Welcome to the first edition of Departure!

Or should we say, bienvenue?

We’re Henah & Kayti—two good friends who met at work and connected over a love for travel, writing, and a good book (or five) to get us through life. As introverts, we’re deeply re-energized by all things travel, so much so that we’ve been known to spend all of our PTO (as well as *cough* a few personal days) on trips to lesser-known places we’ve learned about on Reddit. Traveling—whether solo, with friends, or with our partners—has enabled us to grow, lent us new perspectives, and acted as a gift of rest and empowerment. 

We started this newsletter to connect with other like-minded women interested in quiet travel which, for us, means prioritizing introspection and space for generative thought about the world and our place in it. We love the idea of having a gentler approach to vacations and remaining open-minded to new and unfamiliar experiences, especially when the world of travel can feel so noisy with “how-to’s” and “top 10 lists.” 

With our combined decades of travel experience and over 100 passport stamps, we hope to share our love for seeing the world—sometimes on our own and always (always!) with a good book in hand. This means you can expect to see honest reviews of travel destinations, real (read: unfiltered, unposed) photos, and thoughtful writing about the travel industry, specifically through our lens as women. We’re also excited to pull in stories and reviews from others in this community and create the ultimate platform for engagement about all things travel! 

---

---

We’re so glad you’re here and we can’t wait for what’s to come! But first, a fun Q&A to get things started: 

Hit us with your 30-second bio.

Kayti: (The hardest question! Does anyone like these?) I grew up in a tiny lake town in the Sierra Nevadas. I have two sisters and one brother (I’m the oldest) and they are my absolute best friends. I’m a writer, introvert, Virgo, and enneagram 4 (do people still talk about that?). Surprisingly, my family wasn’t big into international travel growing up! We were a camping family and I have my parents to thank for my love of long road trips. My first big solo flight was to South Korea for a summer program in college. I fell in love with traveling alone and haven’t looked back since. 

Henah: I’m Henah—a combination of the western “Hannah” and the Indian “Heena”. That feels like the most apt way to sum me up, as I’m a first-gen Indian American from New Jersey. My husband and I have lived all over NJ, Santa Barbara and Berkeley in CA, and are now in ATL, GA. I too am a writer and editor—also an introvert—but a Leo with a Libra rising and a Cancer moon, and if we’re still talking enneagrams, I’m a 2w3. I spent the past decade of my life doing a mix of nonprofit work, digital media, and personal finance content—but I always return to travel as my constant. My parents instilled the value of travel in me at an early age; they’re in their 70s and still traveling to new-to-them destinations like Alaska and Morocco…my role models in every way.

---

What was the place you most loved unexpectedly?

Kayti: Love this question. Berlin. I visited alone for a week during one of the hardest seasons of my life. I never anticipated to fall in love with such a popular tourist city. I truly feel like I could move there tomorrow and never look back. I can’t wait to share more about my experience there in future newsletters! 

Henah: My good friend and I visited Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania last winter to see the Christmas markets (a long-time goal of mine!). I didn’t know much about Lithuania—particularly Vilnius where we were staying—but ended up really loving it and wishing we had more time there. I’m inspired to go back, both for Christmas and in the summer.

---

Let’s keep it real—share a travel horror story.

Kayti: I once peed my pants in the middle of a street in Kraków, Poland because we couldn’t find a bathroom and my husband (intentionally!) made me laugh too hard. A true horror story though was riding a packed overnight bus through the desert in Argentina. We’re talking 800 miles over dirt roads in a Greyhound over a 24-hour period—all to save a few bucks on a flight. Never again. 

Henah: I once planned my dream trip to Greece, and approximately 0.5 seconds after arriving to Santorini, they forecasted a “medicane”—aka a Mediterranean hurricane, which I didn’t even know existed. That’s a story for another post, but all I’ll say for now: We got stranded for multiple days on end (turns out Santorini’s not as much fun under extreme winds and rain), and thank goodness for travel insurance.

---

Your 5 travel must-haves? (And we promise, no affiliate links here.)

Kayti: 1. Loop ear plugs for sensory overload (these have been a gamechanger in airports/on public transport) // 2. A Hanes crewneck or oversized scarf blanket (even if I’m going somewhere warm; I need something cozy for the plane or cold hotel rooms) // 3. Daybird (literally the only makeup I travel with) // 4. Kindle (I know, I know. I’m basic. But it’s so practical while traveling!) // 5. Peanut mnm’s (my movie-time/flight treat) 

Henah: 1. ILIA’s tinted lip balms—I constantly rave about these. They keep your lips moisturized and add a nice rouge, so you look more put together. // 2. Dramamine. I actually can’t fly without getting sick…unless I take this. (Surprising, I know.) #GOAT // 3. I’m with you, Kayti, on the cardigan or crewneck—I’m always cold. // 4. My dual phone case/wallet, which holds both my iPhone and my ID/credit cards. // 5. My OURA ring. I am notoriously bad at sleeping on planes, so I rely on it to let me know when my body needs extra rest—whether before, during, or after travel. I also like using it to track my sleep and steps on active days. 🤓

---

I hear you both read a lot. A book that’s stayed with each of you recently?

