Welcome to Macy Sees The World ✈️✏️

Start here!

Hello from Baoquan Grand Canyon :)

*February updates*

• I’ll be in Japan from February through April! If you’re interested in learning about the historical and cultural significance of the places I’m visiting, look out for my “Japan Travel Log” series coming soon!

• From now till February 20, there will be a 16% discount on the annual plan ($36 —> $30).

The Call to Adventure

When I was six, I decided I’d like to either be a paleontologist, a fairy, or an author when I grew up. Well, paleontology got thrown out the window after I realized, gee, digging in tons of dirt all day probably sounds more fun in theory than in practice. As for being a fairy, I doubt that my childhood wish will be answered anytime soon, so I’m left with the third option.

In a way, writing is not so different from digging up dinosaurs or believing you can sprout wings. Some days all it takes is tapping your keys a few times to release a story from the bedrock of your imagination. On other days you spend hours sifting through layers of mental sediment just to excavate a few itty-bitty sentences. Then, there’s the matter of stitching them together to create a seamless, majestic structure that’ll leave people awed.

But before you can do any of this, before you even so much as type a single word, you need to suspend your disbelief in the reality that tells you that you can’t make it, you’re chasing a fantasy, people can’t fly and instead follow the voice that whispers, “But what if I can?”

Nature did not grant us the ability to grow wings, but she did endow us with the creativity, courage, and determination needed to forge our own.

After graduating college in 2022, I decided to follow that whisper by pursuing my lifelong dream of traveling the world and becoming an author. I don’t know where this road will lead, whether it’ll be smooth and straight or rugged and winding. Sometimes I don’t even know which city or country I’ll be in a few months from now. But I do know that I am prepared to face risks, make mistakes, and exercise perseverance daily if that’s what it takes “to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” as Thoreau put it.

Life is too short and too precarious to live any other way.

What is Macy Sees The World about?

This newsletter synthesizes my passion for travel, fiction, and faith through weekly travel essays and serialized fiction inspired by the places I visit. While the former is fairly straightforward, the latter is undergoing development.

Because this idea of merging fiction and travel is still in its infancy, I’m currently tinkering with questions such as whether I want to settle into a specific genre or explore multiple and whether I want to experiment with different writing styles or stick with just one.

If you choose to subscribe, know that you’re doing so at the potential peril of receiving a historical fiction series set in China for one week (read it here), a fictional memoir that takes place across two countries the next (coming soon), and a time travel short story set in the swamp lands of Louisiana after that (just an idea I’ve been toying with).

By now, astute observers will have noticed that adventurism guides my approach to writing as much as it influences my attitude toward living. Simply put, readers who enjoy literary eclecticism and vicarious travel will find themselves right at home in this little corner of the internet. Even if you’re not sure if this newsletter will be your cup of tea, feel free to subscribe to give it a taste. You can unsubscribe at any time if you find my writing doesn’t suit your reading palette.

What will I get if I subscribe?

In the following weeks, I’ll be gradually expanding the types of content offered on Macy Sees The World. To make my writing as accessible as possible, the majority of posts will still be free, including

• Travel essays highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the places I’m visiting

• Serialized fiction that is broken up into multiple episodes and spread across several weeks

• Guest posts from fellow travelers and writers

If you’d like to get a behind-the-scenes look at what specific moments from my travels inspired these stories or if you’d like to spend more time with the characters, consider upgrading your subscription! From now till February 20, there will be a 16% discount on the annual plan. For $30/year, you’ll also get access to

• Author Notes which offers a behind-the-scenes look at my writing and research process for each fiction series (first one coming this month!)

• Prequels, epilogues, and/or bonus episodes (coming in March!)

Typically, you’ll hear from me 1-2 times a week. I don’t believe in writing fluff and even less in making others read it. Since I value your time and your support, I promise to write consistently and to write with heart. As someone who has dedicated her life to the craft of storytelling, I take this promise seriously, and in return, I hope you will take me seriously as a writer.

Bon Voyage

Now, let’s turn the spotlight on you! I’d love to hear your story and which aspects of Macy Sees The World resonate with you. Here are some questions to get you started. Feel free to answer as many or as little as you like. You can also use this space to ask me questions as well.

• Introduce yourself! What’s your name and where are you from?

• Do you have a favorite genre of fiction? How about favorite books and authors?

• What is the number one destination anyone should add to their bucket list?

• How has travel helped you grow as a person?

• What does taking a leap of faith look like for you in your current stage of life?

I look forward to reading your responses!

— Macy 👋