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I originally shared this on Patreon earlier this week. It's a recap of how my New York trip went as I take you through my week-long visit. I hope you enjoy following along!
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It’s been more than a week since I’ve been back from my work trip to New York. This was my sixth visit to one of my favorite cities in the world, and yet it never fails to keep me on my feet. Coming back to a place where I first planted my ambitions always feels like a homecoming of sorts, and a reminder of how far I’ve come since then.
I always forget how mentally taxing an international work trip is. Between adjusting to the timezone and getting used to back-to-back classes, I find myself more and more intentional with where I put my time and energy. But overall, I’d like to think it was well spent.
I flew to New York on a Tuesday, just enough time to wrap up some pending work on Monday and fly out the day after (I’ve learned that flying on a Monday is not good for my anxiety).
Arriving in Brooklyn in the early afternoon, I waited for check-in, then headed to my niece’s birthday dinner, hosted by my cousin, who was in town the same time I was. I got to catch up with family from New York and some who flew in from Manila as well, which was a treat.
My roommate Michelle had a delayed flight, so I immediately knocked on Job’s door when I got back: the journaling besties reunite! We both screamed in unison when Michelle walked into the entrance of our hotel. These events give us a little fun excuse to reunite, and I always enjoy that part.
The next day was tech check and setup, but since I was an instructor, there wasn’t much I needed to do except look at the venue and get used to making my way there. This year’s fest was held at Industry City in Brooklyn, a complex with numerous buildings (the workshop space was in building 3). Getting to and from every building was cardio in itself; the marketplace was in building 7.
Three days of Stationery Fest went by so fast!
I chose morning classes so I could get them out of my schedule immediately and have extra time to rest (and explore the city). For some of my students, it turned out to be the perfect time to start the day before the shopping commenced.
I was relieved there was a TV set up this time, since it’s nearly impossible to explain everything while holding up and flipping journal pages for a class of 20. Except for the loud hammering at the TSL workshop (and that one random woman who walked into my class and told me to lower my voice, who was not my student, by the way), everyone was lovely, and I could feel the energy in the room in every class I taught.
“You’re hilarious!” a student, Jenn, told me after class. Honestly, the best compliment ever. I kept smiling as Kelly put out her Moomin plushie from NYBG (there’s a Moomin event running). Chris kept the energy going through the sleepy morning, just as his wife Wyona had warned me the day before: “If you see someone like me at your workshop tomorrow, that’s my husband!” Maggie wowed me with a color scheme that matched mine exactly, from outfit to choice of journal covers: my warm-colored twin! It was lovely meeting fellow Filipinos in the workshops too, with some Filipino sprinkled into conversation between classes.
At the marketplace, I managed to do some shopping for myself on a $100 budget. I started breaking my bill at Victoria’s table (Pouch Magazine). There was just so much to look at and go “so cute!” over. On the last day, Liz and I did one final round, which turned out to be a bad idea: who knew we’d be so quick to enable each other?
$100 budget for Stationery Fest
All in all, it was a fun experience being both teacher and attendee. Christine, my biz bestie, was starting to break down her booth, so we helped out to make sure she’d finish faster. We had dinner and ice cream with our fellow Filipino friends afterward, a nice breather and the perfect way to close out the three-day event.
Every evening, it was mandatory for me and Job to do our debriefs: just chatting about the day and catching up. Our last one ran past midnight, complete with the loudest laughs, new discoveries about ourselves (the hospital birth lore goes deeper), and endless jokes. This has been our tradition since our first show together (SF Pen Show 2023), and I’m going to miss it, since this was our last one for the year.
The days after the fest were set aside for downtime and catching up with friends. It was great to finally get out of “fest brain,” after months of it looming in my head. I moved to my cousin’s apartment in Clinton Hill, a new neighborhood for me to explore (I loved it). I made sure to wander parts of Brooklyn I hadn’t been to before, since I’ve mostly stuck to places like DUMBO, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint in the past.
From meeting my best friend in law for lunch and sitting in the park talking about life abroad, to hanging out with Caro after months of Google Meets calls (finally!), I had so many conversations with friends about identity, family, belonging, making it work as a creative, and finding meaning in all of it. It still amazes me that I can connect with people on this side of the world, considering I only see them once a year. These friendships are for keeps, and I’m grateful to keep nurturing them from afar.
The second half of my trip made room for more reflection, me-time, and mental space to figure out what’s next for me. It’s been a fairly pensive summer, and I think it’s been a good one. I texted a friend saying, “Learning so many new things about myself this trip,” which only means the growth never stops.
On my last full day, I decided to cosplay as a true New Yorker. My cousin had asked me to drop off some returns at USPS, so I did. From there I headed to Radio Bakery, delighted to see the sign (made by Noble Signs!) in person, having just watched the NYT Cooking documentary about it recently. I picked my favorite, brown butter cornbread, tried a garlic knot, and got a turkey pesto sandwich to go.
Eventually, I made my way to Prospect Park. I sat on a bench, finished my pastries, ate my packed yogurt and fruit, and soaked in a New York summer (one of the few sunny days while I was there). On the way back I stopped at a cafe for the AC, had an oat latte on tap, kept drawing, and made my way home.
My last evening brought me back to Greenpoint, where it all started. Three summers ago, I taught workshops at Yoseka, and in the US, for the first time; that was the first of many more to come. This time, I collaborated with the Yoseka team on a casual evening of conversation—Get Chatty with Abbey, a format I’d been wanting to try, inspired by design talks I used to attend in my early twenties.
As I opened the door to Yoseka Land, memories rushed back from the first time I stepped into Yoseka Stationery in Greenpoint, just across from this fairly new event space. I squealed when I saw Daisy (I’d missed her entirely during the fest), and we caught up while there was extra time to set up. The friends and close ties I’ve made along the way are the most rewarding part of this job, and Daisy is definitely one of them. “I’m so happy to hear you’re happy with your life now,” she told me. I keep forgetting how rough things used to be, and how good they’ve become.
We hosted a small group of attendees, and it turned into more of an informal talk show, complete with laughs and “you heard it here first!” moments. It was such a refreshing event for me: the questions the audience asked weren’t the usual ones. We talked about freelancing, the difficulty of moving and starting a business abroad, career longevity, life outside the journaling bubble, and more. I felt completely comfortable being candid that evening, and I owe it to the safe space the group and Yoseka Land provided.
The event ended at 8pm, just in time for me to catch the sunset at WNYC Transmitter Park.
It was short but sweet, the kind of moment I file away in my “remember this” folder. In 2024, as I closed out the first Stationery Fest, I caught the sunset from the ferry, also in perfect timing. It felt like a parting gift New York always gives me before I leave. At this point, I’d call it tradition.
As I flew back home to Berlin the next day, a wave of relief washed over me. I love New York. I’ve dreamed of living there before, played out plenty of what-ifs over the past few years since my first visit. But I never felt the call to actually move, and I think that window has passed. I’m happy to visit, to carve out time to see the city on my own terms, at a pace that feels comfortable to me.
And for the first time ever, my heart burst with pure joy as I turned the key to my own apartment, on a Thursday at 9 in the morning, back in the city I chose to call home instead. Feeling extremely happy and content with exactly where I am right now.
I carry with me fond memories of a transformative, reflective week in New York, and I look forward to spending the rest of my summer back in the city that welcomes me with open arms.
Thanks for reading!
If you’d like to see how my week in New York went, here’s a video diary I filmed during my time there.
More New York + Stationery Fest exclusives are coming this August 🍎 Hope to see you at the Creative Growth Club!
NY journal flip thru → $3+
NY digital PDF → $7+
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