After a few busy weeks of travel, I’m finally getting around to sharing an exceptionally overdue guide: a recap of my month on the west coast of Mexico earlier this year.

I started 2026 strong in the travel department with several soulful WFH weeks in Baja California Sur.

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Baja (beyond Cabo) has been on my radar for several years, ever since a friend told me her family was spending Christmas diving in B.C.S. Her family has a knack for traveling to unexpected places, often well before they’ve made it onto anyone else’s radar, so naturally, I filed Baja away for later.

The first thing that drew me to the area was the water. The best way I can describe the distinct turquoise swirls of Playa Balandra is like a sand and ocean smoothie.

I love beautiful places that bring together nature, wildlife, and a bit of humanity - and Baja fit the bill. Not to mention, it’s just two hours behind EST and has a surprisingly good café culture, making it an ideal WFH winter escape. A tradition I should be so lucky to continue in an effort to dodge winter on the East Coast (Buenos Aires, same time next year?)

There are three main places people tend to base themselves in B.C.S.: Cabo San Lucas (of course), Todos Santos, a little more up-and-coming with a handful of very special boutique properties, and La Paz.

La Paz is the capital of the state, and it’s definitely more local and lived-in than luxe. Personally I think that’s part of its charm - it feels like a real place versus a resort town. And, more importantly, it offers some of the best marine life you’ll find in the Western hemisphere. There’s a reason Jacques Cousteau dubbed the Sea of Cortez “the world’s aquarium.” Let it be known - he was right.

Our goals were simple:

1. Spend as much time in the water as possible - snorkeling, diving, swimming with pretty much anything and everything

2. Get to know a lesser-known corner of Mexico. I love Mexico - it might even be my favorite country. And even after four trips there in the last ~12 months, there’s still so much I haven’t seen (Mérida and Bacalar remain at the very top on my list).

With that in mind, we skipped Cabo and focused on what was newer to us: La Paz and Todos Santos.

We spent about two weeks in each region, starting in La Paz and then road-tripping down the coast to Todos Santos. One of my biggest takeaways from the trip came from chatting with local shopkeepers, our dive guides, and other travelers: the international crowd seems to have much more of a pulse on this part of Mexico than Americans do.

We met divers from France, Canada, Nicaragua, Germany, and even Malta - all of whom had made the much longer journey to this corner of the world to experience the Sea of Cortez in all its glory.

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For an area that looks relatively close on a map, La Paz is surprisingly tricky to get to. La Paz International Airport (LAP) has just one daily flight from LAX, and it leaves pretty early, so if you’re coming from the East Coast, you’re likely looking at a night in L.A.

The alternative is flying into Cabo (SJD), which has tons of daily flights from across the U.S., and making the 3+ hour drive north to La Paz.

About halfway through our stay, after meeting a suspicious number of San Diegans, we learned there was a third option: several budget-friendly flights from Tijuana to La Paz operate daily. If I were doing it again, I’d probably spend a day or two in San Diego, drive across the border to Tijuana, and take the quick flight down to LAP from there. It adds a little adventure to the logistics, but feels like the smarter route.

We rented an apartment in La Paz & a casita in Pescadero (a rural town just outside of Todos Santos) to offset costs. That said, if we were to do it again (and didn’t have specific space needs to work remotely) we would stay at one of the below boutique properties.

La Paz

• Residence Las Flores ($)

• Baja Club Hotel ($$)

• Republica Pagana ($$)

Todos Santos

• Desierto Azul ($)

• Hotel San Cristobal ($$)

• Paradero ($$$)

• Todos Santos Boutique Hotel ($$$)

TL;DR on La Paz: optimize for maximum time in, on or near the water

Spend a day basking at Playa Balandra and Playa El Tecolote - wade into the calm water, then hike up to the viewpoint for those creamy, dreamy turquoise swirls.

Swim with whale sharks. Truly a must. I did it through this experience and it was genuinely once-in-a-lifetime. The only downside was that our guide never sent over the photos he took with his underwater camera, so sadly I have zero photographic evidence of this epic encounter. Still, likely the highlight of our entire trip.

Do a boat day to Espíritu Santo to swim with seals, look for whales, spot tons of birds, and snorkel through that impossibly blue water alongside all kinds of fish. There are tons of providers offering versions of this experience - I did this one. Definitely opt for the wetsuit; the Sea of Cortez is cold. This was such a fun day.

Go diving! This was my first time doing anything remotely dive-related, so we started with two intro dives (aka the PADI Discovery course) just to get a feel for it and see if getting certified might be a worthwhile investment. We did ours through La Paz Divers, but The Cortez Club and The Dive Gurus both have great reputations too. Spoiler alert: I liked diving. Don’t know if I loved it? Definitely not itching to do it again this year.

Stroll the Malecón at night. This is the boardwalk that runs along the water, and it’s the perfect place to get a feel for local life. I loved ending our evenings here, watching rollerbladers, families, and locals out enjoying the night. It was peak leisure, Baja style.

Soak up as many sunsets as possible. We ended every day on our balcony watching the sun disappear over the horizon. I swear to god they got better each night.

TL;DR on Todos Santos: Come here to slow the hell down

Two words: whale watch. Every damn day.

Explore the long, completely unobstructed stretches of wide-open beach along the Pacific coast. Our Airbnb had direct access to a massive, totally secluded beach in Pescadero. Nothing better than walking for 30 minutes and not seeing another soul.

Hike! There’s a particularly great hike you can access from the parking lot at The San Cristobal, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. Look up the Punta Lobos Trail (aka the Sugar Port Trail on AllTrails).

Wander into the local boutiques and do some shopping. Tiger Club, El Taller, Nomad Chic, Pronto Buy Pronto (call ahead), Desert Fox and Zocalo were a few highlights. Many of the shops feature products sourced entirely from Mexican artisans. I came home with a gorgeous top from El Taller that makes me think of Todos Santos (and the kind shopkeeper) every time I wear it.

Head to El Cerritos Beach to watch the surfers (or rent a board yourself).

Explore the agritourism scene in Pescadero. This nearby town is all dirt roads and organic farms. We had several meals across local farms, where the produce is grown right there. Agricole also has a proper food store, Agricole Farm Shop, stocked with all the homemade local products, baked goods and specialty foods you could imagine. We left with no less than five breakfast burritos. It was very Erewhon / Happier Grocery meets Todos Santos (for better or for worse).

Experience a baby turtle release. Make sure you’re there during high season for this, generally winter. The releases happen daily at Playa Las Playitas and are totally free (more info here). Peak sweetness.

Be mindful of snakes. They are plentiful and I had a run-in. Worry not - they’re good luck ⭐️

La Paz

• Made Pizza Bar

• El Autentico Super Burro (naturally Ryan’s favorite meal of the trip)

• Tiger Club (check out the shop too - obviously superb ceramics)

• Bazinga

• Ducky Ice Cream

• Baja Surf Hotel Rooftop - make sure to grab a drink here. Its prime location on the Malecón makes it the perfect spot to watch the sun go down

• Azotea - we celebrated an anniversary here - it’s a little cheugy / photo opp heavy but that’s also part of the fun

Todos Santos

• Agricole - specialty farm shop & farm to table restaurant (pick up snacks & pastries)

• Cerritos Beach Inn - walk in for a drink and a light bite at sunset. You’ll thank me later

• Ristorante Tre Galline - Italian in town

• Jazamango - more farm to table (famous spot)

• Hierbabuena (our favorite farm to table)

• The Green Room (best for drinks)

• Oystera

• Paradero hotel for a nice lunch

I’m currently planning my first trip to Baja for clients this winter, and I can’t wait to see what gems they discover.

As we head into the final weeks of summer, it feels only right to start scheming this year’s big winter escape.

So many things to share from this summer’s adventures - the Dolomites, Copenhagen, Amsterdam & beyond… talk real soon xx

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Starting to dream up your next trip?

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These are the essentials I keep coming back to. They’re versatile, take up very little space, and work just as well for a long weekend as they do for a Mediterranean holiday.

1. A good pair of linen pants. I have these - objectively a splurge, but I've had them for five years and will likely have them for at least another five. While my exact pair seems to be discontinued, this is their latest version of the style. Here are a few others that also fit the bill:

   1. J Crew Staple - love the flax

   2. Donni Linen Simple Pant (butter & cornflower)

      1. Honorable mention for their Linen Crop Racer Stripe Pant - these are perfect

   3. Quince 100% European Linen Wide Leg (love Quince for basics)

2. A trusty straw hat. Truth be told, the best ones I’ve found were at little beach shacks over the years, my favorite one is a hand me down from my mom from a trip to Corfu many moons ago. Sharing some inspo here, but limited links because I firmly believe we don't need to be buying beach hats from name brands. Some of my favorite souvenirs are the things I end up wearing the most.

   1. But if you’re desperate to snag one before the trip, Madewell has some solid options - I prefer a wider brim. So chic.

      ---

3. Micro purse. Simple, playful and only really practical on vacation. Wallet, sunglasses, lip balm, room key.

   1. I have this classic STAUD bean bag from about 6 years ago (since been discontinued, but available in tons of colors & fabrics across resale sites) but any easy small bag does the trick. Critical that it’s lightweight, easy to pack & versatile. The perfect bag goes with every single outfit you packed.

   2. Here are a few others I love:

      1. Ollie Shoulder Bags (tons of colors but love the red + black, also STAUD)

      2. Status Anxiety Phenomena Bag in Buttermilk (discovered this brand in Australia last year & they’ve since opened a shop in Nolita. Great price point for good quality leather. Unfortunately it looks like they’ve scaled back their collection of smaller bags, but can still find them on a few select sites with international shipping).

      3. Mini Hollace Tote (butter yellow or neutral)

      4. Mansur Gavriel Mini Candy Bag

   ---

4. Black flip flops. Havianas or Ancient Greek Sandals are my preference. Definition of easy, effortless, classic.

   1. I've had an older version of these for about 12 years, and they're still kicking: Ancient Greek Apteros Sandals. Worth every penny.

   2. Been eyeing these (STAUD Women’s Freja Throng Sandals) for the last few weeks. Metallic buttons are having a moment. They’re sold out in almost every size - and for good reason.

   ---

5. Oversized jean jacket. The bigger, the better.

   1. Pro tip - wear it on the plane. You’ll never regret bringing the extra layer. I snagged my forever denim jacket at a flea market in Puglia 10 years ago. Once stiff and rough to the touch (and definitely previously owned by a man twice my size), it's now buttery soft after years of wear and love as it’s been my companion and extra layer on nearly every getaway over the last decade.

   2. This one is fun if you’re looking for a non-blue option! Haven’t tried Parke personally but have heard good things about their denim; I’d size up one or two sizes to get the optimal boxy look.

   3. Obviously $$ but wow this is a beaut! Miu Miu Giacca Denim love this detail, silhouette & zipper. 10/10. May need to turn on notifications on the RealReal for this one.

   ---

6. One light sweater. Always good to have a little something to throw on for dinner if you’re not feeling the jean jacket every night or want something a bit more cozy. Also wear it on the plane - layering is the name of the game.

   1. light sweater inspo:

      1. NAADAM Cropped Cardigan (limited sizes at the moment, but suspect they will replenish after their summer sale that’s underway)

      2. American Vintage Women’s Cardigan Vitow. Get a fun color that feels like summer & adds a nice contrast to the other more neutral basics you packed.

   ---

7. A cute shoe you can walk 20,000 steps in without an issue.

   1. Tony Pons Verona Espadrille. This shoe is essentially an extension of my body at this point. I have purchased them more than 4 times over the last 10 years. They’re sturdy, comfortable, a little elevated and a killer price point.

   2. Flabelus Velvet Mary Janes. Arguably my best purchase of the last year. Don’t let the velvet fool you - these are a perfect pair for your summer getaway. They’re lightweight, breathable and come in so many fun color combos. Pair with a simple jean & tee or button down and you’ve got a chic, subtle color pop that ties the whole look together. I have the ruby.

   3. Freda Salvador Sera Fisherman Sandal. I have chronic foot / ankle issues and I can vouch for Freda Salvador’s quality. Their shoes are durable, well made and above all else, comfortable enough that you can hit your step goal in them without needing to run to the Pharmacia on day 2 for blister band aids. I’m partial to the cream or suede for maximum versatility. Dare I say they could even double as a work shoe?

   4. Adidas Scarpe Japan Sneaker. Simple & reliable. The perfect shoe to wear on the plane if you’re not bringing proper sneakers.

   ---

8. Journal (duh).

   1. I have this one from Peter Pauper Press and generally like their Gilded series for their size (not too big, not too small), and that they’re properly bound like a book. They’re also lined which is important for a leftie like myself.

   2. I also love Papier’s selection (namely this one for its soft stripes & blue rim); overall they make a great custom hardcover notebook.

   3. Goods for the Study also has notebooks galore from guided journals to pocket notebooks - I love browsing their Mulberry Street location for inspo or to replenish my own reserve of greeting cards.

      ---

9. 1-2 pairs of sunnies. Krewe for forever pieces & Crap Eyewear for your fun pair. One tortoise shell and one aviator is the perfect balance in my humble opinion.

   1. A few brands of note:

      1. Krewe. This NOLA native brand is my tried and true for several reasons.

         1. Their frames are fabulous.

         2. They have a killer “Second Chances” policy that essentially entitles you to endless fix-ups as needed if your pair gets damaged, as well as one full replacement pair. Read more about the policy here. I am a clumsy queen so I have cashed in on this policy (and the on-demand fix-ups) more than once. Girl math is telling me it’s 2 pairs for the price of 1.

         3. They host frequent archive sales (essentially sample sales). Caveat being that these purchases don’t qualify for the Second Chances replacement pair BUT they take the edge off the intimidatingly high price point of Krewe. I’ve now been to several of these sample sales across multiple cities and have always left pleased with my finds.

