<strong>I am no longer living in Great White. She is sold to a new happy owner as a cargo van once again... However, I am now living in the Philippines where you don't have to live in a van.</strong><br><strong>Well, one because it's freaking hot and you will roast, two because housing is affordable here as well as fresh food from the market.</strong><br><br><strong>Anyways, here is a post I did elsewhere on life's decisions: </strong><br><br>I cannot offer any advice on the choices you have to make. They are choices not available to me for I have not faced your road before (or maybe I had and broke up relationships early--who knows...).<br><br>However, your mentioning of Taiwan reminded me of my trip there more than 3 weeks ago. It will open your eyes and you will be AMAZED.<br>I now call Taiwan a true first world. Holding fast to tradition while embracing a quickly developing future.<br>The discipline of people and the order of that society is astounding.<br>You can go on a shoestring budget. <br>I went there spending only $400 for 4 days --hotel and flight included (but I did fly from the Philippines which is closer).<br>It's civilization on a whole other level I have not even imagined possible. Certainly not a country I thought was "developing". No, no no. <br>It is so advanced, it is actually painful for me to realize we've fallen behind this tiny island and its 6,000 year old culture. <br>The freaking hotel amenities alone are unbelievable.<br><br>I cannot imagine visiting Taipei as an older person. There's so much to do and so many cuisines to try. You need a younger, robust body to withstand the foodie experience and all the walking. Otherwise, you'd be confined to a tour bus along with the other retirees following a set route. Man, I felt really lucky to be young and have the stamina to walk all over the place. The tour groups were herded like cattle through the museums but we were free to examine the priceless artifacts to our heart's content. So much to see and experience!<br><br>More of my Taipei adventure can be read here: <br>
http://rodwanderer.blogspot.com/<br><br>This is part of why I chose to be a vagabond now in my 40's. My life has indeed BEGUN!<br>I cannot wait to see other Asian countries nearby. My travel buddy from Texas is my guest in my home here in the Philippines and he is fast falling in love with the islands. <br><br>When I compiled my pictures today, I realized I've been all over the place since 2009 when I began this odyssey.<br>Prior to this, I've been living most of my life in San Antonio Texas.<br><br>New Orleans. Corpus Christi (3 times), Laredo, Houston (more times than I can count), Austin, Dallas, Riverside CA, Koreatown Los Angeles, Boston MA, Maine, Connecticut... Overseas, I lived in Sydney (4 months), Brisbane (8 months), visited Canberra, Wellington New Zealand, came home to the Philippines and lived an aggregate of nearly a year the past 3 years here... I went back and forth during all that time... Philippines, Australia, New Zealand... then the occasional trip back to the US of A to file my taxes and reconnect with family and friends. (my work is mobile --I specifically sought out work that would be mobile. This was not easy to set up but once I managed to get everything online --my banking, etc., things just fell into place. I worked on my laptop the entire flight from LA to Manila since nowadays you can plug your computer into sockets on chairs.) Now, I just came back from Taiwan with my travel buddy from San Antonio. I went to one beach resort and an island tour just this year alone. <br><br>And living out here in Asia is so cheap... you won't need to resort to van living at all.<br>Just today, I threw a party for 18 relatives at a restaurant to the tune of just $100.<br><br>Anyway, I can go on and on... that's my two cents. There will always be a choice and none of us can have everything in life (unless you are a millionaire but even then they have responsibilities and worries we cannot even think of). Good luck with your decision!
