“Love is something eternal;
the aspect may change, but not the essence.”

This post will be an addition to the recounting of my ‘The First Few Years’ in Taiwan series, but since this covers many years, it is not a continuation.

This post has one sole focus: my quest for love.

I had been in Taiwan for a little over a year, made some good friends, and gone on many adventures (which will be included in a separate post), so I set my sights on finding that extra-special someone.

The Single Days

Not having a serious partner at that time in my life was not the most terrible thing in the world. Though I lived in a small town, the city was not far away. I would often head there for the weekend. Dating apps were becoming more popular and widely used, so I could chat with someone online for a little while and then meet up with them for some fun when I was off work.

I enjoyed the sights, sounds, and companionship (along with a wider selection of food vendors) that came from stepping beyond the borders of lil’ old Zhushan. However, I yearned for something more. I had a nice motorcycle but no one to wrap their arms around me on scenic journeys. I had a large bed but mostly slept alone.

Scrolling With Hope

While visiting the city, hanging out in bars, and enjoying some casual encounters can be pleasant, I never gave up on my search for someone I could share more with. That was when I came across a profile that caught my eye.

This lovely lady lived in Taipei, so unfortunately, it was a little too far for a quick visit. We chatted for a while, but eventually the conversation fell flat. My questions were met by simple one-word responses, and we never made plans to actually hang out. I decided to scroll on and see if I would have better luck with someone who lived a little closer.

Love at Second Sight

Some more time went by, and I still hadn’t had much luck finding that special someone. It was during a trip to Japan when I started chatting with the beautiful woman above once more. Ling Lin (LL) had changed the photos she had posted online and cut her hair, so it took us a little bit of time to realize that we had chatted before. This time, however, our conversations were a bit more lively.

It turned out that LL had left Taipei and moved back down to her hometown of Linnei. This neighbored the small town I lived in, so it would be a lot more convenient for us to meet up. I often wondered whether the big-city girl I had met at first just had no interest in a small-town boy like me, but once she was back home, it seemed her perspective on me had changed, and she decided to give me a shot.

For our first date, we kept it simple and took a backpack full of sangria to Ikea. There, we pretended we were married, looked at housewares, sat on couches, and rolled around on mattresses.

After that, we went to a night market, and I introduced her to some friends.

Everyone seemed to approve of my new partner in crime.

After a few more dates, we took a trip to Taipei together. LL had done some modelling up there and was in a show that had been organized before she moved away.

Needless to say, sitting in that audience made me feel like a very lucky person. 😉

I quickly learned that LL was a kind, honest, and hardworking person. Every day, she took the train to the university where she worked. Sometimes, she would work so late that she would miss the train home. When that happened, she just slept in her office and resumed work the next morning.

When LL came and met me at the old house I had just moved into and helped to clean the disgusting kitchen, I knew I had found a keeper.

From there, we had more dates and found ourselves really enjoying one another’s company.

Full Steam Ahead

So, I had finally found someone worthy of special attention, and we continued our relationship by dating exclusively. We did all the usual stuff new couples liked to do.

We ate out a lot (we still do), getting to know each other while enjoying delicious food.

We hiked all around Taiwan, enjoying both small forest trails and long mountain treks.

I met her family and friends, making some new pals along the way.

We went on adventures, travelling both locally and internationally.

Settling Down

The time comes when you are convinced you have something special, so we moved into a house together, adopted some animals, and grew a small garden.

From there, anyone who knows me probably knows the rest of the story.

I proposed during a trip to Taipei.

We went to a little shop and made our own wedding rings.

We didn’t want to wait too long before getting married. Unfortunately, COVID had struck, so we were not able to invite anyone from Canada. Luckily, my mother got stuck in Taiwan during that time, so she was able to attend.

We found a small campground that had a couple of cozy cabins and booked the whole place for one day and night. Our friend was the DJ, and we got a nice restaurant to cater the food (I will upload more pictures when I am able to find the online album).

‘Till Death Do Us Part

And that, as they say, is that. LL and I have been together ever since. We have two lovely boys together, and we moved into a house close to her parents (the same town she grew up in and where we first met).

Being married can be a challenge for anyone, but I would not change it for the world. LL and I have known each other for over ten years, and I look forward to knowing her for a hundred more.