Hola hola, Reader -

Question for you: when you travel, do you like to explore a new place, or revisit a favorite spot?

That’s always a hard one for me to answer. At my old job, it seemed like every day I was texting Iñigo with a new place I really wanted to go, usually inspired by which industry reps came into the office or what tours my colleagues and I were arranging. Sometimes it was “We HAVE to get to Egypt ASAP,” and other days it was “OMG I want to go back to Mexico City soooo bad.”

When we're daydreaming about our next trip, it's easy to feel anxious to work on our ever-growing bucket lists, usually fueled by some combination of TikTok, top ten articles, and Stanley Tucci (or is this just me?).

But there’s also something great about going back to a familiar place. It removes the “gotta do it all” pressure and opens up new ways of discovering a place, whether you’re gaining a new appreciation or perspective on an old standby, or exploring an off-the-beaten-track corner of the city that you’ve never been to before.

I really enjoyed this feeling on my recent visit to Barcelona. We had no agenda, so we could just go with the flow. Did that mean the only time slot for Park Güell was the middle of the morning when it was hot and crowded? Yes—but since I had been before, it wasn't a big deal.

And it also meant that I got to check out new-to-me cocktail and paella spots, visit an iconic tapas bar I hadn’t been to before, reaffirm my love for the Romanesque art collection at MNAC, and see what’s new at the always-changing Sagrada Familia.

This evening, I’m flying to Washington, DC, where I haven’t been in probably five years or so. Iñigo will be attending a conference there, so I'll be keeping myself busy and enjoying that no-pressure feeling all over again. If you have any requests or suggestions on places for me to check out, hit reply and let me know! And of course, make sure to follow my Instagram stories, where I’ll be sharing it all.

Ciao for now!

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