It's been a year!
I may not have achieved every single item on my resolution list, but it was a very full year regardless. This year, I hope to be much better at checking my goals off of my list!
The year started quiet and calm.
A Thai-Chinese friend had us over to celebrate the lunar new year with a very traditional offering ceremony.
And the next day, my wife and I traveled to Bangkok's vibrant Chinatown to pray for luck and prosperity in the new year.
We celebrated the second-most important Buddhist festival at the Temple of the Golden Mount.
The emergency COVID visa extensions ended, and I had to leave the country for Cambodia for the first time since 2019. In a way, it was nice to travel again.
During my stay in Phnom Penh, I paid a very somber visit to the infamous Killing Fields.
I also learned all about silk manufacturing!
I gave my neighborhood walk presentation with the National Museum, and learned a ton about a new part of the city.
I took a short trip to the ancient Siamese capital and toured the Summer Palace.
I also learned about the historic Japanese samurai village which is home to the only Shinto shrine in all of Thailand.
In the summer I went on my first international business trip and met my colleagues in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was so great to visit Vietnam again!
My bird-watching continued, and my wife and I began hosting meetups for others who are interested.
Despite my precautions, I finally got COVID...
I flew home to visit my family.
My mom visited me in Thailand! We had an amazing Michelin-starred meal at the world-famous Jay Fai Restaurant, volunteered with elephants at the Elephant Nature Park, traveled to Chiang Mai for the Yi Peng Lantern Festival, and took a short trip to Hanoi, Vietnam (one of my favorite cities). You can read all about her visit and find links to each and every one of our adventures together here:
At the end of the year I took one final visa run, this time to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
My goals and challenges for 2023
- Trek Mt. Fuji in Japan
- Go camping more in Thailand
- Go on 12 adventures or microadventures (1 per month)
- Go parasailing
- Lose weight and get fit
- Visit 1 new country
Here's to a great 2023. May it bring more adventures for everyone!
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