If I had to guess, I'd say that the biggest impact will come from the people you meet, so it's worth putting some thought into what sorts of things the people you're most interested in might end up doing (and also whether the thing is conducive to connecting with people).
And otherwise, I'd optimize for diversity of experiences. There's so much value in just understanding what's out there and how it can make you think and feel. (Bonus points for sometimes going solo, so that you’re not bringing your normal comfortable world along with you as you go.) And remember that you can also experience the world through 📚Reading!
(See also: 🏙️Living Life Well)
School
Women’s historically 2-yr college (now offering 4-yr degrees).
Unbelievable teacher-student ratio, empowerment, support, community.
Really diverse student body (geographically, socioeconomically, etc.)
- Owned and really lovingly supported by the PEO Sisterhood
Probably depends on the particular school founders in your area, but generally an interesting teaching philosophy that fosters curiosity and self-expression and thinking for oneself.
My sister has recently started working as an English teacher at a Waldorf school in Germany and recommended this podcast:
This famous YouTube potter credits Waldorf in this clip:
A few quick tips:
- Go! Webs/constellations of friends are really valuable and it’s an event where people are unusually open to connecting outside of their normal routine.
- Think about who you would like to see and then persuade those specific people to come.
- (They’re probably not people you could convince to come visit you in particular, and it could be awkward, so the event is an excuse to all come to the same place at the same time.) For very little effort, you’ll be basically guaranteed a great time with people you’re excited to catch up with.
- Consider planning additional events surrounding the reunion. E.g. an afternoon potluck in a park that people can bring their kids and dogs to.
- Get the organizers to reserve the venue until 2am. Fine to cut off food or alcohol much earlier, but it’s annoying to have to move the group to a new location to keep the conversations going, and cutting them off, knowing that you may need to wait 10 years to pick them up again, is a shame.
Global
In general, I highly recommend study abroad at an early age. I recommend this one in particular because it’s a free scholarship program and by being run by the government, it avoids some of the pitfalls of programs run directly by businesses.
I went my junior year of high school and I think not only was it formative in a sort of “oh my gosh, other countries have come up with solutions to problems my country/culture hasn’t even acknowledged” way, causing me to learn another language in a completely organic setting (which is an experience I think about not infrequently as my mind hunts for words that my native language doesn’t have), but really importantly:
It caused me to meet and become friends with a bunch of other 16 and 17 year olds who were willing to take this kind of bold risk, being away from home for the whole time (through this particular program you weren’t allowed to visit the US and visitors were discouraged), not speaking the language, not having any friends, not having any say in what city or village you lived in or what kind of family you might have, missing your junior prom, etc. etc. — I’m still friends with a couple dozen people from the program; probably one of the most dense collection of friends from anywhere else in my life, despite only actually spending less than 2 months of total days together.
Active
These are usually offered by the city where you are — they're reasonably priced and they put you in touch with people you would probably not otherwise get to know. I try to sign up whenever I move to a new city. Plus, tennis is a great sport and can be played your whole life long.
(My aunt and uncle are in their early 70s and they’re sometimes the youngsters in the group they play doubles with almost every morning.)
Travel Tips/Recommendations
🇪🇺 Europe
Eat lots of gelato, which you can usually get at their street-facing counter (I recommend straciatella as one of your scoops), but also set aside time for a sit-down-and-pore-over-the-menu event to try their version of ice cream sundaes. They're very creative, making spaghetti out of ice cream "noodles" with strawberry sauce or almost creating tropical resort style ice cream cocktails. I happen to really like their yoghurette and Amarena Bechers.
Go to a "Sauna park" like this one near Osnabrück (be prepared for nudity):
(and if you see me in person, ask me to describe the experience)
Eat lots of croissants
Specifically chocolate ones and almond ones.
(if it’s January, try a king cake for epiphany)
Eat lots of cheese.
Specifically goat logs on the early brie track and comté (go to a cheese shop and try some at different ages—a 6month comté is super different than an 18month comté). The ratings for cheese shops “fromagiers” are basically all amazing. In Paris, I happen to love this one, not far from the canal in the 10th—the guy in the store art, second from the left, is surprising game, despite my friends basically knowing none of the rules or regions.
Eat lots of creamy desserts.
This is the land of chocolate mousse and crème brûlée and cheesecake that is impossibly light. Even yogurts feel creamier somehow.
Put butter on everything.
Don’t be afraid to mix things like cheese and jam or figs (especially nice combo with brie).
When you can, opt for getting a “prix fixe” where you get to choose a starter (entrée…which makes a lot more sense than the US meaning), a main (plat), and a dessert and they throw in a glass of wine. It’s a different sort of dining experience and a great way to have a leisurely lunch.
Try the duck confit (confit de canard)
It’s slower in the south. Don’t assume that Paris is representative.
Getting around Paris:
Paris is walkable, and I generally follow my 🏜️Burning Man procedure of having a destination to help with what would otherwise be frequent choice points, but then doing what seems good in the moment: taking a side-street, stopping for a croissant, eating lunch, popping into a housewares store, etc.
Taxis, Uber, and Bolt are used widely, but Taxis seem to be the safest drivers (and the others tend to be aggressive in a way that seems a danger to pedestrians, bicyclists, and even other drivers; I’m not a fan). The cool thing is that you can order taxis through the Uber app and you can pay via the app as well. Though the fare for Uber is set in advance and the taxi fare is metered in the traditional way.
Clotted cream
Lemon curd
I spent a summer near the south eastern coast with my friends after graduating from high school, and of all our adventures, our trip to Cornwall was the most magical. The sandy beaches were lovely and we stayed in a hostel in Penzance that was somehow simpler and yet brighter and more welcoming than anywhere else we’d stayed.
It’s on my list to check out these community saunas in London.
📱For longer visits, it’s very cheap & easy to get set up with no-contract phone and data service via giffgaff.