Kayti: Truly the worst question ever for a writer? But if I have to: Here After by Amy Lin (second-ing this rec), Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker, Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh, and Severance by Ling Ma

Henah: I technically told Kayti I was going to say Here After before she did! But agreed, it’s breathtaking. Another recent read that stayed on my mind long after the last page: Real Americans by Rachel Khong.

---

Please share: (1) your most curated travel photo & (2) a photo of how you actually look while traveling: 

Kayti:

Don’t judge me. This was circa 2016 peak IG travelgram era. I’m pretty sure my husband and I got in a fight while trying to get this shot.

A more accurate depiction of how I usually look while traveling—happy, rested, goofy, and definitely not “put together” 😜

Henah:

In front of Wynwood Walls in Miami, FL back in 2018—peep that bright lipstick! Who was I?

The real me, in Hanoi, Vietnam: Napping.

---

What’s a bucket list destination for you right now?

Kayti: I’m actually really into revisiting places right now. I have less bucket list destinations and more “I want to go back” destinations on my list. A few of the top ones are Patagonia, Norway, and Greece. As for places I’ve never been: Japan and Alaska are both high up there. 

Henah: Most recently, I’ve been dreaming of San Miguel de Allende—I absolutely love anywhere and everywhere in Mexico, from Oaxaca to Mexico City to Tulum. I’m also going to New Orleans this year around Halloween, and I’m excited to return (I got married in NOLA!) during such a fun time.

---

A travel trope you’re over in 2024 is…

Kayti: Racking up passport stamps/checking off countries. There are so many places I’ve visited for short stays that I want to visit again, and again! I have an aunt and uncle who live in Norway and I’ve been to their home five times now. Every trip and season is completely different and I learn something new/fall more in love with the country each time I visit. 

Henah: Seconded—I really like the ethos of “depth, not breadth” when it comes to traveling. Another one: There’s so much more to the world than Europe—I love it, but such rich travel experiences can also be found beyond Paris, Barcelona, and Rome.

---

No gatekeeping here: What are the travel resources you rely on?

Kayti: Reddit! I literally use it for everything in life.

Henah: I may be guilty of over-subscribing here, but I devour all the travel content I can get. I’m subscribed to Travel + Leisure and CN Traveler in print, which are great for physical inspiration for vision boards. I’m part of Facebook groups like Girls Love Travel, Travel Community, and Women who Travel, all of which are invaluable for niche questions. And I’ve joined trips and communities via El Camino Travel, Bon Traveler, etc.—it’s so nice to have a curated experience with those who prioritize slow travel or local experiences, too. I personally believe in community and collaboration here over competition, and these resources are all so knowledgeable.

---

What does quiet, slow travel mean to you?

Kayti: I think it’s an evolving definition for me. On the surface, it means remaining conscious, observant, and respectful of people and places while traveling. The older I get though, I think it’s also about recognizing travel as an opportunity for introspection and internal growth—and I don’t mean that to sound like “using” travel or places for one’s gain. Moreso, I mean using the time away as intentionally as possible. When I travel, my perspective shifts drastically and I’m able to get out of my head and see how big and beautiful the world truly is. Quiet travel, for me, means getting offline and out of my apartment so that I can remember how to be human. I become a better version of myself when I travel alone and/or with this sort of intention. And this means I’m able to return to my community and be the very best and truest version of myself.

Henah: I think you summed it up beautifully, Kayti. To me, it’s immersing 100 percent of my brainspace on the present and the experiences before me. Oftentimes at home, I’m thinking about everything from groceries to laundry to doctor’s visits, but when traveling, I can really get out of my head and pause. There are also places that I feel most alive and expansive—New Orleans and Tuscany come to mind—and I want to savor those moments of my life, instead of turning them into an Instagram reel or rushing through them to get to the next destination.

---

We’d love to get to know this community more—answer one (or all!) of these questions in the comments below for yourself. Plus, we know the travel blogging world is saturated—is there anything you definitely don’t want to see? What about what you do?

Stay tuned for more,
Kayti & Henah