Benediction.

When I penned my last travel recap, I had thought February of the following year was an abhorrently late time to post content revolving around the previous year. I was sorely mistaken, then. It can apparently get much worse. It is now nearing April, and I am only starting to look back on my last year of travels. Oh, how time flies. Unlike in 2023, when I had the highest priviledge of time to spare, in 2024, I had to devote much of my time to, *gasp*, actually studying—or my closest imitation of the act, at the very least. Thus, my so very philanthropic excursions of self-fulfillment were much more limited last year, but no less enriching in the very least.

Now, without further ado, my trips of 2024. Enjoy.

Boston, February. This was quite a special trip to me. It marked my first Tet, Lunar New Year, away from home. Tet is always a strange time of self-reflection and nebulous but poignant longing for me. It didn’t help that there were so many reminders of my past around while so many changes have already taken place, but it was a great time nonetheless.

Hanover, March. This was the first part of my first Spring break; my term schedule is strange like that. I welcomed my first visitor from a past life to Hanover. It was certainly refreshing to view the Upper Valley from such a different vantage point, as a casual stroller instead of a buzzing worker bee. I hope they enjoyed experiencing it as much as I enjoyed sharing a slice of my life here.

England, March. This was the second installment of my Spring break. My second time back in England allowed for a more nuanced exploration of the country. I spent more time with great company, constantly stumbling into the most wonderful hidden oases of serenity and allure have ever borne witness to. It was majestic.

New York, April. This trip was wonderful. It came about on both a bit of a whim and not. See, this trip was part of an unofficial Museum-Collecting class my school runs in the spring, all-expenses paid. I was inspired to sign up after hearing about it from a friend, and sent in the application within the same day. After five-or-so weeks of classes, we visited the Big Apple to look at artworks in SOHO, and had free-time to peruse the most gentrified parts of New York, not authentic, but certainly good fun nonetheless.

Edinburgh, June. One of the crown jewels of my year. This trip, on the other hand, took much negotiation and premeditation to materialise, which was most definitely worthwhile. We came chiefly for the Eras Tour, but were serendipidously enchanted by the wuthering heights of Scotland, with its charming atmosphere and breathtaking sights.

Thanh Hoa, June. This trip was pleasant, that’s all I will say. My favourite part of the trip was getting to travel with my father, which is a once-in-a-blue-moon experience. He had urged me to arrange my travels accordingly since the beginning of the year as to vouch for my attendance, so I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I enjoyed getting to expand my definition of Vietnam through this trip.

Cat Ba, x3, Summer.

My first trip to Cat Ba of the year was a much-anticipated reprise of a life-altering trip to the area in winter the year prior. The first part of the trip was pleasant but nothing transformative. The last few days, however, honestly induced a paradigm shift in terms of how I approach the place and how I view holiday excursions from now on. It was beautiful—no amount of flowery language can ever do it justice—it was pure perfection.

The second trip was just as wonderful. I, suffering from a mysterious form of modern-day wasting disease at the time, was thrilled by the prospect of a tropical getaway to ease me of this ailment, or even resuscitate me. It had done neither, but not for lack of trying. We spent every day waking up before the sun, greeting it as it lazily peeked over the horizon while we had already begun our day of adventures, traversing the bay and whatnot.

The last installment of this triology is more of a spin-off than a direct sequel to my Cat Ba adventures. I was excited to share such a huge part of my life to my friends, thrilled that such an opportunity had event presented itself in the first place. We carried over our usual traditions from middle school, such as playing volleyball and acting as card sharks, while traversing previously together unexplored territories.

Dai Lai, August. This one always seems to evade my memory recollection, to the point where I even published this page forgetting to include this entry. Not because it is unremarkable in the very least, but for extraneous reasons I do not wish to get into here. This was a refreshing escape from reality, plunging into an alternate one set in some horror movie, filled with excitement and adrenaline. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable.

Granville, September. This was a langourous outing to an alternate reality, almost. Filled with numerous side-quests, this sleepy collegetown was much more than what meets the eye. What a calm but invigourating way to accustom myself to the American time-zone. I loved being there.

New York #2, November. My brother decided to get his money’s worth from his Burgerland visa, and paid me a visit in the fall. We enjoyed top-notch food, and visited places to fuel his autistic (not joking) interests, which were of course very educational for someone as ill-informed as myself. He had a checklist of the hallmarks of a classic New York experience, and it was perfectly congruent with our usual shenanigans. Another one for the books, if I do say so myself.

New York #3, November. This was my sendoff back home after the term ended. We explored Manhattan the first few days, and when the glittering city had lost its luster, we proceeded to conquer Brooklyn. This trip will be memorialised for its contributions to my menagerical endevours, serving as a testing ground for two of my new acquisitions. With this trip, I have ticked off all I have ever wanted to do in the city, and will thus avoid it like the plague from now on, though you will come to find that this decision was not very well-enforced.

Guangzhou, December. Though almost inevitable, this trip was not at all expected. I do regret not being able to spend more time at home with loved ones over winter break, but this fact does not take away from my enjoyment of the trip. This was an issue for my future—or, as I am writing this in April 2025, my now-present self. The trip was as unexpectedly productive logistically, and meanwhile, I had the chance to overendulge on a new food hyperfixation, which is always welcomed.

London, December. This short excursion was the remnant of a failed Icelandic northern light-watching trip. I visited some of the few attractions in London I had not already explored, got scammed (?) out of my remaining British cash, and after savouring a decent chunk of what England has to offer, will probably tap out from visitng the country for the forseeable future. Enough of British cuisine for me.

This year, in contrast to the last, was one of vulnerability rather than of self-preservation. Thank you, whatever higher being there is, for putting such incredible experiences into my lap. And thank you, reader, for tuning in again, despite the long—and likely anti-climactic—wait. I dare not promise to see you this time next year, but rest assured I will be back for another recap soon™.