The stories I enjoy sharing on The Curious Passport are narrative, colorful snippets and oftentimes humorous (at least to me) slices of the places, faces and circumstances I’ve encountered on the road. If you are stirred to any type of emotion except boredom when you read my writing, I call that a win for me. If you are then inspired beyond that, or at least curious to learn more, that’s a win for everyone.

Curiosity keeps you sharp. To possess it means that you are engaged in the space around you. It demonstrates an openness to different ideas, and ideas (for yourself, for others) drive our purpose and help us understand ourselves, each other.

Looking for ideas? Maybe one of my favorite stories from the year might help:

• A story about how Lisbon’s slower pace is a metaphor for the benefits of slowing down and embracing every day moments
• An entertaining piece about a jungle journey in Sayulita
• The case for challenging your comfort zone despite perceived instability

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll stick around for more stories next year.

*  *  *

2017

In the New Year, my hope is to hone in on exploring experiences that connect ideas from the worlds of travel, food and wellness and its role in illuminating the human condition and its role in helping us live a meaningful life.

I intend to keep those themes in mind as I head back to Europe in the spring. Currently, the plan is to begin in Stockholm and end up in Portugal as a base country by way of Spain.

If you have any recommendations for co-working spaces, creative communities, a good pilates class or coffee shop throughout Europe (because plans can change and my plans are flexible!), please send them to me here: thecuriouspassport at gmail dot com.

I am also interested in collaborating with like-minded individuals, companies, collectives who value storytelling over content, the connection over the bucket list, authenticity over trends. These partnerships can manifest itself in different ways, so if you like what I’m doing over here let’s chat!

That was long, now I’m hungry

Me too. Good news; these featured recipes from Haaps & Barley will fill you up with the good stuff. Whole, nourishing foods, comforting flavor profiles and easy-to-follow preparation means you can eat well without spending hours in the kitchen.

Photo: Haaps & Barley

• Avocado Toast
• Miso-glazed salmon with lentils and broccolini 
• Adult grilled cheese (no Kraft singles here)

Want more recipes? See them all here.

ICYMI

Sometimes I write about travel for other parts of the internet. See them all here.

Are you finished yet

As soon as I plug my social media sites! Find me on Instagram here, because sometimes the plugin on this website refuses to work. I tweet on occasion here.