      2. Crap Eyewear Sweet Leaf Dark Tortoise (good for smaller faces)

      3. Status Anxiety Wonder Sunglasses (nice in between price point)

      ---

   

10. A fun dress or skirt you’d mostly only wear on vacation.

    Travel is for dopamine dressing. I’m all about bringing more playfulness into my wardrobe when I’m traveling as a reminder of what the trip is all about. Think fringe (tasteful) some crochet, bright colors, fun necklace (maybe). It’s all about striking the right balance across the full look.

    1. Lisa Says Gah Erin Set.

    2. Simon Miller (bright, different, primary color forward. Nobody does fringe like this brand)

    3. Nia Thomas for your most out there, super fucking cool pieces. she’s New York based, but I recently rediscovered her in Mexico City this spring.

    4. Faithful the Brand - particularly fond of The Estrella Mini and The Elise Maxi. We love a Missoni-inspired look.

       ---

11. Pouch of sun care.

    1. One of my resolutions for the year is to be better about sun care (in my daily life and when traveling). Thus, a cute little pouch inclusive of my preferred face sunscreen, body sunscreen, and SPF lip balm are all musts. And by keeping them in one little bag, it’s one less thing to think about when I’m packing my carry-on in a mad dash the night before.

       1. Supergoop Lip Screen

       2. Beauty of Joseon Day Dew Sunscreen (non-tinted)

       3. Josie Maran Argan Sun Milk (tinted - great if you’re looking for coverage)

       4. Trader Joe’s gel sunscreen (non-tinted, this stuff is a godsend)

       5. La Roche-Posay Anthelios (body)

    ---

12. A big ass beach tote.

    1. This is another thing I tend to adjust each trip based on the canvas bags / totes currently in my rotation. The Still Here tote has been the latest one I reach for.

    2. Only real requirement is that it’s big enough to fit all the beach / pool day essentials (towels, sunscreen, book, cover up) and is easy to scrunch into a ball and throw in your carry-on without any fears of it adding unnecessary weight.

    3. The Mercy Paris Tote is also a classic & timeless choice.

What did I miss? What are you throwing in your carry-on for your next trip?

Wishing you all full, vibrant & restorative summer getaways. Tis the season!!

xx Sophie

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

Because while we may all technically be headed to the same handful of destinations, we are absolutely not traveling the same way.

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Starting with the beloved habits of the English brought to you by UK resident & author of To Fly For, .

Habits of The English on Holiday

1. Spending six months complaining about British weather, then immediately complaining that it’s “too hot” the moment we arrive

We fall victim to always treating European sun like British sun (i.e. non-existent) and getting excruciatingly sunburnt on day one.

2. 6 a.m. airport pints

Obligatory Brit behaviour which then continues throughout the trip. Bucks Fizz with breakfast? Why not? We’re on holiday!

3. Racing to claim the best sunbeds at sunrise

Essentially a competitive sport at this point.

4. Speaking Pidgin English

Thinking that if you just keep saying the same English phrase in the right local accent, but louder and louder, the person will suddenly understand you.

5. The sacred post-beach-day ritual

Sitting on the balcony with a Fanta Limón and a packet of Ruffles or Lay’s … because crisps definitely taste better in Europe.

6. Forming deeply orderly queues for absolutely everything

Enough said.

7. Suitcases on the beach

We’ve all seen it: that final day when your Airbnb checkout is at 10 a.m. but the 9 p.m. flight seemed like a sensible way to maximise holiday time, so you spend the entire day dragging your suitcase around in the sand.

8. Travelling across Europe to experience different cultures, then seeking out an Irish bar to watch the return of the football season

Which (inconveniently) always starts right in the middle of the school holidays.

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And then, naturally, we have the Americans (brought to you by , Brooklynite & author of Off Script).

Loud, overprepared, and carrying themselves with the unwavering assumption that the rest of the world will accommodate them accordingly. I say this lovingly as I am, of course, guilty.

Habits of Americans on holiday

1. Expecting English to be universally spoken

Even in the most remote corners of Europe (and the world at large!)

This was one of the first things I noticed back in my hospitality days in Puglia. American guests would confidently begin speaking English anywhere, to anyone, and occasionally interpret a language barrier as poor service. Which becomes especially humbling once you realize you’re the one who failed to learn a single phrase before arrival! No grazie.

2. Treating holidays like an Olympic sport

Americans approach travel with the intensity of someone trying to maximize a limited-time offer. And honestly, can you blame us? When your PTO policy allows approximately one meaningful trip a year (if you’re lucky!), every vacation starts feeling quite high stakes.

This is how you end up with itineraries attempting to squeeze Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast, and a “quick stop” in Switzerland into seven days. Rest? Wandering? Lingering at the cafe over a Negroni? None of that.

3. Staying inside the same tiny luxury hotel ecosystem

This one fascinates me as a travel advisor.

Americans abroad often end up inside little English-speaking luxury bubbles populated almost entirely by...other Americans. In Italy alone, there’s a fairly predictable rotation (Le Sirenuse, Il Pellicano, Borgo Egnazia - safe to say at least one of these hot spots will make their way onto your feed at some point this summer).

Are these hotels not exceptionally stunning with top notch service? Very much yes, they are indeed. But is there not something slightly ironic about flying halfway around the world only to spend the week surrounded by fellow Americans ordering spicy margaritas at the pool? Seems this is something us Americans have in common with the English. We love our bubbles <3

4. Refusing to accept that Europe simply does not care about iced beverages

Every summer, Americans continue fighting a war they will not win!

The iced latte in France will disappoint you. The iced coffee in Italy may arrive as espresso poured over a single melting ice cube. Somewhere in the Mediterranean, someone will hand you a tall glass of lukewarm soy milk and call it an iced cappuccino.

And still, we persist.

5. Wearing activewear to major historical landmarks

Nothing says immersing yourself in centuries of culture & history quite like a family of five dressed head to toe in Lululemon at the Acropolis.

Americans are incapable of traveling without at least one emergency activewear outfit. No gym at the hotel? No hike on the itinerary? Makes no difference. The emotional support leggings want to see Greece, too!

6. Documenting absolutely everything

If we return home with fewer than 4,000 new photos on our camera roll, did the trip even happen?

Entire meals photographed. Videos of every hotel room. Forty-seven nearly identical sunset shots (so beyond guilty of this). The documentation itself somehow becomes just as important as the trip.

7. Flooding European hotel bathrooms

Honestly, a rite of passage.

No American is truly prepared for the handheld European shower setup. The coordination required to simultaneously:

• hold the shower nozzle steadily overhead

• avoid soaking the entire bathroom floor

• and extract shampoo from those tiny bottles

...is simply not a skill set we develop domestically.

8. Returning home spiritually transformed

And finally, perhaps the most universal American travel trope of all:

You absolutely will hear that the trip changed them.

A ten day stay in the Italian countryside suddenly results in a new outlook on life, dramatically slower walking speed, and an insistence on pronouncing mozzarella as moot-zha-rel.

And truth be told, we support it entirely.

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We hope this list provided some laughs as you reflect on your own travel behaviors & beloved tropes. Happy euro summer to all who celebrate!

xx Josie & Sophie

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A year ago, I was up to my knees in rejections. Dozens of applications, interviews, even offers that, once materialized, slipped out of reach before I’d really gotten the chance to hold them, to sit with them, to claim them as my own hard-earned path.

I ached at my own inability to articulate what exactly I wanted (is brand management really going to solve all my problems? let’s hope so).

Beyond my work life, I felt fragile, acutely aware that I was making decisions from a place of fear. My peers were taking risks, trying on new lives in new cities at shiny new startups. Some were even boldly betting on themselves, going all in on their own venture, whether it be in tech, health, food or beyond. It felt like my whole world had entered its founder era, at least within my ambitious (and admittedly privileged) bubble.

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On a rare, brave night in with a trusted confidant, or on the occasional night out after one too many drinks, I’d confide in a friend about an idea I had slowly started hatching. It was half-baked, to say the least. It spoke to me more than anything I’d done before, and yet I’ve never struggled so much to commit to something in my life.

I made a business plan, promising myself I’d devote at least one Sunday a month to building it out & bringing it to life. I mapped the steps, the timeline, what it could become. And then the weekends would pass, and while the idea never left my mind, it never really materialized either. My system flooded with guilt more often than not. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t making shit happen. And this was my passion project. If I wasn’t fighting for it, no one else would.

For our purposes, we’re going to keep this brain child of mine vague - but it was a happy mix of my greatest joys: travel, service & mentorship. In the end though, it was an egg that never hatched.

When I look back now at all those false starts, I can point to 3 big reasons why it never quite lifted off the ground.

1. Reason 1: Everything is embarrassing at first: I was embarrassed to be bold, and didn’t believe in myself enough to go for it. Screw that.

2. Reason 2: Itty bitty SOP (size of prize). Many of you know my first job out of school has been in consulting. One of those ~critical~ consulting skills I gained after 4+ years on the job is to always size your addressable market to confirm both viability & upside.

   You must have a meaningful SOP before throwing yourself into something. Right? Actually, wrong. When I “ran the numbers” so to speak (I did not run any numbers) it dawned on me that the addressable market for my unborn business was puny with real barriers impeding adoption.

   And in retrospect, yes - there is some truth to this logic. But was that reason enough to not at least EXPLORE it, because clearly there was something there that spoke to the deepest parts of me?

   Net: I let my fear of not knowing what it could ultimately become stop me from taking even the smallest steps today. When did I become someone who believes that if the prize is small, it’s unworthy of time, investment, or exploration? (Apparently, sometime in the last four years.)

3. Reason 3: Social media blows. This one should come as no surprise - we all *claim* to feel this way. It fries our brain and fuels downward (and upward) social comparison, and we have a whole generation of anxious Gen Zers to show for it.

   But I have a particularly tenuous relationship with social media (more on that in my next post). It wasn’t lost on me that this little project of mine would require a meaningful social presence to really take hold and be disruptive. So, I started. Slowly, and in a painstaking way. I made a few reels. My social media renaissance was not pretty. In the 10+ years since I last used these platforms, so much had changed.

   Trying to jump into social media felt like trying to learn a new sport and qualify for the olympics at the same time. It was joyless to say the least. A Saturday morning wasted as I pieced together a reel about a recent trip to Sicily. 2 hours, easily down the drain as I aimed to get the timing and the pacing just right. To find audio that matched what I was looking to evoke (what was I looking to evoke?) And by the time the damn thing was finally live, I felt like shit. It was soul sucking.

   God bless the social media girlies out there, because if there’s one thing I took away from this endeavor, it was that could. not. be. me. Content creation is not for the faint of heart.

   And then of course, in order to grow on social media, you need to share it with the world! I was so embarrassed and half committed to my own project, that I never followed a single person I knew. I waited idly, hoping eventually the algorithm gods would turn in my favor. Spoiler alert: they did not turn in my favor.

For these reasons, that brain child today still remains just that - a brain child. But what happened instead, these last 9 months, is something else entirely.

Flashback to July of this past year. Ryan and I are in Istanbul, splitting lunch after several hours of bargain hunting in the Grand Bazaar.

I had planned our two-week Turkey trip to a tee. The cadence was just right: a thoughtful mix of city and beach, with a healthy dose of culture and exploration, all balanced with just enough structure and unstructured time. I was in my element. What can I say, I live for these trips.

Ryan couldn’t believe how much I seemed to know about where we were and what was ahead on our carefully crafted itinerary as we were only ~2 days in. I answered his questions effortlessly, the hours I poured into planning the trip coming to the surface.

“You like doing this too much not to start documenting your travels somewhere,” he said.

I brushed it off with some mix of hesitation and dismissal, something about how I preferred keeping all my recommendations and bits and bobs tucked away in my Notes app, ready to send off to friends whenever they found themselves planning their own trips.

This wasn’t the first time my recs had made the rounds. Earlier that year, I’d sent four people to Guatemala armed with my recommendations (nothing more than an extremely long text chain of hotels, activities, cafés, and experiences) with many of them following the exact blueprint of our own trip the year prior.

“Maybe you should start a Substack. You love writing,” he pressed. Ryan doesn’t usually press.

I felt tears well in my eyes. What triggered me? Probably that same unwelcome mix of fear-based decision making and the vulnerability I associate with starting something like this. Putting yourself out there in an unapologetic way, saying what I have to share is valuable simply because it exists. He dislodged the wall of protection I had carefully built around myself. The pain of that failed first project ached as I felt the familiar knot forming in my throat.

I knew next to nothing about Substack. A few girls I had gone to college with and had gone the social media route had them, but that was the extent of my knowledge. Critically, they also had followings. Not only did I not have a following - I didn’t even have a personal Instagram account. I would be starting from less than square one.

And still, the idea grew on me. It was writing, not social media. I knew writing. One of the biggest joys of my occasionally joyless day job was writing. Maybe I could do this.

10 days later, as we approached the final leg of our trip on the Turkish Coast, I was sold, and my first post was drafted. The name The Retired Backpacker came to me that morning, suddenly clear as day. That’s what I am - an ex-backpacker whose need to constantly be on the move hasn’t wavered, it’s readjusted. I downloaded Canva that night (another first!) and was off to the races. These were my initial stabs:

I like to think these are a far cry from the vibe and ~brand identity~ The Retired Backpacker embraces today. But the truth is, tastes & preferences are always changing (I LOVED the hyper femme version of the logo on the right last summer, and it looks like bubble gum garbage to me today). One of my favorite things about Substack has been being able to do whatever the heck I want with it. We can reinvent - again and again and again.

And that’s what brought me to this post in the first place. This newsletter has provided me more joy, purpose & clarity than I could have imagined one year ago, when the thought of carving out something like this was a non-starter. Yes, I wish I had more time for writing, more space for creativity & collaborations & all the beauty this corner of the internet has to offer, but the few pieces I have shared I am extremely proud of.