If you go to Barcelona, I have food recommendations:
The people we were with in Barcelona went on this amazing food tour one day ("Devouring Barcelona") and while we didn't go (it was really expensive), we did manage to get their menu and itinerary and we made it to one of people's favorites.
The places I can personally vouch for are as follows:
From the tour:
#6. L'Anxoveta
Carrer de Sant Domenèc, 16
This is supposedly incredible: (so good that the croquette was completely sold out by the time we arrived) "Bomba" potato and ground beef croquette with brava sauce and alioli (this is a classic--sliced potatoes with brava sauce "patatas bravas" is super Barcelona)
In Barcelona you also have to try the jambon iberico--which is some sort of salami.
From a different guide book, we ended up at La Plata, a tiny tapas place that only serves three little things: fried whole sardines (we ordered a couple plates after devouring the first), tomato bread (you also HAVE to eat this while in Barcelona but not necessarily here) oddly topped with anchovies and sausage, and tomatoes/onions/olives on a plate. It's like a place you stop in for a snack, but an amazing artisanal snack not far from the water.
Carrer de la Mercè, 28
neighborhood: Barri Gòtic (they close between 3:30-6:30pm, so watch out for that--this is a pretty widespread problem in Spain; they take their siestas seriously)
The most incredible meal I've maybe ever had--super fancy food yet was something like $70 for three people including wine (we literally took a picture of the receipt it was so astonishing)--was at a place called Somorrostro. Completely mind blowing.
It's in La Barceloneta (a neighborhood on a peninsuala by the water)
Carrer de Sant Carles, 11
Open 1pm-midnight daily
There was approximately 5x as much tomato on their tomato bread than we were served anywhere else in Spain. And there were some sort of epic ahi tartar thingys on crackers with all sorts of thoughtful flavors smooshed together. We also got a pot of mussles in garlic sauce (in addition to a pot full of misc shellfish) and we had to keep protecting that pot as we soaked our bread in the heavenly sauce...omg.
Macarena Club
I can't vouch for whichever DJs will be there on any given night, but it's one of the coolest little clubs I've ever been to. It's in a part of town where there are other places to go if it's lame. Look up nightclubs on google maps if you are looking for places -- it's not a strip where you can go from place to place, they are discreet doors in the small alleyway type streets. Speaking of which, it's worth wandering the small streets of the Gothic quarter during the day.
(This is probably obvious, but if you aren’t a “top 10” sort of person, you might miss this human‘s extensive footprint on the city, and it’s not to be missed)
I’ve still never left the airport 🙃 but I enjoy flying IcelandAir, which basically seems like a project of the Icelandic tourism board. They have historically made it very simple to extend a layover in Reykjavik to basically add a visit to Iceland to your itinerary in a way that’s both cheap and convenient. The light there is always stunning and I’m intrigued by all the nature: waterfalls and hot springs and lava and ice caves and the aurora borealis.
And for such a small place, there are a surprising number of Icelandic things that have caught my attention, especially musicians: 🎻Jónsi (and of course Sigur Rós) and let’s not forget Eurovision: the story of fire saga 😅
🇺🇸 US
As an adult, the best time to go is probably the earliest possible during their Thursday night Nightlife. The rainforest closes first.
If there aren't crowds or if you have snacks and time to kill, catch the cablecar from Powell St, up over the hill (with views of the Bay Bridge along the way!), to Fisherman's Wharf.
If you've planned ahead and scheduled a visit to Alcatraz (which I've heard is really cool — there are also spooky night tours I think), you can easily catch the boat from this neighborhood. Otherwise, you can usually get tickets for a Bay cruise with Blue & Gold Fleet and for an hour you'll get to go out under the Golden Gate and loop around Alcatraz. (You can sometimes get discounted tickets via groupon or other similar sites). Just remember it's cold and windy out there, so bundle up! 🌬🥶
You can do touristy things on Pier 39 when you get back: clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, chocolate fudge, or just check out the sea lions.
Sometimes I'll walk/hike up to Coit Tower afterwards, but these days the Exploratorium is at Pier 15, so if you're trying to pack everything in at once, you can just walk along The Embarcadero and check it out. Or you can keep going to the Ferry Building and find something delicious to eat.
I used to frequent happy hour at Hog Island Oyster company. Delicious beer, delicious bread and butter, and of course, oysters. They don't have specials anymore, but it's still a fun experience.
I came across this random person’s list and it seemed pretty good at least as a snapshot of that era (especially for someone living in the Bay Area with more time to go do things)
I have had very few experiences at resorts, but over a decade ago I was lured to Indian Springs because of their winter special (if you stay one night, you get a free volcanic ash mudbath in their spa — steam room, claw foot tubs, cucumber water, the whole deal — in addition to access to their spring-fed pool). The local grocery store has cheese and wine and other delights for a picnic in the hotel and it's easy walking distance to the main street for a fancy dinner or hearty brunch.
Food:
For takeout (there's only seating for a few people at a time), try Avatar's Punjabi curried sweet potato (+meat) burritos or rice plates (cash-only)
To the North, there's Gerstle Cove (you can daytrip to 🐙Tide Pooling and/or you can camp overnight)
To the South, there's the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve for daytripping 🐙Tide Pooling
There's also the Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area where you can see the Elephant Seals — you'll need to schedule a tour if you go during breeding season (which I recommend — Valentine's Day is a good target). Bring binoculars. P.S. Their fb page is a fantastic addition to my newsfeed.
Near Mammoth: My favorite hike of all time is the 20 mile loop from the Agnew Meadows campground to Thousand Island Lake. While you're in the area, you should visit Devil's Postpile and swim in the (eerily warm) Starkweather Lake. (You can only drive in with your own car if you have a camping reservation.)
Highway 395 is in the rain shadow of the Sierras (which are tall enough to capture the clouds and make their own weather) but is still pretty lush from the snowmelt. With the mountains on one side and the desert on the other, it’s a wonderful drive; somehow the light is particularly magical and as a bonus it also boasts a smattering of hot springs.
