping that one day I’ll achieve the talent of being in two places at once. A girl can dream. Imagine a world in which my decoy can stay and work while the real me frolics away! Until then, of course, these are my recommended places to escape to when in Taipei.
I have mentioned before how noisy a city Taipei can be, and as much as I enjoy alone time, I don’t always want to spend it in my home. Luckily, there are still spaces within the city that have managed to create relaxed but open spaces for leisurely down time. Whether you are traveling and need a cultural space of quietness or are attempting to navigate the loud city lifestyle, here are my top five places to read a book or score some silent recovery time in Taipei.
I was procrastinating in my work yesterday and instead was looking through all the Taiwan hashtags I could find. Hoping to find some new spots to explore, I was struck with the realization that my eye of Taipei was very different than a vast majority of other photographers in the areas. Now there are certainly people whose vision and photography talent I admire greatly. So much in fact, I’m dedicating a whole post to Taiwan-Inspired Instagram accounts that showcase the uniqueness of this little island (to be released later this week).
How many of my readers use VSCOcam to edit photos? Within a few minutes of using VSCO a year ago, I was hooked. I have used many editing tools, but VSCO won out hands down. I still use other apps to edit for particular needs, but VSCO is my go to app for up-to-date photos, urban adventures, or travel moments. Currently, I am obsessed with the newest set of presets, The Alchemy Collection (Q1-Q10). I have yet to use any other preset.
The moment you set out beyond your own front yard, you realize two things. The first is that you are more than capable of thriving in a variety of lifestyles and environments. Everyone struggles with components of their day-to-day life; expats just face them in new surroundings. The second realization is that the intimate experience of home is just as enriching as experiencing the new. Having yet to be back home in over two years since moving to Taipei, that meet-you-at-the-door feeling has largely been missing in my life: that is, until walking into Ounce Taipei.
Backpacks & Blackboards 