The Year That Disappeared

I remember my mother telling me when I was very young that the days were just going to keep whizzing by faster and faster as I grew up. "The older you get, the quicker time flies," she said. And it's certainly proving to be an accurate appraisal. I've dubbed 2014 the year that disappeared, because I can't even fathom how it's already in its final hours.

This year, time didn't just fly, it zoomed by at supersonic speeds. And I had a blast throughout all of it. There was Shea and Jen's wedding on Cape Cod, the unforgettable Villanova five year reunion, two layovers in California to catch up with old friends, and visits from some very special people to Hong Kong. 

And there were more momentous events that were extremely important, some on a personal level for me—like starting my new job and celebrating my fifth anniversary in Hong Kong—and others that were more far-reaching—like the inspiring Occupy Central protests of the Umbrella Revolution I was lucky enough to witness firsthand. 

I hardly traveled at all, only setting foot in Hong Kong, Macau and the USA over the past twelve months. (I'm not counting my hour in Tokyo's Narita Airport.) So one of my New Year's resolutions is to pick up the pace a little in 2015. That being said, spending so much time in Hong Kong this year amplified how much I love the place, and reaffirmed what a special, exhilarating, invigorating city I call home.

Here's my customary year in review with a single photograph from each of the preceding twelve months. Happy New Year's Eve everybody, and may 2015 be a year of genuine happiness and fulfilled ambitions for us all! 

January

The weather was glorious as Chinese New Year approached, so of course I soaked up the January sun on my roof.

February

Here's a shot that captures just one of many visits to Happy Valley Racecourse this year.

March

I took Penny on the Cheung Chau ferry while dog-sitting her for the first time back in March.

April

It was a great Good Friday, complete with a bike ride in the New Territories.

May

There's nothing like an early morning rooftop cigar in NYC.

June

Five years later... The Class of 2009 is reunited at Villanova's Reunion Weekend.

July

Véro took this one of me on the balcony of an old, abandoned mansion we explored near Fanling in the New Territories.

August

Sid was back in town this summer, and her friend Harry came to visit at the end of her stay.

September

This snap is in memory of all the great Thai meals I enjoyed in 2014!

October

On China's National Day, a group of us took the ferry to Lamma Island for a beachfront barbecue.

November 

My favorite people in Hong Kong help me celebrate my twenty-eighth birthday at American Restaurant.

December

It was truly one of the best Christmases ever this year, celebrated at Sarah's lovely apartment on Lamma Island.