Gagabber: Alishan

We recently received the bittersweet news that we'll be moving home soon. We've always known this day would come, but our initial reaction was that it felt just a bit too soon for us. For the past 5 years we've lived the life of expats where we've travelled the world, experienced countless wonderful cultures, met lifelong friends, learned and forgotten 2 languages, enjoyed a multitude of new tastes and flavors, and most importantly grown from a couple to a family of 4. Throughout the numerous trials and tribulations of settling into our new homes away from Oregon, we've become a stronger family since we needed to rely on each other for our support system. After taking a step back we're both happy to admit that we've had a extraordinary go of it and can move home with only a single regret - that we didn't forgo our cheap ways and spring for a few nights in a 5 star ritzy resort in Bali while we lived in Indonesia.

I was so glad we booked a trip to Alishan a few weeks back because this was one sight I really wanted to see before we left. We weren't enthusiastic enough to wake up at 4am to take the train up the mountain for the famous Alishan sunrise, so we settled for a more baby friendly after breakfast departure time. After a near sleepless night with Hux likely keeping our entire floor awake, we made it out the door before 9am while trying to pretend we didn't notice the looks from other families at the breakfast buffet. Despite the holiday weekend crowds, we managed to secure parking and find our way to the train station with very few hiccups. The scenery was pretty fogged in so we missed the famous views but were able to enjoy a walk through the ancient red cypress forest. We ended up heading home a night early as we all needed a good night sleep, but regardless had a wonderful time getting out of the city for a few days.