Where you go, you are

#WYGYA

Destinations

Places we have visited and have real things to share, plus a few thoughts along the way.

Portugal4 storiesJapan3 storiesUSA2 storiesCanada1 storyThoughts5 stories

All stories

Two visitors reflected in a mirrored panel inside a bright white curved gallery space

Japan

Renowned Modern Japanese Artists:

Kusama, Murakami and the other modern Japanese artists worth knowing before you travel, and where you can see their work in Japan and beyond.

A junk art musician with a flowerpot head sprouting grass, playing guitar at a microphone in front of a white cottage and pumpkin patch

USA

Florence Avenue in Sebastopol California

One street in Sebastopol, California is lined with junk art sculptures by Patrick Amiot. What to look for, and where to park when you go.

An open suitcase packed with folded clothes, a water bottle and a wooden comb, laid out beside leather boots, sunglasses, a watch and a phone on a brown blanket

Thoughts

My Favorite Travel Essentials

The best travel essentials that will simply make your travels and flights better!

A black and white cat resting on a low wall above the bright green tea terraces of Cha Gorreana on Sao Miguel

Portugal

Cha Gorreana: Gorreana Tea Factory, São Miguel, Portugal

Europe's oldest tea plantation has been growing on São Miguel since 1883. What to expect at Gorreana, and why the visit is worth an afternoon.

Waves breaking against the black volcanic rock and cliffs of Ponta da Ferraria on Sao Miguel in the Azores

Portugal

Ponta da Ferraria: Ocean Hot Springs in the Azores

A geothermal spring on the west coast of São Miguel where the Atlantic runs warm enough to swim in, reachable only at low tide. How to visit safely.

A woman in a red patterned kimono walking past a bamboo fence along a sunlit Kyoto street

Thoughts

Wherever You Go, There You Are (WYGYA)

Wherever you go, there you are. What the phrase means for travel, and why changing your surroundings does not change who arrives.

Shoppers browsing stalls piled with peppers and strawberries beneath a hand painted farm sign at a Montreal market

Canada

The Best Farmers Markets in Montreal

Jean-Talon, Atwater, Maisonneuve and Lachine. Which of Montreal's farmers markets to visit, what to eat at each, and which days to avoid.

Holding a whole orange pressed into fresh juice with a straw at a street stand in Yufuin, Kyushu

Japan

Why you should visit Kyushu: Japan’s southernmost island

Mount Aso, natural hot springs, Kumamoto Castle and the quiet art town of Yufuin. Why Japan's southernmost island deserves more of your trip.

The painted prow of a moliceiro boat on the Aveiro canal, decorated with red and yellow flowers and a folk scene

Portugal

Aveiro's Moliceiro Boats: History and Love on Portugal's Colorful Waterways

Aveiro sits on Portugal's Atlantic coast, where painted moliceiro boats still work the canals. Their history, the love ribbons, and how to ride one.

A flat lay on white painted wood with a striped linen towel, halved lemons, sprigs of thyme and small bowls of lavender and salt

Thoughts

Morning Rituals: Creating Meaning in Your Day

How you spend the first thirty minutes sets the tone for the day. The small morning rituals that survive travel, jet lag and hotel rooms.

Plastic free bathroom items laid out on marble, including bamboo toothbrushes, wooden brushes, a safety razor and reusable cotton rounds

Thoughts

Sustainable Home Care: Choosing a Greener Lifestyle

Swapping single-use for refillable at home and on the road. The products that actually last, and the travel habits worth changing first.

A hand holding an iPhone with a Pasmo card in Apple Wallet, tapping it against a Japanese ticket gate reader

Japan

Pasmo - Digital Small Change

How to put a Pasmo card in your Apple Wallet and pay for trains, buses and convenience stores across Japan using only your phone.

A carved stone relief of three figures on the graffiti covered concrete facade of the abandoned Panoramico de Monsanto

Portugal

Panorâmico de Monsanto: Street Art in Lisbon, Portugal

An abandoned 1960s restaurant above Lisbon, now a Brutalist shell covered in street art. What is inside, and how to find your way there.

Tall dried mullein stalks in the foreground with the tan spires of Smith Rock and a snow capped peak beyond

USA

Smith Rock: Oregon's Hidden Desert

Oregon's high desert hides towering rock spires, the Misery Ridge trail and the birthplace of American sport climbing. When to go and what to see.

A quiet bedroom corner with a black leather butterfly chair, a round mirror on a leather strap and a window looking out to a green hillside

Thoughts

What Does Home Mean to You? Redefining what home is.

Home might be four walls, or a person, a meal, a song. A slow traveler's take on what actually makes a place start to feel like home.