I never thought Taiwan would be this cold so early in winter. People usually escape the heat by heading to the mountains during summer, but I found myself in Yangmingshan as winter approached. It was totally weird.
Yangmingshan unfolded before me in a peculiar yet beautiful way. Just over an hour’s drive away, I couldn’t believe such a serene and secluded place existed so close to the city.
As I slowly rolled down the car window, the chill from Yangmingshan gently brushed against my cheeks, turning them a rosy hue. It was nature’s most perfect blush. I loved it.
I’ve never been much of a hiker, partly due to my health and partly because…well, I’m lazy. The biting winter chill numbed my skin, but a warm fire ignited in my heart. The wind tousled my hair, but somehow, my mind felt more at ease
This was my first time seeing a maple tree. I was told there are many varieties, with leaves of three or five points, in shades of red and gold.
I couldn’t resist picking up a few leaves to admire. ‘So beautiful,’ I thought. When you find something truly special, you want to share it with the person you care about the most.
Have you ever been in love with someone, knowing it would never work out? What do you do?
Nothing.
That’s my answer.
You just have to live in the moment, be true to yourself, and face your feelings head-on.
Life goes on. I still enjoy chasing my dreams and writing my own story, to find beauty in the unexpected. Yep, I keep missing him all the time, but I won’t let those memories consume me.
Amongst thousands of beautiful maple leaves, I found the perfect one. And so, throughout the entire journey back, I held onto it tightly, eager to give it to that person.
But then, as I was leaving, I forgot the leaf on Yangmingshan, where it belonged. It was a loss, but perhaps it was meant to be.
If I ever get the chance to return to Yangmingshan and the leaf is gone. Perhaps, on a future visit, the mountain will offer another leaf, a symbol of a love yet to bloom, a love destined to be.
Sounds cheesy, I know.