This morning we ventured off our regular morning commute route in search of alternatives for our missing dumpling cart. We had gotten used to stopping for a treat on Friday mornings - one less breakfast to have to plan, prepare and clean up after. The cart across the street was a poor substitute and there were no other carts along our regular route. We pass two or three 7-11's but that is not my idea of a breakfast treat.

We took Huarong, the road the passes over the railroad tracks and one of the first streets we got to know when we first arrived. Biking to school this morning we passed by a little park that I will always think of as a little oasis from our early days. During the first week we were here we were walking home from school (this was before we had bought our bikes) and I felt completely lost and just needed to sit down and reorient myself on the map. This tiny little spot of green park appeared just when I needed it and we plunked our tired little lost butts down on a park bench and pulled our Lee's phone. It turned out that if we kept walking in the same direction another couple blocks we'd be right back home. It was so comforting to be able to figure out where we were that it made me feel like we could figure out this whole living in Taiwan. It was a little epiphany moment.

Driving by that park this morning reminded me of how far we've come in less than four months.

But that wasn't actually what I wanted to tell you about when I started typing. I really wanted to tell you about our quest for breakfast. Huarong, it turns out, is lined with breakfast options. There were quite a few tiny storefront restaurants serving breakfast in the early hours but we were just out doing reconnaissance, not actually looking to stop. So I made some mental notes of where we might go next Friday.

But then, later in the morning one of our friends mentioned that we must be happy that the dumpling cart was back! The one day we decide to use a different route is the day the cart returns! Now I have another dumpling dilemma. Lee is perfectly happy going back to the cart, which I'd like to do too, but now I have Huarong-envy. That street smelled so good this morning. We may need to do a couple of breakfasts out this week...