Hey Reader! On my recent trip to Virginia, I met someone who told me that Richmond is the most historic city on the East Coast. I asked him if this was based on the number of remaining historic buildings, events that happened here, or something else, and he basically said “it’s all of it.” Granted, I was talking to a tour guide, who’s made his entire livelihood from digging into all the hidden stories of Richmond, and I’d argue that most cities are full of history, you may just not know about...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! Over the past few weeks, a number of people have asked me how long I’ve been living in California. (8.5 years, if you were wondering). Questions of how I feel about living here for so long, if I think I’ll stay here, etc. have all been coming up a lot, both in conversation, and just in my mind. While those seem like fairly standard questions, the answer has never been easy for me. Truthfully, as someone who’s always loved travel, I’ve never really felt super grounded in wherever I...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! I’m back home in California after two weeks in Virginia, and it was an even better trip than I’d hoped for! It was my very first travel conference — so my first experience getting to meet with tourism boards and travel brands, which definitely put me wayyy out of my comfort zone. You may not know this, but I’ve gone through quite a few career shifts over the years. Up until the age of 19, I desperately wanted to be an actor, but after dropping out of college after just a semester...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! When I think back on the major trips I’ve taken over the course of my life, they’ve all acted as markers for whatever I was going through at that moment. For instance, I’ll always associate my first international trip to Costa Rica with that weird chunk of time when I’d dropped out of college and had no idea what I was doing with my life. A few months later, I jetted off to Southeast Asia for three weeks, which was a much-needed escape from the literal worst waitressing job of my...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! One of the rudest awakenings I had when I moved to California eight years ago was finding out that it’s not always beach weather here. Seriously, I feel lied to by practically every TV show, movie, and even Hollister (that’s a throwback, I know) that told me California was just a beach oasis the entire time. The truth is, it doesn’t start to get consistently hot and sunny until July — but the good news is from there, it usually stays like that through October. So ahead of SoCal’s...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Disclosure: Tess the Traveler contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Associates Program, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. I only recommend products and companies I trust and have used. See the Privacy Policy for more information. Thanks for your support! Hey Reader! Since I first started traveling 12+ years ago, I’ve put in a lot of work to become a better traveler. From improving my trip research skills, to just becoming...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! I’ve been living in the LA area for over eight years now, making it the place I’ve lived the longest in my adult life. I’ll admit, sometimes I do get sick of it (the rumors are true — it is expensive). But other times, I’m reminded of just how cool it is. ittle Tokyo has become one of my favorite neighborhoods to explore in LA, and it really highlights what exactly can make Los Angeles so special — it’s deeply historic and culturally significant, as one of only THREE official...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! How’s it going? 📰 what’s new this week In my last newsletter, I shared an overview of the super easy weekend itinerary I followed in Palm Springs. You can now find the full, in-depth itinerary (complete with restaurant recs and where I stayed!) all in this blog post. If you’re looking for an easy addition to your Southern California itinerary, I really couldn’t recommend Palm Springs more. (Unless you’re visiting in the middle of the summer. Then perhaps skip it, because the heat...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! How's it going? 📰 what’s new this week I just came back from a couple of beautiful days in Palm Springs — if you’re unfamiliar, it’s a cute desert city just a couple hours away from Los Angeles. I had last visited a few years ago, and it was so nice to return and experience the city with fresh eyes, and with my husband for the first time! As someone who loves fitting art, culture, and nature into every trip when possible, Palm Springs really checks all the boxes. And while it’s...
4 months ago • 2 min read