Hello! If you’re new to my Joy Ride newsletter, I offer sparks of joy, a pep talk, and some things I’ve loved recently. My intention is to give you respite from the weariness of the world. Welcome!
My 4-year-old twins, Chloe and Claire, and I talk a lot about being brave. A frequent topic: How Anna in Frozen and Frozen 2 is brave, even though she has no "real" superpowers. Chloe said, "Her superpower is telling the truth and being brave even when she's scared."
I couldn't sum it up any better. Let's be brave together.
Your Pep Talk 🏄🏻♀️
This year has been full of scary moments. Think about a time that you were faced with a scary choice. Maybe you spoke up during a work meeting or admitted a mistake you made. Maybe you moved and changed your whole life. It was probably messy. You probably wanted to quit. But you kept going.
My bravest choices—to write about my miscarriage, to discuss why "Chinese Virus" is racist (the trolls I got on that one!), and pitching NYT editors via video chats—comes from sheer terror.
But when I'm scared, I know it's an opportunity to learn and grow.
I'll share an embarrassing story.
I attempted stand-up paddle boarding in Mesa, Arizona, in October 2013. Our instructor said stand-up paddle boarding was easy.
"If you can stand, you can paddle board," he said.
Of course, I fell in the water. Not once. Not twice. Three times. Like a game show contestant in a dunk tank.
One of my fellow travelers was stationed on a dry bench, sunning, while I was soaked like a drowned rat. But a voice inside me echoed: "You can do this. Get up again." I was humiliated, but I listened to my internal cheerleader. I attempted my fourth stand. This time, I reassured myself I could balance. I was wobbly, my knees shook, but I was standing. I straightened my back, then I paddled, gliding along the shimmery blue lake. I fell again, but instead of feeling unsteady, I got back up, shaking off the doubt with the water droplets on my swimsuit.
This year has been chock full of rocky waves. Whatever scary thing is ahead, get back up on your paddle board. You can do this.
My Latest News 📝
As of today, I’ve written 34,922 words of a YA rom-com novel. It’s a first draft so no one will see it yet. But thanks to the writing exercises in Story Genius and Lindsay Eagar’s Fast Draft Method class, I’m learning to let go of perfectionism and write not only faster, but actually have fun while doing it.
Check Out This... 🥰
ARTICLE: This Wired feature on paper planners is the deep dive into organizing that made my heart flutter.
BOOK: Chinatown Pretty. Photographer Andria Lo and writer Valerie Luu interviewed 100 seniors in six Chinatowns and conducted street-style photo shoots with eclectic elders. It’s a sheer delight to flip through (scroll through the Instagram feed for instant happiness!).
PODCAST: Latinx writer Gabby Rivera on Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast is a master class in JOY. Rivera said, “I need joy that is holding the world accountable without trying to pummel everyone down.”
NONPROFIT: Miry’s List. This nonprofit assists new arrival refugee families with the basic necessities they need to transition to life in the United States. Right now, the org is raising funds through its annual Friendsgiving drive.
I'm Grateful For... 💌
The notes my daughters leave me. I have a cluster of notes on my nightstand, my laptop, and some on bookshelves. This one by Chloe (dictated to her dad) features “a woman saving a sea otter.” She signed it herself.