How interesting it is that you can vaguely see or guess what this person is like by paying attention to their reviews, because the reviews we do could possibly show what our daily life is or habbies are. And mine, if you are interested, are mostly hipster cafes, bars, and hiking and outdoor activities. We have a word in Mandarin to describe “hipster”, which is “Wen Ching” (文青). As a college student, I like to explore the city by going to these “Wen Ching” cafes and bars, because there I could really feel the city and its culture. I also love to discover places that play indie music, sell vintage products, and second hand clothings. About hiking and outdoor activities, it is mainly about cycling, camping, swimming in lakes or oceans, and hiking trails. In Taiwan, although more and more people start to do outdoor activities, it’s still nothing comparing to the western countries. One of the reasons could be that in our society, the beauty standard is to look as white/pale as possible, so that it stops some people from going outdoor and getting tanned. However, hiking is my life and nothing can stop me from exploring the mountains and sharing my experiences with others on Google Maps.
Why do I love to share? There are several reasons, and the reason that had me start sharing and posting in public was this one time one of my high school friends who I had lost contact with for 5 years suddenly replied to one of my photos shared on my Instagram story, saying that my travel pictures have helped her distract herself from negative thoughts when she was having a depression. Never did I know sharing something online with others would actually help someone in any way until she told me that. Since then, I’ve been posting pictures and my thoughts on my social media because it gives me a feeling of fulfillment and happiness. Later on, after sharing my reviews on Google Maps for a while, I realized that there’s either little information or non-helpful reviews about hiking trails, waterfalls, natural hot springs, swimming spots, beaches, and other natural sites specifically in Taiwan because comparing to western countries, outdoor activities are not as popular here. It’s such a pity that with so many natural sites we have in Taiwan, there are little reviews about them. I genuinely think that it is important to show visitors from around the world how pretty Taiwan is, so then I started to feel motivated to post more. Moreover, my high school friend who had depression once told me that seeing my pictures made her feel better especially those taken in the mountains or on the beaches. Thus, I have spent my time posting pictures and writing reviews on Google Maps, hoping they will help someone in any way. The pictures below are those I’ve uploaded on my social media and my Local Guides Connect page!
Sharing is caring. I don’t mind sharing my hidden gems to everyone, because I have benefited from others who were so selfless and generous that showed me around their secret spots, and now I’d like to do the same. Giving back to this society or to this world makes me feel good. As long as it has helped people or given people happiness, I already feel fulfilled. Last but not least, I hope by sharing this post and experiences can inspire someone to do the same, to share and to enjoy the happiness of sharing.