#8 | packed š§³: on-the-go comforts, airports, traveling for work
itās been a packed two weeks, schedule-wise and suitcase-wise, with leaving lisbon, spending a week in new york visiting my brother, and flying to san francisco for work. thatās why there was no update last week; i wanted to focus on in-person catching up, with family and friends in nyc. the last update was all about slow pleasures, about taking the time to savor. seasonality, small joys and small decisions, slow-and-sweet moments a fast-paced world. i noticed my intention last week seeping into this newsletter issueāwhich is very much an update about what i did recently and where i amābut features small rituals that promote contentment some other things iām thankful for.
letās start with the rituals. iād like to share my list of things to bring with you when you travel, to make your space feel more comfortable.
tea. i always bring my own tea when i travel, because flights and hotels/airbnbs usually donāt have good asian tea. and because a hot cup of tea is always comforting. high quality tea bags are the easiestāand the best for drinking on the airplaneābut iāve also brought packs of tea leaves and a strainer before. chali from china or kettl based in nyc are my preferred for tea bags. i think bringing loose leaf tea is a bit of an unnecessary hassle, but iāve done it before. sf-based teappo has small-sized packs of loose leaf; i like their oolongs.
incense. itās easier to carry than a candle. smell is the sense thatās most closely tied to memory and emotion, and affects mood and concentration. a soothing smell is both uplifting and helps me relax. the one iām smelling now as i type this in my hotel room is from japanese brand r959, and appropriately titled āsoothe.ā unlike many incenses, itās not too overpowering but rather has a mild smokiness, and the scent of tonka bean and clary sage.
journal and pen. i prefer typing to writing things out by hand. like this newsletter. itās fasterākeystrokes can keep up with my brain while handwriting always lags behind. and thereās less permanence to what i pen. itās easier to rewrite, rearrange, change, delete. cut and paste, find and replace. and consequently it feels easier to be creative writing while typing. but i do like to have the option, either for contemplative reflection and brainstorming or for notetaking. plus, a pen is usually useful at airports for forms or luggage tags.
hand cream and lip balm. extremely necessary for the plane, which dries out my skin. bonus if the hand cream also has a pleasant fragrance. mine is from korean brand nonfiction in a scent called santal cream. it smells like a softer version of a sandalwood, which i love. i carry my lip balmāweleda skin food lip butterā everywhere now because itās winter and the wind chaps my lips.
random desk object. because a cute desk object brightens up your workspace. if youāre not working, then its purpose is an associative oneāsomething you like from home. i didnāt used to have one of these, nor see the need for one, but i was gifted a small collectible tiger object and itās expression is funny, which i like. itās also very light and small so wonāt take up much space.
a chill time in nyc
i really enjoyed my tripāiām even considering part-time residence in new york as having a network of people youāre close to in a city does make a difference to your social life. i have people other than my partner to play cards and games with after work, to go out with at night, and to eat out and try new desserts with. i agree that new york isnāt the easiest place to make new friends, so itās nice that i have family and friends based there already. (in addition to my brother, my cousin also moved there recently, and a couple friends from high school and university live there.)
i stayed with mike (my brother) and his girlfriend angela, and we did a lot of cozy, hygge stuff like grabbing soba and playing monopoly deal, visiting a make-your-own-dashi place and sampling all the warm broths while it was raining outside, and preparing different avocado toasts depending on each personās preference. (chili flakes and lime vs sesame seeds vs nori and sesame oil. on toasted sourdough from la cabra, which is very good.)
easy weeknight hotpot.
seeing my brotherās home was also a good reminder of why a home base is nice. while i like the flexibility of moving around all the time, he and his girlfriend have a space that feels like their own, a space thatās very comfortable to return to, a space that reflects their preferences regarding desk objects and kitchen tools and pantry items. (maybe i just want a le creuset set and a place to put it.) itās strange to think that until a year ago, he was the more uncertain sibling, and now heās more settled than i am. iām proud. (i can say i saw this comingāweāre related and have some similar interests, but are also quite different in many ways. iām also very glad to have a comfy couch to crash on in nyc.)
