the notebook —
Stories
America, one place at a time.
The East Coast — Birthday, Graduation, and My First Real Look at America
Ten days, three cities, six hotels. NYC for the cherry blossoms, DC for the monuments, Philly for the birthday finale. My first real look at the East Coast — months after my first trip as a green card holder (Ensenada) broke the seal.
The Night I Stood on a Balcony Above Times Square
There are almost no balconies in Manhattan. My husband found one — a corner suite at the Times Square EDITION, twenty floors up, with a door that opened onto air. Here's what it felt like to walk through it.
Standing at the Statue of Liberty as a Brand-New Green Card Holder
I'd seen her in movies my entire childhood. The week I officially became a permanent resident, I finally got to stand in front of her. I wasn't ready for how it would feel.
We Missed the DC Cherry Blossoms by Three Days
I had planned for the cherry blossoms the way you plan for a flight you can't miss. The blossoms peaked three days before we got there. Here's what I found instead.
I Played the Lobby Piano at the St. Regis on My Birthday
There is a piano in the lobby of the St. Regis in Washington, DC. A grand piano. The kind that mostly sits silent under a chandelier. I asked the concierge if I could play it. He said go ahead.
What I Got Wrong About Philadelphia
I thought it would be a historical theme park with a cheesesteak rest stop. I left wanting to move there. Here's everything I underestimated.
My First Cruise — Ensenada on the Quantum of the Seas
Before the East Coast trip, before any of it — I had just gotten my green card, and then I went on my first cruise. Five nights out of Long Beach to Mexico. I did not expect to love it. I did. Here's why.
What It Means to Be Named America
My name is Mỹ Linh. In Vietnamese, Mỹ means America. I have spent my entire life carrying the name of a country I did not yet live in — and now I do. This is what that feels like.