It’s also created a sense of propulsion that’s constantly bringing me closer to who I want to be and what that quest for the good life looks like in real terms. When I reflect back on my priorities at 19, when I set off for college after my year of solo escapades around the globe, I knew who I was, what I wanted and what the good life (at the time) was all about.

Of course, I’m speaking in broad strokes. But somewhere, along that road to success - the quest for the accolades, the GPA, the shiny job & the unquenchable desire to achieve, achieve achieve, I also forgot. Thoreauvian philosophy teaches us that it’s easy to know who you are and what you’re about in isolation, surrounded by nature. It’s much harder to live that truth in the real world, where legitimate demands and priorities compete with a constant stream of voices telling you where to go, what to do, and what that elusive good life should look like, even though it’s inherently dynamic and deeply individual.

For whatever reason, in every way that first project failed, this Substack (to me, with its tiny following, largely comprised of people I love in real life) has soared.

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I’m excited to announce the Retired Backpacker will be evolving. This next chapter is called Off Script, and it’s a new venture that my Substack has so perfectly and unintentionally lead me towards. About 6 months ago, I got certified to become a travel advisor - today, I’m proud to share the launch of my own boutique agency, Off Script (offscript.travel).

Off Script is an ode to the golden age of travel - those values that I continue to hold close on my own adventures and that I aim to bring to life in my newsletter, and now for my clients on their own journeys around the world. Fewer crowds, less documentation, more presence. My travel philosophy is that the best and most transformative moments when traveling can’t be planned for, they’re off script by design.

Since it’s naisance several months back, Off Script has logged more than $100k+ in bookings across 6 continents and 20 countries. From intimate honeymoons to multi generational family gatherings, Off Script has brought to life unique, diverging & highly personalized adventures. I’m still working out how exactly the Retired Backpacker fits into Off Script, but for now, we’re going to be evolving, new colors, new feel, same voice.

In addition to the launch of Off Script, I’m also starting a new full-time job this week (again - let’s hope brand management IS the answer!)

Another change that for once, felt effortless. To be clear, the last 6 months have been far from low key. Off Script eats up my weekends and my post-work hours, and Substack fills in the cracks. It’s the busiest I’ve ever been, and yet I feel energized by that sense of transformation after a period of my life that felt defined by stagnation.

For whatever reason, I’m consumed by Off Script - happily giving it nearly all of my free time as I’m absorbed in this path and its potential. There’s not a shred of shame or embarrassment here - we are going for it, full throttle. But that first brain child of mine hasn’t been forgotten, and as much as I’ve thrown myself into this new chapter, I can still clearly see the elements it lacks when I anchor back to that elusive quest for the good life.

As put it in her latest, the travel industry incentivizes advisors to recommend large properties, not the quietly special, family-run homes out there like Masseria Potenti that initially lit my heart on fire and opened it up to the world of hospitality 10+ years ago. Service and mentorship remain foundational to who I am and who I want to be. Yet they’re the areas I feel myself lacking as I commit further to the world of travel advisory. (Luxury travel is the opposite of service, no?) These tensions persist.

Perhaps its foolish to believe my work can tie all of those joys into a perfect bow. But maybe this chapter, Off Script, is paving the way for a future endeavor, arming me with the contacts and the expertise across the world of travel to bring that long forgotten brain child to life one day.

This era is about evolution, writing and rewriting and rewriting again. Personal, professional, emotional.

I recently rediscovered an old essay I wrote just one week into college - when that bold girl was still alive and well. Her voice, sharp and clear and fearless (no watered down AI slop here). When I revisited the essay, I was struck not only by yes, how clearly this girl knew what she was about, but also by the work I’ve done these last 9 months to resuscitate her and get closer to that essential truth that’s gotten blurry all these years.

I’m attaching the essay below:

I am profoundly struck by how proud she would be of where we’re headed from the Retired Backpacker in its many evolutions & iterations, to Off Script, to what comes next. Cheers to starting, and starting again.

If you’re beginning to think about your own adventures and are looking to embrace some off that Off Script magic, you know where to find me (offscript.travel, sophiejo.ricciardi@fora.travel,)

xx Sophie

Off Script Website

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Don’t get me wrong: I saved them. I screenshotted them. I jotted down the recommendations in my notes app.

But what struck me most, as our group chat pinged nonstop with “the latest drop” of guides & must hit spots was how eerily similar they all were. We’re talking 90% overlap. Rosetta. Contramar. Molino El Pujol. Odette. Audette. I guarantee you’ve seen at least one, if not all, of these names while planning your own trip.

I also recognize that the repetition, particularly concentrated in the expat-heavy neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma Norte, is almost certainly more of a reflection of my algorithm vs. the best of what Mexico City has to offer. Still, the sameness was hard to ignore.

And let me be clear: we went to the buzzy places. They were delicious. Gorgeous. Many well worth it!

They were also packed, with lines that felt all too familiar - not unlike the viral institutions back home like Bernie’s and Radio Bakery.

As the weekend unfolded, and as I was reminded why I fell in love with Mexico City after spending a month here a few years ago, I started to wonder what I could possibly share that would feel additive to what you already know. What could I offer that your algorithm hasn’t already served you?

So I’m taking a slightly different path.

No exhaustive guide or mega-list of restaurants and shops you’ve seen ten times before. Those resources exist, and they’re doing their job.

Instead, I’m cataloguing just six relatively under the radar gems I discovered on this most recent trip.

These are the spots that quite literally live behind closed doors - the ones you have to buzz into, wander through, or actively seek out. They’re tucked away, and all the better for it.

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1. Havre Studio

What: The workshop behind one of the hottest up-and-coming brands. You’ve likely seen their two-tone contrast blazers, which got a lot of attention a few years back when Hailey Bieber was spotted wearing one. For us, this experience was really all about the Danish couple behind the brand. They’re vibrant and magnetic, and we had the best afternoon trying on their incredibly unique pieces and hearing their story. The best part: every piece is custom fit to your body on site, and they can keep your measurements on file for the future. It was such a unique experience to get face time with this inspiring and impossibly cool power couple.

How: DM them on Instagram - they’re quick to respond and will send over the details to visit their office. Once there, expect to be right in the mix, with seamstresses hard at work on their sewing machines. It takes a little effort to find: you’ll enter through an unassuming corporate building, check in with security for a guest pass, and then make your way upstairs. Entirely worth the extra hoops.

2. Perla Valtierra

What: Ceramics GALORE. When I was doing an externship experience with the lovely a few years back, she introduced me to Perla and I’ve been obsessed with her collection & distinctive ceramics ever since. Safe to say we did serious damage here.

How: Not appointment-only, but still not the easiest spot to track down. It’s tucked behind a large, gated artist residence in the heart of Juárez, shared by a mix of local artisans. Inside, it’s a periwinkle paradise. Check Instagram for the latest hours, buzz the gate, and enjoy the experience of shopping directly from her showroom. Pro tip: she often has pieces in the showroom that aren’t available online, and they ship to the U.S.

3. Casa Bosques / Casa Saavy

What: This is another spot Alison introduced me to years ago. It’s part paper and stationery shop, part coffee table bookstore, and part stunning chocolatier - an eclectic mix in the best way.

How: No appointment needed here, though it does feel a bit tucked away, with only a small plaque and a narrow staircase leading up to the second floor. There’s also a private gallery upstairs with limited open hours.

4. XINU Perfumes in Polanco

What: Objectively, not so secret. But if you’re as into fragrance as I am, Xinu is a must. The staff guide you through each of their six scents with a presentation that engages all the senses, helping you appreciate not just the notes themselves, but also how each fragrance settles and evolves on your skin over time. All in all, a 10/10 experience and more than worth the trip for the chance to spend the afternoon exploring the stunning Japandi-style space.

How: There are several locations - the one in Polanco is the one that’s worth the trip. Their locations in Juarez and Roma Norte were designed to pull the crowds where they already exist. Their location in Polanco is the OG, and it’s a truly immersive experience unlike any fragrance shop I’ve visited. No appointment required - their experiential showroom sits on the second floor of a large and ominous building with security out front. Fragrance is serious business.

5. Azaar Studio

What: A beautifully curated collection of vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories, spanning everything from major fashion houses to smaller emerging designers like Nia Thompson, whose pieces we loved. I’m not usually someone who fully appreciates a vintage store, or designer labels more broadly, but this experience completely won me over. We ended up finding one of a kind bridal pieces for the bride-to-be in our group. The space itself was impossibly chic, with vintage leather couches, slouchy rugs, and delicate glassware they served iced jasmine tea in while we browsed.

How: This one was a trek, well outside the main drag of the city center, and we were more than a little surprised when we pulled up to a building that felt closer to a musty post office than an appointment-only showroom. But once they came down to get us, the elevator opened onto a perfectly whimsical vintage haven. Chefs kiss.

6. Cyan

What: This is a custom journal and planner workshop where you get to choose the leather, binding thread, paper, charms, and leather shapes that make the piece feel entirely your own. It felt like the latest evolution of customization, and a far more original alternative to the usual charm bracelet or monogrammed souvenir. Hidden up in the treetops, the space felt delightfully under the radar, with a fun, colorful interior designed to spark creativity.

How: We stumbled upon this one by pure chance. A sign outside for one of the other shops in the building caught our eye and we decided to explore the whole complex. It was the top floor.

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I hope these spots bring a little more of that ~behind closed doors magic~ to your next trip to Mexico City.

xx Sophie

At the same time, it was not so relaxing. And that wasn’t really the point.

What the trip did reveal, and remind me, is that group trips are hard. And almost always a *little* dramatic.

Every group trip has a moment when someone is hungry, someone is tired, someone wants to go out, someone wants to stay in, someone has a sore throat and suddenly six adults are negotiating dinner plans like diplomats at a peace summit.

Flashback to the era of post-grad trips, when it felt like nearly everyone I knew came back from Europe with a boatload of groggy memories from, yes, the Berlin clubs, but also at least a few tense moments between the group that quietly colored the experience (and too often stuck with them after they returned home).

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Why is that?

Because group trips are complicated. Even the best of friends don’t always travel well together. I often say it’s smart to do a smaller “test run” trip with someone before sending it somewhere really far-flung, just in case you learn you’re not quite as compatible in Bangkok as you are in New York. And if that is the case, that doesn’t make your friendship any lesser.

When you travel, routines disappear. Preferences and comfort levels come to the surface. People are out of their element, spending a not-insignificant amount of money, and living in closer quarters than usual. All of that can make even the most harmonious friend group feel a little fragile.

Over the years, I’ve been on (and took the reins on planning) many a group trip, from post-grad adventures to bachelorettes to multi-day cross-country surprise parties. I’ve been lucky to travel far and wide with some of my favorite people.

Those experiences inspired the guide below: a few practical ways to survive the group trip - and still be friends when you board the flight home.

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The Rules

1. Appoint one central coordinator

Someone has to be the planner.

Most groups already know who that person is, so lean on into it. When one person sets the basic structure, it avoids the endless “we could do this or we could do that” back and forth that inevitably eats up half the day.

Find your coordinator, support them, and thank them when the trip is over!

(I am said coordinator)

2. Mix structured plans with unstructured time

Not every hour needs an itinerary.

A few anchor reservations or activities help give the trip shape, but leaving open blocks allows people to wander, rest, or follow whatever catches their interest. The best travel moments rarely happen on a strict schedule - less is usually more

3. Leave at least one night completely unplanned

Eating out every single night can get exhausting.

After ten hours on your feet exploring a city, that three-hour dinner reservation that seemed like a great idea a few weeks ago suddenly doesn’t sound so appealing. Do yourself a favor & leave at least one evening totally open.

Maybe you make pasta in the Airbnb. Maybe you order a few pizzas. Maybe everyone does their own thing - flexibility is the name of the game on group trips!!

People rarely regret giving themselves a night off.

4. Protect the morning

Everyone mornings differently.

Some people want coffee and silence. Others need a walk, a workout, or a slow breakfast. Give each other the runway to start the day in whatever way helps them feel their best.

A peaceful morning goes a longggggg way toward a good day.

5. Do not force everyone to do everything

If you take one thing away from this newsletter, let it be this.

The biggest trap of group travel is the expectation that everyone must do everything together. This serves nobody!!

If I want to spend three hours at the Frida Kahlo museum, I should. If the others want to head back and do some shopping before drinks, they should!

We all have limited time in a destination, and we are all spending real money to be there. Independence makes the time you do spend together better.

6. Always carry emergency snacks

Meals can be surprisingly challenging on group trips. Depending on your group size, finding restaurants that can accommodate everyone is not always easy (especially sans reservation).

When 3 p.m. rolls around and nobody has eaten since breakfast, that is when things get ugly.

A bar, a chomp stick, or my personal favorite, some puffins in a lil baggie in your purse can save the entire afternoon.

7. Align on the payment plan ahead of time

Money logistics can swiftly derail a trip and be so damn awkward.

Before you arrive, get really clear on how things will work. Will everyone cover one dinner? Will everything go into Splitwise and get settled later?

The more transparency upfront, the less stressing on the trip about who's going to cover what.

8. Set yourselves up for (sleep) success

Six people sharing two beds is a recipe for disaster after night one.

Sleep deprivation makes quite literally everything more tense. It is almost always worth spending a little more to ensure the full crew has a comfortable place to rest.

Good sleep is the foundation of a happy group trip.

9. Be mindful of different trip goals

Everyone defines a “successful” trip differently.

One friend may measure success by how late they stay out or how many bars they hit. Another might want to rise with the sun and make it to a yoga class before a full day of sightseeing. No one’s ideal setup will look exactly the same, and no approach is inherently wrong.

This is where flexibility comes in: when you travel with friends, your perfect vision of the trip probably won’t happen exactly as planned - and that’s okay. Friend trips are built on a little give and take.

10. Bake in real down time

Ironically, this is often when the best moments happen.

