Where I’ve Been Lately

Hey friends! happy (very) belated 2026 😂

January was packed with travel. I spent New Year’s in the Philippines, then headed straight to Vietnam and Thailand. I escaped into island life for a week with some friends from Canada. We did lots of resting, doing absolutely nothing productive, and way too much Netflix.

They somehow convinced me to watch a romantic C-drama. I was skeptical at first… but yeah, I was wrong. There were many moments of screaming into pillows, hugging blankets, and feeling all the butterflies. It’s called The First Frost, and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Once you start, it’s kinda hard to stop… We binged the whole thing in a week XD

Last time we talked, I shared how suffocated I was feeling living at home. And all the moving around helped my mental health more than I expected. Call it escapism if you want, but stepping out of routine and into something unfamiliar always shifts something in me. Sometimes you just need distance to breathe again.

One of my favorite moments was a boat ride in Hoi An, an ancient town about 40 minutes from Da Nang. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its beautifully preserved wooden houses and temples. After years of city life and skyscrapers, being somewhere slower felt refreshing. I loved sitting on the street with a cup of coffee, people-watching, reading books.

And one of the highlights was doing the lantern boat ride at night! It genuinely felt like I’d stepped into one of those Chinese historical dramas I used to watch. I made a video about the trip if you want to see it.

(Also, quick shoutout to Airalo eSIM for making travel way less stressful. If you’re traveling soon, you can use my code SAMMIE98 for $3 off on your first eSIM.)

I also took a bit of a break from creating over the last couple of months. I was dealing with loneliness, feeling lost, and some pretty intense imposter syndrome anxiety.

But a podcast I listened to recently gave me a perspective I really needed. One line stuck with me was: “Action releases anxiety.”

As an overthinker, I tend to wait for clarity before doing anything. But maybe clarity comes after action. Doing the thing, even imperfectly, creates momentum.

So if you’re feeling lost right now, this is my gentle reminder (to you and to myself): pick one thing. Commit to it. Measure success by showing up, not by results. Master the art of showing up before worrying about optimization.

That’s what I’m practicing this year 🤍

With love,

Sammie