This Labor Day holiday became a special mix of family warmth and creative joy. The journey home felt endless – 2 hours squeezing through subway crowds, 2 hours watching fields fly by on a fast train, then another subway ride. When I finally arrived, my parents' excited hugs and my brother's jokes instantly erased the travel fatigue. Our kitchen buzzed with sizzling barbecue and spicy hotpot, filled with stories that made the old walls echo with laughter.
In quiet moments, I discovered the magic of yarn. My crochet hook brought to life a round sea otter keychain, a phone charm shaped like the bold Chinese character "滾" meaning "roll", and a starry space keychain. When my fingers needed rest, I painted a scene where a glowing jellyfish danced with a butterfly.
Evenings turned into virtual adventures. In Genshin Impact, my friend and I became sunset hunters. We’d climb floating ruins in the game, timing our screenshots perfectly as the digital sky turned pink and gold. "Move left! The castle towers look better this way!" we'd argue, mixing laughter with pretend seriousness.
Heading back to the city, my bag held handmade treasures – fuzzy creatures, rebellious charms, and starry art. But the real gifts were invisible: the warmth of family that no distance can weaken, the quiet pride of creating something from nothing, and the reminder that beauty exists both in sizzling kitchens and glowing screens. Sometimes, the simplest journeys leave the deepest marks.