Photo Credit: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Happy New Year!
At the beginning of a new year, you hear the same message everywhere: time to take stock of last year and make plans for the new one. You think about goals and dreams, and now the trending word is “manifesting.” Much of this centers on two things: wealth and health, with health often reduced to resolutions and routines. And arguably, health is your wealth. If you do not have your health, all the resolutions and plans are for naught.
I experience this differently when I travel.
I see people arrive on journeys feeling capable and functional, only to notice—sometimes within the first day—that they are overscheduled and have been running on reserve. Depending on the kind of journey you are on, what feels normal begins to change. Your sleep may be the best you have had in months. I live in Los Angeles, and even though I am in a nice neighborhood, there is almost a constant stream of traffic, sirens, and helicopters. When I travel, I notice the quiet. It brings down the energy inside me that I did not realize was elevated. I do not feel the same kind of pressure to get things done. The body responds quickly once the pace and environment shift.
In this first newsletter of the year, I wanted to reflect on how much we carry without questioning it. It is an important question because it significantly affects your wellbeing and, by extension, your wealth (which is not just about your bank account). Good holistic health—of mind, body, and spirit—is what enables you to thrive. It is your true wealth.
Travel creates a pause long enough for those signals to register. When demanding schedules ease up and surroundings change, the body will let you know what needs attention.
That is the kind of health I want to explore this month through travel—what becomes clear when you step into a different place and pay attention to how your mind and body respond to what lifts your spirit.
SOJOURN EXPLORERS HIGHLIGHT BOX Exploring Cabo Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores
March 26 to April 9, 2026 | 15 Days Limited Special Pricing | 102 Guests Capacity
Photo Credit: National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions
Set sail among the remote islands off the coast of Portugal and Western Africa—Cabo Verde, the Canary Islands, and the Azores. Volcanic slopes rise above small harbors, fishing boats move in and out, and world-class wine and cheese show up at the table as a matter of course.
As you move from island to island, spend time ashore walking hiking trails, visiting tucked-away ports, and exploring historic towns. Stops include UNESCO World Heritage sites in Madeira, on Fogo Island, and elsewhere. The days leave room to observe and stay present rather than rush from one place to the next.
At sea, the National Geographic Orion is your home base between landings. From the deck, you watch for marine life and take in open ocean views as the ship moves through these mostly untouched archipelagos. Time at sea gives you space to rest and notice how your body responds when there is less noise and fewer demands.
February 20–27, 2026 | 8 Days All-Inclusive | Limited to 16 Guests
Photo Credit: The Dwarika’s Collection
You arrive in Kathmandu surrounded by movement and life. Incense drifts from temple doorways, spices and earth linger in the air, and prayer flags catch the light between buildings where carved details appear unexpectedly. Stepping inside The Dwarika’s, the atmosphere shifts. Hand-carved wood, stone courtyards, and the glow of lamps create a sense of calm and containment. The air feels cooler, sounds recede, and your body begins to slow without effort, offering a gentle entry into temple visits, sacred sites, and traditions that have supported daily life here for centuries.
Midweek, the journey carries you beyond the city to The Dwarika’s wellbeing sanctuary in Dhulikhel. The road opens. Hills stretch outward, and the Himalayas come into view in the distance. Mornings allow time for breath and meditation as light moves slowly across the landscape. Days include mindful movement, time with an Ayurvedic doctor, and hikes in nature, with space to explore your inner world without distraction.
Photograph what holds your attention without needing to name it. Walk village paths. Conversations unfold naturally. Speak openly about how you live and how your body responds to it. By the time you return home, you will experience life moving with intention rather than demand, along with a clearer understanding of what matters to you now.
All-Inclusive | Limited to 10 Guests April 8–12, 2026 | 5 Days | All-Inclusive | Limited to 10 Guests
Photo Credit: Ted Turner’s Vermejo
Here, the land stretches wide, and the air feels noticeably clear. Settling into Vermejo’s historic Bartlett Cottage, you begin to notice how little effort it takes to feel present when space and quiet are allowed to do their work.
Days unfold through long walks across the land, watching elk move through open fields, noticing light shift across forest and meadow. Photography becomes a way of paying attention rather than documenting. Writing creates room for thoughts that rarely surface at home, when life moves faster and attention is pulled in many directions. Evenings draw you toward the fire, where conversation feels unforced and silence is comfortable.
Set within Ted Turner’s 550,000-acre reserve, this retreat offers time to consider what has been taxing your energy and what has been sustaining it. You leave with a clearer understanding of what supports your energy, your focus, and your sense of ease when life slows down—and what does not.
I approach travel the same way I approach writing and reflection. I pay attention to what a place asks of you rather than what it promises. I consider how an environment shapes thought, emotion, and perspective.
I curate experiences that make room for genuine engagement with place. That means allowing time to linger, choosing settings that invite reflection, and designing journeys at a pace that supports awareness rather than constant motion.
This is travel for people who value depth, discernment, and time well spent. The goal is not to collect moments, rather to have moments that clarify how you want to live.
Photo Op + Action Opportunity: What Quiet Reveals
Photo Credit: Arina Krasnikova
Choose one moment this week to stop moving for a few minutes longer than you normally would. Do not fill the time or reach for your phone. Just pause, breathe, and notice.
Take a photograph of what is in front of you.
Later, write about this moment. What captured your attention?
What was the quality of the light—was it honey-colored late-afternoon light, maybe it was dark and shadowy?
What colors were most vivid to you?
What sounds did you hear?
How did you feel in that moment?
This is often the first thing people experience when they arrive on a journey, before the itinerary begins.
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Sojourn to Happiness
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