In the Valley, highly recommend the Mist Trail (very very popular and very easy to at least get to the bottom of Vernal Falls), but then continue up to the less visited Nevada Falls and loop back along the JMT for a different view and different experience (and to save your knees and avoid the crowds coming down the steps by Vernal Falls).
Also recommend getting drinks and snacks at the cheaper bar inside the fancy Ahwahnee (outdoor seating!) and using it as an excuse to check out the big fireplace and peek in the formal dining room.
Even if you’re just there for the day, it’s good to stop and walk to the base of Yosemite Falls. I think it might even be wheelchair accessible at this point.
Bring binoculars! (🔬Pocket microscope & binoculars)
During the day, it’s really cool trying to find tiny climbers on the face of Half Dome and El Capitan and even more magical to look again at/after nightfall when you can see even more of them because of the light from their headlamps as they settle in for the night. 🧗♀️
If you’re into climbing, you can often find the climbers’ friends near the base of El Capitan with telescopes. If you’re friendly, they’ll often answer questions and let you get a better look. 🔭
It’s hard for me to know what towns people typically pass through en route because I’m a local, but if it’s not too far out of your way, I highly recommend getting a chocolate milk shake at the Jamestown Frosty on your way out.
And if you stay in the area, go check out a show at Sierra Rep in Sonora.
OK, I’ve never actually been, but who doesn’t love a good factory tour?? It seems especially fitting now that I have a Jelly Belly page 🍬Jelly Bellies are the best mainstream candy
Take the architecture foundation boat tour. Kinda pricey, but well worth it. Great way to see the city and get your bearings + understand cool things about the history of the city and the river. I didn’t know or really care about architecture, but I do care about “neat building with cool backstory” or “new way of thinking about the city as you walk around.”
Denver is at a pretty high elevation and pretty low humidity. In the winter (which is typically when the city hosts ETHDenver) I recommend keeping hand lotion in your pocket to combat chronic skin dryness that runs rampant.
(Most people know about Ashland because of the Shakespeare festival, but a friend of mine, who is a bit of an expert, thinks this might be the best small town he’s ever been to)
🛒 They have the best stand-alone grocery store I’ve ever found:
They stock a shocking number of individual items without being pretentious about it. They have tons of varieties of 🐄Dairy sensitivity? from A2 cows, the magical 🥔Instant Mashed Potatoes are a godsend, 1 zillion beers, the chocolate I’m currently digging (Chocolove’s caramel-filled squares), tons of fun bulk foods, Fody’s onion & garlic free salsa, and even a great little gift section (that has a strong Ashland vibe).
Note: you’ll probably appreciate this if you have special dietary needs (low fodmap) or preferences (grass-fed cows), particular favorite products (sour beer), or specific things you need for recipes (pickling salt), but you might not see the appeal if you measure grocery stores by their prepared foods or customer service — it’s more like an incredible pantry.
🍽 I’m a total sucker for indoor/outdoor seating (even pre-pandemic) and Skout is perfect with big glass garage doors that slide open and ceiling heat lamps inside. They’re right by Lithia Park so you can batch your adventuring and eating and people-watching, and they even have a machine that will let you take a big can of whatever’s on tap home with you(!)
(It’s worth bringing a ☕Thermal mugs for their hot toddy.)
I also love the purchasable art on display at the Fiber Arts Collective. I have an embroidered(?) lampshade with romping zebras that sparks so much joy. 🦓 The Fiber Arts Collective closed 😕 but has been replaced by Ashland Clayhouse, which has purchasable 🧱Pottery on display (and fun classes on offer).
If plants are your thing, Ashland Greenhouses is a fun nursery where they grow all their own annuals and succulents, and Valley View has the greatest selection (including tons of trees). For supplies like bags of compost or liquid fertilizer, I’d try Southern Oregon Nursery up 99 or the Grange co-op location that’s on the next block.
There’s a crazy thing about hiking in Alaska: there are basically no trails. You take a bus to your campsite, wake up in the morning, and head off in the general direction of whatever canyon or peak you have your eyes set on. One consequence is that you’re very likely to be brushing up against wet vegetation for a significant portion of your adventure, either from dew or from rain. Thankfully you shouldn’t need to worry about 🕷️Tick bite avoidance & tick removal because those critters are only now being slowly introduced to the area, so that’s not a concern, but I encourage you to bring waterproof hiking boots and/or gaiters.
Bears are also an issue, but that’s probably on your radar already. I’ve read the studies and basically think you’ll be ok if you pick up some bear spray once you land and do the sensible things: don’t go out solo, make enough noise generally to not startle a bear, and have your mace ready within easy reach at all times.
I’ve never been, but since my 👩🌾Gardening adventure has veered into the world of flowers, its a place constantly referenced, and Floret has put together a guide.
🏝️ Caribbean
🚙 If you decide to rent a car, choose one with significant clearance — in the rainy season many roads are partially or completely submerged for long periods after the rain has stopped.
📵 Cell phone coverage/bandwidth is very limited (as of 2022); if you are used to using day-passes from your carrier when traveling internationally (e.g. Verizon travel pass), know that you will probably need to find WiFi somewhere for real internet access.
🌏 Asia
it is very hard to be prepared for just how hot it feels when the humidity is also very high. A few suggestions:
- Consider investing in a small umbrella that is designed to lower the temperature under it. E.g. “heat shield” technology from Knirps. Chances are you’ll be able to use it for rain as well as sun.
- If you don’t want to bother with an umbrella that’s trying to block infrared, there are still sensical optimizations: light colored exterior for bouncing light, dark colored interior for reducing light bouncing in your safe space, UV 50+, etc.
- Bigger is better, but as with cameras and binoculars, if you don’t bring it because it’s bulky, it’s worse than a mini one you’re willing to leave in your bag.
