Hindsight is 2021

New Year's Eve is a bit of a cliché. The ball drop. The champagne. The midnight kiss. Auld Lang Syne. And, for me, the posting of my photo recap of the year. (O.K., true, sometimes I publish it a day or two early, but it's a New Year's tradition, nonetheless.) In fact, I started this little custom back in 2011, meaning this marks my tenth annual review, which is a bit wild to realize! 

So, what is there to say about 2021? In some ways, it was awesome. In others, it was a mess. I was stuck in Hong Kong for the first eight months of the year, with my fingers tightly crossed that the government would loosen its stringent quarantine requirements that made re-entry so burdensome. Then, as soon as my wish was granted and I hopped on that flight back here, the administration reversed their decision, effectively trapping me in America instead. 

And, err, I kind of had a great time through it all... Hong Kong isn't a bad place to be stuck, with wonderful friends, gorgeous weather, and stunning natural scenery. I went camping and hiking and kayaking, and I hosted around a million parties at my beloved Blind Tiger. And with so much time and nowhere else to go, I was able to check a bunch of things off my Hong Kong To Do List and re-visit most of my favorite places. 

But you know what? The USA isn't such a bad place to be stuck either, with my family nearby and the opportunity to travel farther afield at my fingertips. So I'm slowly making my way through a new To Do List here. 

So here it goes... The tenth anniversary Year in Review! 

January

Me and Fredric on our rooftop on a gorgeous New Year's Day, a whole year ago! 

February

A February Chinese New Year hike, masks and all! 

March

I finally made it to Sha Tin 18 to feast on Peking duck in a Hong Kong favorite!

April

I really took advantage of the Hong Kong International Film Festival this April! Look at all those tickets!

May

One of the highlights of my year was a sunny May Sunday spent kayaking off rugged Sai Kung

June

Our good friend Serena's farewell party at the Blind Tiger

July

The Olympics injected a lot of fun and patriotic fervor into our summer! Here I am are at the Globe in SoHo, watching the Opening Ceremony in late July with a great crew of pals! 

August

Homeward bound after twenty-one months, I had the once-common and now-rare pleasure of a layover. This one was in Zurich, Switzerland. Friends, food and fun! 

September

My sister and I zipped down to Atlantic City, where we met up with our friend Kristina, to see the summer out in true Jersey style.

October

Halloween with my dad and my sister in Brooklyn. Who could ask for anything more? 

November

Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in eleven years! Hearts were full, in addition to stomachs. 

December

Heidi and me in our finery, en route to the Villanova Christmas Party in Philadelphia