2010 was magical. It started at midnight with a dance into the new year and dawn at Tiananmen Square. It ended on the rooftops of Yangshuo, watching fireworks in the icy winter air. In between was Mt. Everest, the Himalayas, backpacking through China, moving back to Hong Kong and my first semester at law school. If anything, this was the year of adventure.

There was a genuine richness in experiences this year unlike any other. It’s not the traveling, or the grad-schooling. It was the relationships that were formed. I went to Beijing expecting to improve my language skills and maybe do some traveling on the side. It was supposed to be a study-abroad experience. Too long to be just a tourist, but not long enough to set roots down. I did not expect the depth of my friendships, how much Beijing came to feel like home, and how hard it would be to leave. They are the most amazing of people. People whose adventures sprint off the beaten track, whose stories wind around the globe several times over, and inspire me to think outside the box, and to fix my horizon on more than just the conventional.

As much as I miss them, I am so excited to be back in Hong Kong, and at the start of what has been my lifelong dream. A few weeks ago, my brother sent me this youtube video. There is something in the simplicity that resonates with me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it.

If new year is about forming resolutions, then this video summarizes a life resolution. What I want my life to look like if I were to play it in fast-motion when I’m old.

Life should be a wild, passionate dance around the world, even when it looks crazy to outsiders looking in. It’s not about the places you go, but the people who join you along the way. When you set off in search of your dreams, it is always risky. But if you are really lucky – you will find truly amazing people who will join in with the same wild abandon.

May 2011 bring you one step closer to your horizons. To my incredible friends, who have inspired, supported and believed in me, I love you all. Fiercely. Whether you are in Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Florence. You will always have a place to stay… wherever I happen to be for the moment. :)

Much love,

Eva