- Check the temperature before you go out. Wunderground will tell you both the actual temp as well as the “feels like” which can easily be 10 degrees F above the actual.
- All the normal stuff: wear lightweight loose fitting clothing, hydrate, stay indoors during the hottest part of the day (and bring a layer to handle the wide temperature swing), wear your hair up (to expose your neck to fresh air), walk on grass/through parks instead of on pavement, and consider a handheld portable fan (old school manual ones are quite effective if you don’t want to wade through all the electric options available these days).
- This is more niche: your hair might be totally different than what you’re used to. Look different, feel different, act different. Not sure what to recommend here—maybe bring a small amount of silicone based frizz treatment or something? And maybe an alternative to your normal way of putting your hair up?
If all you do is fly to and from the US or Canada, it’s business as usual. If you’re flying regionally once you arrive in Asia, two important things to note:
- Checked luggage is not measured by number of bags. Checked luggage is measured by total weight in kilograms—there will be a max for your ticket, and you can usually add kg (but best to know your weight (your hotel might have a scale) so you don’t have to pay a premium at checkin).
- Carryons have very low weight limits: 7-10kg, depending on carrier. That’s something like 15-22lbs. My favorite carryon (that I talk about in the section on packing advice) is >8lbs empty. So you’ll probably want to check luggage that you’re used to carrying on and also weigh your combined bags, both before you depart and as you collect things along the way.
Seems like they have adopted an app called Grab: cars, motorbikes, food delivery. (Here’s some background and regional quirks.)
ChatGPT lists these as the primary markets (I can vouch for Singapore and Bangkok):
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
I’ve never been, but my sister sent wonderful emails while she was living/traveling there in the fall of 2002: 📬Helen's emails from India
The easiest introduction to Asia: English-speaking, safe, drinkable water, delicious/accessible food, etc. but very hot and humid (85F that feels like 95F).
Staying downtown? Try Lyf Funan—single rooms, rooms with kitchenettes, corner suites with kitchens and workspace (epic views in 4bdrm 951). Communal facilities + included breakfast. All inside a “mall” with every imaginable service: restaurants, tennis lessons, gym, shopping, cooking school, flight simulator, etc.
Want a taste of nature? Try the MacRitchie resevoir: monkeys + boardwalk in the woods along the water.
Try “Kaya” a coconut jam turned pastel green with pandan leaves.
Random niche recommendation: Need to record an interview? Here’s a totally epic recording studio (and I have it on good authority the Singapore location is the best):
Lodging is unbelievably plentiful and cheap. It might be worth paying ~normal prices and experiencing a slice of luxury (if only for the hotel breakfast!)
Food is also delicious and cheap (though prices vary significantly and while your hotel breakfast may come with the room, e.g. if you add it when booking, the hotel restaurant could easily be 2-3x normal prices).
People are very polite and once you get in the habit of greeting everyone with a little prayer bow, it will be hard to break.
Find some water monitor lizards (they’re biggest at Lumphini park).
🧚 Some of the coolest and weirdest things are hidden in plain sight: when they construct buildings (even fancy high rises), they make tiny palaces for the spirits they’re displacing, including items for entertaining them and tiny carved elephants for transit and regular offerings of food and drink and flowers. Not as universal, but still a thing: when you step over a threshold you may think it’s raised to ward against floodwaters (which are a thing during heavy rains) but it’s because bad spirits don’t have legs, so you can keep them out by preventing them from basically slithering in.
Like and yet unlike any place I’ve ever been. Maybe the most like being in the movies? The island is like NYC and San Francisco—full of expensive but great food and drink, full of foreigners (especially English-speaking), taxis everywhere, hills everywhere, wildly fast transitions from local neighborhoods with school children to something like the hip parts of Brooklyn to midtown manhattan in just a few blocks.
Just across the water, and a few blocks inland, Kowloon is another vibe entirely: more of a sense of everyday people, street markets, more reasonable prices. But not overwhelming like Bangkok—maybe wider sidewalks help? But also some Williamsburg happening in parallel.
The ascent is incredible; you may want to stand for a better view (right side facing uphill), but brace yourself. Don’t pay extra to go to the terrace—the building next door has a free rooftop. But it’s nicer to follow the path between the two malls to a small structured viewing area. I’m sure it can be full at times, but it’s like a thing you’d find in a rose garden and feels more special and secluded.
Experiences worth seeking out:
23rd floor of the California Tower in Central at a Japanese restaurant called “Fumi Joe” (yes, there are restaurants tucked into the middle of skyscrapers).
This is not anything amazing, but it solves a problem a lot of visitors have: the light show isn’t that great (I honestly had trouble telling when it was happening), but it’s still on a lot of people’s lists. So how can you pair it with something enjoyable (instead of cramming together with zillions of other people)? Dessert and drinks outside at Hexa—it’s tucked away at the far end of the mall that stretches directly to your left when exiting the Star Ferry.
The normal menu items are maybe too weird for a western palate (and too expensive to want to risk), but the fried black sesame balls were in a sweet spot of experimental but not weird enough to leave any behind 😋
The drinks were fun, but I don’t remember what they were. Maybe the boozy one was gin-based with egg whites and had “Yeah” in the name. The one in the vase(?) was non-alcoholic and knowing me had yuzo and something fizzy?
Hong Kong “milk tea”
they’re in the space of a flan, but lighter and have flavors like mango and “milk”
Heads up: pineapple buns don’t taste like pineapples; they (apparently) look like pineapples. 🍍
🚽 (I also think the toilets might be lower than we’re used to—not requiring a full squat like a lot of toilets in mainland China, but still hard on the knees)
Logistics:
Get a virtual Octopus Tourist card for your apple wallet via the app, and use it for everything: tagging in and out of the metro and busses, paying for snacks at convenience stores and meals at restaurants. You should be able to recharge it with a card from home (which is not the case for the regular Octopus cards). Many places will take visa/mastercard, including fancy restaurants, but Octopus really makes normal interactions much smoother.
