By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

A short while ago I mentioned to you all that I had to withdraw from AX due to personal expenses. While I had every intention of being at Anime Expo two weekends ago for 4th of July months prior, that sadly didn’t pan out. So, with a heavy heart, I sent off a few hard emails, made peace with the decision, and tried to shift gears.

While I didn’t make it to AX, I did end up somewhere I never expected—Universal Studios Orlando and, in doing so, I got to step into their newer location, EPIC Universe, which has the Isle of Berk from HTTYD! Somehow, amid all the disappointment, the summer managed to hand me a little magic after all as How To Train Your Dragon is one of my favorite series ever from Dreamworks.

As I was preparing to tell you all about it, sitting down multiple times in the last two weeks to try and explain what saved me from a very hard weekend, I kept finding myself struggling to write. Not because it isn’t an experience worth sharing. It is. The trip was wonderful, the park was beautiful, and stepping into one of my favorite fictional worlds meant a lot to me. However, in truth, this trip was a sincere gift.

This trip, while more affordable than what I usually spend on going to Anime Expo, still required some careful budgeting and I was really lucky to even go given how much it might have costed otherwise. I’m really grateful to my mom for helping make it possible—it was a much-needed break, and her support (both emotional and financial) meant a lot in providing a not-insignificant amount and giving me the idea to go. My mom found a budget-friendly hotel on Expedia (just $50 a night that included a shuttle to the park so no parking fees) and generously covered the ticket cost for this last-minute plan to give me a nice vacation during my work’s faculty break. This left me needing to pay for food and gas. It was a lovely trip overall—definitely not the cheapest, but far more manageable and affordable than heading back to California for AX. Thanks to her help, it cost way less for me personally than what something like this probably costs on average. I feel incredibly lucky for how everything turned out, and lucky to have the mother that I do.

In giving me that break, part of me was excited that I’d have something to share since I was missing out on what I call my “home” convention. However, while I was there I was able to just enjoy myself and completely forget about the blog for a few days which, I think, is what has brought on this writer’s block about the trip.

Content creation—even when it’s just once a week, and even when it’s free—is still a type of work. It’s writing, editing, formatting, sharing, and engaging. While I love doing that, sometimes it starts to feel like a second job wherein I have to turn all of my experiences that relate to this medium into a readable and useful post.

Many of you reading are probably content creators, so you can relate to the feeling of getting lost in the blend between hobby and work. While we’ve all most likely watched those videos or read those posts on burnout, I think it bears repeating: you can keep some things for yourself.

Like, right now, instead of sharing every part of this trip, I think I will let it be a little pocket of summer for me to enjoy and remember. I realize that, while I’m not experiencing burnout yet, that feeling of having to turn everything in this passion of mine into a piece of content can surely lead to that feeling down the line. Especially if I’m not careful to recognize the signs of wearing out or take breaks when I need it. So, this week, rather than a review, what I have is a little reminder that not everything has to become content. Something you probably already know, but is always good to repeat every once in a while.

That said, if you’re curious about the EPIC Universe or the Isle of Berk, I absolutely encourage you to check out the creators on YouTube or other blogs who’ve done deep dives on every inch of it. They’ve done a fantastic job. As for me, this one’s staying in the memory bank. 😀

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Developmental and copyedits by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow

Additional copyedits by: Katherine Cañeba | @kcserinlee