Maybe it is the two hours before dinner when music is blasting, and everyone is getting ready for the night. Maybe it is lounging around recapping the day’s events.

These are the girlhood moments that stay with you long after the trip ends - not the dinner reservation at the hard-to-get restaurant.

11. Don’t rush each other

This one is hard for me.

At the end of the day, everyone moves at their own pace. If someone wants to linger at the house while you’re ready to explore, split up. Nobody likes waiting around and nobody likes to be rushed.

You will almost definitely meet up later.

12. Embrace the splintering

The group will naturally break into smaller segments throughout the trip.

Some people want to stay out late. Some are active, early risers who have to hit their daily 10,000 steps. Some want to see every museum. Others want to lounge at the house.

This is not a problem; it’s actually the solution.

Tension usually arises when people feel they’re not getting the experience they hoped for. Giving everyone flexibility to do what they want helps prevent resentment from creeping in.

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One final note on group trips:

Group trips are one of the few times each year that my full circle of friends gets to be together.

Yes, the destination matters. Exploring a new place together is special.

But the real reason for the trip is the reconnection. If you simply wanted to see the place, you might go solo or with a partner. The group trip is an entirely different beast.

And when it works, it’s pure joy.

I hope this guide makes your next group trip run a little smoother: fewer meltdowns, more memories.

xx Sophie

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If you enjoyed this, here are a few more from the archives:

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TIMING & LOGISTICS

• Strive for late fall to early spring for clear skies & warm temps

• We planned our trip for mid-October, just a few days before the celebrations for Dia de los Muertos were in full swing

• We spent 5 nights total, which felt just right. If you have more time, considering pairing it with 3 nights in Puerto Escondido (an easy bus ride away) for true barefoot paradise. Think dirt roads, aesthetic hotels, rugged beaches, and some of the best surf in Mexico. Sign me up

STAY

We split our time between a more budget B&B and a lovely boutique hotel that’s been on my radar for several years (Los Pilares & La Grana)

Los Pilares ($): A cozy stay in Jalatlaco, right next to our favorite coffee shop. Simple and clean, with a small rooftop pool and a lovely space to relax in the mornings. We often started our day on the roof, soaking up the sun with a book in hand.

La Grana B&B ($$): Our two nights here were my Super Bowl. The space feels reminiscent of a riad in Marrakech, filled with thoughtful touches at every turn. The stunning communal kitchen alone felt worth the stay, and the complimentary made-to-order Oaxacan breakfasts - complete with fresh hot cacao - are something I still dream about. 10/10.

Otro Oaxaca ($$$): While we weren’t able to swing this stay, Otro Oaxaca has been high on my hit list for years. It’s minimalist, monochromatic perfection with an inviting rooftop pool looking over the city square. Next time!

EAT

Oaxacan food is incredible. While many places serve classic Mexican dishes, Oaxacan cuisine highlights corn, grains, and complex moles that blend cacao and unexpected ingredients, creating rich, satisfying flavors. We had a few truly standout meals.

• Levandura de Olla: The best of the best - book in advance. If I could do it again, I would come back for lunch & dinner

• Los Danzantes: This is a great trendier option for dinner - they have a location in CDMX as well and a sweet little boutique out front

• Casa Oaxaca: Gorgeous rooftop restaurant serving traditional Mexican food - perfect for lunch

• Pitiona: Upscale Oaxacan cuisine with a twist - great rooftop views

• Criollo: fancy, vibey, open air courtyard - book ahead!

COFFEE SHOPS / CAFES

• Once Upon a Time In Oaxaca: Grab a pour over and sit outside. Be sure to check out the cute artisan goods inside as well. Impeccable vibes all around

• Kiyo Coffee: Gorgeous space that feels equal parts coffee shop & concept store. The enclosed courtyard makes you feel like you stepped into Morocco

• La Boedega: Another beautiful cafe on a flag-lined street drenched in blue. Come for coffee & baked goods

• Boulenc Pain: Great for breakfast, coffee & homemade pantry items - we brought home lots of their jams & hot sauces

PLAY (EXPERIENCES)

• Cooking class & market visit: We did this one (it’s vegetarian)

• Etnobotanical Garden: Line up early as they only allow a certain number of guests in every hour. Note they’re closed on Sundays

• Day trip to the sites: We skipped Monte Alban in favor of more time to move at our own pace. If we were to do it again, I would bang these all out in one experience, like this one

• Hierve el Agua: Grab a taxi to take a dip in one of the only petrified waterfalls in the world

• Museo Textil de Oaxaca: This is a great ~1hr activity, equal parts art & culture

• Galleries & print shops: Almost every street in Oaxaca has an incredible print shop with a giant press and unique prints - we each went home with a handful

• Jalatalco: Take in the street art & colorful flags in this beloved neighborhood

SHOPS

• LIA cafe: Our #1 shop. Pricier relative to the other artisan concept stores but worth it for a special piece - they also have a coffee counter

• Rres: Amazing home store - message ahead to ensure they’re open

• Marchanta: Best clothing & accessories: this shop was gorgeous & featured exclusively Latin American designers

• Xaquie Glassware: Oaxacan classic. I was on a mission, and these delivered

• Alberly Custom Hats: Think hats as far as the eye can see - super cool experience

• Dantana Rock: A secondhand book & CD shop that was as sweet as it sounds

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Oaxaca left the strongest impression of any place I’ve visited in Mexico. I can’t recommend it enough for your next girls’ trip, couples’ getaway, or solo adventure. As always, check the latest travel advisories when planning your trip. Next up: Mérida.

xx Sophie

When I was 18, I left home with a big ass backpack and an even bigger dream to see the world on my own terms. Ten months later, I returned with a passport full of stamps - proof of the wild and colorful life I’d packed into those formative months.

During my year away, I crossed paths with people from every walk of life, from gap year folks, like me, hailing from around the globe, to recent retirees, living out their long-deserted travel dreams, to bartenders, travel nurses and corporate burnouts who quit high-stakes jobs on a whim and booked a one-way ticket. I was equally fascinated by all of them.

I still think about the girl I sat next to on a flight home from Croatia that year. She was born and raised in South Africa but had spent the past three years sailing around the world with her family. She was homeschooled on board, but the more meaningful part of her life came from her day-to-day responsibilities to keep the boat afloat - she was equal parts teenager & crew member. A few years earlier, her parents had made the life-altering decision to sell their belongings and buy a boat to sail around the world before their kids grew up. They lived out the “if not now, when?” mentality to a tee. I was captivated to say the least.

The conversation flowed for much of the 8-hour journey. We shared about our travels, our families, and our aspirations, relishing our similarities and reflecting on our differences. To this day, every time I board a plane, I think of her and wonder if my seat mate will leave the same impression. So far, few have :)

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As I reflect on these relationships that were purely a function of time, place and circumstance, I can’t help but feel a warm and comforting sense of awe for the simplicity and inherently fleeting nature of these ties.

We shared a bunk, swapped stories and broke bread, all with the unspoken understanding that our friendship wouldn’t last beyond that day or the next. Nonetheless, these passerby relationships are foundational for any solo traveler. They provide the much-needed burst of connection and joy that are so critical when you’re constantly on the move and lack that physical sense of grounded-ness.

Solo travel made me exceptionally comfortable putting myself out there. It really is the first day of kindergarten, and you’re back on the playground, sizing up your options before approaching the person who looks like they would maybe be a good fit, venturing “I’m Sophie - where are you from?”

Through these unexpected bonds, I built a rolodex of stories, pathways and experiences, each offering valuable insights into how others have crafted meaningful adventures without breaking the bank. This list is for anyone who’s (1) balling on a budget and / or (2) interested in experiencing a place in a non-traditional way.

So, here are my tips and tricks - ranging wildly in time commitment - for seeing the world while keeping it scrappy.

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10 Scrappy Ways to See the World

1. Apply to be a flight chaperone for a teen tour program. Teen tour programs post temporary roles for flight leaders on their trips. In exchange for corralling a group of teenagers from a major US airport to a faraway country, you get a free roundtrip ticket to said destination. It’s worth noting that flights leaders have less say in where they’re placed, but if your schedule is flexible - this is a really phenomenal way to get to the other side of the world without a costly ticket.

2. Take the later flight and pocket the airline credit. This one’s simple - if your plans are flex, consider those extra hours at the airport time well spent and worthwhile as they literally fund your next adventure. If you’re feeling crazy, go for the barter. This one got me a free one-way ticket to Dubai in my prime.

3. Opt for a house swap through Kinship. Next time you’re looking for accommodation and want to skip the laundry list of Airbnb’s taxes & fees, consider a house swap. Kinship is a house swap platform that allows you to accumulate credits when you let someone stay in your home when you’re out of town and then use them towards a future house swap - full on The Holiday style. While having someone stay in your home may seem daunting, they provide separate linens for guests, and with every host also being a guest, there's a shared responsibility to treat each home with care.

4. Hike a bucket-list trail as a hut to hut. Whether you’re ascending The Lycian Way in Turkey or conquering part of the Appalachian Trail in the US, consider doing it as a hut-to-hut experience vs. getting an Airbnb or hotel. This is more efficient, authentic and cost-effective - dinner is often included as well.

5. Volunteer on a game reserve. This is a fantastic alternative to dropping lots of cash on a safari. Experience the same majestic beauty of the Big 5, with an added layer of meaning as your animal tracking goes towards conservation efforts. Worth caveating that most of these experiences still aren’t completely free of charge, but for a few hundred dollars a week, you can live on a campground and spend your days looking for lions, rhinos, elephants and if you’re lucky, cheetahs.

6. Go to bartending school abroad! It’s a trip and a skill: you’ll come home (or stay put) with training that can help you earn back the cost fast. Simple girl math. It’s also a great way to get to know a city, build a little community, and give yourself 3–4 weeks to actually settle in.

7. Do a room-and-board work exchange at a trusted hotel or B&B. These arrangements get a lot of bad press - and honestly, for good reason: experiences vary wildly. If you’re going to do it, I’d skip broad platforms like Worldpackers or Workaway and reach out directly to a place you’ve vetted (or that comes recommended). Going straight to a reputable hotel often means clearer expectations, more consistent conditions, and a host that’s better set up to support you. Working the wedding season at a hotel in Puglia was easily the highlight of my year.

8. Give WWOOFing a go. Similarly, would advise to proceed with caution given wide margin for error, but that said, the right stay can be extremely rewarding and get you back in touch with working with your hands. Recommend signing up for no more than 2 weeks initially to ensure a placement is a good fit before signing away your free time to it!

9. Apply for a scholarship at an international institution of your choosing. Whether you’re into art, psychology, or history, there are plenty of need-based and merit-based programs out there - many with no age limit. Write a killer application and get over there.

10. Get TEFL-certified and teach English abroad. This is definitely the most long-term option on this list - but if you want to reach a truly remote corner of the world and give your life a real 180, it’s one of the clearest paths, often with fewer visa hurdles (especially for Americans).

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    ---

    Let this be your friendly reminder that vacations aren’t the *only* way to experience a place firsthand. No hate - vacation is equally valuable in its own right - but the goal of travel vs. vacation aren’t one and the same. If you’re looking to mix up the way you travel, feel free to shoot me a message to learn more about these options, or share your own hacks for seeing the world, and balling on a budget.

    Until next time!

    xx Sophie

    

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While the list of destinations I’m perpetually yearning for stretches well beyond n=7, this preview gives a glimpse into the spots that are most on my mind as I think about crafting the next 12 months of travel. Let’s do this.

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The Mexico obsession continues - we all know I found myself (physically & metaphorically) in Oaxaca this fall, so naturally, a few more underrated and largely lesser-known spots in Mexico are high on my hit list for 2026.

1. La Paz & Todos Santos (Baja California Sur, Mexico)

What - an unexpected alternative to your typical beach getaway

When - much of the year is gorgeous in Baja, but peak season for scuba & whale watching is Jan - April

Why - famed for its scuba diving & thriving aquatic life, Baja offers a slower pace of life & a more colorful and authentic route for travelers looking to avoid the crowds that flock to Cabo. Think snorkeling, diving, hiking & soaking up the sun surrounded by the panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez and Balandra beach

2. Merida (Yucatan, Mexico)

What - Your next cool girl city jaunt

When - Mérida is *really* hot most of the year, but December - February brings cooler, more comfortable temps

Why - This is where the CMDX locals holiday - think chic boutiques, insane food with a charming & design-forward feel. It’s a stark contrast from its more well-known neighbors in the Yucatan (Tulum & Cancun - I’m looking at you). This large & thriving city is serene yet pulsing with life, and just a stone’s throw from the gorgeous beaches & cenotes that the Yucatan is best known for

3. The English Countryside (especially the Cotswolds!)

What - a romantic & sleepy long weekend to round out the trip to London

When - really no bad time, just depends on what you’re after - late summer or early fall is what most speaks to me but a cozy few days fireside through the winter would be wonderful in its own right

Why - This is the kind of place that gives you permission to slow down, sleep in, and do less. Plus, who doesn’t love a rustic, farmhouse feel? Just looking at this grass makes me want to prance & frolic

4. Skane, Sweden

What - not your average euro summer

When - Narrow window on this one - strive for late May - early August for the best chance of blue skies. Bonus points if you’re able to plan the trip around Midsommar (typically the 3rd weekend of July in Sweden)

Why - An unexpected mix of beach, city, and countryside with a quiet, austere magic -untouched, crowd-free, and blessed with long, lingering days thanks to the Scandinavian midnight sun. Bike everywhere, take a dip, pick some wildflowers; this is the polar opposite of most jam-packed Euro hotspots during peak summer season

5. Seoul, South Korea

What - The trip to go on with the travel buddy you’ve already vetted (because it’s a biggie!)