some photos of my time in new york. greenpoint on a rainy day (i love acre, the store/cafe featured), japanese breakfast, matcha warabi mochi.
i highly recommend lysĆ©e for pastries in nyc. itās expensive, but worth visiting at least once. get their signature corn pastry, and the kouign amann, which is the best in new york.
the unglamorous side of moving around the world
includes contacting many small-size storage places, debating whether to leave your down blanket and pillows behind, and worrying over whether your luggage is too heavy and subject to a Ā£300 overweight fee. this struggle did, however, reinforce a few things iām thankful for. namely:
kind people, like the airbnb hosts who offered to keep a suitcase in their storage room for free. we can pick it up when we return to the city in april.
airport staff who make the experience smoother, not worse.
well-equipped airports. it really makes a difference when you need to work from the airport and lounges are closed for renovation.
on that note, why are american airports soā¦ dull? all airports price-hike, but most non-american airports iāve been to at least have decent snack options. baklava in hyderabad, macarons in paris, and an abundant assortment of egg desserts in lisbon. flying from jfk airport, iām glad i brought my own snacks and filled up my water bottle after security. no one wants to be that person overpaying for a sad panini and a water.
between flying in and flying out,
iāve been spending a bit of time in airports lately. hereās what i think three airports say about the cities theyāre in.
lisbon: very tourist-centric. thereās a ton of duty free options for sardines and other food goods for giftingāyou can likely find whatever egg based desserts you want, some sourced directly from the convents that historically made them. the central area before all the gates is a circle of food options, and there are many tables and seats where you can sit down and rest or work. the nicer ones with cushioning are by the standalone cafe kiosks.
jfk in new york: fast and efficient. agents are brusque and direct, but helpful because of it. and theyāre nice if you are. the layout of checkin and security made sense, which is more than i can say for some airports. but sparkling water is terribly overpriced.
san francisco: values and aspires to a ācraftā feel. especially after the revamp of terminal one, which has options like a specialty coffee shop and a diverse array of local chains (vietnamese, filipino, fried chickenā¦.). i used to like going to napa farms market, which has a bunch of locally produced specialty food items (perfect for last minute gifting), though now i just browse without buying as the price has increased and the options have decreased. thereās even a new tartine manufactory in the international terminal. very sf. also, thereās a robot that makes you coffee, but the coffee is more expensive (6 dollars black) even though no human labor is involved. iāve never tried it, but it looks fine.
more things iām thankful for:
meeting my team in person in sf. our offsite was fun; we mostly played monikers (the game, which is very on-brand for the brand team), but also opened holiday presents and briefly discussed strategy.
meeting the other associates in personāa new cohort joined this year and having more colleagues who are around my age is nice as we have slightly more to talk about. not that i canāt chat with older colleaguesāthere are many topics that are relevant regardless of ageābut when youāre going through similar phases in life, itās easier to connect on a personal/outside-of-work level.
getting to choose which nice hotel to stay in when traveling for work. more on this in the next paragraph.
traveling for work
to san francisco gives me a different impression of the city. when i lived here, i think i got the entire experience, both the good and the bad. but when iām staying in a plush hotel close to our office in the financial district and expensing ubers or lyfts to dinner, i know iām putting on a pair of rose-colored glasses. i donāt have to get close to the homelessness and the drug problem prevalent in the city. i know the issues still exist, but i personally feel safer not having to contend with them. the city appears festive with christmas decorations, and itās really not that cold, especially after flying in from the east coast. but many older wooden houses donāt have a great internal heating systemāi remember buying a small heater and heated blanket last year. thereās a lot to like about san francisco, but itās easier to appreciate those things when i donāt live here. i like the idea of coming back to this city for work on a regular basis, but i donāt regret leaving.
next, iām going to taiwan
to spend christmas with family. itās been six years since iāve visited, so iām excited to go back to my favorite cafes and dessert shops, but also to see whatās changed. by next weekās update, iāll have more to share. i hope that iāll be back to regularly-scheduled programming with newsletters going out every tuesday moving forward; there might be exceptions but i donāt anticipate being this busy for a while.
happy holiday season! and as always, i hope you all are doing well.