My year summarized in 100+ photos.
I know, I’m super late. We’re like a third of the way through 2016 already (WHAT?!), and I’m just now getting around to this. But 2015 was an incredible year and I wanted to share it with you.
- I went to four countries in 2015 – Sweden, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos.
- New York for the first time.
- Texas for the first time.
- Salt Lake City for the first time.
- Los Angeles, seven times.
- Orlando, Florida.
- I went to some beautiful weddings, on fantastic hikes, to amazing concerts.
- I laughed a lot in 2015 and got to spend a lot of time with the people I love most in the world.
Here is my year in photos, pretty much in chronological order:
(And oh-my-gahhh, I’m sorry this looks so bad on mobile devices. WHY are the photos different sizes?! So annoying. Looks fine on my desktop though.)
New Year’s Pajama Party, Agoura Hills![]() |
Redwood City with the Townsends![]() |
Half Moon Bay, California![]() |
Golden Retriever Sandwich![]() |
DIY housework party for Co Trang, Seattle![]() |
Amanda’s housewarming, Santa Monica![]() |
Zachary’s 1st birthday, Redondo Beach![]() |
Vy and me in Leavenworth, Washington![]() |
Leavenworth walk with the cousins![]() |
Wine-tasting with the cousins![]() |
A Seattle smooch for Stan Lee![]() |
Stan Lee’s Mini-Me![]() |
Seattle with my wifey![]() |
Anthony Mackie at Emerald City Comicon![]() |
Michael Rooker at MegaCon![]() |
Lou Ferrigno at Megacon![]() |
My relatives in Orlando, Florida![]() |
Noah: “Whatchu lookin’ at, Auntie T?”![]() |
Mom and dad in the newspaper![]() |
Mom and dad’s escape story![]() |
Honoring Fern Powers, refugee sponsor![]() |
Fern’s 80th birthday![]() |
Tolmie Peak, Mount Rainier![]() |
Mount Ellinor, Olympic Mountains![]() |
The OG Karaoke Krub at Rockbox, Seattle![]() |
Daren the Blues Man at Charlie’s, Olympia![]() |
The parentals and me in Seattle![]() |
Northern Sweden![]() |
Jared and Jeanette’s Swedish Wedding![]() |
The Best (Wo)man![]() |
Bella and me at Grundsunda![]() |
Family dinner in Örnsköldsvik![]() |
Stockholm meet-up with Tomas & Casper![]() |
Stockholm reunion with Agneta![]() |
South Kensington, London with Vneet![]() |
London layover with Joolz![]() |
Pei’s “25th” Birthday, Seattle![]() |
Family fun at the fair, Puyallup![]() |
Santa Barbara with Chandra![]() |
Venice Beach with my sister![]() |
My best uglyface of all time![]() |
Tina’s Boiling Crab cherry – popped![]() |
Leo Birthday Trifecta, DTLA![]() |
Amanda’s and Eliza’s skydive, Oceanside![]() |
First time in Texas![]() |
Jared’s pre-wedding dinner party![]() |
Jared and Jeanette’s Dallas Wedding![]() |
Madhattering with Jane![]() |
My relatives in Houston, Texas![]() |
Learning to make Bánh Khọt in Houston![]() |
Anthony and me in Houston![]() |
Couchsurfing with DJ in Austin, Texas![]() |
Austin with my Swedes![]() |
Delivering Meals on Wheels in Austin![]() |
My Austin butterfly wings![]() |
Reunion with Dr. Jae in Austin![]() |
Kelly Clarkson concert at Staples Center![]() |
Taylor Swift concert at Staples Center![]() |
All smiles with the Mussie brothers![]() |
Infinity Mirrored Room at The Broad![]() |
First time in Brooklyn, New York![]() |
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert![]() |
“Best Time Ever” with Neil Patrick Harris![]() |
…and Little NPH![]() |
My great-aunt’s garden on Long Island, NY![]() |
My New York cousins![]() |
“Framily” Reunion, Salt Lake City![]() |
Parkin Wedding, Salt Lake City![]() |
Mormon Tabernacle Choir![]() |
Brighton Lakes Trail, Cottonwood Canyon![]() |
