So Many Places Harper Ellis · Travel Writer

Travel

I do not chase every country for a tally. I chase the feeling of being awake in a place that was not mine yesterday.

5 min read

How I travel

My trips start with a question, not an itinerary: What do I want to understand? Sometimes that is history, standing above Machu Picchu and feeling small in the best way. Sometimes it is rhythm, Tokyo at night, a million polite collisions of light and motion.

I travel with a notebook, a slightly overpacked bag, and Finn when borders and airlines allow. I stay longer in fewer places. I talk to people who are not in guidebooks.

Harper Ellis standing above the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru

Peru · Altitude and awe

Morning mist, stone terraces, and the kind of silence that makes you whisper without knowing why.

Harper Ellis crossing the neon-lit streets of Tokyo at night

Japan · Neon and nuance

Order and chaos holding hands. Also: the best convenience-store egg sandwich of my life.

Harper Ellis watching sunset over the caldera in Santorini, Greece

Greece · Blue and gold

Islands that look painted. Sunsets that feel unfair to other coastlines.

What I pack besides socks

  1. Curiosity that survives jet lag.
  2. Patience for wrong turns. They are often gifts.
  3. Respect for local rules, especially with a dog in tow.
  4. A willingness to look foolish asking for directions.
Travel has never made me feel bigger than the world. It has made me feel exactly the right size to belong in it.

Travel articles

Routes, budgets, and trails I am thinking about right now.