When - Come in late spring for cherry blossoms or late fall for a crisp, orange bloom

Why - Seoul might be the ultimate cool-girl destination: an urban playground where you can wander maze-like alleys and stumble upon one-of-a-kind finds tucked behind unassuming doors. It’s a shopper’s paradise with hidden gems everywhere (not to mention skincare galore) plus a booming art and museum scene & a food culture that runs deep

6. The Dolomites, Italy

What - The wholesome, upscale hiking trip

When - Summer is the high season but we had friends go in October and had an equally lovely time (though notably more challenging for hiking given the snow)

Why - After a long day on the trails, few things feel better than settling into classic Dolomites hospitality - think warm welcomes and hearty mountain dishes. Do it hut-to-hut for the most immersive experience & meet like-minded travelers along the way

7. Easter Island, Chile

What - the full send

When - we love a southern hemisphere summer - strive for January to March

Why - Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is the most remote inhabited islands on Earth, famous for its hundreds of ancient moai statues carved by the Rapa Nui people. Remote, rugged, and steeped in culture and mystery, it’s the ultimate far-flung escape

I’ll be strategizing how to stretch my ~18 PTO days across this highly ambitious plan until further notice. Hope this list provides some inspiration for your own 2026 travels. Happy strategizing!

xx Sophie

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The 2025 Round Up

I can’t believe it’s already December—nearly a year since I became a Fora advisor. The past year has taken me to places near and far, each trip filled with experiences that have affected me in ways both subtle and profound.

As we nestle into the holiday season and approach the (dreaded) new year, I’ve been reflecting on what made this year meaningful. Unsurprisingly, many of my favorite moments happened while traveling—when I had the space to slow down, step away from the everyday, and be fully present.

Whether I was aimlessly wandering through Oaxaca’s colorful streets, cozying up by firesides Upstate and up-island, or summiting an active volcano as dusk rushed in, similar threads of joy were woven through my adventures.

Six stood out in 2025 (and serve as motifs in my life more broadly):

1. slow mornings

2. cold plunges

3. wood x warm light

4. courtyards & greenery

5. colorful cityscapes

6. local creations

In sharing some pieces of myself, I hope to spark something warm in you. If you’re already dreaming about your next adventure—or if this little glimpse inspires one—I’d love to help you plan it, so please reach out!

Slow Mornings

Arguably my purest joy is spending the precious early hours with a warm cup of coffee in hand; it sets the tone of the day ahead. While morning coffee is an everyday reality for me, those cups I can savor and sip slowly as the birds chirp hold a special place in my heart. On normal days, I (like many) don’t have the luxury of indulging in a leisurely morning. Weekday wakeups are in the wee hours to get my movement in before the day picks up—a routine I also cherish deeply, for other reasons.

So, slow mornings become a travel ritual. I love the palpable stillness before the first rumblings of the day begin. While the city streets and small-town roads are vacant, you can feel the latent hum of the place, and sounds hang heavy in the crisp air—which is exactly where I want to be, bundled in a cozy sweatshirt with coffee warming me from the inside out.

When I think of these morning moments, I am rarely alone. These hours are often shared with my travel companions; true friendship is when you can sip in silence and do something independent whilst in company of one another. Recounting this sends a nostalgic pang through me; I am so grateful for the tender moments I’ve shared with many of you reading this, and I hope to share many more with you in ‘26.

Cold Plunges

I’m a self-proclaimed water person. If there is access to water, I’m going in. I don’t discriminate; I’ll take a dip in warm or cold climates, in freshwater or saltwater, in natural or manmade reservoirs. A vacation isn’t complete for me until I’ve submerged myself in water, so I build water activities into each itinerary.

Water is a must because it’s one of the few things that reliably leaves me better off (mentally, emotionally, physically) time and time again. The shock as your body cuts through the surface; the submission as you relinquish control and let your body go numb; the instantaneous relief upon exiting; the gratitude of being consumed in a warm towel hug waiting for you; the tingling as you regain sensation in your extremities; the rush of revitalization that courses through you—I find this practice deeply restorative. From long rhythmic swims in the crystalline waters of Laguna Bacalar to many a brief dunk in the Baltic, I’ve never regretted a dip.

Wood x Warm Light

I was raised in a house with lots of wood and windows that was often drenched in natural light. I developed a special affection for high contrast—bright rays and deep shadows, warm skies and silhouetted horizons.

In choosing where to stay, I gravitate towards light wood, vast windows, lofty ceilings and open floor plans. As a mildly claustrophobic person, I look for a spacious layout and clean feel, but not at the expense of character. The ideal place for me is one that also serves as an authentic incarnation of the place we’re visiting; it shouldn’t be dulled down in the name of minimalism.

From the midcentury modern “Glass House” in Martha’s Vineyard to the serene treehouses of Bacalar, Mexico to the eco bungalows on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, I continue to seek out unique lodging and landscapes that satisfy my craving for contrasts: the interplay of light and shadow, openness and intimacy, simplicity and soul.

Courtyards & Greenery

The courtyard has become a newly favored liminal space for me. Neither fully inside nor outside, courtyards exist as thresholds between the built environment and the natural world, between public and private, between movement and stillness.

Over the past year, I’ve fallen in love with them. While often designed simply for passage, a well-constructed courtyard can also invite connection or offer a perfect place to pause. They build atmospheres bursting with life and fresh air—something I now actively seek out in my travels.

Colorful Cityscapes

This one’s pretty simple.

Who can resist the happiness evoked by colorful buildings? I love that as you wander through vibrant city streets, each abode’s personality comes alive. The human touch is undeniable—individuality celebrated in every hue.

The waving flags hung for Día de los Muertos (pictured above) only accentuated this—dancing in the wind, casting shadows across the walls. It’s difficult to describe the magic you feel when anticipation fills the air, but it’s something visceral in the presence of decorations being assembled and strung up around you.

Local Creations

As an artist, I have a healthy respect for local craft. Beyond aesthetic appeal, handmade work inherently captures something unique about people and place.

Artisanry offers a peek into the living, breathing soul of a community. To varying degrees, each creation expresses the stories, histories, and priorities of both artist and culture. They’re also a visual feast I find impossible to resist :)

Many of the photos above are from Oaxaca, a city in central Mexico with a bustling art scene. The city is renowned for its printmaking tradition. As a printmaker myself, I was overwhelmed by the skill and artistry all around me. I especially loved talking to the artists themselves—a reminder of the possibility of forming genuine connections while traveling. You, as the traveler, also have the opportunity (and power) to support local businesses and livelihoods. I purchased several prints, textiles, and pieces of glassware which now reside in my home as mementos. They’re simultaneously an homage to the artists and cultures they come from and a reflection of who I am at this moment—or, as my travel companion Sophie puts it in her recent Substack article, the “discreet micro-era of my life.”

So that’s a wrap!

Here’s to another year of travels and new experiences. I’m excited to see what 2026 holds and would love to co-create your next adventure—reach out whether you want to bounce ideas or get booking!

xx Lilia

Share The Retired Backpacker

I had the joy of joining Lilia on her most recent adventure in Oaxaca, where our mutual love for design, bright color palettes, and picking up little treasures along the way made each shared moment all the sweeter. Now it’s time for me to get going on hatching my next big escape for 2026. If you’re looking to plan a getaway, Lilia is available (lilia.robinowitz@fora.travel). Happy holidays & happy planning :)

xx Sophie

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I love curating a space.

From shared rooms in college cramming two full-sized mattresses into a master bedroom, to my first shoebox in the city, a stone’s throw from the glamorous Penn Station - I’ve cherished them all. Each move has brought its own unique draws, challenges and realities. The space I build over the course of my time there - whether it’s 6 months or 2 years - is a representation of my priorities, energy and outlook in that discreet micro-era of my life.

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My childhood bedroom was no exception. Drenched in turquoise and initially designed with beach accents - a glass jar filled with shells, a ceramic seahorse - it all felt impossibly ~2010 down the shore chic. But as I got older and started to get the travel itch, my space quickly transformed. The landscape painting of the jersey shore (the first spot I proudly called my favorite place on earth) was replaced with a photograph at sunset in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. My floor was soon scattered with bright & colorful poofs from India. My shelves were lined with silk prints from Mongolia and stuffed camels from Dubai. My bedroom was a living, breathing representation of just how much of the world I had touched & was reaching for. Each souvenir on my shelf was a small but sacred reminder of who I was in those moments—tokens of people, places, and adventures that replayed in my mind during the long stretches when I wasn’t off exploring some distant corner of the world. When I was simply Sophie from New Jersey.

Now, when I look back on how much I treasured (and still treasure) the mementos from those formative first big solo travel experiences, the reason feels unmistakable clear.

If I had to pinpoint the number one reason I travel, it’s to gain perspective. Filling my home with little treasures from various cultures and lifestyles brings that perspective to life in a tangible way. Too often our world feels small. When insignificant inconveniences and man-made deadlines feel like the end all be all, that’s when that healthy dose of perspective is paramount. These objects serve as a much-needed daily reminder: the world is vast; our troubles are almost always non-problems.

While many of the souvenirs from that childhood bedroom have been cycled out over the years, donated and sold and lost in the shuffle of moves, change and growing up - many remain in our home today - along with the abundance of other keepsakes I’ve collected across my escapades in the years since.

So today, I bring to you a journey through my most favorite corners of our home. Take this as a guide to building your own traveler’s home.

An oxymoron by definition - the traveler’s home is all about incorporating art, objects & everything in between into your everyday movements to breathe life, perspective & beauty into the space. It’s about finding the rare & precious objects that have stood the test of time through all those eras that have shifted “homes” more times than you can count. From my Anthropologie heavy days of college to the more midcentury, monochromatic design I’m drawn to right now - these pieces remain foundational. Much like the sherpas who carry their most prized possessions on their back and the nomads who constantly resettle, the traveler’s home is ever-changing - equal parts dynamic organism & evolving museum of life.

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Drumroll please: enter the *big girl* apartment.

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Let’s start in the dining room.

Gallery wall: When we were in Istanbul this summer, we stumbled upon the coolest vintage art shop (Medusa Art). We immediately got to work combing through the thousands of vintage advertisements & posters that lined the shop walls to select a handful to create a gallery wall for the large (and very intimidating) white wall of our dining room. Bringing this thing to life was a true labor of love. In addition to carrying each piece all over Turkey, I was also set on sourcing as many frames as possible secondhand. The end result is a wall that took nearly 3 months to come together, has lots of room to grow and each day, reminds us of our trip & the special couple that owns the art shop.

Cups, cups, cups: Cups, glasses, bowls - really any vessel is my weakness - and when I see a good one when I’m out of town, you best believe I’m buying it and adding to the collection. Never will I have a home of matching dishware. Instead - I reach for the one that most captures the energy I need that day.

“Lover” Print: This little 6 x 8 frame has been on the journey with me and Ryan since nearly day one. We found it on our first trip together at 19. I was studying abroad in France, and we discovered it in a bookshop on our last day before saying goodbye for 6 months. This thing has migrated from bedside table to desk to dorm wall and back. Today - she proudly sits on our kitchen counter - a prominent reminder of how far we’ve come. It’s us!

The bookshelf: One of my biggest goals when I moved in was to breathe life & color into the space. This nook in the wall provided the perfect opportunity. Books are the ultimate decor in my eyes that, similarly, to travel mementos, carry meaning and ground you in a moment in time when you were immersed in another world. Bonus points for books purchased on a special trip that tie to a culture or city that you fell in love with. The Little Book of Hygge and Sunday's in Paris are honorary mentions.

Cozy corner: This is my first apartment with a proper workspace. In the afternoon, the light pours in from the windows and blankets the room in warmth. My favorite silk print from Mongolia plays an important role in the windowsill, drawing in light & bringing a pop of color into the space. Two simple prints from Turkey live adjacent to the window - providing texture & depth.

Bedside set-up: In addition to a gallery wall above the bed, we recently added a little art corner above my bedside table. This area features two prints I found at artisan markets in Oaxaca a few months back, as well as the ceramic prickly pear from Puglia that’s made its way all the way from that childhood bedroom nearly 10 years ago. The Apulian Pumo (light blue ceramic that’s a traditional symbol of hospitality) has also endured! This part of the space feels like soft, joyful comfort.

And that’s it – a roundup of the most treasured corners of our home, filled with the travels, both recent and past, that inspire us and serve as a constant reminder of the awe that comes from getting the hell out of your comfort zone.

Still pinching myself that I live in this much of a home. Here’s to spaces that bring out our best selves and playback the moments and all-important places along the way. Your outer world architects your inner world. Take this as an open invite to curate your own traveler’s home.

xx Sophie

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When I started this Substack, the goal was equal parts productive consolidation of trip recs and creative outlet. If I’m being honest, the city guides are satisfying because they’re formulaic. Step 1: go on trip and do an ohhh so much pre-trip research. Step 2: create a messy string of thoughts on my notes app of all the high, lows & learnings along the way. Step 3: Package into a pretty little guide. Step 4: Publish. Step 5: Relish my cute little post until I get the itch to do it again.

My favorite thing about this endeavor has been seeing the fruits of my labor as the newsletter grows and the Substack starts to really take form. The design elements have also been a fun little exercise as I learn what I’m naturally drawn to - (apparently, I’m really into butter yellow & soft pastels?) But at the same time…it’s not all that different from what I do at work. Beautify pages, improve sentence structure and polish flow for clarity. At the end of the day, it’s storytelling & building a voice and to some extent, a ~personal brand~. But it doesn’t actually surface much of the *me* or the why or the what the heck it means or why it matters.

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So today, I’m challenging myself to write an essay - of course, it’s about travel (focus is key) but not a guide — a reflection on a moment that’s stayed with me over the years, its significance only revealing itself when I sat down to write this.

Let’s reground ourselves in our month in Guatemala. One of the biggest draws to the area was hiking the active volcano, Acatenango. We spent the night before carbo loading at our favorite pizzeria in Antigua, knowing full well that we would need all the nourishment we could get before the big day.

