Take—or plan—the trip this month ✈️
Inspiration and ideas to help you commit to your next voyage
Happy July! It’s my birthday month and soon-to-be Leo season. ✨ I’ve just come off an amazing trip to Boston and I’m still feeling the surge of energy and possibility that comes from connecting with amazing friends, dancing my face off, and exploring a place that feels like an expanded version of me.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: travel is medicine. And it’s been a lifeline for me over the past few years in particular.
We’re in peak summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Friends have just come back from Disney, from Tokyo, from Providence; others are planning trips for the fall. It’s very much a Mood and I’m here for it!
In that spirit, let this July be the time when you take—or plan—the trip.
The trip you’ve been holding off on or the trip that you didn’t expect to take.
The trip you take by yourself or with friends you’ve never met IRL.
The trip with no agenda or the trip with a packed itinerary.
The trip you can say yes to today.
May this post be a source of inspiration, delight, and wonder that we live in a world where there is so much to explore, to experience, to learn, to savor.
Things to Do
Sign up for an Atlas Adventures trip
As a single gal in her 30s, I know the challenges of finding travel buddies who are just as eager and available to go on a trip (on the same timeline and budget, to boot!) all too well. Regardless of my relationship status, I hope to go on an Atlas Adventures trip some day in the future!
Whitney and her team have built incredibly curated experiences for like-minded travelers to a variety of exciting destinations, from Paris and London to Morocco and South Africa. I can only imagine the bonds that are formed and the memories that are created during these exclusive group experiences. As much as I love to plan my trips, it would be such a treat to show up and trust that you’re going to see and do the best that the destination has to offer.
Take an Out and Back trip
Where would you go if you only had a day? In case you missed it, back in May I shared an exciting alternative way to travel that I recently learned about. It’s not for everyone, but out and back travel is a novel option that works for both last-minute and planned excursions on a budget.
Get TSA Precheck or Global Entry
I don’t know about where you live, but my local airport is bursting at the seams with an overabundance of early morning flights while constructing an entirely new terminal, leading to extremely long wait times for security. I was able to snag TSA Precheck the week before my flight to Boston last week and it has already been such a game-changer. If I had had more time, I probably would’ve opted for Global Entry, as it’s only nominally more expensive and includes precheck.
I know I’ll probably be yelled at for encouraging others to take part in this “exclusive” perk (thus making it less valuable), but I am not a gatekeeper by nature! If you plan on traveling at peak times, now might be a great time to upgrade your experience.
Note: I was able to snag a next day appointment and was awarded my Known Traveler Number within 48 hours—but I only saw it in time for my flight because I kept checking back on the online portal after my appointment! They say it can take anywhere from 3-60 days (usually 3-5 though) to get approved, so plan accordingly if you can, but it might be worth the risk if you have a week to spare.
Things to Read
“Habitual Travel” by Jordan Shea Page of Shade Cactus
How do you make travel an active part of your lifestyle when you didn’t grow up vacationing—and how do you continue to make it a consistent habit even after you’ve put down roots? I loved reading about Jordan’s experience of growing up hardly traveling to making travel a top priority as an adult. It’s a great reminder that while traveling the country in a skoolie is an incredible way to fuel one’s love for adventure, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Instructions for Traveling West by Joy Sullivan
I’ll admit I’m typically not one to seek out poetry, but thanks to a dear friend’s obsession, I’ve come to delight in and admire the craft in recent months. And gratefully, in that process, I’ve been introduced to the incomparable talent that is Joy Sullivan. If you haven’t already, her Substack is a favorite of mine—like this essay on “Women in the dating pool” —and she recently launched a book of poetry that I’ve been meaning to sink my teeth into.
Just take a look at this description:
“A vivid and inspiring poetry collection about what’s possible when we heed our instincts and honor our intuition, allowing ourselves to strike out for new territories of love, pleasure, and peace.
First you must realize you’re homesick for all the lives you’re not living. Then, you must commit to the road and the rising loneliness. To the sincere thrill of coming apart.