You can call cars and taxis via the Uber app.
You can use the MTR with your octopus card (which is kinda hard to charge unless you get a virtual tourist version—the regular ones, even the regular tourist ones, require you to basically withdraw cash from the ATM and then put specific sized bills into a machine to load more credit on your octopus card).
not like at a campground, just like what a toilet would be if there were nothing above floor level. Consider bringing some TP with you (and assume you’ll put it in a trash can rather than in the ~toilet).
Gendered segregated bathing/saunas + optional body exfoliation (highly recommend) to get started before meeting up in the communal areas where everyone’s wearing the provided ~pjs. All you can eat fruit bar (great for trying new things!), drinks, arcade, comfy lounge chairs to nap in (or opt in for add on services: 💆 facial, foot massage, Chinese things you haven’t heard of, etc.), there’s even a restaurant for grabbing dinner (or any other meal since these places are open 24/7).
And it seems like a pretty clear upgrade.
Logistics
in 2025 you had three main options:
Start on the MTR in HK and get off at the Lo Wu end station (one of the approved “ports” that issue this VOA). Leave HK; go into no-man’s land; head upstairs where you’ll take a photo, fill out a paper application, pay 130RMB (US cards work), submit your passport and wait 20min for approval. Then head downstairs, fill out your paper info card with where you’re staying in China, etc., get all of your fingerprints scanned, and then go through the “foreigner” line for immigration. Note: this visa is only valid for Shenzhen. And it will use up an entire page in your passport.
Normally you would get this before leaving home, but it sounds like you can get it in Hong Kong if you have a few days. It’s about $1k more expensive for people from the UK or the US.
You can “pass through” China for a maximum of 10 days without a visa as long as you enter from country A and then leave China to country ≠ A. (there are caveats, so make sure your plan will work before committing).
Set up a mobile option that you can directly connect to a card. Alipay is accepted basically everywhere: restaurants, taxis, MTR, convenience stores, etc. (but it does take an awkward minute to verify the payment).
General Travel Tips:
You can get a ton of value from being in a new place without seeing the specific things that are most famous. (The lines/crowds taking pictures of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre have become outrageous; go stumble upon some other cool thing or choose to make art a focus and get a pass that gets you early access or access via a door without a queue so you have more breathing room to appreciate things in a more leisurely way.)
Fun game: tourist or local? If tourist, where from?
I try to always stay at least a week somewhere, ideally a month. Be recognized at your morning bakery, decide on a favorite gelato place, figure out what grocery store has the best selection of gluten free cookies, navigate without checking the map on your phone, start an interaction in the local language (ideally not just asking if they speak English 😅)
Different places can make you feel very different; I think it’s valuable to see other ways that your life could be. How rushed? How relaxed? How myopic? How confident? How safe? How seen? Are people responding differently to your age? Gender? Sexuality? Socioeconomic status? How psychologically healthy do people seem? What matters to them? Are they welcoming? Cliquish?
Do something to be part of a cohort: enroll in a class, a tour, a regular meetup — a circumstance where you are a part of “we”
And if you stay at an Airbnb or similar, go to a grocery store and get local breakfasty things to start your day, maybe trying to get fresh pastries or special tea, etc in the mornings.
I think I might try Seed the next time I’m on a trip where I want to be able to be more exploratory with my food choices. E.g. in breaking my 🍱Perfect Health Diet rules against wheat because I’m a sucker for pain au chocolate and I suspect that European wheat isn’t as toxic as American wheat…
But budget time for it and don’t think you can just fill your days as soon as you get off the plane. See my 🛌Ways to help you get sleepy & stay asleep page, and focus on establishing a new rhythm: stay awake until it’s a reasonable bedtime, take some slow release melatonin, eat meals on your new schedule, go outside in the sun in the morning, etc.
The real world mapping is actually really cool—your avatar is basically placed in a bird’s-eye view of wherever you are including streets and parks and rivers. The pokestops at landmarks can also be helpful.
You’re also rewarded for distances you walk, either by hitting weekly milestones or by hatching eggs 🐣 that require different distances to incubate. Even just the fact that it tracks your walking makes it a decent Fitbit competitor (though the health app on iPhones also tracks your mileage).
(not available in all cities)
I’ve only tried it with languages that I’m already familiar with, but I brought it up a couple times on a recent trip, and even total beginners were very quick to sing its praises.
You can get same-day passports in places like SF if you can go in person (usually you’ll need a paper copy of an international itinerary that shows you’re traveling within 2 weeks and an appointment).
You can process an initial application at the post office, but also consulates, and sometimes city hall. I’ve never tried the services that claim to be able to expedite.
e.g. Apple Pay on your phone and/or a card that can be held close to a reader.
This should make things easier, especially on public transportation. In the UK, it’s basically the only way to ride the bus immediately after arriving, and in London, the entire public transit system is now designed to let you tag in at the station you enter and then tag out at the station you exit. In DC you can enable the function by downloading the SmarTrip app.
Global entry requires an appt at a major international airport—if you don’t want to deal with the hassle, you can complete the interview upon reentry; that is, you land back in the US from an international flight, and then you talk to someone and give your biometric data while going through customs.
Update: a number of times I’ve now flown in a group and the precheck folks don’t make it out of security any faster than the others—though maybe the process is still smoother.
I have seen this preference show up in executives submitting travel reimbursements, I’ve read it casually on Apple news, and recently my sister seemed to hold this view rather strongly.
It also seems like folks want to accrue enough miles each year to gain higher status tiers.
These days when I have a multi-city itinerary it often gives me split tickets with direct links to book one-way legs on each airline—offering better prices but also more convenient options.
