Debut

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine writing this blog.

I grew up in a house where books lined every shelf, but I was never quite the reader everyone expected me to be. Still, when I did pick up a book, I was swept away. But what truly called to me was writing, whether it was school essays, love letters to my parents, MUN articles, or the stories I shared on my blog.

This summer, I sat before my laptop determined to write. What began as a writeup or two for my blog account, soon became four, then five, and before I knew it, even more. The words piled up, and suddenly it wasn’t just a bunch of stories, it was something whole. Could this really be happening? Was I really doing this?

If you’d asked five year old me whether I’d publish a book someday, she’d laugh and say YES, not because she loved writing, but because she never stopped dreaming big. I owe her this book. I owe it to the people who stood beside her: my parents and brother with their steady support, my friends who were never shy from showering me with compliments. Honestly, this book? It’s me pouring out all the love I’ve gotten and held onto.

And here’s what fills me with pride: seventeen chapters to celebrate turning seventeen. I hadn’t planned it, but it just felt right. Seventeen chapters, one for every year I’ve lived, each carrying a piece of my story, the lessons I learned with memories that make me smile.

Reading these words, I see the little girl I used to be, the person I’ve grown into, and the one I’m still trying to understand. Putting it all down made me look back with kindness and look ahead with hope.

Talking to my publishing managers made it all feel so real, like this was more than just a dream, I was actually turning it into something tangible. I hope everyone who reads it can find a piece of themselves in these pages, because that’s what it means to me: a story we can all relate to.

More than anything, these chapters are a tribute to the little girl who dreamed wide-eyed.

Now, as I share this with you, I feel nervous and proud all at once, nervous because I’m opening up parts of myself that are raw and true, proud because this book is proof that dreams don’t have to stay hidden.

And yes, my heart quivers as I say this,

Spilled Honey Days will be out soon.