So begins Joy Sullivan’s Instructions for Traveling West—a lush debut collection that examines what happens when we leave home and leap into the deep unknown.”
Wowowowow.
“The Voyage of a Lifetime” By Maddie Burton of On the Cusp
Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel across the Atlantic in an elegant ocean liner back in the 50s and 60s? I loved this touching interview that Maddie Burton did with her aunt and father about their transatlantic journeys and what they remember about this unique travel experience. As a fellow traveler, Maddie also has some other fantastic travel-themed posts you won’t want to miss, like this list of road trip must-haves.
Things to Listen to or Watch
“True tales and stories to transport you”
One of my favorite things to do is to read a book—or watch a movie—set in the place I plan to travel to. It creates familiarity with a place you’ve never been: the cobblestone streets you’ll eventually tread, the landscapes you’ll behold, the everyday people you’ll witness going about their lives.
It’s deeply gratifying to walk toward the infamous Radcliffe Camera in Oxford as you play out a scene from Discovery of Witches in your mind’s eye or to dance in the piazza Signorelli where Diane Lane’s character fell in love with her new life in Italy in Under the Tuscan Sun.
But we don’t have to wait until we have a trip on the books to be transported. This episode of the Modern Mrs. Darcy podcast shares recommendations for both fiction books and memoirs that will take you vicariously to places you might not be able to get to right now IRL.
Ep. 422 from the Modern Mrs. Darcy podcast
Down to Earth with Zac Efron on Netflix
There are a lot of great travel shows, but I especially enjoyed the conservation and health focus of this two-season documentary series with Zac Efron and wellness guru Darin Olien. It does an excellent job highlighting both the sobering reality of climate change and the urgency for global change with the incredible work that people are already doing around the world to live more sustainably and healthfully.
Things to Wear
The Best Travel Shoes
With a handful of international trips under my belt over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time and energy researching and trying out shoes for trips that involve extensive walking. I haven’t quite landed on the perfect travel sandals yet (though I LOVE my Reef sandals), but I do feel confident recommending sneakers for your trips—or for your everyday life! I have been wearing Kiziks for about a year now and I love them. If you haven’t heard of Kiziks yet, they are comfortable, hands-free shoes that you can just step into. They come in a variety of styles, too! I wear the white Vegas sneakers that can be dressed up or down, but I think I want to try one of the more athletic versions next.
Once you go hands-free, you won’t want to go back! They’re amazing for going through security (if you don’t have precheck, that is), juggling a bunch of kids or bags, trying on clothes, and just getting out the door quickly and easily.
If you need a waterproof sneaker, I really liked my Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles when I went to Scotland. They’re super comfortable and easy to launder. They stayed totally dry in the pouring rain until I actively stepped into an unavoidable mud puddle in the Isle of Skye—but I was able to wash and air/blow dry them for more adventures the next day!
This Stylish and Functional Travel Bag Combo
When I travel, I usually take some sort of backpack as my personal item and then carry a smaller crossbody or belt bag as my everyday bag with my mini card wallet.
Nine times out of ten, I carry a Lo and Sons bag because they are the best.
A few years ago, I invested in their Rowledge Laptop Backpack during a Black Friday sale and it is hands down the best bag I’ve ever owned. I know it’s expensive (though it’s 30% off right now for Independence Day!), but it’s held up absolutely beautifully despite numerous flights and treks—it still looks pretty much brand new. I love that it’s both functional and beautiful. I feel really secure about bringing my tech with me thanks to the hidden laptop compartment and I love that the inner organizer can be removed for bigger items as needed. I use this bag both as my under seat personal item for travel and as my everyday laptop bag when I work at a coffee shop.
For my purse, I am kind of married to my Italian leather belt bag from the Florence leather market these days, but otherwise, I adore my Pearl crossbody bag. Either can be worn around the airport and then stashed in my backpack while in the air. I usually go with a leather bag so that I can wear it both day and night and I always make sure it has a secure closure to keep my valuables safe.
