Hello!!!

It has been a hot minute since I've done a journal, and so much has happened between then and now. Two of the biggest things that happened: I was the Furvana 2025 Writer Guest of Honor and I moved to Berlin!

Furvana 2025 was an epic time, and I felt like I was being treated like royalty as the Writer GOH. I never thought in millions of years that I would ever be GOH for anything, and it was such a full circle moment or weekend for me. To be honest, for such a long time I didn't think I was very good at writing, and even people who were close to me had made me feel self-conscious about it. I had love ones tell me to focus on other forms of art, and there were those who made it seem like they were inherently better at the craft than me, but I just kept writing and kept having fun with it, and eventually I got my first story published, and now I have over 20 publications along with my master's in creative writing. I've even been published outside of the fandom somehow. I'm here to show that maybe hard work and dedication can beat innate talent, since writing never actually was something that came naturally to me. That weekend was so magical. I got to spend it with a special friend who I hadn't seen in a few years and got to have so much yummy foods with him. That weekend I ran a few writing panels and gave some tips and tricks for improving fiction writing skills. I also got to hang out with some of my epic friends from around Western Washington. Dancing on the beach, dancing in the rave, shopping for an epic sweater, making new friends, and toasting to the future were just a few of the wonderous activities this weekend provided for me. This was my last hurrah before I moved from Seattle to Berlin.

I got a scholarship to move to Berlin last September and teach, and oh boy has this been quite the ride. IDK if I can name the organization, but let's just say it's a pretty big one that most folks in the collegiate world know of. Some of you know that I got my undergrad degree in German Studies, and that was a great time, but I didn't really get to use it afterwards in any job, until now. Knowing some German and having teaching experience under my belt from my master's has been pretty helpful for this new job. I'm teaching English to German students in Berlin, and it's been an incredible experience. The students are mostly adults, but still, it's been reward to see the lightbulbs go off and I didn't realize how many students would be disappointed that I wouldn't be in their classroom at the start of the second semester. I got to visit my friend  JCFox back in the fall and I got to see  dream_and_nightmare and  Asyr back in the winter. Those were some incredible trips. I also have been exploring Berlin, like seeing the TV Tower, East Side Gallery, the Citadel in Spandau, and all the iconic memorials and structures in the center of the city. I've been to raves, book stores, dinner parties, museums, clubs, art galleries, shopping centers, and thousands of cafes and ice cream parlors. I've made so many friends both in and outside of the fandom and kissed so many handsome guys. I'm only here until June, but I want to stay even longer to keep experiencing all the wonderful things Berlin, and Germany as a whole has provided for me. I know I've only been here for half a year, but now Berlin is really starting to feel like home to me, which I never thought I would say before this program. I thought I was just going to be here for a year and leave, but it's been such a great time, and I never want this to end. I know there's still more of the world I need to see, and I know I need to return to Seattle in a few months, but I'm never going to forget how amazing my life has been in Berlin. I was scared I would be lonely, and I there was the fear that something awful would happen to me abroad, but I feel so safe and cared for here in Berlin, and I do want to thank the Germans and all my fellow foreigners in Berlin who have been so kind and welcoming to me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this life update of mine. It feels like most things are on the upswing, and I'm gonna savor this sweetness while it lasts, but I'm also ready for the future, and hopefully I can get my novel revised and edited sooner than later.

Best wishes to you all!

-AL Song