beautiful strangers

My days in Taipei this summer were spent wandering familiar city streets and riding the metro aimlessly for hours. My favorite days were those I set off with no plan, just a metro card, a bit of money, and my camera. I would hop on the the metro (捷運 to the locals), ride to random stops, and explore the surrounding areas. Okay, not every day was a success—how can it be when I have no idea where I'm going? But there were definitely worthwhile discoveries along the way.

One thing that was continuously fascinating through everything were the people I encountered. Growing up in the suburbs and going to school in such a rural area, I'm used to the idea that people are not meant to remain strangers. I may not get to know everyone well, but in the end, I know that the faces the pass by every day will become familiar to me, even if we never speak. It's strangely refreshing to live in the city and know that I'll never see these people again, that they'll never see me again. Yet, there's the knowledge that each of these strangers live entire lives that I'll never know and that fascinates me to no end.