It’s also worth caveating that my prior hiking experience is limited. I identify as a normal, semi-active person, and equally semi-outdoorsy. Definitely not someone who grew up going on family camping trips or spends their weekends training for half marathons. So, my intent to do this very strenuous overnight hike should not be taken lightly. I seriously questioned if I would finish. I also have a slew of health limitations that make something like this a bit more challenging. But I also knew I would finish. Not finishing wasn’t an option.

When asked about my biggest weakness, I usually share that I chronically underestimate myself. In school, at work, even in a fitness class, I find myself questioning if I can do it and if I’m actually capable, despite a clear “track record of success” (hate this term) suggesting I’ve always found a way. Not just to do it, but to crush it, more or less, always. And yet, I too often still find myself in that unwelcome thought pattern, can I actually pull this off? So, hiking Acatenango to me felt like yet another, much larger “am I capable” moment.

But at the same time, hiking Acatenango was about more than proving my capabilities - it was equally about doing something cool and once in a lifetime. Again - I crave these experiences to balance out my often ~not cool~ day to day life in the corporate world. I also wanted to feel a sense of awe - surrounded by natural beauty, hearing the sizzle of hot lava spewing just steps from my feet. It doesn’t get much cooler than that. I live in fear of losing that sense of awe or taking it for granted, and extraordinary experiences outside my comfort zone force me (and I’d argue, all of us) into the present moment. And lastly, your 20s are for doing cool shit. If not now, when?

That was quite the long-winded set up - brevity has never been my strong suit.

Here! We! Go!

We were approaching hour 19 on the mountain. Day 1 had been a pleasant surprise of unusually warm & sunny conditions, strong visibility and 7 hours of pure, straight up hiking that while challenging, still felt manageable. Again, I surprised myself that I was doing more than fine keeping pace with the group. Pure adrenaline and the volcano slowly coming closer into view also certainly played a role in fueling our ascent.

We were feeling *so confident* that we even opted into the Volcan Fuego add-on hike, which translated to an additional 3-hour trek from basecamp for sunset. Ryan was sure from the outset that he would be opting in, but I was more on the fence. Let’s see how the first leg goes, I told myself.

Fuego was chaos and magic all at once. Lava erupted before our eyes, (so close it felt borderline dangerous) while the sun sank behind the volcano, blanketing the sky in a deep, vibrant blaze of orange. It was once in a lifetime.

When we got back to basecamp a few hours later, darkness had settled on the campground, and we were welcomed by the remainder of our group with hot cocoa in hand and a hearty dinner waiting for us. We were content.

After filling up, we retreated into the structures we would be sleeping in - semi permanent tents with a thin mat and a sleeping bag separating us from the cool ground. We were aiming for 3-4 hours of shut eye before our leader would guide the group to the summit for sunrise. The big finale.

Safe to say, very few of us slept more than an hour or so that night - as Fuego’s intermittent crackling eruptions were the backdrop as we drifted in and out of consciousness.

Right on cue, the group leader came around to wake us at 3am to rise for the final leg of the journey. Despite the unseasonable warmth the day before, the temperature dropped precipitously as night fell and we started to feel the reality of the altitude - it was well below freezing, and as we journeyed toward the summit, it would only get colder. But we had come prepared, armed with winter puffers, 2-3 layers of pants, hats and gloves. We were doing the damn thing. I was doing the damn thing.

As I was bundling up, I realized that Ryan hadn’t come back from the “bathroom” (a designated area we were instructed to use as the bathroom), and we were leaving any minute. When he re-emerged, it was clear he wasn’t well. Dinner had not sat right and even in the darkness, I could tell he was struggling - his skin was a pale yellow, and his voice gave away how sick he was feeling. For context, Ryan is the person who believes he is above illness (hangovers are a mindset is a favorite line in our house). But no, he was in pain. (We later discovered that him along with a few others in the group had gotten food poisoning from dinner. Our base camp was a war zone that morning.)

Nonetheless, he started the ascent with the rest of us. Within minutes, he was unwell yet again, but the group charged ahead, leaving us behind. One leader stayed back and warned that we may not make sunrise at this rate. When Ryan re-emerged, he confessed that he wasn’t well enough to continue and needed to go back to basecamp. This wasn’t a possibility that I had accounted for. Little soph doing this thing alone? Ryan, mister-NOLS-master-built different-NorCal-mount-tam-nature-boy wasn’t going to finish this thing, and I was?

That was that. He went back and I was on my own. About 30 minutes in, I too started to feel unwell. This final leg was only an additional 2,000 ft from our base camp to the 13,500 ft summit. And yet, it was exponentially harder than any moment on Day 1.

With each step forward into the darkness, I felt the altitude impacting my lungs more intensely. A dull sense of light headedness was expanding through my body, and eventually I stopped at a large rock to rest, as I was struggling to stay on my feet. The leader gave me some chocolate to settle the nausea & altitude sickness medication to keep me pushing forward. It was so dark. As we approached the summit, the terrain changed and we were surrounded by ash. It was extremely slippery and with each step forward, we also felt ourselves sliding half a step back. This hill did not want to be climbed. We also had opted out of hiking poles (Something Ryan insisted were more for show - can confirm, not the case). My head was spinning, I was pushing down the sensation that I was going to be sick, and there was a wicked undercurrent of wind blowing ash into my eyes and mouth. It felt like we were treading water in place, without any sign of getting closer. The darkness made it even more difficult to discern if progress was being made. I don’t know if this is in the cards for me, echoed in my mind.

Suddenly, I felt warmth on the back of my legs through my many layers; the sun was coming up. I needed to book it if I wanted a shot at catching sunrise. The gentle change in light meant I was able to start making out my surroundings beyond the circle of light provided by my headlamp. I was close?? I was really, really close.

As I reached the crest of the summit, I was surrounded by hundreds of other travelers that had made the same journey through the darkness. Without a familiar face to turn to and relish in the sense of accomplishment, of MAKING IT, I quietly made my way towards Acatenango which was softly erupting behind a light pink and baby blue backdrop. I was elated, exhausted, and so damn proud. With ash below our feet, everyone at the summit was gliding. It was pure, child-like joy.

To this day, summiting Acatenango remains one of my proudest moments. I find myself in that final hour of the trek too often. When I’m pushing so hard and it feels like there’s no end in sight, and I can’t see the product of the sweat and the tears and the hours of hard work, that is precisely when the payoff and the riches and the oasis are just around the corner.

As I find myself today at what feels like maybe a bit of a turning point, often consumed by self-doubt and experiencing a deep yearning for change - this is when I go back to that moment. The next step is on the horizon.

We push and we pull, and we exert. One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other. We struggle to take the tiniest of baby steps and fail to recognize the progress from where we started. We’re blind to how far we’ve come. Being surrounded by total darkness impedes our ability to look back and see that we started on the ground. But then, you’ve made it. The sun comes up, and you’re gliding.

I am a restless person - moments like this help redirect that restlessness. It feels like much of my circle is experiencing a similar limbo - do I like what I’m doing? Am I proud of how I’m investing my time? Should I take a big risk and try something totally different? Am I being too idealistic? But that tension and discomfort that I often find myself discussing with close friends after a long day, cuddled up on the couch with a cup of tea, is okay. It’s par for the course. It’s uncomfortable as hell but it’s also the seeds of growth. These are growing pains. We are figuring out who we are and what we want, and the push and pull is all part of it. Soon, we’ll be gliding. And in many ways, we already are.

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This is something I’ve made an effort to do for as long as I can remember - in college, swapped the classic all-inclusive spring break trip for a few weeks shadowing an artist in Mexico City, etc. So, when an ideal opportunity presented itself a few years back to trade in gloomy New York City winter for a peaceful, sunny escape, we went for it. While Ryan took some convincing, this was a plan I had been quietly hatching for months.

Guatemala gets a bad rap. It’s still rated “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” by the State Department, but the reality is this country is vast, and safety concerns vary dramatically by region. We were advised to steer clear of Guatemala City (no biggie) as I really had my sights set on Antigua, a small colonial oasis surrounded by active volcanoes.

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My sense is that Antigua has a similar feel to what Mexico City was 10+ years ago. Beautiful streets, artisan shops, incredible food, and strong Wi-Fi, ideal for digital nomads & remote workers taking a breather from their corporate life. The country-wide safety concerns are enough to deter most Americans, and while the infrastructure is certainly in place for Antigua to become “the next Mexico City” expat hotspot of Central America, it’s likely still many years out from this reality. All the better for us.

Guatemala also operates on central time, meaning it’s just 1-2 hours behind EST, making the hours ideal for Zoom school or remote working. Note that they don’t practice daylight savings in Guatemala, so the time change will vary based on when you’re there. We found being one hour behind was the perfect mix of not crazy early wakeups but still wrapping up for the day with lots of time to explore.

For these reasons, Guatemala is an ideal destination to spend a larger chunk of time dodging winter on the East Coast. I was also drawn to the country for its insane natural beauty. Visiting Lake Atitlan (only accessible via boat) and hiking the active volcano Acatenango were high on my bucket list and made perfect weekend trips from Antigua.

So, without further ado, I present to you all the recs - big and small - from a near perfect month in Guatemala.

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Logistics

• Fly into Guatemala City - there are direct flights from JFK but we took a pit stop in Miami. Lots of affordable budget airline options (we flew Spirit!)

• This was another big pro - the total journey to Guatemala was only about 5 hours, meaning, if necessary, we could hop on a flight and be home in a few hours

• We were obviously there a month, but for folks looking to take a more traditional trip to the area, I would recommend 7-10 days. But that’s contingent on hitting all three ‘subspots’ so if you’re only planning to visit Antigua, 3-5 days is likely fine - see below

Ideal Itineraries

• Option 1 (~10 days total): The big boy Guatemalan adventure: 3-4 days in Antigua, 1.5 on the Acatenango overnight hike, end with 3-4 in Lake Atitlán

• Option 2 (7-8 days total): Big boy sans hiking: 3-4 days exploring Antigua, followed by 3-4 relaxing on the lake

• Option 3 (4-5days total): The hits - perfect for a long weekend in Antigua

Stays

• Airbnb: Given that we stayed a full month, we were looking for more of a ~home with a kitchen, so we opted for Airbnb and ended up staying in the guesthouse of the sweetest Guatemalan couple. Highly recommend! linked here

• For the most budget friendly option, there are lots of really great airbnbs for an unbeatable price ($20-50 per night), but the affordability of Guatemala also means that you can book a literal *5-star hotel* for ~$120/a night. Pick your poison. Personally, at this rate, I would go with the splurge for a few nights!

• Top hotel stays include Hotel Santo Domingo ($), Villa Borek ($), Meson Panza Verde ()SanRafaelHotel()

Eats

Guatemalan food is fantastic in its own right - but what surprised us most about Antigua was just how global the food scene felt. In this small town, chefs from all over the world have set up shop, creating an unexpected mix of flavors: cozy Italian enotecas, Korean ramen spots, wine bars, and more, all packed into its cobblestoned streets. Highlights below

• Meson Panza Verde - fancy vibey, we went for an anniversary

• Saberico - traditional Guatemalan

• Cafe des Artistes - best coffee shop

• Santo Spirito - insanely good Italian, trendy feel

• Suelo Wine Bar - yummy pizza & bites

• Cleo - nice mediterranean

• Tartines - french bistro

• Cafe Estudio - charming no frills rooftop with great volcano views

• Villa Borek - nice & lush lunch spot within a hotel

• Kombu Ramen - casual & yummy

• Pour Que No - possibly our top meal of the month - make a res at this true hole in a wall with only ~4 tables and try to sit at the bar (whasapp this number for a res (+502 4324 5407)

• Sky Bar - good for drinks at sunset, get the illegal mezcal

• Antigua Brewing Co - chill rooftop, fun beer flights & speakeasy in the basement

• Saint Martin - good for pastries (skip the restaurant)

• Glacy - for all your ice cream needs

What to do

• Vivero y Escalonia: organic farm with lots of plants, produce & a little organic grocery store

• Caoba Farms: brunch with live music on Sunday is a must; there’s also an artisan market & farmers market that comes on Sundays

• Massage: There are lots of local massage places where a really solid massage is only about $30 - highly recommend treating yourself at this rate!

• Les Jardines de Provenza: picturesque lavender fields in the mountains - quick taxi ride from town

• Azotea Coffee Farm: recommend exploring this whole complex, and especially visiting Luna Zoro, a super special shop owned by an American who runs all sort of different artistry classes in the space. Azotea beer garden is also great

• El Hato Verde: Cool outdoor excursion in the mountains with lots of hanging awnings to relax and take in the views

• Acatenago overnight hike: Be sure to book with OX expeditions early! They fill up weeks in advance, especially in peak season. More to come on this

Where to shop

Best cafes (working friendly)

That about wraps our time in Antigua - we also spent a few days on Lake Atitlán (bliss) and hiking the active volcano Acatenango (less bliss) - so more to come on those weekend adventures.

xx Sophie

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The Turkish Riviera has long been a European summer favorite, and in recent years, budget-seeking Americans have started to catch on. So, when it came time to plan the final leg of our trip, a few obvious areas came to mind: Bodrum, Izmir, Antalya…but the more I researched, the clearer it became that these areas were extremely touristy - and not the untouched, natural environment we were seeking. And while Fethiye is still fairly touristy, its natural beauty is undeniable, and it offered just enough of that "off the beaten path" feel we were craving.

After some deep dive research, I stumbled on Oludeniz: a hiker’s paradise perched above a blue lagoon, with panoramic views of tiny islands scattered across the coast. With bright blue water and dramatic coastal peaks, it was just the right balance of beachy, relaxed and rugged. I mean look at those VIEWS!

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First Impressions

This part of the country felt so different from the rest of Turkey - no audible call to prayer, relaxed dress norms, even limited Turkish food. It was pretty obvious the area catered heavily to tourism.

