‘Before I left Taiwan 🇹🇼, I was teaching little Aboriginal kids in the southern countryside how to play Taylor Swift songs on a ukulele,’ Trista di Genova reminisces fondly of her time on the island.🏝
Then, when her mother passed suddenly in 2014, Trista returned ‘home’ – her stateside home, at least- to manage her family’s estate.
‘There’s 2.6 acres for me to garden 🪴 to my little heart’s content now,’ Trista said by telephone ☎️ yesterday.
After living in Taiwan 14 years, now Trista raises Sirama chickens, popular in Southeast Asia, & other rare, tropical 🌴 birds in the desert, like peacocks 🦚. Her aim is to ‘recreate the paradise-like environment’ she misses about Taiwan 🇹🇼 Photo: Courtesy of Trista di Genova
‘And I’m turning this little slice o’ paradise I’ve been given into a Taiwan-like atmosphere & climate,’ enthused the honors graduate 👩🎓 of Taipei Medical University (TMU), one of Asia’s finest medical schools.
In fact, the dedicated Taiwan 🇹🇼 enthusiast received a commendation by Taiwan’s MOI (Ministry of the Interior) for her field guide to indigenous use of plants 🌱 by Atayal & Hsinchu County tribes in remote mountainous villages of Hsinchu County.
Now, Trista’s gearing up to turn the scenic property she inherited in Tucson, Arizona into a Taiwan-themed AirBnB.
‘I’m hoping to cater to international visitors from Taiwan 🇹🇼 someday, by creating family- & barbecue 🍗-friendly accommodation in the desert 🌵 southwest of the United States 🇺🇸. ‘
’To Taiwanese people, the desert 🌵 I grew up in is very exotic to them. After returning home, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the Sonoran Desert 🌵, which is the most bio diverse desert in the world 🌎’.
‘I’m going to recreate the karaoke-lovin’ lifestyle of Taiwan 🇹🇼 right here in the US,’ Trista vows.
ROC (Republic of Taiwan) flags & images of Penghu & other tourist landmark, combined with landscaping using popular plants in Taiwan 🇹🇼- such as canna Lilly, papaya- give the area a lush, tropical feel that is distinctly the ‘Taiwan vibe’.
The Wild East therefore deems ReikiSW BnB ‘hottest new b&b (bed & breakfast) in Arizona!
Follow ReikiBnB on Instagram; Or follow the crew’s adventures on YouTube, here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9dD-TDty8tGKGKebHBCxlauqkepEuBRr