During the week, it's often hard to travel because I work the whole school day. However, I'm super excited about my plans this weekend. February is very important for many Taiwanese because it's the month of the Lunar New Year, their version of the new year, and also the month to celebrate the Lantern Festival. This festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar and often symbolizes the end of the lunar new year. I'm planning to go to a neighboring town named Shifen with some friends to watch the annual celebration when thousands of sky lanterns with people's wishes are lit and released into the night sky!
I can't believe almost seven months have passed since I arrived in Taiwan. Like any curious explorer, I've been trying to visit many cool places in Taiwan. One of my favorites is a county named Hualien. This county is known for being home to Taroko National Park. I visited mid-January with a friend and we had so much fun seeing the beautiful scenes of nature. We even met some locals and discovered a hidden hot spring. As a Virginia girl, Hualien made me miss the Blue Ridge Mountains!
