Before we left SF, I read a book called The Invisible String by Patrice Karst to the boys. The book’s message is no one is ever alone – no matter how far you are from your loved ones, there is always an “invisible string” that connects us.

We witnessed the invisible string firsthand this past year. In June, my sister and her family came to Taiwan (I know, this is a long overdue update 😅). They didn’t have any solid plans other than to spend time with us, so we showed them around Taipei and did what we do best: EAT!

Then, we had more visitors in December! My other sister came, followed by Baba’s cousin, and then my SIL. They all came around the same time but luckily, there was no overlap so we could spend time with each family separately.

My sister came for a weekend only but we were able to pack in a lot of eating and walking. My BIL’s 84 year old mother also came along, and I was amazed at how she was able to keep up with us the whole time!

Afterwards, Baba’s cousin arrived and we spent an evening with her and her family at Raohe Night Market. Baba, his cousin and I actually all went to the same high school (same year too!) so we’ve been friends for awhile.

Finally, my SIL came and it was just in time for NYE. Unfortunately, it was rainy and foggy that night so the fireworks weren’t as spectacular as previous years’, but they still enjoyed it. We also accompanied them to Yehliu and Jiufen, and then to the Hsu’s Noodle for a fun noodle making experience.

Except for Baba’s cousin, the rest of our family had already visited Taiwan in the past. The fact that they came again just to see us made us feel very loved. 🥰 What’s remarkable is that despite not seeing their cousins for two years, the boys connected with them right away. It was really sweet watching them spend time together. When everyone left, O cried for days. We were all feeling a bit low. That’s one part of living abroad I’ll never get used to.

I still have so many posts to catch up on. I hope I’ll find the motivation soon!