I did not see a white rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch. The cake I ate did not make me grow taller. The many milk tea drinks I imbibed did not shrink me (they were all delicious, though). However, my tour guides were just about as confusing as the grinning Cheshire cat and I did have one heck of a grand adventure.

I went to Taiwan by myself for a solo vacation before seeing my family in the Philippines. It may not sound like such a big deal to some but for me it was like diving head first into a mysterious hole in the ground not knowing what you would find at the bottom. It was my first time traveling solo to a foreign country since I went to Hong Kong to take the NCLEX 15 years ago.

I only (barely) know how to say one sentence in Mandarin: Do you speak English? I was counting on Google Translate to keep me from making any heinous and potentially arrest-able blunders for the four days I was there. Thankfully, I am good at reading signs and following written instructions. I’m a nurse by profession after all. 

I did a lot of research and pre-booked my tours before flying in. I marked all the interesting sights I planned on visiting on my Google Maps. I did virtual street tours online, read every blog I could and watched every Taipei episode of every travel show I could find. In the end, when I finally got there, I still felt unprepared. I suppose that’s what makes it an adventure.

Come and follow along with me as I recall that time I fell down the metaphorical rabbit hole into a most excellent adventure. Meet the characters I met. See the things I saw. Come along now, we mustn’t be late.