What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: February 2026

I like February; having four weeks means there is an organized manner to the month. Exactly four weeks with no extra days hanging off the ends. It is short but sweet, and is a good time to start planning for the months ahead. I did get some planning done, started my continuing education for my licenses and even worked on my taxes! So it was a productive month, all in all. Here is the look back for the month. I will also be adding notes on new foods, books and documentaries set or about the countries where I am traveling, and completion of any items on the looking forward post I did last week. This month, I will also go over a few of my FIGS, hosted by Elisabeth! 

Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Taiwan

What new food did I try? Peanut Ice Cream Roll (rice paper, peanut crumbles, ice cream and cilantro), aka the Ice Cream Burrito. Delicious. 

What country related books or documentaries did I watch? 

Read: Daughters of Shandong <-- China/Taiwan
Watched: Island in Between  <-- Taiwan

Both courtesy of Diane. Thanks! 

Did I complete any other items on this year's looking forward list? 

✅Rode a bike in Taiwan 
✅ Sent > 5 post cards

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FIGS: Lunar New Year decorations and celebrations, finishing a good book (see below), getting a clean bill of health, random morning catch ups with several loved ones, a few runs along the river, mostly great weather, a couple of fun and challenging hikes, dragon fruit smoothies, boba tea, getting my taxes 90% completed, getting my continuing education 90% completed, 7-Eleven takeout meals.  

7-Eleven Chicken Breast Bento
Tofu, egg, chicken, cabbage and rice

Just heat and eat! Cost ~ $3.00

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1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Devouring the Sweet Potato
February: Back in the Groove

This is a play on words as I (1) pulled a muscle in my back and had to read a lot and recover for a while. However, it could not have come at a better time, as I was (2) in the same place for one month, hence the "in the groove," as I was also able to get back into a routine of sorts for the month, even if it was not as active as I had hoped. 

2. What did you learn last month? 

I learned that firecrackers are lit during Lunar New Year to scare away evil spirits and the mythical monster "Nian," while welcoming good fortune, joy, and prosperity for the coming year. This ancient tradition signifies a loud, celebratory start to the spring festival. The noise and bright flashes are believed to attract good fortune and prosperity for the new year. 

How did I learn this, you are wondering? Well, this goes on not just for one day, but for about two weeks, or maybe more, and it happens all day long, but especially around 11 pm or 12 am! When I left at the end of the month it was still happening and the actual New Year day was on the 17th. They are VERY loud. Also, paper slips representing things like money, cars and homes are burned to honor ancestors and deities by providing them with money, goods, and, by extension, wealth for the afterlife. This is a crucial expression of filial piety (care for elders), ensuring spirits are well-provided for in the new year.

Needless to say, the month of February was very loud and smoky! 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It was mostly nice! There were a few rainy days, but all in all the weather was probably highs around 21 C / 70 F and lows around 9 C / 48 F. There were a couple of hotter and cooler days but it was very temperate for the most part. 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

Being in a place that celebrates Lunar New Year was a lot of fun. I mean, I have been lucky to live and work in San Francisco, where we have reportedly the oldest Chinatown in North America as well as one of the largest outside of Asia. This means that I have a rudimentary knowledge of the customs or events during this time. However, it was tenfold in Taipei! Also, in San Francisco I learned how to say Happy New Year, but I only learned it in Cantonese, so I have had to learn it again in Mandarin! The decorations and the lights and the lanterns are very striking and very impressive to say the least. 

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month? 

Book: The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami

Movie/Show: I usually don't have Netflix, but my Airbnb had it, so I binged Outlander. It was fun to see some of the places where I was only a few months ago. When I was in Scotland, I had not seen any of the episodes, but we did pass by some of the filming locations, and I actually stayed with a friend in Linlithgow. The palace there (where Mary Queen of Scots was born, and where my friend got married!) was Wentworth Prison in Outlander. 

I also got an Apple TV subscription with one of my credit cards and I need suggestions! Do you have any? 

Podcast: The Thoughtful Travel podcast. If you are looking for inspiration for destinations, or like to hear stories of why people travel, their mishaps along the way, traveling with kids and more, you may want to check this out! 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

I had a hamburger in Taiwan on one of my last days there. Why is this funny? Well, if you know me, you know that I like to eat the local food. However, I was meeting up with some new-to-me friends, and when I asked them if they wanted to go to the night market, my friend said that her husband was "not an adventurous eater" and that he liked going to Western food places. So not only did I have a hamburger, but I paid more for one beer and one hamburger than I probably have paid for my last 8-10 meals out at local places (and for the beer, I essentially paid San Francisco prices for it). However, the moral of the story is, that if you want to make new friends, you have to (literally) pay the price. PS they were both very nice people and I would hang out with them again. 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to hiking the Kumano Kodo (PDF map here) in Japan. Like the Camino in Europe, it is an ancient (1,000 year old) pilgrimage linking three grand shrines. It is considered a path for healing, purification, and spiritual reconnection with nature. You know me, I love spiritual reconnection with nature! Also, there are Onsen, which are thermal baths, where you go naked, and I think that is something that I need to try at least once in my life. 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

FEBRUARY:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?
2. What did you learn last month?
3. What was the weather like where you are?
4. What event last month was your favorite?
5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month? 
6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

MARCH: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Do you have any suggestions of what to watch on Apple TV? Have you ever been to a naked thermal bath?