How To Make Your Trip Special for You

I want you to imagine something real quick…

You’re sitting at a café on a corner somewhere… maybe it’s Paris, maybe it’s Tokyo, maybe it’s your own hometown that just feels different today. The coffee is just right, the breeze is doing that flirty little thing where it tosses your hair around, and the world feels alive. You could pull out your phone to capture it. But… what if you didn’t?

What if you just sat with it for a second?

Because as much as travel is about going places, it’s also about being there. Really, truly, fully being there.

We’ve all been one of those touristy people— snapping pics of everything, running from site to site, checking things off the bucket list like it’s a competition. And don’t get us wrong 😅 we love a bucket list moment! We’re absolutely going to suggest you see the sights, try the local food, and yes, take the photos. (You’re talking to two girls who have risked their lives for the perfect shot, haha!)

But there’s something else that makes a trip unforgettable.

It’s when you carve out space for you. The things that light you up, that make you feel like you even when you’re thousands of miles from home. The things that no one else may think to do, but that bring you pure, ridiculous joy.

For Ashley, that’s football (US folks— soccer ⚽️). She’s played since she was a kid, and wherever she goes, she finds a way to watch a match or even join a local pickup game. She doesn’t need to speak the same language. Once the game starts, the connection is instant. She’s herself, just with different scenery.

For me (Kelly), it’s theater.🎭 Maybe it’s a big production, maybe it’s a scrappy little improv show in the back of a bar. But there’s something about slipping into a seat, the lights going down, and being pulled into a story that makes me feel at home, even in the middle of a brand-new place. It reminds me why I fell in love with acting in the first place.

And maybe for you, it’s none of those things. Maybe it’s sketching in your travel journal while people-watching, finding the best local bakery in town and trying everything on the menu, or sneaking off to a quiet bookstore and getting lost in the stacks. Maybe it’s dancing, or surfing, or sitting in a park with a good book and a bad coffee. (No judgment. Sometimes bad coffee is the best kind.)

Whatever it is—find it. Make room for it.

Because your trip? It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It just has to feel like you.

🪩 So tell us — what’s something you like to do just for you when you travel? Message us! We’re always looking for new ideas to make the journey a little more magical.