There is a lot to gush about Hong Kong! So much charm and convenience packed into such a small area. It can best be described as unapologetically lived in, highly functional, ultra-convenient, and a pleasant mix of Asian and Western culture.

Some examples:

• The escalators going into and out of the metro move faster than anywhere I’ve been.

• Doing line transfers in the metro is as simple as walking in a straight line on the same platform; from one track to the next.

• Convenience stores are plentiful to the point where you can sometimes see two or even three within the same line of sight.

• Food options are a great variety of Cantonese and every East + Southeast Asian country.

Oh! and as a nice little bonus, a lot of people speak English!

I had a wonderful time exploring Hong Kong. It was my last stop in my ~5 month (breaks included) span across East + Southeast Asia and it’s easy to say that it ended on a high note. I got to reunite with friends I’ve made over the past year in the place they call home while also meeting new ones. I got to experience a level 10 typhoon and get stuck in a country for the first time. On top of that, I got to do all the sightseeing I wanted and more because of my extra time here!

My only hope is that all the things I love about this city stay exactly the same for future visits. Something tells me that this sadly won’t be the case but only time will tell! Until then, I want to give a big BIG shoutout and say thank you again to my friends Edwin, Yvonne, Garth, and Long for showing me around and helping me grow my love for Hong Kong. I’ll forever cherish the time I had here thanks to you all.