For my wallet, I like to use a mini card wallet with a zipper compartment for both day-to-day and for travel (I use a matching one from Florence, but this one would work, too). I find that when foreign currency is involved, having a secure compartment for currency and coins is important and not as common as you’d think with card wallets! I’ll often also use this travel wallet from Leatherology (with a matching wristlet strap clipped on) when I’m carrying my passport along with multiple forms of currency and cards. The slim profile goes nicely in the laptop compartment of my backpack for secure travel.
A wink to your wanderlust
I gifted my friend and travel extraordinaire Ashlie with this dainty airplane necklace for Christmas and I think it’s such a cute and subtle nod to the possibilities that lie just outside of our typical stomping grounds.
Things to Make
A Canva Board for Trip Outfit Planning
If you’re not ridiculous about planning your outfits for trips, carry on. If you are, welcome. You’re in good company! I love to use Canva for mapping out my outfits for trips in a visual way to make sure I’m not overpacking and to easily see what remaining holes I have in my closet for smarter shopping and sewing (because who among us doesn’t think they need an entirely new wardrobe for each trip they take?!).
I use the unlimited whiteboard feature so that I can see everything together in one place. I screenshot or crop pictures of my items, upload them to Canva, and pair them together to create outfits. It’s a great way to test out different travel packing formulas, like sticking to a certain color palette or using the “5-4-3-2-1” method (5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 dresses/swimsuits/jackets/other, 1 completer piece or accessory).
A “Google My Map” for all of those recommendations
If you’ve ever casually mentioned you want to go somewhere and received an onslaught of “oh my god, you MUST go here and eat there and do this…” from well-meaning friends or you’ve clicked through a Pinterest post on top things to do in X city, you can capture these recommendations without having to do anything with them just yet.
Google My Maps allows you to create a new map for each trip or location that you can drop pins to any addresses you want to remember on. If you’d like, you can color code and categorize them by things like restaurants, historical sites, important landmarks, etc. Then, when you are actually at your destination, you can pull up Google maps to see what you’ve pinned around you, making it easy to decide what to do in the moment without having to spend precious vacation time doing extra research in spotty wifi for a highly-rated restaurant, must-see mural, or rainy day activity.
This came in clutch last week in Boston when deciding where I wanted to “start” my journey around the city, in ensuring I made the most of the time spent in each neighborhood so I wouldn’t have to double back to see what I missed, and in a last-minute search for a quality lobster roll.
Things to Eat and Drink
Recreate a meal from a past trip
Though you can’t fully recreate a special culinary experience, it’s still fun to revisit some dishes or ingredients that you loved on one of your trips. Was there a type of wine you enjoyed while people-watching in a different country? Or a dessert that hit the spot after a hot summer day on your feet? Even a piece of bread can be life-changing.
I’m still on the hunt for Tuscan pici noodles in my local international grocery stores to recreate some of the amazing pasta dishes I had while in Italy last summer. This is reminding me—I have a delicious salt blend I bought there at Dario the Butcher’s restaurant that I have yet to use! What should I season with it?
Venture into the international aisle or grocery store
No need to wait to satisfy your taste buds with new flavors! Take a stroll down the international aisle or pop into an authentic international grocery store and let your heart (or your stomach) decide what’s for dinner tonight. It would make for a cute date night or family dinner, especially if you put on some music to match.
Now I need to know: where are you planning to travel to next? Leave a comment and share with us! No destination is too small.
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Ok first, is it weird that I'm excited that we both wear Kiziks? This was such a great round up of resources!
As for my next trip, there's a good chance it'll be a road trip up to New England in late summer/early fall—possibly hitting Boston, Portland, and maybe Acadia. But honestly I've been itching for a bigger international trip too...
I’m even *more* excited to chat with you now, not least of which because I was nodding/smiling along to this entire newsletter!
Yes to the Pearl cross-body rec…it’s SO excellent. And I just bought walking shoes for Scotland—funny story, but I was deciding between Kiziks and Allbirds. (I’m very happy with my comfy new Tree Pipers, but clearly should have schemed with you first!)