I also use Expedia — one thing I really like is that they often offer a 24hr free cancellation, which then gives me time to confirm my itinerary with other folks without losing that option in the meantime. (Though more airlines are now offering this as well.)
Expedia is also nice for booking hotels.
When you’re traveling, you often have fewer options for temperature control: fewer layers, fewer blankets, no space heater, etc. But a hairdryer is basically a really mobile and powerful heater for warming your body and your bed: 🤔Advice: use a hairdryer under the covers to warm up
Flying
See list below for examples
Staying at a hotel/airbnb/friend’s house
Slippers/indoor shoes, swimsuit, small pillow or allergy pillowcase, roku stick, Luci light
Sleeping
Mask, pajamas, melatonin, ⚠️Benydryl or other 1st gen H1 antihistamine
Showering/personal hygiene
Toiletries, travel towel, menstrual products, shaving products, toothbrush
Eating
Snacks, instant coffee, tea bags, honey
Working
Laptop, charger, electric socket converter(s), external keyboard and stand or monitor, notebook
Taking calls
Ear buds with microphone, spare battery pack with cable for phone and/or laptop
Etc.
But also: don't worry too much. Figure out exactly what you absolutely need, and make sure you have those things (in your carryon) so you can calm down. Everything else you can probably borrow or buy.
The essentials:
Note: traveling without luggage is fantastic, but more of a pro move worth aspiring to. You either pack extremely lightly (daypack) and/or rely on stuff provided for you/acquired in situ; or you store your luggage in between smaller trips (in a locker, hotel, friend’s house, 30+ day rental, etc.), in a rental car, or via a service (e.g. on a bike tour).
This is my favorite carryon suitcase — there’s something magical about the way that all 4 wheels can rotate so that it can roll alongside you without being dragged, but the wheels also magnetically stick in the direction you’re trying to go, which leads to a much smoother experience (and at 21”, it’s just small enough that I don’t stress too much about needing to gatecheck it, unless I’m in another paradigm like Asia where the restrictions are quite different—see below).
(They make ones with chargers built into them, but the airlines are worried about hazards and I hear them over the intercom telling people they’ll need to prove that there isn’t a battery in the charging slot while boarding, so it seems better to skip that particular upgrade.)
🛄 Note: there are regional differences in carryon and checked luggage standards. e.g.:
I’m pretty excited about all the small containers here. (Some of which are available at the Container Store or REI.)
I generally encourage people to get travel sized containers of their actual branded products and just refill them (even toothpaste is easy to transfer by squishing the openings together), but often they’re still just too big, or unavailable (e.g. for topical prescriptions), so these + a modern label maker might be the way to go. (I personally use painter’s tape and a fine tipped sharpie and I generally use symbols when I can, instead of words, e.g. ☀️ for sunscreen and 👁️ for eye cream, etc.)
Muji also has some nice solid options that I feel fine cramming into a bag (e.g. pill organizers), but they’re not as lightweight.
As of 2025, computers are powerful enough that you can probably get away with the 13” MacBook Air (24gb / 512gb) for <$1k. It’s less screen realestate than you’re used to, but with shortcuts/key commands to smoothly move between apps/windows (and zoom in and out), I don’t find it too much of a problem. It’s only 2.7lbs (40% lighter than my MacBook Pro) but you could also go for the 15” at 3.3lbs if you really need the extra space.
I went this route both to lighten my load and also to worry less about something happening to my expensive primary machine while on the road. I know some people take iPads instead, but that’s too much of a stretch for me.
Keep in mind whether there’s anything you don’t rely on the cloud for (Dropbox, Google docs, Google mail, iCloud, 1Password, etc.) so you can copy those files over before you leave (and also make sure to download any apps you need).
Make sure you have whatever connectors you need (usb-c converters, so card readers, hdmi, etc. if you’re used to the ports on your regular computer).
Wet wipes
(in case other people handle your luggage or for cleaning your seating area—you can store a few in a ziplock bag)
Hand sanitizer
(especially if you are going to take off your mask to eat or if you tend to rub your eyes)
Headphones for listening to your devices or plugging into the in-flight entertainment system
Noise-cancelling headphones are really really calming and wonderful on airplanes. Bose has over-ear models (they come with a carrying case, but do take up room) as well as compact ear-bud models, but as long as you don't need them for long-haul flights/or have something to use while they're recharging, Apple airpod pros are maybe the most convenient because of being completely wireless/headgearless (even though they're not quite as good at noise cancelling).
I also have a very cheap pair of regular earbuds that do a surprisingly good job of blocking out sound by just having a pretty tight seal.
- Note: if you want to plug into the in-flight entertainment on the seat back (rather than on your own device), you’ll need a wired set of headphones, though Bluetooth is slowly arriving.
- Remember to pack an adapter, assuming your phone has a different audio input port than the traditional audio jack.
And/or earplugs for sleeping/blocking out other sounds e.g. 🎧Silicone earplugs
(I have a friend who swears by “Earplanes”)
I usually bring my kindle, but also wired earphones for tapping into the in-flight entertainment (details in the “ear things” section).
Other people bring tablets and/or extra battery packs for their phones (though sometimes there are actually places to plug in USB A or even regular plugs on flights these days—for security, I would plug a battery pack into the port and then your phone into your battery pack, rather than directly connecting it, though iPhones usually have a security feature where they ask permission to access your content).
You might consider a compact 🤳Tiny cell phone stand.
I also like using flights as a chill time to gather my thoughts about what's coming next, and I usually have a small paper notebook to jot things down in.
Remember to download any content before you lose wifi/cell phone signal. I use hoopla and Libby for audiobooks, Spotify for music (and some podcasts), and Apple for podcasts, and I also use 👩🏫Masterclass and headspace (a meditation app). You may also need your airline’s app for accessing entertainment directly on your device.
