Tag Archives: finance

I. Love. Hong Kong.

 

Relaxing in my tiny room on the 26th floor of a skyscraper in Kowloon

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Been on the road for 34 days. I have grown so much in that time it is impossible to convey in a single post. I probably should have been posting updates periodically but caved to the convenience of Facebook and Instagram. Luckily I am still writing in my journal nearly nightly and have yet to post even a fraction of the photos.

My flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles leaves in 10 days but I won’t be on it.  A couple of weeks ago I decided Hong Kong is the place I need to be right now. By my calculations I should be able to stay until the end of November before I start to run dangerously low on cash. Legally I can stay for 90 days without a work visa. I declared my commitment by purchasing a laptop; figured it was impractical to research companies and work on my résumé via cell phone or public computer.

Right now I am spending the majority of my days doing three things:

1. Eating
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2. Working out
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3. Meeting new people people every chance I get!
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Because I Can

During my final week as a bartender here in Destin, Florida I have been mentioning to my guests that I will be headed to Santa Barbara, California for a week followed by a journey to Hong Kong for 35 days. With very few exceptions the immediate response has been “Hong Kong?!? WHY?”

Here is my response.

First off I have always been intrigued by Asian culture, it just seemed SO different from the world I know. Not different in a bad way, or a good way, just different. In school I planned a hypothetical trip to Japan for an 8th grade geography class which included researching plane tickets, budgeting, and constructing an itinerary. In high school I can remember creating several powerpoint presentations on China.

Second, as a finance major and entrepreneur with an interest in international real estate and negotiations, it just made sense to checkout one of the world’s leading international financial hubs with one of the most frequently traded currencies in the world.

Finally, I stumbled upon Anthony Bourdain’s Layover episode where he visits Hong Kong and it blew my MIND. The food looks amazing, the people look diverse and friendly, and the scenery seems just as fascinating! Not to mention the convenience of not needing a special visa to enter, and much of the local population speaks English!

So…yeah, that’s why.

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