Trips vs. Vacations
Plus eating around Chicago and an almost extinct wine grape
Ok, as promised: the very important subject (lol) of trips vs vacations.
This could be lumped in in the “traveler vs. tourist” debate, a debate I hate. If you go somewhere you don’t live you are a tourist. The definition of tourist is “a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure.”
I’ve always found the whole, “be a traveler, not a tourist” quote and philosophy to be pretty dumb. Tourist shouldn’t be a dirty word in the travel industry, but we’ve made it that way. Being a tourist is good! It means you’re visiting a place to enjoy it and learn from it. Those things aren’t exclusive to a “traveler,” which, by the way, is “a person who is traveling,” according to Oxford. Sounds like a tourist to me... (More on this here.)
Anyway. I do think there is a difference between trips and vacations. A trip, or the way I talk about a trip, is when you travel somewhere and plan a lot of things. In my case a trip will typically involve plenty of walking, sightseeing, finding great places to eat and drink, and sometimes several destinations within a country/region. A vacation, in my personal dictionary, includes relaxation.
At least 90% of my travels can be called “trips.” It is very hard for me to visit somewhere, especially somewhere I’ve never been, and not want to try to see/eat/do everything. (Usually, my trips are so packed I feel like I need a vacation afterward.) Cruises or resorts don’t appeal to me for this and many other reasons. But vacations are important, especially after two years of doom scrolling amid a pandemic, multiple wars, climate change and….well, you’ve been a person in the world for the past two years.
I had a not great January for personal reasons big and small. And winter in the Midwest is brutal, as many of you know.
I wanted to go on a vacation, but where? Somewhere warm, for sure, but for every destination I thought of, I immediately started listing all the things I wanted to do on arrival. It was a self-defeating exercise until Nathan had to go to Miami for work. We’ve both been to Miami multiple times. There’s always more to see and do, and I’m sure there are new, fabulous places to eat. But a vacation seemed within reach.
How to take a real vacation rule #1: go somewhere you’ve been before.
I met Nathan post-conference and we spent three days doing nothing in 80-degree weather, and it was glorious. Was it also difficult? Yes!
We made a rule before leaving that neither of us would do any research about Miami, because once we started we knew “vacation” would be a lost cause and we would have a long list of museum exhibits and restaurants to visit. The temptation to look up where to eat was strong, but the no phone policy held and was worth it.
Were the meals from places we came across near our hotel the best food in Miami? No. Were they satisfying enough? Yes. Did we visit any of the city’s very cool bars? Nope. Did we manage to find drinks? Duh.
We did a lot of nothing at all, which included this:
Went on a long bike ride along the beach
Ate oysters and drank a bottle of wine on the patio of a cheesy restaurant in South Beach where we people watched and took in the Art Deco vibes
Read two full books on the beach (such a luxury!)
Went on a long walk
Drank overpriced, fruity beverages
Refused to explore past the 2-mile radius of our hotel
How to take a vacation rule #2: bring good books
How to take a real vacation rule #3: drink the bad/good daiquiris and pina coladas
A few weeks later, another vacation presented itself. Visiting friends in Tahoe, where we had also been before. This was a very active vacation––we skied, snowshoed, hiked, cooked––but a vacation all the same because we didn’t feel the need to plan or try new things. We spent a lot of time drinking wine and playing games and having long conversations with good friends.
How to take a real vacation #4: hole yourself up in a cabin with people you really like
Two vacations in a five-week span. I think I’m set for years! And feeling much rejuvenated after a rough start to 2022.
Everyone needs breaks, and vacation can be a state of mind. If you don’t have the time or money to take a vacation (I realize this debate is extremely privileged and feels kind of ridiculous at this moment in time), you could always take a staycation in your city, or simply turn off your phone for a day and forgo any obligations.
What does vacation mean to you? Any favorite spots to get away from it all? Where are you dreaming of going? Tell me in the comments!
The opposite of vacation
Vacations are obviously a luxury. Millions of people around the world are traveling away from their homes because they have to. At Curiosity Magazine we had a section called “In Transit” about migration. Linking to this piece here about terms (refugee, migrant, internationally displaced person), because they’re in the news a lot lately and I think they’re important to understand.
Travel for the Food
It’s no secret I love mezze, which is a selection of small dishes served around the Mediterranean, parts of Asia/the Middle East and Balkans. The word comes from “mazzah,” the Persian word for taste. Think: hummus, olives, feta, cheese and crackers, fruit, muhammara, baba ganoush, fried vegetables…a huge variety of things.
Andros Taverna in Logan Square (one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago) hosts Mezze Mondays, where you can get a bottle of wine and three mezzes. The Greek wine selection at Andros is huge and interesting and every single person I have interacted with at the restaurant is incredibly knowledgeable. Not to mention the food is amazing (get the octopus) and the space is gorgeous and always buzzing with people. Make a reservation and visit!
In Skokie, Nathan and I had one of the best shawarmas we’ve had in the Chicago area at Ninevah Restaurant, and scovergi at Transylvania Kitchen. Scovergi is very similar to langós in Hungary, a fried dough with sour cream, garlic and cheese. Will definitely be making more trips to Skokie, and if you have an Eastern European bakery near you, look for something like this.
The Miami trip was not food-focused. Here’s a more comprehensive list from past trips. In Oakland we had a lovely meal at Commis—highly recommend.
We’ve mostly just been cooking, trying to get through this sweet potato from our CSA that is legitimately as long as my torso.
Wine of the Week
My friend Brianna brought a mixed case of local wine from a shop in Oakland up to Tahoe. All 12 bottles were delicious, but I especially liked this L’Arge d’Oor skin fermented white blend from California and this Stirm Cabernet Pfeffer, a nearly extinct grape I had never heard of. There are fewer than 10 acres of Cabernet Pfeffer in the world, all in California, apparently. (In France it’s known as Mourtaou/Mancin, an old variety from Bordeaux). Seek it out!
Other things
Watch: I’m into shows about publishing lately, I guess. I’ve been binging Younger and just started Minx. Minx seems like the better show, but Younger is fun for anyone who liked The Bold Type. Also started Station Eleven, but a pandemic drama might be too much for me right now (especially as it’s based in Chicago).
Read: I’ve mentioned this book before but Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets is fascinating to read at this moment in time. Also finally read Heartburn by Nora Ephron (I know!) and the Miami books above. Also Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. It’s her first novel and is very different from Olive Kitteridge, which made her famous, but I liked it more.
Play: board games! We had so much fun playing multiple games of Sherlock and Ricochet Robots and (my favorite) Chronology.
Links
Stand With Ukraine - resharing this list of how to help, and how not to (don’t use Ukraine Take Shelter)
20 Days In Mariupol - this is an incredible piece of journalism
Let Me Count the Ways of Making Borscht
The Story Behind That Photo of Ketanji Brown Jackson and Her Daughter (💖💖💖)
Reclaiming Sugarcane From Its Dark History
Your Diet Is Cooking the Planet, But Two Simple Changes Can Help
What We Write About When We Write About Food
The South Suburbs’ Little Known Underground Railroad
The Voyagers - this is a crazy story!
The Perils and Promise of Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
Americans Are Tipping Less Than Before the Pandemic - wtf! This is not ok!
She Flew Around the World In 155 Days. She’s Only 19.
Next newsletter: How to walk through Provence, a 10-day itinerary. The perfect summer trip!
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Have a great weekend! I’m off to New York - this one is a trip ;) ✈️
-Rebecca
Love this! And thanks for Chicago recs :)