🛕 Wat Arun: Light, Porcelain & Steep Stairs
Series: 2 of 3 | Visakha Bucha Week

Next in our temple tour for Visakha Bucha Day (May 11): Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Rising from the Chao Phraya River in shimmering porcelain, it’s at its best at sunrise—or when you climb to the top (slowly) and take it all in.

⛩️ Tip: Take the ferry from Wat Pho. The approach is half the magic.
🚶‍♂️ Bring water. Your legs will earn their break by the time you`re done.

📍 Want to go there? Check it out—and 4,000 more places with soul—in the guide. Link in bio.
Wonder Less. Wander More.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #WatArun #VisakhaBuchaDay #BangkokTemples #hiddenplaces #localexperience #exploremore #traveldeeper

🛕 Temples, Tales & Gold You Can’t Miss
Series: 1 of 3

This week marks Visakha Bucha Day (May 11)—Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist holiday, honoring the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing. To celebrate, we’re spotlighting three temples where spirit, beauty, and daily life converge.

First: Wat Pho—home to a 151-foot Reclining Buddha with Bangkok’s calmest energy. Beyond the gold leaf, it’s a working monastery and the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. (Yes, you can book one. Yes, you should.)
🧘 Come for the stillness. Stay for the stretch.
🥾 Shoulders and knees covered. No need to book ahead.

📍 Want to go there? Check it out—and 4,000 more places with soul—in the guide. Link in bio.
Wonder Less. Wander More.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #WatPho #VisakhaBuchaDay #BangkokTemples #slowtravel #authentictravel #culturetrip

What if you choose a blackout this time?

After last week’s unexpected blackout in Spain, Portugal, and parts of France, a few of you said you felt inspired.

So here’s a thought: what if you intentionally recreated that feeling?

🥾🌵Start in Sedona, with a hike that doesn’t need GPS. Begin at Cathedral Rock, make your way to Bell Rock, and pass by Devil’s Bridge. Bring sunscreen, water, a hat, and a paper map. Check messages before, and just leave your phone. Then go—hike, get lost, look around.

We’re calling it PAUSE - Put Aside Unnecessary Screen Engagement.

🗺️ Explore more places perfect for your own intentional blackout. Link in bio.
Wonder less. Wander more.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #DigitalDetox #AuthenticTravel #WonderLessWanderMore

📚 Where Books Breathe and People Matter

At Powell’s—Portland’s iconic city-block-sized bookstore—store manager Bryanne Hoeg starts her day in the hush before opening.
“It’s quiet, but buzzing—like the books know it’s showtime.”

She dreams of driving the Powell’s delivery truck someday. Until then, she’s recommending pie (always), and sneaking books from staff displays into her own TBR (to be read) pile 📖.

We return for the books. But it’s the Bryannes who make them matter ❤️.

Check out this and 4,000+ other places with soul — link in bio.

#UponReturn #PowellsCityOfBooks #PortlandOregon #WonderLessWanderMore

French macarons are one of those things you think you like—until you try a real one. Then it’s over.
The ones we’d gladly risk adding an extra kilo for? Sweets by Shayda. No notes. ✨

Crisp outside, cloud-soft inside, and filled like someone actually cared.
Birthday cake. Lemon curd. Something toasted. Something floral. All perfect. 🍬
Pro tip: Get the big raspberry one. Eat it somewhere private. It gets emotional.

Wonder less. Wander more.
The sweets are in the guide—link in bio.

P.S. The macarons are just the gateway. There are other sweets here worth overdosing on too.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #SweetsByShayda #FoodWithSoul #MacaronMadness #SugarWellSpent

#DYK the chandelier at the Palais Garnier in Paris weighs over 7 tons—and once crashed mid-performance?
(Imagine buying orchestra seats and getting hit with plot development.) 🎭

This 1875 masterpiece is all marble staircases, gold leaf, velvet with status, and a surprise Chagall ceiling that somehow works. ✨

🎶 Upcoming at the Palais Garnier in May:
- Il Trittico (May 6): Three one-act operas—love, grief, and dark comedy.
- Sylvia (May 9): A ballet of myth, romance, and heroic leaps.
- Rigoletto (May 10): A jester, a curse, and all the Verdi drama.

A tip from us: Take the stairs. Pretend you`re arriving by carriage.
Wonder less. Wander more.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #PalaisGarnier #ParisOpera #DYK

When the lights went out, something else switched on.

Yesterday’s blackout across Spain, Portugal, and parts of France brought everything to a sudden, strange stop. No trains, no phones, no screens — just people stepping outside.

The beach turned into the meeting place, paper maps unfolded, and conversations replaced notifications. It reminded us: this feeling — the spontaneity, the real connection — is what we’re always chasing when we travel. Not the checklists. Not the selfies. Just the places, the people, the moments you can’t plan for — and wouldn’t want to.

Power is slowly coming back, but many are still without it. We’re thinking of everyone affected and sending deep thanks to the crews and workers who are bringing the light back, one street at a time.

Real connection doesn’t need a signal. It’s always been there — waiting.

#SpainBlackout #PortugalBlackout #ApagonIberico #PowerOutage #StaySafe #Apagón

Spending just 20 minutes in nature can improve working memory and attention by 20%. That’s not wellness fluff—that’s science. 🌿

Now imagine 36,000 acres of alpine stillness, clean design, and a bathtub facing the mountains. That’s Flock Hill Lodge, New Zealand. 🛁

Bring layers. Maybe a journal. Your brain will start doing strange things—like thinking clearly and forgetting what email is.

Wonder less. Wander more.
Not crowdsourced. Not sponsored. 4,000+ real recs. Link in bio.

#UponReturn #ReturnWithStories #FlockHillLodge #NewZealand #WorkLifeBalance #NatureIsMedicine #LeadershipReset

Some people go on yoga retreats.
We go to Quintessa. 🍷

280 acres of volcanic soil, Cabernet vines, and pure intention—tucked into the Silverado Trail, St. Helena. No crowds. No noise. Just biodynamic farming and wines that change with the land, not the market.

Every vintage is its own story. Every visit, a reset.

Wonder less. Wander more.
Link in bio.

#UponReturn #Quintessa #NapaValley #WineWithSoul #ReturnWithStories