On one of my first solo trips to Paris, I woke to find a fresh croissant with a note that said, “Go. Wander. Get lost. When you’re too tired to keep walking, take a cab back to the house.”
This is my favorite piece of travel advice. In her article about her favorite walking tour in Paris, LP writer Vivian Song writes that the French have a word for this: flâner, meaning “to wander aimlessly, not knowing where the walk will lead.”
I always discover something that I didn’t know I wanted to do on these walks. In Zagreb, I connected with strangers in the Museum of Broken Relationships. In Bangkok, a small wat stunned me with its serenity. When there is no plan except presence, I feel like places invite me to be part of their most treasured moments.
And since New Zealand has added a new Great Walk to its collection, it's a good time to get outside for a wander.
– Sarah Stocking, Digital Editor