This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kayla Sommese, a Taylor Swift fan who traveled from Los Angeles to Vienna to catch Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her expenses.
19.07.2024 - 11:14 / nytimes.com
You could say that I have a public pool habit when I travel. From Reykjavík and Sydney to Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., it’s how I eavesdrop on and observe everyday life, wherever I am. Early one morning last summer in Tokyo, I entered the lobby of a sports complex in the Shimokitazawa neighborhood, joined the orderly queue of seniors, and enthusiastically pantomimed my way to a day pass.
After my swim, I followed the illustrated signs and rinsed off before wandering over to the hot tub. A tiny Japanese woman with a halo of white hair gave me a grin as I got in. “I like your swimming!” she said, in English. From our perch, we chatted animatedly as the 8 a.m. aqua aerobics class kicked and splashed into high gear. It was a highlight of my time in Japan.
I was reminded of this the other day while getting a haircut from my longtime hairdresser in Berkeley, Calif., Noel Shabazian. He mentioned a trip he was about to take to Little Rock, Ark., to visit his girlfriend’s parents, and I asked what he was planning to do.
“Oh, I’m going to the barbershop,” he said, snipping away. “Whenever I go someplace new, I like to head over to the local barbershop for a shave and a haircut. I don’t even tell them I do hair — I just like to see how they do things.” He loves getting a window into the lives of strangers: where they live, who they gossip about, what preoccupies them.
I’d always thought of my public pool visits as idiosyncratic, but Noel’s barbershop ritual made me see it as a shared way of thinking about travel, of experiencing the world. Our eyes met in the mirror, and I smiled in recognition.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kayla Sommese, a Taylor Swift fan who traveled from Los Angeles to Vienna to catch Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her expenses.
Landal GreenParks UK, the UK’s fastest growing company offering holiday breaks in nature, has seen a 24% YoY increase in summer bookings driven by longer staycations in the Southwest region.
Once a novelty beverage, boba or bubble tea has moved into the mainstream.
It was eight in the morning, and the prickly July humidity had already seeped through my skin as I hopped out of the cab in Singapore’s Little India. Greeted by the bustle of vendors setting up, I was transported back to my childhood, to days spent wandering the neighborhood with my grandmother. The aroma of fresh coriander from vibrant spice stalls spurred memories of her tangy coconut prawn curry. The musky fragrance of jasmine adorning colorful flower stalls reminded me of how she’d woven them into my braids. She never would again.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charissa Enget, a content creator and cybersecurity architect who gained her graduate degree in Thailand. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of the airline Beond.
A glamorous reboot of the Orient Express is hitting the rails in 2025, and the first look inside its carriages is breathtaking.
The immersive audiovisual exhibition Pilsner Urquell: The Original Beer Experience, where the story of the famous Pilsner beer comes to life in a completely unique way, celebrates one year since its opening in the historic building on Wenceslas Square. The exhibition was visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors and it became one of the top 5 most visited tourist attractions in Prague.
Aug 2, 2024 • 11 min read
July was a whirlwind — and, well, the news was nonstop. Between politics, that wild global computer fiasco (you know, the one that hit airlines hard) and the Olympics starting, you might have missed some big news on the hotel front.
Hilton’s growth strategy in Asia Pacific is multifaceted. It is the fastest growing hotel company in the region, with almost 1 in 4 hotel rooms under construction bearing a Hilton flag.
Paris is expected to welcome 11.3 million visitors during the Olympic Games, significantly increasing its population density. This surge in visitors is spurring travel demand to international destinations, such as Italy and the United States, that harness this desire to leave crowds behind, also benefiting United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece, as well as farther destinations, such as Thailand or Japan.