Of course, that comes with its pros and cons. But one thing we really appreciated was that it wasn’t overrun with American tourists. Most of the visitors in Fethiye were from the UK, Eastern Europe, and more recently, Australia. We didn’t see, meet, or hear another American during our entire time on the coast (a rarity in Europe in the summer!)

Now that we’re clear on the why and how behind choosing this area, let’s talk logistics.

Logistics & Getting Around

• Fly into Dalaman airport (DLM) - this is a quick 45-minute hop from Istanbul, followed by a ~75min drive to the coast

• Plan to spend 3-4 nights

• There’s a bus that runs every ~5 minutes from the beachfront in Oludeniz to central Fethiye. With all the stops along the way it’s about an hour from end to end. We took the bus every day to get down to the beach from our bed & breakfast (5 min drive) as well to dinner in Fethiye. As far as public transit goes, this is as easy as it gets, and it only costs about ~70 cents to ride (tap and pay). Win win

• There isn’t Uber in Fethiye - we used the bus as much as we could, and if we needed a taxi, we hopped into the nearest hotel and had them call one. We never waited more than ~5 minutes

Stay: The Loft Hotel

We stayed at the Loft Hotel, tucked along the windy road above Oludeniz. It was a great mid-range option that felt more like a cozy bed and breakfast—clearly brought to life and lovingly maintained by the host, Omer. With just 12 rooms, the hotel felt intimate and personal. You could tell it was his pride and joy, and that high level of care came through in the details. If we came back, I’d absolutely stay here again—or maybe try staying in Fethiye purely for a different perspective. We had dinner one night at the Yacht Club Hotel in Fethiye, which looked like a slightly more upscale option if you’re after something in town.

The Loft Hotel also had a large infinity pool with a steady breeze throughout the day, which made it the perfect little escape from the ultra-hot, crowded Oludeniz beachfront.

Another major highlight was the expansive and seriously delicious Turkish breakfast included with our stay. It rivaled the complimentary breakfast at Sultan Cave Suites - high praise in my book. We genuinely looked forward to it every morning. If you get the chance, be sure to try Turkish eggs (Menemen) at least once during your trip. It’s a soft, savory mix of eggs, tomatoes, onions, and peppers—kind of like a whipped shakshuka. This was our favorite dish in the breakfast spread - truly delish

I wouldn’t recommend staying by the beachfront in Oludeniz unless you’re a backpacker. It’s kitschy and a bit honkytonk with a late-night party scene. We’ve graduated from this era :)

What to do

I’m gonna switch it up and try a new format here but will still include detailed recs below!

• Butterfly Valley: Take the shuttle boat from the Oludeniz beachfront to Butterfly Valley. This will set you back ~12 euros for a beatifical day on a classic, untouched beach. Clear calm water but not much shade (but there are loungers to rent if you’re looking for more of a club vibe). Note the shuttle only runs a few times each day (check with your concierge as it varies by season). Also note that the noisy party pirate ships are there from 11-12:30, so for a less crowded experience, I recommend planning your trip around this window :)

• Cable Car to Babadag Mountain: I find these are rarely worth the hype, but this one really blew us away. It’s a long ride up to the top of the mountain (35 minutes) so keep that in mind when timing your visit. Plan to go for sunset and have a drink or sweet treat at the top (there are several cafe windows) but skip the restaurant. These views are pure magic - you can see the blue lagoon and all the neighboring islands in the area perfectly, blanketed in a pink glow. Sunset here made it feel like we were in Greece

• Blue Lagoon / Oludeniz Beach: This was a big draw for the area initially, but honestly, we were a bit disappointed. As mentioned above - it was crazy touristy with a pretty limited food scene. The Blue Lagoon was so packed that it was borderline uncomfortable, so we didn’t end up spending any substantial time. If you’re dedicated to making the journey, go early in the morning and reserve a spot at a beach club on the Lagoon

• Beach Club: Something about me is there are few things I love more than a euro beach club. So, when it was time to get cracking at planning for this trip, I dove deep into the beach club options in the area and ultimately, we ended up spending a day at See Me Beach Club in Fethiye (10 min from the center of town, 30ish from Oludeniz) and got a fabulous spot with two chairs right on the water. Note there’s a family-friendly side (See Me Beach) and an adults-only side (See Me More), and we opted for the adults only. All in all, we loved our time at Sea Me. The swimming, the crystal-clear water, the dock, the Casamigos bar - it was exactly what we were looking for. The space turned into more of a bar vibe around sunset when the umbrellas were drawn and the DJ set started. When we got the check, we were definitely a little taken aback by the cost (lots of added service charges and mark-ups), so it ended up being our splurgiest day. All in all, it was still well worth it to have the space and the full day of total bliss. They also gave us free champagne. Lol.

• Paragliding: Most tourists and backpackers come to the area to paraglide. Oludeniz is the most famous spot for paragliding in the world, there’s even an aviation festival (who knew??) every year in October that brings in world class paragliders. Given the all-around insane views in the area, I can’t say I’m surprised. We toyed with the idea of giving it a go, but ultimately felt it was a bit more $$$ than we were willing to spend for a 2h activity (~200USD pp) and the early morning wake up felt like a steep price after our early mornings in Cappadocia. Morning is generally considered the best time for paragliding as the winds are calmer, and the temperatures are milder)

• Boat Day: Turkey is famous for its turquoise waters (hence Turquoise Coast), so I was determined to swim as much as possible on this trip. I had originally booked us a group boat tour through Viator - avoiding the party pirate ships - but even that option turned out to be a 60-person boat for a 7-hour day. Once we checked in, though, our host let us know we could book the same tour through them for 30% less (okay, wow) or go for a private speedboat for a bit more than we were planning to spend. We went with the private boat—$120 total for three hours—and even with just the two of us, it was so worth it!

  Compared to the big group tours, this felt calm, quiet, and completely on our terms. When you rent a boat in Oludeniz, you can either go left (toward the Blue Cave and Butterfly Valley) or right, toward a string of smaller, lesser-known islands. We chose right.

  When we got to the dock and met our “captain,” we were surprised to find he was quite literally a 12-year-old Turkish boy. It definitely threw us at first, but we later learned it’s pretty common for kids to help out with the family business from a young age in Turkey. Still… a bit strange? He ended up taking us to Nicholas Island, Aquarium Bay, and Camel Beach - each spot was more beautiful than the last, with water that shifted from bright turquoise to deep, glowy blue.

• Lycian Way: Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the area is really famous for hiking, namely this hiking route. Our understanding is there’s a truncated version that’s good for sunset (~30 min) but the full hike is a true trek that takes a day, but the reward is unbeatable views (likely the same as those offered from the cable car). We didn’t do this as I was recovering an injury, but in a more temperate season, absolutely would have considered it!

Bites

Gonna keep it simple and just use graphics here :)

Conclusion

While I *did* feel some initial regret for taking the road less traveled (by Americans) and choosing this somewhat random destination for the final ~relaxation leg of our trip, that feeling evaporated as soon as we jumped in the water for our first ocean dip.

I value the spots that are a little (or a lot) harder to get to, more difficult to point out on a map and generally less known, and Oludeniz, with all its pirate ships, fish markets, and child boat captains offered its own distinct magic.

Put simply, in Ryan’s words two palomas deep at the beach club, can’t beat the Med!

XX Sophie

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Turkey Vol II: Incoming!

After our 5 days in the inspiring but overwhelming city of Istanbul, we were ready for a change of pace (this is why we have the formula!) and Cappadocia more than delivered. Let’s get into it.

Logistics / Grounding

• Airports: There are two airports near Cappadocia, NAV (the closer option) and ASR (more flights but further out)

  • NAV is ~40 min from Goreme (the central “town” of Cappadocia)

  • ASR is ~1hr30 from Goreme

  • Shared transfers are my recommended way to get to and from the airport; ask your accommodation (Airbnb, hostel or hotel) to book. If you’re flying from ASR, there’s a good chance you’ll be the only people in the spacious van

• Cities: There are two primary “cities” in Cappadocia: Goreme (the larger, more well-known one that you’ve likely seen on social media) and Uchisar (a little more off the beaten track but still home to several of the big hotels with good hot air balloon viewing)

• Timing: Most people only book two nights in Cappadocia as there’s not a ton to do. However, I HIGHLY recommend booking three to maximize the likelihood that you see the hot air balloons. The balloons are flying more and more infrequently (even in the peak summer months when we were there) as there have been several crashes recently that have prompted officials to be more vigilant with determining when it’s safe to fly. Save yourself the heart ache of going all the way to Cappadocia just to not see them, and plan on staying three days

• Topography: Cappadocia’s landscape is a surprising mix - distant snowcapped peaks (which I definitely didn’t expect) and dry, rust-colored valleys that feel straight out of the American Southwest. The terrain is mostly untouched, aside from a few stark, Soviet-style buildings scattered along the way. The long drive from ASR airport actually reminded me a lot of Mongolia

Stays

I tend to think of accommodation as a box to check - the real heart of the trip lies in the experiences: the views, the food, the chats, etc. But every now and then, in especially unique places, the stay is the experience.

Cappadocia was one of those places. We balled out (for us) and booked the most basic room at the Sultan Cave Suites. While the room itself was comfortable, the property was what made the stay worthwhile. This spot boasts beautiful gardens, a famous rooftop bar & restaurant and a Turkish breakfast spread worth (literally) writing home about. God forbid a girl indulge in the free breakfast buffet. We also had access to their sister properties which were a stone’s throw away (AZA Hotel & Kelebek), both of which had pools. This was a much appreciated, unexpected treat after our 4am wakeup for the balloons. And while these hotels were a bit more ~sleepy~ overall, I still would recommend them as a slightly more affordable (but still super nice) option.

One of the biggest reasons Sultan Cave Suites felt especially worth it was the rooftop patio, which might just be the most idyllic spot in all of Cappadocia to watch the sunrise balloons. The space is closed to the public - and even to guests of the neighboring sister hotels - until noon each day, which makes the whole experience feel quieter, calmer, and just a little more magical.

With balloon cancellations becoming more common, having a concierge on hand is a major plus—they can help you navigate the chaos and quickly rebook with one of the limited tour operators. Our ride was canceled on the first morning, but the team at Sultan managed to get us onto a better (and cheaper!) one the very next day. Total win.

If you’re looking for something more upscale, there’s the Museum Hotel (the most bougie option, we went for din, details below) and Argos (a trendier, more modern alternative, my preference between the two). Both of these are located in the less congested town of Uchisar.

Net: No matter where you choose to stay, I would prioritize staying in a cave hotel (such a cool experience with so much history!) and would make sure the property has a great spot to watch sunrise. We came all this way just for those ~30 magical minutes (which we only got 1 of 3 mornings) so being able to roll out of bed and scurry up to the roof in your jammies and robe is what it’s all about.

What to do

• Wake up at 5am to watch the balloons from your hotel (must)

• Take a balloon ride (book it for your first full day given high probability of cancellation) Note this means a 4am wakeup. Book with Discovery or Turquaz

• Visit an underground city - we did Kaymakli, but Derinkuyu is also a great pick, especially if you get a little claustrophobic. Super cool cultural experience where you get to see how persecuted Christians lived underground for weeks to months at a time. We skipped a guide and probably would've gotten more out of it if we had, so something to consider. Easy two-hour stop, no reservations needed

• Go to neighboring town Avanos for a pottery class and walk around town. You can find them on Viator for $10-15 per person. Linking the one we did here

• Hike through Love Valley (or consider doing it on horseback at sunset) we didn’t do this as I was on a no hiking order during our trip, but we got the see the area from our hot air balloon ride and it was stunning)

Food & Drink

The food scene is a bit bleak in Cappadocia (no surprise as it’s a more touristy spot) but the town is still really sweet! I read one review on TripAdvisor stating that the town is filled with questionable burger joints and super fancy hotel restaurants and not much in between. To some extent, agree. BUT, after asking around & doing a deep dive on Beli, we found a few spots worth sharing.

• Dibek: A classic Turkish restaurant with cozy vibes—you sit on the floor and they serve up the most authentic pottery kebab around (this is the most famous regional dish). The key is to message them on WhatsApp at least 4 hours before you plan to go, so they have time to prep it properly—it simmers for hours. Most places just reheat it before serving, but Dibek does it the right way. You can usually choose between beef, chicken, or veggie, but beef is the original and most traditional

• Goreme Han Restaurant: This was a solid lunch option at the entrance to town. Not the cutest by any means but solid Turkish food & and a nice big menu with generous portions. No complaints

• Li’la at Museum Hotel: This was the schmanciest place we went the whole trip - ambiance in the restaurant itself was a bit heavy handed for my taste, but if you’re into that, Li’la delivers. We weren’t huge fans of the food (esp. given the prices) but we did love being here for sunset. The views were amazing, and it was nice to get a feel for the area outside of Goreme (definitely more serene & less buzzy) I mean look at that view!! If we were to come back, I would go for a drink and then eat at Argos down the road

• Seiki at Argos: This spot was on our list, but we didn’t end up making it (after deciding we needed a night off from the restaurant food). My understanding is that Argos is a newer, more modern, chic alternative to the Museum Hotel (which caters to a more old school crowd) & Seiki is a crowd-pleaser for lunch or dinner

• Seten Restaurant & Bar: This was the restaurant at Sultan Cave Suites (where we stayed), and while they don’t take dinner reservations, it’s not hard to get a table—you might just need to grab a drink on the patio while you wait. We might have ordered wrong (it was our last night, and we were craving something different), but I’d still recommend the spot. The patio lounge bar is iconic—super relaxed, very Cappadocia. Plan to come for a sunset drink, and maybe opt for something more casual off the bar menu instead—the burgers and sandwiches looked delish

• AZA Restaurant: This is a good spot for lunch when you’re getting kebab fatigue - we ordered sesame noodles, poke & sushi. Also within a hotel, with a nice bright ambiance that was perfect for lunch before hitting the pool (Noting it seemed a bit sleepier for dinner though)

• Zukra Pasta & Bliss: Cappadocia is famous for Turkish ravioli which is more similar to gnocchi with minced meat, tomato and yogurt sauce. Surprisingly tasty and worth a try at some point while you’re in town! We tried this new spot for a chill dinner one night - super budget friendly as well

Shops & Goodies

Cappadocia is majority knick-knack touristy shops, but the region is also known for its pottery so there are a few home goods shops worth a browse as well

• GAIA Pottery: All around insane. Highly recommend visiting the store (this is their headquarters!). This brand is sold across the US, and the prices here are ~60% lower. Ceramics are my love language, so I had a field day. This is a great place to buy cutie little souvenirs for friends without breaking the bank

• LUQY: This is a homeware shop with products made from stone & ceramic in the area - the result is ultra-light, colorful marble-looking pieces. I got a dish set with a candle holder and a small vase (see photo above). This is also a great spot for gifts (especially because they won’t break in transit. This shit is STURDY)

• Buldans: Textile shop worth the walk through! Nice things but more $$ and felt somewhat similar to what you could find at Brooklinen or Citizenry

In retrospect, Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. There’s something deeply satisfying about living out a bucket list moment - and it living up to hype!

