The Hidden Gifts of Travel

Spring | Week 19 Snackagories

May 10, 2026

First and foremost, Happy Mother’s Day to the women who somehow keep everything moving.

To the moms, grandmothers, stepmoms, chosen moms, future moms, grieving moms, trying-to-be moms, and women who mother in a thousand invisible ways — you are extraordinary. Women are the infrastructure of so much love.

And a special shoutout to my mom, the #1 reader of this Substack since day one. Love you Mama. Sorry I’m in Europe on Mother’s Day… but honestly, this is nothing new. We’ve spent many Mother’s Day weekends apart over the years, and somehow our love has always traveled well.

Travel gives you more than photos and passport stamps. Sometimes it gives you perspective, appetite, gratitude, and a version of yourself you forgot was still there.

Yesterday We Arrived in London

My husband and I landed yesterday morning after a red-eye that I did not sleep a wink on (but I did watch an entire show, that was incredible, All Her Fault on Peacock). We got to our hotel around 9AM, couldn’t check in until 2PM, and did what all overtired travelers do: dropped our bags and powered through.

We wandered Borough Market, revisited some London staples, drank water like it was medicine, and tried to outrun the jet lag.

I studied abroad in London, so this city holds a special kind of nostalgia for me. It’s the second time I’ve visited with my Husband, which feels meaningful in its own right — sharing places that shaped you with the person you chose.

I’m writing this now from the social lounge of our hotel before our first true vacation day begins.

This trip was our delayed one-year anniversary gift / birthday gift(s), built around the things we each love most:

today we’re going to a soccer match (Crystal Palace — Jon’s dream)
later this week we’ll see Olivia Dean in Copenhagen (my dream — live music forever)

That feels like marriage to me. Your joy, my joy, our joy.

It Took Me a Minute to Arrive

I’ve been so heads down with work, content, routines, obligations, trying to stay consistent, trying to keep momentum, trying to do everything “right,” that this trip almost snuck up on me.

And if I’m honest, the anxiety didn’t fully leave my body until I took a nap yesterday.

Then at dinner, somewhere between the first bite and the second pint of cider, I felt it happen:

the stress left.

Vacation mode entered.

Sometimes rest doesn’t begin when you board the plane. Sometimes it begins when your nervous system finally believes you’re safe.

Europe Changed My Life Before I Even Knew It

One of the best gifts my small high school ever gave me was exposure to the world.

Each year, the sophomore class took a Europe trip tied to history curriculum. Every class planned a different route, so no two trips were the same.

Mine took me through Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

I had just turned sixteen. I got my first job nannying to help pay for it.

And I remember standing in Venice with my best friend Halle, looking around at the winding streets and water and magic of it all, saying:

I need to study abroad.

And later, I did.

Funny how certain moments quietly decide your future.

The Truth About Where My Food Love Comes From

When I first started Niknack, my Grandma always asked:

“Where do you get this love of food and cooking from?!”

My instinctive answer was always:

You.

And yes, that’s true.

But now I understand it’s more layered than that.

It came from

her.
It came from family.
It came from curiosity.
And it came from Europe.

Because Europe snacks and eats differently.

They prioritize real food.
They sit down together.
They treat meals as moments.
They eat seasonally without calling it seasonal eating.
They build meals from culture, not trends.
They enjoy without obsessing.

Meals that don’t perform.
Meals that nourish.

That philosophy has shaped me more than I realized.

Travel Is Work. But So Is Staying Small.

Yes, travel can be exhausting.

Red-eyes. Jet lag. Delays. Packing. Logistics. The older you get, the less glamorous it feels.

But nothing compares to the perspective that comes from leaving your routine and seeing life done differently.

Travel reminds you that there are countless ways to live.

And sometimes that reminder is worth every ounce of effort.

Maybe This Is What Success Looks Like

There’s a quote I keep thinking about:

You don’t have to love your job. You have to love the life it fuels.

For the next seven days, I get to do exactly that.

I get to walk unfamiliar streets with my husband.
Eat beautiful food.
Listen to live music.
See things that wake me up.
Remember there is more to life than inboxes and algorithms.

And honestly?

That might be the healthiest thing I do all year.