What’s this whole thing about, anyway?
The very first edition of Where's the Bathroom?
A background tune for reading this newsletter:
It was mid-2020 when I found myself in complete digital burnout from doomscrolling and hours of Zoom calls every day — the initial trickle of an idea of Good Trip popped into my head. I would have never imagined we’d still be here now, almost one year into varying lockdowns and upside-down life.
While it’s cliché to talk about missing things these days, I just want to say, I really miss travel. There are a ton more important issues out there, but other, more smarter people (see? I just wrote “more smarter” and I’m leaving it in so you can see who you’re dealing with here) are writing about and solving them. So here I am trying to tackle a problem I feel more suited for, which is creating the travel media I crave.
Good Trip was created to combat some of my frustrations with the internet (SEO and algorithms’ bad influence on all the words and imagery we consume digitally), while also providing an outlet to present travel stories and tips that reflect everything I love about travel: spontaneity, the unexpected, and a sense of true discovery.
While I’m typing to you through a screen right now, Good Trip’s truest form will be a print magazine. We’ll have more to share on that later this year, but for now we’ll be working to bring you inspiration and check-ins from locals around the world via your inbox.
You’ll be hearing from me and other friends and collaborators from around the world in each issue.
So, what is a “Good Trip”? Stay tuned and we’ll do our best to explore that together. This thing is a lil baby in newsletter years, so please do get in touch if you have thoughts on where and what you want to see covered!
xoxo, Good Trip Girl
(That sign-off is definitely not making the next issue)
Brandy
P.S. What’s the most important phrase to learn in any new country? Hint: it’s the name of this newsletter.
Local’s Corner
We’ll be bringing you glimpses into places around the world from rad locals. First up: Niege Borges, a super-talented Brazilian illustrator and graphic designer living in Brooklyn, New York, whose work has been commissioned for Apple Music, Dropbox, Sephora and Refinery29 Somos.
Where she wants to travel next, post-COVID:
Brazil, to visit my parents, and then maybe Norway to do some snow tours.
The place she’s traveled to that she’d like to go back to:
Italy! I spent one month there last time I went but there are still many places that I want to visit, like Sicily.
Her favorite local Brooklyn spot within a 15-minute walk of her apartment:
Variety Coffee — it was a great place to meet friends before COVID. Now I go there sometimes to grab their iced coffee, which I love.
Her favorite local-to-Brooklyn snack or food she can't get enough of:
Brooklyn is a mix of so many cultures that everything I think of is originally from another country. I have to go with bagels; I didn't have that in Brazil so I am happy to have a lot of bagel places near me.
The TV show anyone should check out to get a feel for Brooklyn:
How to With John Wilson. It’s a very realistic portrait of Brooklyn and NYC in general.
Good Trip Tip:
We’re using this time to travel via our taste buds by ordering or (safely) dining out at restaurants that specialize in food from different regions and countries. With the right order, it can feel like an hour escape to somewhere new.
We’ll be sharing some of our faves on Instagram this week. If you have any you want to shout about, let us know and we’ll include them!
Read All About It:
Travel news is, frankly, boring these days, so we’ll be sharing some links or books that we think you’ll actually enjoy.
Go Ahead. Fantasize. By Tariro Mzezewa
52 Places to Love in 2021 by the New York Times
A perennial balm for the soul: Travel with Rick Steves podcast
That’s all for now! Thanks for being one of the very first subscribers of Where’s the Bathroom?. Lots more to come!!