Hi, friends! Remember me?! I know it’s been a while since we checked into Hong Kong over three weeks ago. Hong Kong was a total whirlwind and filled with memories I will cherish forever. We saw some incredible sites, spent time with friends and family, and indulged in some serious points perks. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve been up to the past three weeks.
Note: I will be writing separate blog posts about many of these items, too. I’ll be sure to link them below as I publish new content, so be sure to check back soon.
What We’ve Been Up To: 11/20/17 – 12/12/17
-
- We almost missed our flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Our flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong was moved up over an hour and a half and we didn’t realize it until we were already on the train. After a wild experience at the airport which culminated in Kenny sprinting barefoot through the airport and me almost leaving his backpack at security, we somehow managed to make the flight.
That time we almost missed our flight and sprinted through the entire Shanghai Airport.
- We spent two days at Hong Kong Disneyland. In continuing our Tour de Disneylands, we spent two days at the park and two nights at Disney’s Explorers Lodge. I could seriously get used to going to Disneyland every two weeks! Sadly, we’ve got a break now until February.
Hong Kong Disneyland at Christmas time was so perfect! We also caught the last few days with the castle before it closed for remodeling.
- We spent four days holed up at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. We cashed in our Club-Level Upgrade perk that comes with our Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card and it was the perfect travel escape. We literally did not leave the hotel for four days; we spent our days working in the lounge and our nights eating fancy desserts and drinking champagne.
That Ritz lounge life is a rough one.
- I got a job! Well, this actually happened back when we were in Prague, but I hadn’t shared it yet. I am working remotely, part-time for a former boss at her new company. My official title is TA Operations & Recruitment Marketing Specialist, and I do a lot of backend system admin work for recruiting systems. It’s really cool, I promise! I’m enjoying that Digital Nomad life!
When you’re lucky enough to have your office be the club lounge at the Ritz-Carlton.
- We almost missed our flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Our flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong was moved up over an hour and a half and we didn’t realize it until we were already on the train. After a wild experience at the airport which culminated in Kenny sprinting barefoot through the airport and me almost leaving his backpack at security, we somehow managed to make the flight.
- My brother got married! Some of us never thought my brother would ever get around to marrying his girlfriend of 10+ years, but he finally put a ring on it! She was born in Hong Kong and later moved to the US where she met my brother in New York. They got married in Hong Kong where most of her family still lives. The wedding was a mix between traditional Cantonese and modern NY elements that captured their personalities perfectly. It was truly an incredible experience to be a part of and I’m SO happy for them.
Creeper pic from the balcony before the tea ceremony. Isn’t my new sister the ACTUAL PRETTIEST? This was literally the ONLY picture I took at the wedding.
- We spent two weeks with my family! My brother’s wedding got my parents to leave North America for the first time EVER! It was so fun to be able experience international travel with them and show them first-hand what our travel life is like. My brother from Chicago was also there, and it was such a treat to be able to experience Hong Kong with *almost* the whole family.
Fam Photo from The Peak in Hong Kong.
- I got my laptop back! I know I already told you about that, but I physically got it back in Hong Kong. As a reminder, I left it in the seat back pocket on a flight from NYC to DC. After a almost a month, American Airlines recovered it and shipped it to my parents in Illinois, who then personally flew it to Hong Kong and then hand delivered it to me, photos and all!
Reunited and it feels so good.
- We took 5 day trips from Hong Kong’s city center. It’s hard to qualify what is and isn’t a “day trip” from Hong Kong”, but we got to explore many neighborhoods outside of Central and Kowloon including Stanley, Tai O, Macau, Gold Coast and Discovery Bay.
One of my favorite day trips was to Tai O, a small fishing village with some great markets, delicious street food and incredible views.
- Got bumped up to Cathay Business Class! Our last adventure in Hong Kong was on our flight out. We had purchased Premium Economy tickets from Hong Kong to Bangkok on Cathay using British Airways Avios. There was a product change and they no longer had Premium Economy, so they bumped us up to Business class. I thoroughly enjoyed drinking mulled wine and eating veggie dumplings in the Cathay lounge before toasting with Champagne to our upgrade on the flight. I love when things like that happen!
Poppin’ Champagne up in the sky
Wow! So many activities! I have a list of blog post ideas a mile long that I’m excited to share with you all as soon as possible.
I also can’t believe it’s already December 12 and Christmas is almost here! Not complaining, but it definitely does not feel like Christmas in Thailand. How is your holiday season going!? Please comment below with your holiday pics and activities so I can live through you.