Warm layers:
You can bring a jacket and put it on your lap as a blanket or ball it up as a pillow. I like wearing comfy long-johns to ward against cold drafts and I'll often bring a pair of loose wool socks to put on over my regular socks (especially because I like to remove my shoes during long flights). Update: I now pop my 👟Best Slippers (for lounging & travel) into my carryon.
Hair wrangling:
Don't use hard clips or even spin pins, because they'll bump into the headrest. My favorite hair-ties are listed in 🚺Women's Health & Wellness
Empty through security, but fill up before you board.
Eye mask
Ear things (see above)
Benadryl (use sparingly, but can be good for jetlag as well). See ⚠️Benydryl or other 1st gen H1 antihistamine for more info.
Some kind of pillow object? (I often just use a balled up jacket, sometimes even bringing a pillowcase like when I’m camping, but my bestie swears by this one.)
It's maybe not friendly, but I also like to put on a hooded jacket or sweatshirt backwards and pull the hood over my face to block out light and sound and drafts and to signal clearly that I don't want to be disturbed.
Kleenex
(I always seem to get a runny nose when travelling — maybe all the cold air? but they're also good for handling spills. This is one thing I never go off-brand for; their regular two-ply is the best.)
Chapstick
(the air is often really dry)
Lotion
(the air is often really dry and I’m washing and sanitizing my hands more than usual)
Pain killers
(preferably an anti-inflammatory for helping with body discomfort)
Zinc lozenges
(for after the traveling: extra exposure to germs + being worn down — use to coat the back of your throat where viruses replicate; see 🍬Zinc Lozenges to prevent/shorten colds (or other respiratory infections, e.g. covid) for more info)
Fruit leathers or fruit snacks (Mott’s are best)
(I try to avoid things that might be messy (trail mix can fall between the seats and chips can crumble and cause oil spots where pieces land and chocolate can melt and somehow get to unlikely places) and I also avoid things that might be smelly (packets of olives from TJs are great on the go, as are these meat sticks, but maybe not as nice to your neighbors + if you're wearing a mask you're going to be smelling your own breath for a long while) and these days, I want to be able to eat quickly so I can put my mask back on.)
A flosser (in case food gets stuck in your teeth)
🔭 Kind of random item to consider bringing with you: On my last few trips, I’ve regretted not bringing my pocket binos (see the 🔬Pocket microscope & binoculars page). When I’m traveling I’m even more interested in looking at things than I usually am 😅 and I find myself wanting my binos not long after takeoff 🛫
What kind of agricultural crop do you think that is? Is that the Grand Canyon? Is that lake natural, or do you think there’s a dam? What kind of ships are those? Do you think we could spot whales from this elevation? (see also 🎞️Capturing moments for digiscoping)
And once you get to your destination, you’ll probably be going for walks and going to high places with views of nearby landmarks, which tend to improve with binoculars.
These days, instead of my headlamp, I bring my 💡Luci solar light (usually the candle one, though the rainbow one might be nice if you might need to coordinate with people at a festival/concert/evening tourist spot), and if it’s the right season, my ♨️Mosquito bite relief: a tiny heater.
I think this list is fantastic, though more niche, written by a woman who does extensive solo travel. (It’s a NYT article, so might be paywalled, but probably available through your public library!)
I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of picking something up that basically 1. Proves you were there and 2. Proves you thought of the person.
But for that, I actually recommend sending an old fashioned postcard (but keep in mind that the mail can be quite slow to deliver).
For souvenirs, I think it’s much better to use your gift-giving skills (or even just your regular shopping skills) to find something that will spark joy. I used to bring back my favorite candies (and I still sometimes do), but with places like Cost Plus World Market, and globalization generally, it’s not as necessary to stock up on foreign staples. My sister gave me a set of silver bangles from India and she gave my parents a patchwork piece that they hung on the wall in the living room—both gifts have been appreciated countless times and are a reminder of her trip and her thoughtfulness. Very different than a sweatshirt that says “Delhi” (though if that fit with my personality, that could’ve also sparked joy; it’s about shopping with the person in mind more than the place, while taking into account the particular offerings of that place). Some people might love an Eiffel Tower Christmas ornament (my parents maybe accidentally have a fridge magnet collection of all the places their kids have been 😅) but also consider a Parisian scarf or hat like the ones you admired on the natives during your visit.
Adventures
For $80, the regular price of an annual pass, you get access to all national parks for the rest of your life (along with the passengers of your car).
This is a magical area on the Minnesota Canadian boarder where you can paddle from lake to lake to lake, camping along the way.
Note: by default, you’ll have to carry your canoe and your pack overland between lakes. 🏋️♀️🛶🎒But you can also look for routes that have fewer or shorter portages. (You will be harassed by mosquitos; a special torture while carrying a canoe 😣 I have a couple mitigation suggestions on the 🏥Health & Wellness page, but you might consider more dedicated gear like head nets.)
I went on an epic ~8 day trip back in the summer of 2011 and this was our rough itinerary: Snowbank*-->Boot-->Ensign*-->Vera-->Knife-->Bonnie-->Spoon-->Pickle-->Kekekabic-->Strup-->Wisini*-->Ahmakose-->Fraser-->Thomas-->Hatchet-->Ima-->Jordan-->Adventure-->Jitterbug-->Ahsub-->Disappointment*-->Snowbank!
(maybe this isn't always an "adventure" but it definitely can be!)
Report fireballs
Report earthquakes
Contribute to plant data
Report invasive species sightings (flora and fauna)
Lake Tahoe citizen science
Great Barrier Reef citizen science
Monarch butterfly and milkweed sightings.
White shark sightings on the Atlantic coast.
Plant tracking under the auspices of “phrenology”
The US national forests offer $10 permits for folks to go select and cut a tree or two to bring home with them. It’s an exciting adventure, it creates a special bond with the tree you choose, and you’re participating in keeping your forest healthy by thinning out the young trees to help the others have room to grow. Recreation.gov will guide you to the forest district where you’ll get your permit.
