After a canceled flight back and returning home a day later, I (Sam) have finally been able to recuperate from all the hard work at the DQ Quikeys booth, the late night partying and singing karaoke until I lost my voice, and all the friends, old and new, that I was able to meet up with. New York was a blast.

Here are pics of some of the people that made my trip so memorable:

(and some I didn't get a picture of, like meeting Jesh De Rox, Jerry Ghionis, Becker and Jessica Claire, to name a few amazing photographers that I've been honoured to finally meet and chat with.)

Here we are enjoying lunch at Gray's Payaya, a hot dog restaurant and the place to go if you want to grab a quick bite to eat in NY. They had amazing all-natural exotic fruit drinks, but of course that was washed down by their greasy hotdogs!

Mike Dickson, from Photos for Life showing us how to eat a New York hotdog, with onions fried and simmered in ketchup, of course!

The uber-cool and talented, one and only, Dave and Quin from DQ Studios hailing a taxi cab:

My favourite shot of the trip

Here is the gang hanging out on our last night in NY. From Left to Right is Dave Cheung, Jesh de Rox, Jason Leon, and Quin Cheung.

My most memorable night (ironically due to my cancelled flight!) was all of us just sitting with, listening and talking with Jesh about photography, life and love - how all of it flows into one another. It was really scary how it really resonated with all that Mary has been sharing with me over the past year (and she wasn't even there!).

This is me the day after, waiting for my flight and walking the streets of NY on my own.

My friends were long gone and all had flown back to their respective cities. I had realized just then, how lonely New York really was with no money (long story!) and no friends. The city became a different place. I roamed around taking pictures one last time of the city (which we'll post later this week!) and soaking all of it in. The good times, the laughs, the conversations, and now the quiet, but yet bustling dirty streets, the experience of this alone-ness.

Here is a fitting quote I found on my Starbucks cup, as I sat to have my coffee and breakfast.

"The Way I See It #141 I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word. -- Augusten Burroughs, Author of Running with Scissors."

I think it sums up the city for most of those who live here quite well, whether they know it or not. New York or any where else you live, regardless of how lonely it feels, is really a city full of hope, change and possibilities.