Dear Friends:

As expected, my year was focused in full sprint on Disney/Marvel's "Big Hero 6".  I refused to be denied the summer circuit of E3 in LA in June, ComicCon in San Diego in July, and a cross country visit to my newborn nephew in New York City in May (plus the Electric Daisy Carnival).

In the months bordering production, I jumped on opportunities to explore new (always overdue) corners of Southern California - Mt. San Jacinto in Palm Springs, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, the Sriracha Factory in Irwindale, and of course the Big Hero 6 sneak-peak at Disneyland.

For the remainder of the year, I plan to enjoy an extended mix of paid-time-off and "professional exploration" to step back and reevaluate my career trajectory, which is not limited to my geographical commitment to Southern California (or the United States).

Although business flights for me are extremely rare, the mouse house covered a spontaneous trip to Times Square in September to screen a work-in-progress version of the movie to 3 people, and will be sending me to San Francisco in November to attend Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored Conference (featuring Disney Animation & Pixar President Ed Catmull).  Feeling generous, I returned the act by initiating a Disney themed indiegogo fundraising campaign for the Ryder Buck Memorial Scholarship Fund.

I am currently in Salt Lake City cheering on my struggling USC Trojans at Rice Eccles Staidum, and off the grid in Utah to take in nature's Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Arches National Park this October.  I plan to be in San Diego this November, and will depart for 23 nights in United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, and South Africa this December.  With 5.5 inches of screen space, the iPhone6 Plus will satisfy my tech crave this holiday and securing a savvy Global Entry membership will help me keep pace.

I know I won't be able to keep my mind idle for long, so look forward to new personal and professional endeavors in 2015.

On November 7, treat yourself to Disney's first ever Marvel animated film, "Big Hero 6", and look for my surname cameo on a sign within the first 15 seconds of the film.

Excelsior!
-Huang Dumplings