Greetings from Florida

I just got back from visiting friends and family in South Florida, and, dare I say…it kind of helped me appreciate the cold-ass weather happening in New York.

I haven’t traveled very much in the last year, and being there got me thinking about what’s worth prioritizing when visiting a place. No matter where I am, South Florida or somewhere more exotic, I want to experience the local culture. I’ve never really understood the mindset of traveling to a completely different place and never leaving the resort.

Think of this email as a postcard from me. I’m sharing what I did on the trip, along with a few travel tips I swear by.

Learn a bit of the place’s history.

Being in a place after learning its lore really takes the experience to the next level. You start noticing and appreciating little details and quirks instead of just walking past them. There is an endless supply of obscure history on YouTube and podcasts, and after you fall down a few of those rabbit holes, so much clicks when you’re actually in a place.

In Palm Beach, so much of the Mediterranean Revival look traces back to Addison Mizner in the 1920s. He basically decided Palm Beach should feel like a glamorous, invented old-world escape and ran with it. So when I wandered past the Art Deco-meets-Mediterranean architecture or saw something called Mizner Place, I had that moment of recognition, like wait, I know this story.

Prioritize Local Food

I love starting at a farmer’s market when I’m in a new city. It’s such a literal way to connect to a place, the land, and the people. I went to the market and fully loaded my basket with fruit I never see at home. I tried a cacao pod for the first time, and it completely blew my mind. Little experiences like that really make a trip special for me.

Find a place to walk around without a plan.

One of my favorite ways to experience a city, something I call “walk and consume.” I pick a place, let myself wander with no real plan, and basically brick my phone so it only exists to take photos. My camera roll ends up filled with tiny details from these walks, and downtown Palm Beach absolutely did not disappoint.

Vintage/Thrifting

A fantastic way to explore a new place is through vintage and thrifting. You are guaranteed to find things you would never find anywhere else, and so much of it carries real local flavor. I spent a day wandering vintage home decor shops in Ft. Lauderdale with friends, and it was incredibly fun. I found so many things I could not realistically bring home, but I did manage to snag these crystal, vaguely art deco candle holders, which felt like the perfect souvenir.

1. Electrolyte packets. Planes = dehydrating as hell. Which is why after I pass through security, I like buying a giant bottle of water and dumping an electrolyte packet in.

2. Compression socks. I’m a big fan of wearing compression socks on flights and these are the best ones I’ve found.

3. Kindle case. This is the trip that made me realize I need a kindle case, and I’ve got my eye on the ones from this brand. How cute is the Florida-themed toile?

4. Kindle. My kindle is my ultimate travel friend.

5. Pain stim toy. I recently learned about pain stimming and now I bring these on flights to help soothe me when I feel anxious during take off or turbulence.

6. Eye mask with built-in headphones. This thing is the GOAT for traveling.

7. Mini travel pillow. I’m not a fan of those wraparound neck pillow things and prefer getting a window seat and taking a nice quality mini pillow with me. As a bonus, I can use it if the pillows where I’m staying suck.

8. CBD gummies for flying anxiety.

9. Face masks. I love love love these masks, and so does my skin after a day of travelling.

   So they ya have it, my formula for a good trip. Anything I’m missing? Or should know about? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

   Thank you for being here, I so appreciate you!

   
   xoVC