ISSUE #7: JULY 2026
Hi. Hello. Welcome Back.
I’ve been away more than I’ve been home lately, and I keep thinking about the small stuff that actually makes being away feel good.
Not the itinerary. The little things you throw in a bag, and the ones you can’t pack at all.
Photos seem silly for this issue. You’ll have to picture it.
The Lil’ Sound Machine That Could
White Noise Machine
You didn’t leave home to sleep. But you also can’t enjoy anything when you’re completely exhausted.
And you know how it goes. A hum you can’t place. Somebody’s dog with a lot to say. I mean, even Norway’s World Cup team lasted one night in their hotel before relocating due to nearby construction noises disrupting their sleep. No wonder Haaland was held scoreless. ?
So this one item is never not in our travel bag.
What makes a strange room work is making it more comfortable. A little more familiar. We sleep with white noise at home. Same sound, different city.
It quiets the chaos and makes the space feel a bit like ours.
It’s also a Bluetooth speaker. Plays music, takes calls, whatever. That dual duty is half the reason it stays in the bag. It fits in the palm of your hand, weighs almost nothing, charges over USB-C, and the battery lasts forever.
Remember Everywhere,
Discover Hidden Gems
Swarm (aka FourSquare)
Back in 2009 when checking in and poking people on Facebook was still cool, I started using an app called FourSquare, now known as Swarm. Their Instagram tagline is “remember everywhere,” which is exactly what it does.
I use it as a Travel Journal. A log of every place I’ve been and every place I’ve discovered.
Sometimes I’ll go, “What was that little hole in the wall place with the great pasta in Portugal?” I open it and I’m right back there, reliving the memories.
And when a friend asks what to do in Amsterdam, I can pull up the cute bar along the canal, where I’ve checked in enough times to become “mayor,” which just means you’ve visited it enough to claim the crown, a surprisingly easy and rewarding feat.
Once, we were in Prague with my mom and Swarm led us to a sweet little coffee shop, where we sipped the most delicious espresso and hot cocoa, as we sat cozy inside with a new snow falling down.
But it’s also how I find new places. I rely on it more than anything to figure out where to go, what to eat, what to do.
The reviews don’t lie. People on Swarm are specific. They call out the owner, they mention the best dish, they’ll tell you exactly what made the espresso perfect. You find things that would be buried everywhere else on the internet.
High five a stranger.
You never know who’s a Steve.
An Ireland PenPal
Christmas 2009. My mom, sister and I went to Dublin and stayed in a hostel, celebrating the holidays with strangers. During one of our walkabouts we spotted a man outside a pub wearing a Chicago Bears jersey. I couldn’t help but run across the street to give him a high five and a “Da Bears.”
His name is Steve. He invited us into the pub for a beer; we chatted, contact info was exchanged.
That was sixteen years ago and we’ve kept in touch. Chats every now and then on Facebook, obviously more frequent during Bears season.
We know he stays up in the wee hours of the morning, local time in Ireland, just to watch games. Oh, and he’s a Cubs fan too. Extra bonus!
Care packages have been exchanged over the years, traveling 3,673 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Steve sent the first one.
Just this year, my mom sent him our lifelong Bears mascot, a vintage stuffed white bear with a knit Chicago Bears sweater that’s been in our house for as long as I can remember, think 1980’s. Every season we would put it out in the family room. It’s in Ireland now.
He’s sent candy. We’ve sent candy. He would often contend that chocolate from the US could not compare to chocolate from Ireland. He conceded after receiving a package of Fannie Mae chocolates.
His care packages have included Ireland themed scarves, hats and shirts. My nephews have received soccer jerseys and entire uniforms over the years. My oldest nephew messages with him during Bears games.
That part has always felt extra special. He’s never met my nephews, they weren’t even born when we met him, yet he thinks of them. It’s almost like a long distance uncle they have in Ireland (which feels right considering my Great-Great-Grandma immigrated from Ireland).
He’s gone to some of the Bears games that have been played abroad. But never in Chicago. One of these days we hope we can all go to a game together (hopefully not in Indiana).
That’s what happens when you don’t dim it down. When you run across the street. When you’re willing to look a little ridiculous in front of a stranger.
Thanks for being here. Having you along for this weird little adventure is the best part. Seriously.
Just one girl • Just for fun • Probably a little too enthusiastic
Got a Fravorite ?
A product, a book, a weird little habit, the way you cut a sandwich. Whatever brings you joy.