Felix Wong is a former California resident with a life-long passion for travel and adventure. During his years as an undergraduate at Stanford University, and later as a mechanical engineer in the semiconductor industry, he engaged in numerous ultra-distance journeys by bicycle or sports car. In recent years his interests have also diversified to rock climbing, mountaineering, ultramarathon running, triathlon, and “places off the beaten path that require a high degree of mental determination and/or good use of one’s appendages.” [Notable examples]
At age 30 in 2005, he escaped the rat race of Silicon Valley and defected to the dream town and outdoors mecca of Fort Collins, Colorado. After years of planning, hard work, savings, and investing, he now considers himself semi-retired, occasionally doing freelance writing, web development and mechanical design. His passions remain and the adventures continue. “Only those who dare, truly live” is one of his favorite quotes, attributable to Ruth P. Freedman.
Everyone seems to have a household chore that he finds about as enjoyable as stabbing himself in the gut with a chopstick. In my case, it is not hauling out the trash, stripping the bed of its sheets and tossing them into the laundry machine, or even running around with a deafening vacuum cleaner while terrorizing the kitties.
Instead, my pet peeve is weed. No, not the smelly stoner sort of weed (although I’m not exactly a fan of that either), but rather the pernicious type that invades and takes over one’s yard like gophers with an extended family the size of Bin Laden’s. The type that demands pulling, digging, or doing something about lest the neighbors and passersby conclude that I am the biggest eyesore creator since the time some folks in the adjacent ‘hood propped an inflatable Martian on their lawn. Continue reading »
It was the second year in a row that the Fourth of July fell on a weekend and the Colorado skies were uncharacteristically rainy. But like last year, a little moisture did nothing to dampen the fun. Continue reading »
“I’m anticipating that spending a day with Felix will be more exhausting than spending five days with six kids,” Alyssa posted on her Facebook status.
At least she can’t say I didn’t warn her. I told her that we were going to hike, climb, do yoga, and run all within the 22 hours she had to visit (which included sleeping). I figured I was doing her a favor. She mentioned that since she and Bryan arrived in Colorado, they’ve been eating pizza, greasy Chinese food and lots of desserts, and she decided that “once we’re done visiting with our friends here, I’m not eating anything until I get back.” Surely doing so much exercise in a day’s time would allow her to eat again at least before she entered Nevada on her way back to California. Continue reading »
I guess you can call my friend Shantel and her boyfriend Dave “foodies.” They really know how to savor the flavors of a well-cooked meal, especially if it is ethnic or exotic. In fact, Shantel and I have become lunch buddies who search for and taste Fort Collins’ hidden culinary treasures weekly.
So of course I was delighted when she and Dave invited me over one night for a dinner party. Make that a Chinese dinner party. The next day, after all, was the start of Chinese New Year. Continue reading »
Even among best friends it is hard to predict the future. I was reminded of this one fine evening when Lisa, Tori and I were at Charis and Chris’ and marveled about how 10 years ago none of us could have ever guessed we would all be sitting around a dining table in Fort Collins. Continue reading »
From passion parties to roller skating to karaoke to tango, it seemed like gal-pals Ryan and Tanya and I had figured out all sorts of ways to have fun at night over the last year. It may be a surprise, then, that we’ve never gone bar hopping before, defined as “going to more than one bar in a given night.” Happily, then, today we had some good excuses to do so: (1) it was a new year and decade, and (2) it was our buddy Jon’s birthday. Continue reading »
 "Me and Alyssa on the way up to Horsetooth Rock. (Photo: Bryan)")
