Why I Moved: For a Life in a Misty Mountain Town in Rural Japan

When I was 15, my dad and I took a trip to Los Angeles that changed my life. We didn't have a set agenda, and since we were staying down the road from the University of California, we took a campus tour.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vitus Stenhøj Schiøtz, 23, a Danish traveler who got a working holiday visa to live in Japan. He moved to Japan in late 2024 and works as a chef in a restaurant in Nozawaonsen, a small town northwest of Tokyo . It's been edited for length and clarity.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is America's second busiest airport and one of its largest hubs. Travelers today can get from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Fiji with one quick stop at DFW; a route that 20 years ago would have taken three or more flights to complete.

We've officially entered February, which means romance is in the air. But if you haven't planned the perfect Valentine's Day adventure for you and your sweetheart, Vio, the travel deals website, has a few ideas. In January, the website revealed its list of the most romantic getaway destinations for couples. It came to its conclusion after surveying 1,007 Americans who identified as «in a relationship» about their past and future couple trips, along with their «disagreements, their budgets, destinations, and golden rules for traveling together.» After examining all the data, it named Yosemite the spot that helps couples «feel the most romantically connected.» 

Like a lot of us, I often find myself fried from days spent staring at my computer screen and nights circling back to emails I haven't answered. So when I heard that the Sanctuary Beach Resort in Monterey Bay, California, offered a package known as the Burnout Recovery Journey, I had to try it. When I arrived, I was happy to find the kinds of treatments on the spa menu I've been seeing more and more of lately: science-based offerings like infrared light therapy, IV drips, and electromagnetic pulse therapy. My outstanding massage took place on something called a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field mat. I was grateful that the hotel offered signal-blocking phone bags for the ultimate unplugging experience. Then I realized the irony: I was treating my burnout with…more tech. One has to wonder: How did we get here?

As interest in unique winter vacation experiences continues to grow, Hokkaido, Japan, has firmly established itself as a premier cold-weather destination. With its stunning snow-covered landscapes and rich cultural offerings, Hokkaido enchants visitors of all kinds, from adventure seekers craving excitement to families looking for an unforgettable getaway.

Feb 4, 2025 • 5 min read

Feeling overworked, undervalued, and generally a bit frazzled? Then, it's time to start planning a wellness-focused getaway that will totally re-align you. And Book Retreats has just got the place to go. In December, Book Retreats released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which ranked the best relaxation destinations around the world, including a special focus on the top spots for wellness. To determine its rankings, the team created a seed list of 76 places, which it selected based on their «safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.» The team at Book Retreats then ranked those selections using nine data points, including the percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, peacefulness, and total wellness experiences. Finally, it gave each destination a score of 1 to 100 to reveal the top spots. 

An American Airlines plane with 64 passengers and crew collided mid-air with a military helicopter yesterday (29 January) as it approached Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, just five kilometres south of the White House and the US Capitol.

This is part of Why I Moved, a recurring series about Americans building a life abroad.

From skiing and surfing to hiking and stargazing, there’s no limit of things to do in the adventurer’s paradise that is New Zealand. And if we needed another reason to break free from the chains of our desks, New Zealand has just loosened its visa restrictions for remote workers.

Boom Supersonic just became the first US commercial planemaker to break the sound barrier, a significant milestone in the industry's return to supersonic passenger flight.