I\u2019ve always loved traveling. And over time, I\u2019ve come to love the planning too. It\u2019s part of the excitement: the build-up, the imagining, starting to get a sense of the place before I\u2019m even there. I like understanding how things connect \u2014 where to stay, how to balance the day so it has a nice flow, and how to avoid making the trip feel rushed. When to wander, when to pause, when it\u2019s worth booking something ahead. I want to eat well, see just enough, and come home feeling like I understood something about the place, even if just a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food is a big part of that. It can be so deeply personal, tied to memory, family, identity, and at the same time a shared language. A reflection of climate, migration, history, belonging. In Sweden, where I\u2019m from, you can still see how long winters shaped the food: lots of things pickled, fermented, stored for later. In Mexico, corn isn\u2019t just food, it\u2019s heritage. In Italy, pasta shapes and sauces change from place to place, and I love how each one tells you something about where you are. These are the kinds of details I find really interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI want to eat well, see just enough, and come home feeling like I understood something about the place, even if just a little.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
I also spend a lot of time researching food \u2014 and usually cocktails and coffee places too. I dig through blogs and relevant subreddits, watch YouTube travel vlogs and old travel shows, scroll through Google Maps, read menus, and end up saving a lot of places to my lists. Part of starting this space was wanting to gather all of that in one place. A way to remember what I\u2019ve loved \u2014 and maybe help someone else have a great meal too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why I Gravitate Toward Cities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I tend to gravitate toward cities. I love their energy, their layers, the way they hold pieces of a country\u2019s story. What they are now, how people live, and what\u2019s come before. They\u2019re often where people gather, where culture concentrates, where things shift. Of course they\u2019re not the whole picture, but I find them fascinating. A lot of what I\u2019ll share here will focus on cities for that reason. It\u2019s where I often go, and where I like to dig in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What You\u2019ll Find Here<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
- Itineraries I\u2019ve tested and loved \u2014 mostly 2\u20135 day trips with space to breathe<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Food and drink spots I\u2019ve tried and would go back to in a heartbeat<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Thoughts on how I plan: pacing, neighbourhoods, seasons, energy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Places I return to often: Paris, Stockholm, Mexico City, Milan<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The little things that shape a trip: weather, mood, light, what shoes you bring<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s Coming Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m just back from Milan, so that will be first \u2014 a three-day trip that reminded me why I love travelling in shoulder season. I\u2019m also deep in research for Montreal, which turns out to be a proper food city. Then I\u2019ll get into Paris favourites, Stockholm pastries, cocktail bars in CDMX, Florence in November, and probably some travel planning nerdery too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cPart of starting this space was wanting to gather all of that in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the kind of travel I like. I hope something here helps you shape your own, or just inspires your next great meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks for being here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Alex<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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