18-Hr Flight to Vietnam w/Mom & Aunt Hai![]() |
Mekong Delta with Cousin Nhi![]() |
Offering gifts at a traditional wedding![]() |
My cousin Lộc, the groom![]() |
Floating market in Cần Thơ![]() |
Củ Chi Tunnels, Vietnam![]() |
My Saigon “Framily”![]() |
More cousins in Vietnam![]() |
Vietnam countryside for my 36th bday![]() |
My birthday karaoke system![]() |
Bánh tráng nướng with cousin Bear![]() |
My guilty pleasure at the Saigon airport![]() |
Ping pong with Aunt Linh in Saigon![]() |
Hội An night market with my cousins![]() |
Floating in a bamboo basket with my sister![]() |
Fishing in a water coconut village![]() |
Overnight bus ride Hội An -> Nha Trang![]() |
Sea snails for dinner in Nha Trang![]() |
Nha Trang outing with the cousins![]() |
Monkey Island with our Nha Trang boys![]() |
Canyoning & cliff jumping in Đà Lạt![]() |
Chiang Rai Night Market![]() |
Golden Triangle – Thailand/Myanmar/Laos![]() |
White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand![]() |
Crossing the border from Thailand to Laos![]() |
Campfire with my Khmu hilltribe friends![]() |
A sweet Khmu village girl and me![]() |
Trekking with a Hmong tribe in Laos![]() |
Kuang Si Falls in Luang Prabang![]() |
Book of Mormon, Seattle![]() |
Learning to sail a Catalina 25![]() |
Ice skating with the Chou gals![]() |
Tis the season with a Yorkshireman![]() |
Christmas with the fam bam![]() |
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON 2015
What I’m most proud of: Writing that piece about my parents’ escape from Vietnam, and the follow-up piece about how they achieved the American Dream. I learned a lot while researching and writing those, and I feel more connected to my family and my culture than ever before.
The Dress: It was white & gold. I don’t care what anyone says.
My obsession of the year: Bitmoji.
Serial Podcast: Ok, so this came out in 2014, but I didn’t listen to it til 2015. And my life is forever changed – I’m now a superfan of the podcast format, and need more of it in my life!
Best thing I ate: It’s a four-way tie between the smoked hamachi tartare at Commonwealth in Burbank, California; Mormor and Ivan’s homemade Swedish sill; bánh tráng nướng in Nha Trang, Vietnam; and fresh uni, straight out of the shell – also in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
Best cocktail I had: Spring Sensation at Auction House in Manhattan’s Upper East Side (42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka | fresh cucumber lime juice | St Germain | ginger ale).
Best live performance I saw: It’s a tie between Stay Human at the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC, and Book of Mormon at the Seattle Paramount.
Best hike I did: Two days to the remote Khmu and Hmong hilltribe villages in Laos.
My favorite newsmakers of the year: Obergefell v. Hodges, Bernie Sanders, Justin Trudeau.
News stories I’m embarrassed to admit I obsessed over: Brian Williams’ fall from grace, Deflategate, Rachel Dolezal, Cecil the Lion, the New York prison escape, and yes, the rise of Drumpf (*shudder*).
My biggest crush of the year: Stay Human’s Jazz Cowboy Percussionist. And Stephen Colbert (although that’s EVERY year).
The best new people to enter my life in 2015: The Yorkshireman, the Barbee Man and my bestie Joshua.
The people who moved me most and touched my heart in 2015: Fern Powers, Scott Young, Cheré Johnson, the Earles family and my Swedish family in Kvarnbacken.
Thank you to everyone who brought love, laughter and joy into my life last year. I am grateful. So very grateful.
—
My 2013 Scrapbook
My 2012 Scrapbook
My 2012 Scrapbook (Food Edition)