This will be my fifth Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. While I will admit that Christmas is my favorite time of year, Lunar New Year is a very, very close second (with Mid Autumn Festival coming in third). You can really feel the energy become more positive and hopeful. After everyone puts their Christmas decorations away by 1 January, everything switches gears for Lunar New Year, which usually takes place in January or February depending on the full moon. Christmas trees are swapped for peonies and orchids, green Christmas garland is swapped for red lanterns, and Santa is swapped for lions, dragons, and snakes (this lunar new year will be Year of the Snake).

Lai see. Lion dances. Dragons. Prayers. That's just a small glimpse of the liveliness that happens around Lunar New Year. Since moving to Asia at the end of 2019, I have been able to experience a few Lunar New Years here in Hong Kong (and Têt in Vietnam), and it really might be one of the best times of the year. It's everyone coming together to welcome spring and a new year (this year will be Year of the Snake), and the streets are lively with vibrant colors and gorgeous blossoms. Popular colors this time of year are red for good luck and good fortune, yellow/gold for hope and power, and pink for love and happiness. 

The perfect white tee doesn't exi... actually, yes it does. I had been looking for the perfect white tee every summer and I finally found it this year. White tees go with absolutely everything, which is what makes them so essential for summer. Have the perfect flowy skirt? A comfortable pair of denim shorts? Or even a light linen jumpsuit? A white tee goes with all three and more. 

I'm pretty much in disbelief that this upcoming autumn will mark 5 years since I relocated to Hong Kong. How has it already been half a decade? I have now lived in Hong Kong longer than I have collectively lived in New York City, which blows my mind. It seems nearly impossible. I initially relocated here to spend more time with the beau, who first came to live in Hong Kong with his family when he was 6-years old. The beau has lived in Hong Kong since 1990, with a couple of years in Canada and Australia for school in between, so this has always been "home" to him. 

Since becoming parents, date nights have become extra special for us. We do not get to go out on dates as often as we like due to the beau's work schedule and our busy lives with little bean, but when we do we like to get a bit dressed up and go somewhere fun. We have our usual favorite spots that we like to hit up, but lately we have been eager to try some new spots around the city. Some of my favorite cuisines are Italian and Greek, while the beau loves Thai and Vietnamese. However, we both are obsessed with Cantonese and Japanese cuisines, so one night we decided to try a new sushi spot.

Making new friends can be scary, especially on a completely different continent. Add the pandemic and three years of lockdowns, it made making new friends feel like the biggest obstacle course. As someone who is naturally shy at first, making that first step to introduce yourself seems impossible. But thanks to social media, one day I finally had the courage to comment on a fellow HK creator’s post and we became Instagram friends shortly after. She was also from North America and relocated to Hong Kong around the same time as me (she has family here), so we already had that in common. After the lockdowns eased in the city, we began to go out on little friend dates and slowly she began introducing me to her circle of friends. That circle grew, and now I have so many new friends in Hong Kong.

Let’s face it - there’s no shortage of amazing food and restaurants in Bangkok. Researching where to eat can be a bit daunting and overwhelming, considering how massive the city is and how many options there are. Even when doing research for our own trip, I found myself a little exhausted spending so much time finding the best spots for our 3-day visit. There are just too many to choose from! I knew I was determined to fall in love with Thai cuisine, and I most certainly did.

If there was one place that was at the top of my “must visit” list in Bangkok, it was most certainly the Grand Palace along the Chao Phraya River. As someone who enjoys reading about royal history and royal families, it should come to no surprise that the Grand Palace was an absolute requirement for my first visit to Bangkok. Despite visiting Bangkok a few times before, the beau had never set foot inside the Grand Palace either, so this was going to be a new adventure for the both of us. We were both eager to be captivated by the Grand Palace’s notorious beauty.

