Where the plans have taken us (so far)

Every country on this map started as a line on a list. Some waited years for their turn; others jumped the queue when an occasion called or a window opened. However they happened, those trips shaped the thinking behind Rigour & Reverie: plan carefully up front, so that once you get there, you can stop planning and simply take it all in. Along the way, I’ve tried plenty of ways to really capture those moments, so I can remember them vividly, as often as I choose.

The map below shades every country Nathan and I have reached so far: the ones we’ve seen together, the ones I went to on my own, and the handful he’s claimed without me (I’m working on closing that gap). Under it are some collections, just a few of the photos I love returning to, grouped by the kind of day rather than the place. Consider it a work in progress, which is exactly how I want it.

So what’s next before the year is out? We’ll celebrate Nathan’s birthday exploring the Champagne region of France, then make our second pilgrimage to Europe’s Christmas markets: Strasbourg, Colmar, and likely Zurich this time (last time it was Frankfurt, Heidelberg, and Paris). There will be at least one more London weekend for Carols at the Royal Albert Hall (I loved something similar at the Sydney Opera House years ago), a couple of jaunts to Cotswolds Christmas markets, and maybe Christmas somewhere not too far away, Phoebe of course included.

What’s on your list for the rest of this year, or for 2027? And how do you capture and revisit your travels: thousands of phone photos, diaries, food journals, blogs, scrapbooks, postcards? I’d love to hear.

Cheers,
Gayle