Erin, the first of the Encina cousins to get married. Mike and Erin had a beautiful wedding out in San Clemente, CA. A night filled with tears of joy, memories of the past, and happiness all around. I’m so grateful we could all get together and see you begin the next chapter of your lives, together. Hope to be an Uncle soon. Enjoy your honeymoon!

We flew out to Portland, Oregon along with the Otis crew to celebrate John and Sarah’s wedding. We enjoyed the famous breweries and eateries of Portland, and even made our way out to the David Hill Vineyard for some wine tasting. Note to all: don’t ever take an Uber/Lyft out to the middle of no where and expect to find a ride back. We almost got abandoned, had it not been for Hai allowing us to sardine-can into his small rental car.

The wedding itself was beautiful, filled with a lot of raw emotions from the bride and groom, the funniest speech from John’s dad, and the sweetest father/daughter & mother/son dances. Congrats to the newlywed couple and their amazing life ahead of them.

Japan, the land of the crispest beers, the best food, and the smallest hotel rooms. In February, Belinda and I roamed around Tokyo and Kyoto, right after our trip to the Philippines. This was my first trip back since 2010, and for Belinda it was her first time ever visiting Japan. It was fun rediscovering all the things that make this country so interesting– the colorful lights, the friendly people, and all of awesome stores and merchants. This time around I found my new favorite ramen (sorry Ippudo), and hands down the best gyoza I’ve ever tasted. Belinda fell in love with the country, and I’m sure we’ll be back again very soon.

I spent January traveling by boat, swimming in lakes, sketching on the beach, completely disconnected (no phone, TV, or internet), on the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever been on. For a week, Belinda and I got to explore the beautiful island of Palwan, Philippines, a much needed escape to nature. I’ve never seen waters so clear, and scenery so vivid in color– the photos I came back with almost looked unreal. Take me back for a swim, some fresh mangoes and a San Mig Light please.

I’m very thankful that every year I get to celebrate the holidays with the many families I’m a part of. It’s heart warming to see each other’s faces at this time of year, because of the fun traditions we take part in. From gift exchanges, to breaking bread, or simply just enjoying each other’s company, it’s something I always look forward to because it allows us all to reflect on our lives and the important relationships that make it up. Here’s to you my friends and family to another beautiful year of memories to remember. Cheers!

I’m so proud of my fiancée, Belinda Rodriguez, for her spectacular performance at her debut Muay Thai fight. The event took place October 17, 2015 at the world famous Sityodong Gym in LA, presented by Warrior Pride Promotion. All of her hard work and dedication showed through with her domination and control of the fight. I’m so excited for what the future holds for her. She made everyone proud that night, and represented Glendale Fighting Club well. Thank you Coach Sevak and all of #TeamGFC for the experience!

Another year of life to celebrate of with one of the best dancers I know, Wu Hyun Lew. We had a small surprise birthday celebration in Silverlake, at Mohawk Bend, setup by his sweet lady Janice. I could go for another serving of those Bacon-wrapped Chorizo Dates and a tall glass of Naughty Sauce Beer. Cheers!

Thanks to the kind folks at Qumulo, we were flown out to Seattle to join them for their launch event. Unlike previous dance-related trips to the great northwest, we were able to really soak in the sights and relax the whole weekend. I really wanted to go hiking and bathe in the beauty of nature, but the day we planned to go it rained for 24 hours straight. Unfortunately it prevented us from making the trek outdoors, but didn’t stop us from checking out the city. Jiaren was kind enough to show us around town and do the touristy thing. My brain remembers nothing, but my stomach remembers everything. The whole trip was mostly eating ridiculously delicious food and drinking exquisite coffee. Thank you Seattle, we’ll see you again soon.

Weekend trip recap of our first time bouldering and camping out in Bishop, CA (complete with a stop at Shat’s). We spent all of Saturday at the “Happy Boulders,” but honestly we barely touched a fraction of what was out there. Like Joshua Tree, it certainly is a climber’s heaven. On Sunday morning it started to snow, unfortunately/fortunately we had to head back, but that didn’t stop the other half of our group from hanging back and climbing anyway. Hopefully we can make another visit out in March while the season is still prime.

Hanging out with this group is music to my ears, literally. I’m always amazed at Kirsten’s and Kathy’s singing game when we go to karaoke– they’re always getting better. I’m happy to grow another year with these friends and excited that our group is finally having a baby (congrats Jenny and Scott)! Hopefully it won’t be too long before we all make your kid some playmates. Cheers to another year!