Misc food to try (~in the US)
note: this started out as a pretty short list of weirder things like boba and Thai iced tea, but it’s slowly becoming more like what I would recommend if we were at a restaurant together and you didn’t know what to order.
American
I don’t know why ice cream is so much more refreshing when mixed with soda, but it is (I also think it’s great mixed with milk—not necessarily as a blended milkshake, though that is also delicious). The trick, if you’re attempting this at home is two-fold:
- You need a ☕Thermal mugs, to keep things as close to their original temperatures as possible.
- You need to get your root beer as cold as possible without actually freezing and exploding in your freezer. I don’t know what the limit is, but I feel like 20min is safe and is about as long as I am willing to wait between having the idea and having the freeze.
A root beer float is just root beer with distinct ice cream scoops floating in it. A root beer freeze is a milkshake: uniformly blended vanilla ice cream and ice cold root beer. At home I usually make something in between.
(originally from Safeway) It has semi-hardened fudge swirls that melt in your mouth even when surrounded by ice cream, as well as mini peanut butter cups in a muddy vanilla base. I know the 🍱Perfect Health Diet says we’re not supposed to have peanuts, but it’s just so good! 🤤
When I was growing up, Brussels sprouts were boiled: over cooked, water-logged, awkward to cut into smaller pieces but big enough to be uncomfortable and very likely to burn my mouth.
Hipsters have changed all this: crunchy, flavorful, bite-sized — a perfect appetizer to share. I wish I could send you to a particular restaurant type or even a chain, but unless you come visit, you’ll just need to keep your eye out. Best bet is a place that’s a bit of a brew-pub.
Engineered in MN to be the best apple in the 1970s, they basically nailed it (and have named it their official state fruit). I keep them in the fridge and they’re always crisp but still very wet, flavorful, sweet and tart without any kind of dry pucker feeling. I always feel a little bad smothering them in nut butter 🙃 but I’m generally after the extra protein and calories and the pairing is delicious, especially with a glass of milk.
Apparently it started as a Thai thing, but it seems like every major US city has options now. They basically turn cream into ice cream on a slab to order and roll it up for you. I recommend sticking to creamy flavors and toppings with low water content to minimize iciness (e.g. skip the frozen strawberry and try the mocha)
Pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and you’ll see what I mean.
Indian
Important: don’t imagine it’s a milkshake or it will seem all wrong—melted, sour…wrong. But it’s so good! Sweet and tangy and creamy and perfect with Indian food.
Sometimes it’s served with ice, but unless it’s necessary for making it at all cool, it’s probably just decreasing the amount of lassi you’re getting.
Crispy cups(?) of sauces and yogurt. Look for it on the chaat (snacks) menu.
In the way that dahi puri is delicious, other snackable things can have that same general saucy excitement: yogurt, chutney, fresh herbs. And typically the menu will offer this by appending “chaat” to the end, e.g. “samosa chaat” is sort of cut/smashed samosas topped with chutney/yogurt/herbs (generally served cool).
Thai
Sweet and creamy and strange. You get to decide whether to stir it or drink it unmixed through the straw they come with. Often comes with way too much ice, so maybe look around the other tables before ordering to decide if you’d like to make a request to go easy on the ice.
rich white coconut milk soup with fun mushrooms and protein of your choice (usually chicken or tofu). kind of sweet and sour without being “sweet and sour”
There’s usually red, green, and yellow. Green is the most delicious but often the spiciest; you pick your protein. Served over/with rice.
Vietnamese
My favorite Vietnamese food. It’s a noodle salad with veggies and pork and “gio” which are fried spring rolls chopped into bite sized pieces and tossed on top for some crunch
Japanese
Usually it’s CA roll with raw salmon draped on top and then the thin slice of lemon. In the SF Bay Area it’s often called “49er Roll” — super refreshing.
Until I tried this raw fish, I think I didn’t really understand why dolphins would get so excited about doing tricks for fish as a reward. It’s very fishy, while not being fishy at all.
It’s also beautiful, with swirls of blue and black on its skin.
Green tea ice cream is also yummy—I think what brings this to the top of my list is the creaminess without losing flavor due to excess chill. Not sure how available it is—I tried it first in Hong Kong—but I’m going to try making it at home.
Taiwanese (but widely available now)
Not too different from Thai iced tea, but with the inclusion of small chewy marbles of tapioca that you suck up through the oversized straw they give you with your drink. There are many flavors and many alternatives to the default tapioca balls and you can (and should?) also dial down the sweetness when ordering, e.g. “25% sugar” and choose between hot or cold options.
Word on the street is that the international chain “HEYTEA” is worth trying, especially for their matcha latte.
Korean
Korean food is delicious and I would maybe just go for the many tiny plates of strange foods they bring out while you wait for your order (this is how I learned about kimchi). Their bbq is famous as well and it’s difficult not to order a plate of bulgogi for the table, but my go-to is simple, often vegetarian, and won’t break the bank: Stoneware bibimbop is ~rice with veggies and a fried egg served in a superheated bowl that will continue cooking the rice on the edges, turning it crispy. You’ll want to try adding some of the red sauce on the table (akin to siracha) and you’ll want a small bowl of spicy tofu soup to dip your crispy rice in.
Spicy tofu soup doesn’t have the little cubes of tofu that I was accustomed to growing up. Instead, it’s made with soft tofu that basically flows to fit your bowl, broken up with the lava of a vibrant hot red flavorful broth.
Savory, greasy, salty, with pops of delicious 🥬Fermented Kimchi: easy, healthy, delicious
Ethiopian
On their special flat spongy sourdough “enjera.”
e.g. Ye misir Wot, Atakilt, Gomen, Buticha and Kik Alicha.
If you are eating with a buddy, I would also recommend adding an order of raw beef (kitfo) and/or some of their saucy/spicy cooked meat options (derek tibs?)
- See also 🥧Food & Entertaining