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How We Got Here Journal 💫

@howwegotherejournal

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📚Bestseller on Amazon! Guided Journal 50 Meaningful Questions to ask your parents or loved ones! ✍️ By: @nancyluong17 #HowWeGotHereJournal

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🙏Wow, such an incredible day today. On 11/11, I announced that I wrote and published @howwegotherejournal AND today 2/2/22, I wake up, the day after Lunar New Year, to see myself on the front page of Long Beach Press-Telegram Grunion Gazette! This is truly a DREAM. I have spent almost half my life in Long Beach, since I moved here at 18 to go to @csulongbeach and I would have never imagined, ever in my life, that I would be featured in an article written by Gary Metzker, CSULB professor & four time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and reporter. THIS is just so surreal and I have so much gratitude for today and this moment. I'd love for you all to check out this article, it is so well written and really shows my personality, intentions and voice. Thank you! 💫🙏 by @howwegotherejournal

😱Wow, this is beyond shocking to me. I had no idea how to write a book 4 months ago. I googled “How to a write a book.” And I cannot believe that today I’m a published author that made it to #1 New Release & #12 Best Sellers list in the families categories. While I was writing this when I would get in my head with those negative thoughts of “you really think you could do this??“ I would tell myself “yes you can, you’re doing this for your family and friends, anyone else is just a PLUS!” I said this so I could keep focusing and keep going. I never expected to be on @amazonpublishing @amazon and to make it this far!!! I’m truly shocked, in awe and so incredibly grateful. Grateful for everyone that has supported me, so thank you!!😭🙏💙 #HowWeGotHereJournal by @howwegotherejournal

✨ My advice for anyone who wants to write a book is to truly BE YOURSELF. Listen to your soul, your intuition, and write whatever the f you want to write. It doesn’t need to be perfect or make sense. It just needs to come from YOU.

Writing my first book was so outside of my comfort zone and I had NO idea what I was doing lol. But it honestly felt like a spiritual download. I just followed what I was passionate about.

I think so many of us get in our own way because we’re worried about what other people think. But whether it’s writing, creating content, art, or just LIFE, not everyone needs to understand you or what you’re doing.

And as I rewatched this video, I realize this isn’t even just about writing a book. It’s about how we live our lives.

Your LIFE is your book. You’re the author. So stop letting other people write your story and start living one that you want to tell. 💙✨ by @howwegotherejournal

📖 A story about stories… if you want to write your own come join me this Sunday, 10/25 at the Long Beach @belmontshorelb Book Fair. I will be on the main stage at 2:15p helping you tell your own story!!!! See you there!! 🩵✨ by @howwegotherejournal

📖 This story is an excerpt from my book We Are All Weirdos, but it also captures the heart behind my first book, How We Got Here Journal @howwegotherejournal, a journal I created with meaningful questions to ask your parents or loved ones.

Sometimes, one question can open a door to an entirely new understanding of the people we love.

I spent most of my life feeling like the weirdo in my family and so much did not make sense to me. I was used to our family dynamics which was the “norm” but at some point I didn’t want this to be the norm.

That one question changed the trajectory of my life and our dynamic.. and the healing began.

That’s why I believe so deeply in asking the questions we’re afraid, uncomfortable or simply never taught to ask. Because one conversation can change a relationship and even begin to break a generational pattern. I am not saying every answer is what we would want or hope for.. but at least we can better understand those around us .. and we get to decide what we want to do.

If you feel like the weirdo in the family, the one who feels different, know you are not alone.

Sometimes, the weirdo is the one brave enough to ask the questions, start the conversation and begin the healing. Keep being the weirdo. 💙 by @howwegotherejournal

📖 If you’ve ever thought about writing a book and you’re feeling stuck, I GET IT. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I wrote my first book 😂 I literally just figured it out as I went.

Now I’ve written and self-published two books and I’m currently working on my third (!!) and I wanted to share with you my journey because I have never done that and I always have ppl telling me they want to write a book!

So let me know what’s stopping you or what questions you may have.. and lmk if you’ve read my books @howwegotherejournal or We Are All Weirdos!! ✍️🥰 by @howwegotherejournal

✨ Going to Vietnam to see where my parents and family came from last year and again this year was genuinely one of the highlights of my life. It changed me because I got to learn more about my roots, my family, and where I come from. And Vietnam is FREAKING BEAUTIFUL!!!! The food, the people, the culture, the landscapes… it really is such a magical place. ❤️

After our most recent trip, my parents told me they probably wouldn’t be going back again. They’re getting older and the long trip is getting harder for them. It made me sad because I know I’ll go back one day, and my dad has always been my tour guide!! 🥹

It also made me realize how special it is that experiences like this exist for people who want to connect with Vietnam, their roots and their culture in a deeper way.

