The World Through Me

By Vicky Huang

This project will take you through the places I’ve grown to call home. From the dazzling lights of New York City to the blue skies of Miaoli, Taiwan, you get to travel through a multitude of locations, in seconds, all while sitting in your chair. It is important for all the works I create to represent a part of me or reflect who I am as a person, and The World Through Me has given me a chance to do just that.

new york city, new york

40.7128° N, 74.0060° W

you watched me grow up,
and you made my life
but i was just a snippet of yours

if ever one day
i find myself settled
in a part of the world that isn’t you
i hope to look into a mirror
and see your bright,
night lights
within my hopeful eyes

miaoli, taiwan

24.5062° N, 120.8214° E

your sunlight shone down on me
like a warm embrace
and for a snippet of my life
you were my life

it’s comforting to think
that although i had forgotten you,
you had never forgotten me

pittsburgh, pennsylvania

40.4406° N, 79.9959° W

i’ve always loved the city
always found comfort in noise
but you made me
love the silent night drives
love the fields of green
love watching the summer sun
that never seemed to set

jiufen, taiwan

25.1092° N, 121.8463° E

I only ever say you in movies
but then I saw you in person
and it felt like a dream

your fiery reds
and your hopeful blues
left me breathless
craving for more adventure
and longing for a life of fantasy

Process

This short Canva project was inspired by the many places I’ve been to and their significance. I love to travel and take pictures as I go, so combining these passions was a no-brainer. I had a lot of fun scrolling through my photos, and selecting the best ones allowed me to reminisce on memories that I hold dear. I thought it would be too bare to leave it as just a collage, so I added a poem on each slide to depict how I felt about each place I went to.

Meet the Pair

Mentee Vicky Huang & Mentor Neha Kulsh

Vicky’s Anecdote: When Neha first introduced herself, I immediately noticed the electric-blue eyeliner she rocked with her otherwise all-black outfit. I grew to admire her chill personality and passion for politics, and we bonded easily over the stress of applications and our love for Dum Dums. Even while away on vacation, Neha wasted no time helping me with my writing. As a senior joining Girls Write Now for the first—and last—time, I am incredibly grateful to have met a mentor who always helped me with my writing judgment-free and made me feel more confident and comfortable as a writer.

Neha’s Anecdote: When I first met Vicky I was sad she was a senior because it meant we’d get only one year together. We share a fondness for Awkwafina, all things Japanese, and the Pixar film Bao. We’re also the product of no-nonsense immigrant households. No surprise, then, that Vicky is a powerful observer of culture and family dynamics. An economical writer, she writes effortlessly and without pretension—skills that eluded me at her age. This year, Vicky is headed to Boston University to study linguistics. I can’t wait to see what she does next!