Year Review of Li Chen

Monthly Review

The year began with three Spring Festival celebrations: the Ivy League Gala at Harvard, an MIT talk show, and a concert presented by Berklee College of Music. This felt like one of the privileges of living in Boston, a city constantly surrounded by talented students and vibrant cultural events.

With the help of rush tickets and a season pass, I also became a frequent audience member at the Boston Symphony Orchestra this year. Highlights included the 97-year-old conductor Herbert Blomstedt leading Schubert’s Symphony No. 6 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, as well as Joshua Bell performing Thomas de Hartmann’s Violin Concerto—a rediscovered and truly remarkable work.

In late February and March, I took my usual ski trips to Colorado and Utah. Same mountains, same old friends—but noticeably different costs. A one-day lift ticket at premier resorts like Vail now exceeds $350, nearly the price of a full season pass when I first started skiing. Lodging near the resorts has also become prohibitively expensive, often surpassing $1,000 per night. Salt Lake City, however, offered a surprise: its Chinese district has transformed significantly, with dozens of new restaurants and bakeries, including chains like 85°C.

March also included a weekend trip to New York City. One evening, I ran a 10K route from Wall Street to Central Park. The city’s changes in recent years—especially the improved trails along the Hudson River—left me with a refreshed impression. Wandering alone through the city on a chilly, lightly rainy night gave me time to reflect deeply on whether it was necessary to continue my current relationship. What followed soon after solidified my resolve, and the decision, though painful, was ultimately made.

This year also marked the beginning of Trump’s second term, predictably accompanied by a constant stream of news. Among them, his frequently shifting tariff policies dominated headlines in April, triggering market volatility amid fears of rising import costs. Anticipating price increases, I ordered several imported products from Temu and JD, including a new phone. With improvements in both hardware and software, I captured many stunning photos this year.

In May, my mother came to stay with me for two months. Due to COVID and visa complications, we had rarely been able to spend such an extended period together in recent years, making this a precious opportunity. We visited nearby towns, Niagara Falls, and parts of upstate New York, sharing simple and joyful moments.

Thanks to the benefits of a new Chase credit card, I enjoyed several experiences I would not normally pay for myself, such as attending baseball and ice hockey games and seeing a performance in an opera house I had never entered before.

Summer included a weekend trip to Nashville, the city of rock music. Watching the sunset along the Cumberland River, accompanied by ambient music drifting from downtown, was unforgettable. Strolling through the peaceful Centennial Park and the campus of Vanderbilt University made me reflect on how different my life might have been had I accepted that offer ten years ago.

Summer always feels short. At the end of August, I traveled to Glacier National Park in Montana, undoubtedly the most memorable journey of the year. In an intense four-day itinerary, we hiked nearly 30 miles and took over 50 GB of photos, many of which have since become my favorite wallpapers. The scenery was breathtaking, but practical challenges remain: the only hotel within the park is extremely difficult to book, and the glaciers are visibly melting—a reminder to go soon and plan well.

October marked the start of a new fiscal year. After years of waiting, my priority date finally moved forward. After all the uncertainty and emotional turbulence of previous years, I found myself accepting the news calmly. Life, after all, is more than this one milestone.

Knowing that ICCV (the International Conference on Computer Vision) would be held in Hawaii, I felt motivated—after several years away from paper writing—to prepare a workshop manuscript, which was accepted. Since Philips did not support conference travel, I did not feel guilty requesting additional leave beyond the conference itself. This combined business-leisure trip was both exhausting and enlightening, reminding me of the importance of staying connected to academia even while working in industry. Hawaii remains a mysterious place; despite having visited three times, its pleasant atmosphere always lifts my spirits. The experience was made even better by perfect weather for night running and a free vanilla cone each day from McDonald’s Monopoly game. The only regret was missing the eruption of Kīlauea Volcano by just one day.

As the year drew to a close, I made a spontaneous trip to Washington, DC, to maximize credit card benefits. With rising annual fees, keeping track of “use-it-or-lose-it” perks has become increasingly annoying. Still, the upside was finally visiting many landmarks I missed during a brief one-day trip in 2018, all at minimal cost.

Year Remark

Well, after reviewing my monthly activities, ChatGPT told me this year can be characterized as “one of rich experiences paired with internal recalibration”. Indeed I agree with ChatGPT once more. By the way, this year also witnessed how AI changed our daily life.

As always, I continued striving to balance work and life, embracing the beauty of living through mountains, concert halls, conferences, photography, and travel across the country, while searching for inner peace and a deeper sense of meaning.

Beneath this outward richness, however, the year was equally shaped by transition and reassessment. Several long-standing uncertainties—spanning relationships, immigration timelines, career trajectory, and the broader political environment—reached moments of clarity. Not all resolutions were joyful, but through these experiences I have learned to adapt, recalibrate, and engage more calmly with an ever-changing world. There were inevitable ups and downs, yet I am increasingly confident that no challenge is insurmountable.

New Year Wishes

Follow my heart

Be positive everyday