Window Seat

Welcome back to Window Shopping: a mini letter you can peruse at your leisure, filled with discoveries from the world of travel and beyond. Marshalls launched The Upgrade Lounge at JFK’s Terminal 4.Designed to offer travelers a taste of elevated comfort without the exclusivity, the space features a beauty bar, complimentary amenities, and a curated shop of fashion finds and travel accessories.

Early last year, I wrote about The Art of the Travel Souvenir—how the best keepsakes aren’t necessarily the most expensive or exotic, but the ones that are transportive; capable of bottling a feeling, a moment, or a version of ourselves we met in a new place in the world. I’ve always been deeply curious about the things that travelers hold onto and why.

Welcome back to Window Shopping: a mini letter you can peruse at your leisure, filled with discoveries from the world of travel and beyond. Palm Heights, my favorite hotel on Grand Cayman, is launching a 23-piece collection with H&M HOME—and I wish I loved it more. The line includes striped cabana towels, teak ceramics, sculptural candleholders, robes, a rattan fan, and more, all launching June 12th.

I can’t quite believe it, but Monday the 12th marked my 33rd trip around the sun. I’m a birthday person. I love my birthday. I’m big on rituals, and the ritual of celebration might be one of my favorites. There’s something sacred about the fact that each of us gets one day a year to be honored just for being alive.

I think I’ve arrived at the biggest V1 moment of my life. If you’re new here, “V1 moment” is a term I coined in my essay, Committing to Takeoff. Its origin is in aviation: V1 is the speed at which a pilot must commit to takeoff. Forward motion, no matter what happens next. But V1 moments happen in life, too. They’re critical decision points when you have to choose courage over comfort and trust over certainty. Forward motion, no matter what happens next. Today is one of those moments.

This is Seatmates, my interview series where interesting people with good taste share how they travel and the ways it shapes their world. If you’ve ever saved a dream destination to your camera roll, there’s a good chance got there first. As one of my personal favorite creators for years now, she’s been a constant source of inspiration for everything from personal style to interiors, but it’s her travels that have truly earned my trust.

Welcome back to Window Shopping: a mini letter you can peruse at your leisure, filled with discoveries from the world of travel and beyond. One of my favorite NYC hotels now has its own signature scent, and you can take it home—no stealing required! SIDIA just launched MUSE, a candle made in collaboration with the (incredible) spa at Hotel Chelsea, designed to evoke the creative spirit of the hotel and the 1800s roots of its spa.

Flight anxiety has always been common—more than 25 million people in the U.S. struggle with it—but after months of high-profile aviation accidents and alarming headlines, fear of flying feels more present, and more pressing, than ever. If you're feeling it, you're not alone. And if it feels overwhelming or like something you'll just have to live with, I get it. I’ve been there. A decade ago, I was the kind of traveler who would lie awake the night before a trip debating whether to cancel it.

Welcome back to Window Shopping: a mini letter you can peruse at your leisure, filled with discoveries from the world of travel and beyond. Checking in! Today’s send marks ten issues of Window Shopping, and I’d love to know: is this format feeling fun, useful, inspiring… all of the above? If you have a sec, would you mind answering the quick poll below? I’d really appreciate it.

Welcome back to Window Shopping: a mini letter you can peruse at your leisure, filled with discoveries from the world of travel and beyond. “People make love in hotels more than anywhere else.”This article from Tatler isn’t new, but I loved hearing from the interior designers behind Aman, Rosewood, Grand Hyatt, and other luxury hotels about how they design their properties to inspire moments of intimacy.