Where’s 2018 gone? // 2018去了哪裏

31st December 2018 2 By livinguktaiwan

2017 new year eve seems like it was only yesterday.  In a flash of a light, 2018 came and now the last sunset of the year it’s about to go as I write.  Where’s 2018 gone?

2017年大除夕夜就彷如昨天的事。 2018年最後的日落又將消失了。回顧過去一年好像什麼都沒做到。 每幾個月出外旅遊的確很開心 ,但生命總好像缺少點點不知什麼。 或許已習慣甘於平淡的生活。 究竟這是好還是不好? 2019年又將會是怎樣的一年呢?

Where's 2018 gone?

Taken 4.51pm on 31st December 2018

Looking back, it seems I haven’t really done anything in the past year.  I started off in 2018 with a small plan of what I wanted to achieve in the year .  I deliberately didn’t call them resolutions, but that didn’t make any difference, I still failed to achieve my goals.  This year I’m not going to make any plan or resolution for 2019. Life will be what it will be.


For the little that I had done in the year, blogging has helped me to document these journeys and memories so I know where’s 2018 gone.  I apologise if I have been stuffing all that in your face throughout the year, but I figured if you’re still reading my post now then it can’t be that bad.  So thanks for sticking around.  I really appreciate that. Here’s a little recap of my travels this year and some of my favourite posts.

FEBRUARY – UK

It was coming up to two years since I moved to Taiwan and it was a real treat going back home to see my family again.  A baby was born since I left,  toddlers have grown up, and the once youngsters have progressed in life with new jobs and new homes. Makes me feel so old, or perhaps maturity is a better word?  Things and places that I had taken for granted when I was in the UK all became very special, distance makes the heart grow fonder is true.

A traditional English Village

British roast dinner

A tour around my hometown


MAY – VIETNAM

In May I went to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, no particular reason other than there were direct flights from my local airport.   To be honest, I wasn’t too impressed with HCMC, it was just like another city.  Anyway, I love Vietnamese food, so anywhere that offers great authentic Vietnamese food goes down well with me, so I’m not complaining too much.

First night in Ho Chi Minh

Coconut sweets and the murky Mekong River in Vietnam

Cruising along the Mekong River

Staircases in Vietnam


JULY – MALAYSIA

Rooftop bar in KL Malaysia

 

One of the best thing about blogging is meeting so many different people around the world,  and it’s even better when you get to meet them in real life.  In August I went to Kuala Lumpur and met up with some of my fellow blogger friends.  The last time I went to KL the Twin Towers weren’t even built yet, I wonder what new structure will be built the next time I go?

Chillin out at a rooftop bar in KL Malaysia

Three Inch Lotus Feet

Doors from Malacca


NOVEMBER – JAPAN

Magome, Japan, An ancient village on the hill

This is the longest I spent in Japan,  nearly three weeks driving around various cities.  There was so much to do and so much to see, no wonder so many people fall in love with Japan.  So far I’ve written 14 posts about my trip and am still not finished yet.

Hello Tokyo

Diving with Ama

My magical moment


LIFE IN TAIWAN

Sometimes I feel my life seems to have stopped in Taiwan.  Not physically, as I wish I wouldn’t grow old by a year every year, but metaphorically.  I live in Taiwan, as in I eat, sleep, walk and breathe here, but that’s about it.  Life has become quite routine, I feel as though there should be more to life than that.  I should be experiencing Taiwan, not just living it. And this is solely down to my own laziness and procrastination.  They say YOLO is a cliche, but when you’ve lived half of it already, it becomes very true. And before you know it, the second O in YOLO is gone.

Taken 5.23pm on 31st December 2018

The first and last photos here where taken less than an hour apart.  So much has changed during this very short period of time, yet I have done nothing other than to ramble on here.

As I said, there are no plans or resolutions for 2019.  Carpe diem!