Onto the final leg of our journey: a few days on the Turkish coast!

xx Sophie

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Two weeks ago, we landed in Istanbul after a tighttttt connection in Frankfurt. Our first flight was delayed, but Lufthansa had crew waiting to whisk us off the plane, into a van, and straight to our next flight on the tarmac. United could never.

We arrived on time—jetlagged and dazed but ready to go.

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Grounding & First Impressions

• Istanbul is massive - nearly twice the population of NYC massive - so right off the bat, we knew we’d only scratch the surface in our five days

• The city is split across two continents: the European side (home to most major sights) and the Asian side (calmer, more residential, a little greener)

• Istanbul—and Turkey as a whole—feels unlike anywhere else I’ve been. I’ve spent time in the Middle East, North Africa, much of Europe, and parts of Asia, but Turkey doesn’t quite fit into any of those categories. Its geography obviously plays a role, but beyond that, it’s the blend of influences that you feel walking around the city; it’s a true cultural crossroads

This was my first big trip since undergrad (3+ years ago) —the kind that fully pulls you into a different rhythm of life. I used more than half my PTO for the year and was chasing the traveler’s rush you only get when everything around you feels wildly unfamiliar: the call to prayer cutting through traffic, the smell of roasting chestnuts and cracked corn, the streets humming late into the night. Istanbul was pulsing with life!!!

Why Turkey?

You’re likely wondering, why Turkey -

When I think about the perfect “formula” for a trip that offers both a cultural experience and double as a vacation (two distinct concepts IMO), the formula starts to emerge:

• 1-part urban immersion
  This is often in the capital city - this is where you check the box, see the sights, get your lay of the land & sense of what the country is all about

• 1-part sweet provincial town
  This might be a historical village, a wine region, a mountainside town—this is where the pace of the trips starts to change, you slow down in a more rural & culturally significant environment

• 1-part natural wonder
  This is always your final stop: somewhere beautiful, breezy, and deeply restorative. Think sparkling coastlines, dreamy lakes, hot springs—basically, anywhere you’re in a bathing suit all day & forget what day it is. Sleep in, read your book, take a dip, repeat

  Our Turkey trip followed that formula—starting in Istanbul, followed by Cappadocia, and ending on the coast in Fethiye

So without further ado, I present to you The Istanbul Edit—everything I loved, learned, and would recommend after five packed days in this beautiful, chaotic city. These recs come from deep pre-trip research (blogs, social, friends) and on the grounds tips from locals we met along the way.

Sights & Scenes

• Play the hits: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi (we didn’t make it to the palace, and I regret that). One day is plenty to see them all. Be sure to wear long pants (yes, even the guys) and bring a scarf for covering shoulders and hair at the mosques

• Bazaars: Spice bazaar (eat at Pandeli upstairs) and Grand Bazaar (wander around but also more to come on where exactly to shop below)

• Jazz: Bova Jazz and Nardiss Jazz came recommended by a local shopkeeper as his favorite Friday night activity

• Museums: Istanbul Modern (save it for a rainy day or a day you want to escape the heat)

• Ferry to Asia: Head to Kadikoy, stroll the waterfront, and grab lunch at Ciya Restaurant

• Morning in Balat: This is a part of the city that’s experienced a renaissance the last few years as artists have flooded in & breathed new life into the neighborhood - explore the ceramic shops, linen goods & art galleries that line the colorful streets. Stop in Primi for a yummy Italian lunch (rest assured, you’ll be ready for a break from mezze by day 3)

• Sunset: Watch the sunset from the waterfront at Fatih (this is a good post-dinner spot after Seven Hills)

• Bosporus cruise: (linking the one we did here) - great vibes, good price, beautiful boat, highly recommend. There are a bunch of similar options on Viator, I’ve done a lot of experiences like this over the years, and this one was particularly good value!

• Hamman: A must in Turkey—part spa, part cultural experience. Book ahead, as many hammams split opening hours by gender. It’s a great treat for your last day. We went to Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami (recommended by our host), which struck a nice balance of clean, affordable, and beautiful

Bites & Sips

• Emi Coffee: Cutie (western) coffee shop in Karakoy with a nice lil garden filled with cats

• Galata Kitchen: Solid, casual dinner option

• Pera: Thai food, didn’t make it here but when you inevitably can’t stomach another kebab, imagine this place hits the spot

• Urban Cafe: Didn’t make it here but heard it’s great for an afternoon drink

• Pandeli: This was a rec from our host and one of my favorite meals in Istanbul, this restaurant is tucked upstairs the spice market and has a gorgeous blue tile interior (see above) pricier for Turkey but still felt like it was good value & very worth it!

• Olden 1772: This is a sceney hotel restaurant that gets a lot of attention on Instagram. It **does** deliver on a gorgeous bar & yummy food, but all in all we found it to be overpriced (and hot as hell - the glass roof is pretty but giving greenhouse). Wouldn’t not recommend, just know what you’re signing up for - it’s cool but clearly catered to tourists and there’s no question you could find food of similar caliber elsewhere

• Seven Hills Rooftop: This place is an attraction, with a hefty price tag but overall good ambiance and amazing views of the Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia. Would still recommend overall but stick to simpler food (drinks and fish weren’t great but the mezze sampler was yummy). They also have a section of their rooftop for photos for non-diners if you want to just pop up for some views and head to eat elsewhere

• Aheste: Our best meal by far! It’s fancier but not overwhelmingly rich food or stupidly small portions. As someone who generally dislikes fine dining (and has many a dietary restriction) this was a really cool and special meal. Drinks also blew our minds

Shops & Goodies

Let me preface by saying shopping is not usually as significant a feature of my travels, but Istanbul was a whole new level, and thus we really leaned in. I’ve noticed that when I’m city hopping, I tend to get a case of style amnesia: I find myself buying things I would not only never justify spending money on back home (i.e., another little cup) but also buying things that are so unbelievably far from what I wear in my everyday life that' it’s borderline silly. Alas, it happened (see the colorful jackets below for what exactly I’m referring to. I got the blue)

• Most of the below shopping recs are around Karakoy / Galata - this is the younger area that’s packed with boutiques. I’d hold at least one afternoon for bopping into these shops & exploring the winding roads. So many gems!!!

• Karakoy / Galata:

  • Public Vintage Clothing (& the antique shop across the street)

  • Zeynel Handmade - handmade leather shoes & traditional velvet jackets - amazing pieces, shoes are made in the same village that Sabahs are from (for a fraction of the price). This is where I fear the style amnesia really ~set in~

  • Mud’n Mood Pottery - modern handmade ceramics

  • Hidden Bee - women’s clothing

  • Yakto Ipek Dokuma - textiles store with really sweet and colorful woven robes

  • Vima Vintage Sunglasses

• Balat:

  • Medusa Vintage Posters

  • Ilitya Ceramics Studio

  • Mudo linens & clothing (men & women)

• Bazaars: Come ready to bargain, my general rule is asking for somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3rds the price they initially give you as a starting point, depending how badly you want it

  • Bilqili Leather (grand bazaar): The jackets are to die for

  • Apollo Leather (grand bazaar): Another great option across the way, more limited assortment but better prices

  • Tuga Brands (spice bazaar): If you’re hunting for the dupe of your dreams, Turkey is the place for you. After hours in the Grand Bazaar—where quality ranges widely from misspelled logos to $700 spot-on Loewe lookalikes. I found my gem in a tiny shop inside the Spice Bazaar: a mini suede YSL shoulder bag with a vintage feel. This find set me back $200, after bargaining it down from $350. All things considered, a win

Other Tips & Bits:

• Air Con: Most non-luxury places don’t have A/C - opt to stay closer to the Bosporus for significantly cooler conditions

• There are cats & kitties everywhere: they’re generally considered safe to pet in Istanbul as they’re collectively care for by the city (but ofc use your best judgement if they seem unwell before approaching)

• Cash: The currency in Turkey is Turkish Lira (TRY) - divide by 40 for a rough sense of how much you’re spending in USD. All of my research going into this trip suggested that cash was king all over Turkey. In reality, we only really needed it for taxis - even the bazaar vendors took card

• Transport: We walked everywhere we could. Ferries are pretty easy to navigate but definitely check the schedules since not all routes run frequently. Uber is hit or miss, with unpredictable wait times, so keep it as your backup plan

• Reservations: We reserved most dinners but could have walked into almost everywhere with the exception of Aheste. That said, booking ahead did consistently score us better tables with views. Most spots just need a WhatsApp message to reserve—no credit card required!

• Shoe Shiners: Istanbul is notorious for this shoe shiner scam, and they nearly got us. After learning about the scam, we saw it at least 3 more times during our stay so there’s a high chance you experience this, especially if you wear loafers. This is also well documented on TikTok if you’re curious to see it in action lol. This is how it works: they “accidentally” drop a sponge, count on you to pick it up, then start shining your shoes in gratitude. Next, they demand payment—or if you’re extra lucky like Ryan, splash water on your new suede shoes and try to bring you back to their workshop. That was when we got the hint and said see ya later

My goodness — that was a LOT!

Turkey Vol II: Cappadocia, coming soon!

xx Sophie

Hi! I’m Sophie. I’m starting this Substack as both a creative outlet as well as a means to consolidate & share my travels & travel recs with my people and the wider reformed (and aspiring) backpacker community.

A bit about me: I’m 26 years old, and I live in New York City, with my boyfriend, Ryan. Flashback to 8 years ago, and I was in my backpacker prime, constantly on the move on an 11-month adventure across 5 continents, 20 countries and dozens of ups, downs & moments of awe along the way.

And while today, I still very much identify with those deeply formative travel years, the truth is, life looks pretty different now. I work an intense corporate job, have limited time off and am trying to build a real life (omg) with Ryan here in New York.

But that travel spark in me hasn’t wavered. I remain deeply committed to make the most of my 18 PTO days and use them to fill my cup with rich & meaningful experiences around the world.

Hope you will join me on this next endeavor!

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I write to you today from a small beach town in Turkey, where I’ve been reflecting on where I’m at in my life and what I truly value in travel (and what the good life means more broadly). And while it’s hard to admit, my needs have changed in the last 8 years and hostel hopping between 12-person mixed dorms is no longer the right choice. Roughing it a little is far less fun when you only have so many days off and want to rest, recover, and adventure — all in one trip — so you can show up as your best self in your “real life” when you get home.

here’s the view from where I’m writing this today:

Let me backtrack a bit. Ryan and I are on day 10 of our 12-day voyage around Turkey. We started our trip in Istanbul in a very trendy but affordable Airbnb in Galata. And while I was proud to have found such a steal, we quickly realized that the apartment didn’t have A/C…and the city was on the verge of a heatwave (rookie mistake to not have checked beforehand, I know. But again, I’m out of practice, people!)

Still, I was determined to make the most of our time in the capital and came armed with a detailed itinerary in hand: every neighborhood, restaurant, and activity mapped out to a T. But by day three, we were sweaty, sleep-deprived, and seriously struggling. I'd approached the trip the way I used to — determined to do it all — but not realizing at what cost.

We were clocking 30,000-step days and sleeping 2-3 hours a night. Something had to give. So, we pivoted.

I’m now writing to you from our final stop, where we’ve slowed down, reset, and made a concerted effort to embrace balance. If we want to stay at the bed and breakfast and take it easy by the pool instead of going on the morning hike, we’re doing it.

That shift felt like an aha moment: I can’t — and probably shouldn’t — travel the way I did when I was backpacking at 18. And honestly, nobody benefits when I try (sorry, Ryan!)

So, as I think about this next chapter and how travel fits in, I present to you the Retired Backpacker: a collection of reflections, recommendations, and stories from a traveler who’s traded in night buses and bunk beds for a bit more balance. I mean a few things by this:

• Balance between budget (we’re still in our twenties, people) and the occasional splurge (Our corporate alter egos have earned it)

• Balance between going totally off-grid and enjoying a well-timed Turkish hammam

• Balance between doing it all — and still carving out time to recharge

• Balance between solo time (the luxury of answering to no one but yourself) and shared moments with travel companions (old and new) who add meaning, joy, and unexpected magic along the way

The Retired Backpacker is a home for and an ode to my love of travel and how it comes to life in this next chapter, charting my more limited but still deeply fulfilling travel escapades around the globe - with a newfound sense of balance.

If you know me, you know I’m always planning my next trip (Japan is majorly on my mind these days) and this time I’m bringing Substack along for the ride. Here’s to the almost-missed flights, questionable Airbnb’s, unexpected moments of clarity, and the joy of figuring it all out again — one PTO day at a time.

First up: Turkey.

#theretiredbackpacker