That’s why I wanted to share @ThirdCultureVietnam’s Heritage Tour, a 14-day trip happening November 2–15, 2026, hosted by my friend Jason Nguyễn @whothephuc, founder of @nguyendynastyco!

They’ll be traveling through Vietnam from North to Central to South, so you’ll get to experience so many different parts of the country. They’ll also be joined by licensed local guides, and throughout the trip there will be guided journaling, storytelling and small group conversations that create space to reflect on the culture.

And as someone who literally wrote a journal @howwegotherejournal about discovering where we come from and connecting immigrant families through our stories… obviously I LOVE this.

If you’ve been wanting to experience Vietnam and connect more deeply with your roots, culture and community, check out @ThirdCultureVietnam! ♥️

I did the math and it comes out to about $200/day, which includes 4–5 star hotels, meals, guides AND you get to experience it all with a group instead of figuring everything out on your own!! And you can use THIRDCULTURE100 for another $100 off the trip!

I hope this gives someone the chance to experience Vietnam and feel a little more connected to where they come from. 🥹❤️

#ad by @howwegotherejournal

🥺 I asked my dad what his fave memory was when he was a kid and he said when he would see the American military come by in their garbage trucks. They would empty out their garbage and my dad would dig through the trash to see what foods there were .. he would get so excited when he’d see m&ms. His family was homeless bc they had to evacuate their house bc of the war and they lived in a shelter. Whenever the trucks came he got so excited to see what there was he could find… and stories like this keep me so grounded in gratitude. I know often times we think about what don’t we have? But what if we thought about what we DO have now and how far we’ve come? It is such a beautiful way to look at life.. ✨💗 by @howwegotherejournal

Happy Father’s Day to the man who left everything he knew so I could have everything he didn’t.

This time I sat my dad down and asked him the questions from a book called How We Got Here by Nancy Luong. These are simple questions, but the answers will give me a better understanding of my dad. Questions like: Where he was born. What he misses about home.

To my ba and to every Vietnamese dad out there who crossed an ocean and carried a whole family on his back without ever asking for thanks, we see you. We remember. We carry it forward. Hope this video resonate with you!

Chúc mừng Ngày của Cha. Con thương ba. Also check out his shirt from @littlesaigon.official

#fathersday #vietnamese #vietnameseamerican #vietnam #happyfathersday by @howwegotherejournal

💗 Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there and especially to my dad, who fills my heart and soul with so much joy.

I know Father’s Day can be a complicated one. There was a time when this day felt so weird for me because my dad and I didn’t have a good relationship.

There are so many different types of relationships and experiences with dads. Some have beautiful, close relationships, others don’t have that or may not have a relationship at all, and some are spending today remembering and honoring dads they have lost.

Whatever this day looks like for you, give yourself a little extra grace and love. We all have different relationships and experiences with our dads and every story is different. If you’re fortunate enough to still have your dad here, spend the time, and cherish the moments you have together because they truly are a gift.

To my dad: I cherish every moment I still have with him and the best moments are when I sit with him and talk to him, asking him questions and listening to his stories. He is such an incredible soul who I love and respect so much. Every time I see him and hear more stories I am in awe of his courage and love he has.. we’re so lucky to have him still and celebrate this day with him. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and to my dad, my hero.🥹💗✨ by @howwegotherejournal

💙 Mother’s Day is this Sunday!!! If you’re looking for a meaningful gift and want to support your female Asian author friend (hi!! me 🙃), gift her my book @howwegotherejournal!! 📖

I created this guided journal to help ppl connect more deeply with their parents and loved ones through asking questions and sharing stories. There are 50 questions and prompts you can ask them about their upbringing, journey, and the experiences that shaped them. I wrote it to connect families and to keep stories alive.. ✨

You can get this in 2 days through Amazon… and did I mention you’re supporting your friend’s small business?! The link is in my bio or you can search it on Amazon!! Would love to hear any of your stories you capture, happy soon to be Mother’s Day!! 🥰✨ by @howwegotherejournal

So many of my friends have told me, “I wish I had more videos of my parents so I could hear their voice.”

I don’t want to live with regrets. Life gets busy, but I really try to prioritize quality time with my parents. And quality is just that quality. Being present. Listening. Asking questions. Laughing, hugging, truly being there with them.

I record their stories too… because if we still have our parents around, these are the moments we’ll want to hold onto. ✨ by @howwegotherejournal