It’s March and technically it’s (or is) close to spring, so time again to summarize my adventures and shenanigans over the past season. My big trip during the winter was to China, but I also had a work trip and did a little bit of skiing. Here are the photo and video highlights, whimsical or not.
Category: Personal
Posts about me (TJ) and my life that doesn’t fit into the other categories.
Trip to China for Chinese New Year
My big trip over the winter season was to China. I haven’t been back in China since 2018, so it has certainly been a while. The trip was mostly to see relatives and spend Chinese New Year there with family, but managed to do a few touristy things here and there. Here are the highlights of my trip.
Falling into Fall
It’s been 3 months since my last seasonal update post, so time again to post some highlights of what I’ve been up to. No big trips in the autumn this year. Just stayed local in the PNW, finished up the hiking season, and then had to sit out and recover from a surgery. Anyways, here are the photos and videos.
Somethings About Summer
As we are getting past the Labor Day long weekend and into September, it’s time again to post about the all the shenanigans I’ve been up to for the past season. My adventures over summer of 2025 consisted of a work trip to New York City, and lots of hiking in the Pacific Northwest. Here are the highlights:
Spring Sparkles
It’s starting to feel like summer in the PNW, which means it’s about time for a highlights post of the adventures and shenanigans I’ve been up to in the past season. No big trips during spring, but as usual, I ended the ski season and started hiking and foraging for shellfish. Here are the photo and video highlights.
Winter Woohoos
As the Spring equinox brings about meteorological spring next week, it’s time again for my post about what I’ve been up to this winter. In short, I celebrated the holidays, started a new job, and did some skiing. Here are the photo and video highlights.
My Third Car: 2024 Lexus RX350h
After keeping my 2011 Toyota RAV4 for over 10 years and driving it all over the USA, I decided it was time to get a new ride. The RAV4 has been a dependable vehicle, but it is missing all of the modern goodies (doesn’t even have Bluetooth) and the gas mileage is actually not that great anymore thanks to the old 4-speed automatic. I had some time on my hands to shop for a new vehicle, and ended up buying a new 2024 Lexus RX350h. I wanted to go to a mid-size SUV/crossover, and I liked the look of the current RX. The hybrid powertrain of the RX350h delivers decent amount of power with great gas mileage, and Lexus has the reputation of being the most reliable luxury car brand. It’s definitely an upgrade in terms of features and comfort compared to my old RAV4 which I traded-in .
This is the first brand new car that I’ve purchased. It’s definitely a big purchase, but I’ve worked long enough that I don’t have to worry about being able to afford a new car anymore. So far, I’m still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles that come with the RX350h, and also how to organize some of the stuff in my car. The RX has roomier seats, but the cargo space doesn’t have the under floor storage that the RAV4 had. Hopefully this RX will live up to Lexus’s reputation for reliability and keep going strong for 10+ years.
Fall Foliage Trip to the Northeast, and Other Autumn Musings
It’s that time of the year where the fall leaves have been shed and the grey and rainy season is upon the PNW, but ski season hasn’t started yet. This means time for me to look back and post a few highlights from the autumn season. My main activity was taking a trip to the Northeast US for a family wedding and also to see the famous New York/New England fall foliage.
Samples of Summer
Fall is around the corner, so it’s time to post my highlights for the summer of 2024. Summer is hiking season, so I spent many-a-weekends in the mountains, and there are a few other fun activities as well. Here are the photo and video highlights:
Simply the Spring
It’s now July. Half of 2024 is gone and a heat wave is on the way for the PNW. It’s time once again to post some highlights of my activities over the past season. My spring activities this year were mostly local activities, except for one trip for work. Work was busy this season, but I try to do something fun during the weekends and holidays. Here are the photo and video highlights:
