Summer memories!

A little summer holiday journal!

Highlights Foundation

This summer ended up being way busier than I expected! I thought I'd have a laid-back vacay with my family in Hong Kong, but things changed. My work schedule got packed super fast, but thank god!! I managed to squeeze in a summer camp at Highlights and finally got the break I needed! YAY!

Last year was my first time at Highlights. I went to the Asian American Voices Retreat, and it was the first time I felt connected with the book community since the pandemic. I met a group of amazing, creative friends. At the end of the retreat, we decided to celebrate our community and put together a special cabin dedicated to honoring Asian American Voices.

I'm back at Highlights this year for their creative writing summer camp. I'm meeting more new friends and making deeper connections with this awesome community. It was really cool to check out the Asian American Voices cabin and see all the book covers representing so many diverse Asian American stories decorating the walls!

Highlights has different cozy lodgings, such as a beautiful historic farmhouse, a modern lodge, and cute little cabins. I always go for the little cabin because I love camping in nature but refuse to give up my creature comforts and a clean bathroom! LOL.

The camp really spoiled us. There were snacks and drinks available 24/7, and we had three tasty organic farm-fresh meals a day so everyone could just chill out and be creative. It was so nice not to have to worry about grocery shopping and housework for once!

There are many pretty trails around the camp, and at night, there are fireflies this time of the year. You might be wondering why there are no pics of food and nature. Well, I was in full-on sloth mode this year. I didn't go on any hikes and devoured my food before I could even take a photo. So, no cute food and nature pics this time!

I have a good excuses though!! LOL My flight from LA to Highlights got delayed for 6 hours in Charlotte. Between a red-eye flight, the delay, and the jet lag, I was pretty pooped when I finally made it to the camp.

I stayed in the Nikki Grimes cottage, which was filled with her book awards and shelves of her books. Besides attending workshops, eating, and hanging out with friends, I mostly lounged around in my cabin, napping, reading, and writing.

It's insane how much things get accomplished when I'm in full sloth mode! I finally had the time to brainstorm, go through my story ideas, and work on picture book drafts that have been gathering dust on my computer for a year. The talks from the mentors and the idea-sharing during peer reviews really fired me up and motivated me to get things done!

Another best part of being a sloth is that I discovered something new about myself. I overcame my nerves and read my story out loud during the open mic, and I enjoyed it! Okay, I did ask three pals to help me, but still!! It’s a big step forward for me!!

I've always known I love storytelling and think of myself as a visual storyteller. But I've never felt confident in my writing. Growing up learning three languages and living in different cities and countries, I always felt that my languages didn't quite fit perfectly in any one. My Chinese isn't as pure as it should be, and my English is a mixed bag of British and American colloquialisms. Adding in an Indonesian dialect, Cantonese, and Mandarin, things get complicated quickly.

During a keynote session, one of our mentors, Liz Kleinrock, asked us a thought-provoking question: "What is a moment of joy in writing for you?"

We were encouraged to answer without overthinking it, straight from the heart.

I find myself surprised by my answer…

“I don't have enough experience to pinpoint a moment of joy in writing, but I have discovered that writing stories brings me joy. Even though I'm still at the beginning of my writing journey with much to learn and explore, the realization that writing gives me joy, just like drawing does, makes me VERY happy!”

I am super grateful to have an incredible and supportive group of friends to share stories along the way!

And a big thank you to Alison Green Myers, Alex Villasante, Sara Woolley, Rob Sanders, Don Tate, Liz Kleinrock, and the Highlights team for an unforgettable summer camp!

Like any good adventure story, we need a bit of drama and disaster to spice things up! On my way home to LA, I got stuck in the middle of that whole Microsoft tech meltdown during my layover from Chicago. Luckily, my new camp buddy helped me, and I made it home in one piece. Phew!