It Began in Lefkada

19th December 2024

Lefkada — a small coastal town in Greece.

But first, look at this cute potato! It was asking for my fish when I was having lunch :)

I don’t know which was my inspiration — the adorable street cats, the pristine beaches, the refreshing sea breeze, the freshly caught seafood, the sweet Freddo Espresso — or maybe the combination of all these very Greek things that prompted my mind running.

It was summer. I just finished the second year of my undergraduate degree. I took a short trip to Greece before flying back home. And right there, it hit me. I started writing.

No, I wasn’t planning on writing a full-length novel at first. I was just writing for fun! I was chilling at a beachside bar, breathing in the salty ocean air, and I just wanted to start writing something. I found it quite therapeutic.

Given my delusional nature, of course the first thing I started typing was a romance story…

Except for having at least three daily gelatos and sunbathing on the warm sand, I spent the majority of my time in Lefkada writing. As my short solo trip ended, I already had a few chapters to show my friends!

It was a long journey until I reached the last chapter of Love Like A Swiftie. But now that it’s all done and I look back at the beginning… WOW! I still can’t believe my debut novel was born out of my getaway that lasted for a week!

I will most definitely go back to this magical place. Maybe even a honeymoon trip with my debut novel to celebrate the birthplace of our relationship :)

There was a random Greek guy who told me “Whoever drinks the Lefkadian water will come back to Lefkada”. I am not that superstitious, but I might very well manifest this myth.

For those who don’t know where Lefkada is, it’s a quiet town with not many tourists. If you wanna go sightseeing, you should try the famous Greek cities. But if you’re like me, who just wanted a chilling holiday on the beach, Lefkada is a beautiful place!

Lefkada, hopefully I will see you soon :)