Hey Reader!

Happy Travel Tuesday from cool and rainy Toronto! On days like this, I just want to cozy up with a good novel, a sweet treat from my new favorite patisserie, and a steaming mug of tea.

This moody weather also has me thinking about the different ways we find comfort and familiarity in new places…
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What helps you feel grounded when you travel? 🤔

Do you have any routines you create (or bring from home) when you travel? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Hit reply and tell me all the things!
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When I’m on the road, my well-established routines from home fall away, which can leave me feeling a bit scattered. 🤷‍♀️

At home, my mornings always start with meditation, journaling, hot tea or coffee, and a bit of reading. Beginning my days with slow, intentional activities helps me focus and feel more grounded.

While traveling, all bets are off! Though I try to maintain a meditation practice, it becomes irregular and the rest of my morning routine gets lost as I make sense of an entirely new place.

Here in Toronto, a frequent visit to the neighborhood patisserie has been a delightful (and tasty!) way to feel grounded in an otherwise unfamiliar place. 🥐

While gathering specialty cheeses, cured meats, and fresh veggies at St. Lawrence Market, I discovered all the bakeries inside only accepted cash, of which I had none. I hopped the subway back to the neighborhood where I’m staying and went on a hunt for crusty European-style bread to round out the meal.

The moment I entered Jules Café Patisserie, I was transported back to the streets of Paris! They had one loaf of bread left and I browsed the cases of pastries while they packaged it for me. I’m a sucker for a chocolate croissant and decided one of those would be a perfect afternoon treat. I was right!

Since that first visit, I’ve been back nearly every day to try another of their perfect little pastries. They’ve started to recognize me and give me recommendations on what to try next.

The simple act of walking to pick out my daily pastry has provided a surprising sense of connection to the neighborhood and gives me a sense of familiarity in a foreign city. ​
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Because I can’t help but share my love of food, here’s a snap of one of my favorite treats so far -- a Tart Cherry Danish. Absolute perfection! 😋

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​In other news, the Travel Lifestyle Cohort just wrapped up and it was so much better than I ever imagined!

A huge shout out to the ladies who took a chance and said yes to my wild idea! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect group to share it with. 💚

Talking about our experiences, learning from each other, and sharing our travel stories was everything I’d hoped for and more!
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I’m bummed that our little group is over and am thinking about ways to create more of these spaces where we indie travelers can connect!

What about something like a monthly indie travel mastermind?

As a community, we have a wealth of knowledge and can help each other create more awesome experiences by sharing our own! We could meet once a month and each person would have an opportunity to have time to ask a question, share a travel story, etc.

Rather than a subscription style, I was thinking just hop in on the months you want to and skip when you don't so there's no ongoing obligation.

What do you think? I’d love to hear if this is something you'd be interested in!

Indie Travel Inspiration

One of the things I’m loving about Toronto is all the delicious food! Here are a couple articles to get your taste buds excited for your next trip.

Travel News

Here are a couple stories I thought may be helpful for upcoming travels and earning bonus miles!

• ​One of Europe’s Busiest Airports to Cap Passengers Through Early 2023 - Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is limiting the number of passengers departing from the airport in an attempt to avoid more chaos. I wonder if other airports will follow suit?
• ​Delta Customers Can Now Earn SkyMiles at Starbucks - Bonus 500 miles to start! - While I’m not much of a Starbucks fan, I’m willing to spend a few bucks to get 500 extra SkyMiles! I thought you might be too.

That’s all for this week, my friend! I hope you found some helpful nuggets in this edition of the Indie Travel Dispatch.

Don’t forget to tell me the ways you find to feel connected and grounded when you travel! I’d also love to hear what you think of the monthly group call idea.

I hope you have the most wonderful rest of your day and I’ll see you next time. 😊

Cheers,

Annie

P.S. You’re doing great! Whatever big dreams you’re chasing or challenges you’re facing, you deserve nothing but the best. 💚