When I think of Bangkok, I think of a vibrant, busy, fast-paced city by the river that thrives under the warm sun and is surrounded by breathtaking architecture. I can taste the cold, refreshing water of fresh young coconut, I can smell the scent of authentic holy basil spilling out onto the streets from the plethora of restaurants, and I can see all the tuk tuks unashamedly waving their way in and out of traffic. Bangkok is large. It is loud. It is full of life. It’s always on the go. And yet, nestled amongst all that chaos is a serene, peaceful oasis along the Chao Phraya River called The Siam.

From vibrant night markets to tranquil temples nestled in the mountains, there's a lot to see in Taipei. Beyond the sites of interest are also a plethora of gastronomic options from Taiwanese cuisine to delicious milk teas. I was excited to try some of Taipei's favorite food spots and even came across some spots that I had not researched beforehand. With our hotel being centrally located, it meant we were able to create a very diverse and lengthy itinerary to see as much as possible in 2 days. Below are the 5 spots you must visit in Taipei.

For 12 months, I lived the life of a celebrity as if I had always been one, being flown first class around the world and across the country, walking major red carpets that I never ever imagined I’d be walking on, making speeches like a public official, and appearing in ads and spreads in multiple magazines that I had been reading for years. Everyone wants you when you’re the reigning queen. And then, in another instant, it’s all gone. No team behind you, guiding you, or supporting you. It’s almost as if it never was. It very much feels like, “K thanks, bye!”

For 60 years, one woman would find herself wearing the crown and sash of Miss USA for a whole year. She would go down in the Miss USA history books, her name forever attached to that title. For six years, I had watched one woman’s life completely change on live television as she got crowned as Miss USA. I would follow her reign on the Miss Universe website, her travels, her red carpet appearances, etc. It was a job and responsibility I had really wanted for myself. It always seemed like an unachievable dream. I would daydream about winning a state pageant and winning Miss USA. I would daydream about what my reign would be like - living in the Miss Universe apartment in New York and traveling the world representing the Miss Universe Organization and countless charities. But then, one day, on June 19, 2011, that impossible dream became a thrilling reality. I never thought that one day, a girl from a small town in New Jersey, would find herself wearing the crown and sash of Miss USA. It was something I wanted, but the chances were extraordinary. 

A lot has changed since I competed, but every year a new Miss USA was crowned on live television. After nearly 3 intense weeks in June 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada with 50 other extraordinary women from across the country, the time had come to crown a new Miss USA. After a 2 hour internationally televised event concluded, one woman was walking away with the title and crown of Miss USA 2011. 51 of us competed for that crown. Only one could win. 59 other incredible women had already previously held the title over the last 60 years, and now it was someone else's turn to have that role for a year. One woman woke up that morning not knowing she would be going to bed that night as the new Miss USA. This is my experience of what it was like to win Miss USA, which I will be sharing in two parts. 

To start off the Christmas season this year, I was invited by Ritz Carlton Hong Kong and Clé de Peau for a special afternoon celebrating the holidays as well as Clé de Peau's City of Dreamlight collection. I am no stranger to both Ritz Carlton Hong Kong or Clé de Peau, so these two brands coming together for an epic tea collaboration meant for a very easy yes to the invitation.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve focused a lot less on makeup and more on skin care. These days, as a busy mom, I don’t have much time to put on makeup. It’s also summertime here in Hong Kong, which means the temperatures are soaring and the humidity is making our sweat look like we just went swimming in the harbour. So I am letting my skin do all the talking.

Summertime makeup is all about that peak summertime glow, where less is more and simple is key. To be completely honest, I’m a busy mom and it’s currently very hot in Hong Kong so I don’t wear any makeup most days (I do cheat by getting a brow lamination and lash lift to help me look more awake!). But when I do wear makeup, it’s usually because I have an event to go to or I’m heading out on a date with the beau. I like to keep it simple, especially after years of heavy makeup in the pageant and modeling industries. When it comes to summer outings and summer travel, keeping it soft and simple is just the easiest way to go.