2016: A Year of Gratitude
To all of my friends and family in various places around the world…
…2016 has been a great year, and I am grateful to have all of you in my life. Here are some shoutouts.
To the world-traveling harpist — thank you for giving me a new perspective on life and for being the first person other than myself to play my music.
To my young-hearted flatmate — thank you for always including me. My time here definitely would have been a lot more difficult without you, especially the first couple of weeks.
To the Swiss beauty I met at a Melbourne hostel — thank you for demonstrating to me that a woman is the most irresistible when she knows how to set her own boundaries.
To my good friend who happens to be my current boss — thank you for caring and standing by me even though I was an emotional wreck for the first month after we met. You’ve taught me many valuable life lessons and given me the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the world of tennis.
To the joyful, blue-eyed lady — thank you for showing me the viral power of positivity. I will pay it forward.
To the bird who set me free — thank you for always putting me first, and for helping me convince myself that I, too, am capable of flying.
To my ex-boss who gave me a bottle of Johnny Black — Thank you for caring beyond the job description of a manager, and for finishing that bottle of Scotch with me on my last day. :)
To the cider-loving Data Scientist — thank you for writing music with me. I’m excited to continue our project when I return to Seattle.
To Max — thank you for visiting me in Taiwan and for checking-in with me periodically. It’s comforting to see a familiar name pop-up on my phone once in a while.
To the “strong, independent woman” — thank you for being a great friend. Given how talented you are, I will probably end up working for you one day even though I was your PM mentor when we first met.
To La Fleur — thank you for advocating for my best interests and pushing me to stay abroad for as long as possible.
To the CEO I no longer work for — thank you for advocating for unity even though Trump-bashing clearly would have been the more popular position to take at a tech conference. You continue to be a role model for me, and I want you to know that I want my kids to grow up to be just like you, too.
To my Taiwanese neighbor down the street — thank you for always helping me when issues with my house arise. My time abroad would have been a lot more stressful without you.
To my ukulele-playing college bandmate — thank you for being a great friend despite me missing your wedding. I promise I will make it up to you.
To the big sister I never had — thank you for showing me your eczema and for helping me better understand “people like us.” You are one my biggest sources of strength in life.
To the ballet dancer I’ve known since first grade — thank you for inviting me to your wedding even though we haven’t seen each other for over a decade. Time passes too quickly, and I will make more of an effort to keep in touch with you going forward. I am excited to see you in March.
To the brother I never had — thank you for putting up with me ever since we were five. We’ve shared some great moments as well as some tough times throughout the years. It’s been one heck of a ride and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for both of us.
To my big brother Jim — thank you for standing up for me when I was little, and for giving me the space to be the person I want to be.
To my father Michael — thank you for teaching me the essence of what it means to be an individual of Chinese descent. Your teachings are the foundation of my principles and identity.
To my mother Amy — thank you for being the glue in our geographically dispersed family.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year everyone!
Don’t be a stranger,
— Patrick
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