These first few days spent in Hong Kong was very revealing.
Not much has changed - streets are still bustling with red taxis, loud Chinese people, and hot musky air.
Except for me.
I came back to spend time with family despite the misconception that I might escape a few random nights out with friends. Even so, in a strange yet familiar city, I've found more time than I have in the past few days than the past few years to appreciate excessive hours spent with my family. I've found that the friendships I reminisced about the past few years are probably better left un-rekindled, so I remember them as they were.
Though a large majority of things seem better here - transportation, food, architecture, design, etc., nothing beats home. Home, while much of the time I want to get away from all the stressful and mundane situations, allows a comfortable silence and simplicity that I'm glad I only have to be away from for only 31 more days.
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.
-- Nelson Mandela
