What I Learned From Travel In 2022
Plus an easy holiday cocktail and my favorite books of the year
Hello from Wisconsin!
Where it’s a balmy 8 degrees, a big improvement over yesterday’s -3 and 50 mph winds.
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Ok. I have very mixed feelings about 2022. So many terrible things happened, in the world and to a lesser extent personally. But a lot of good things happened too––So many weddings! So many new babies! So much travel!
The great thing about travel is that you’re always learning something or experiencing something new. This year, I was lucky to travel *a lot* and therefore was constantly learning. Honestly, it’s kind of a blur. I’m sure there are some facts about ancient Greece I could have included on this list, or specifics about grapes in southern France. But when thinking back, these are the first things that came to mind.
What I learned from Travel in 2022
Sometimes you need to take a vacation, not a trip.
Skokie has some of the best food in Chicagoland. Get Scovergi–fried dough with sour cream, garlic and cheese–at Transylvania Kitchen, and take a food crawl through the city’s numerous shawarma spots.
It’s really great to get together with your siblings in a city where none of you live. And when your mom wants to do something extremely touristy, sometimes it can actually be fun.
Ancient Egypt pretty much crushes the rest of the world when it comes to impressive artifacts. This is reinforced almost every time I visit a museum, most recently at the Met.
Vegas is always a good idea, and the Pan Roast at Palace Station Oyster Bar is one of the best meals in the city.
The Maldives are beautiful. But are they worth the $$$?
I learned that among more important repercussions, the war in Ukraine caused a wine bottle shortage and hurt winemakers across Eastern Europe.
Illinois has more to do outside Chicago than you think! (And the pet-nat at Illinois Sparkling Wine Company is pretty good.)
I learned a lot about resilience, war crimes, the effects of chemicals, international law and hospitality covering this story in Iraqi Kurdistan and Nashville. (More coming soon).
Also that Halabja has the world’s best pomegranates. ⬆️
Learned more about scotch than I probably need to know. You should definitely go to Bow Bar if you’re in Edinburgh. And in Edinburgh or London, Dishoom lives up to the hype.
No matter where you travel, people will ask about gun violence in the U.S. It comes up all the time, from Greece to Ghana.
It was affirmed this time around: Puglia is one of my favorite places on the planet. Here’s everything you should eat if you go.
There is almost nothing better than gathering a group of friends for a wedding, except maybe doing it on an island in Greece. Can’t believe I haven’t written about this trip yet. Stay tuned in 2023.
You can order fresh oysters from Island Creek Oysters and gather your friends around for a shucking party. 100% recommend.
If you live in Chicago but like to spend weekends in nature in Michigan, Cape Air runs a 12-seater plane from O’Hare to Manistee. It’s much faster than driving around the lake, but can be scary not for those who don’t like to fly. Book far in advance to lock in a seat and the cheaper fares.
Not much says summer like Thrasher’s fries and crab cakes from Original Crabcake Factory.
You can spend an hour in the mirror maze at the Museum of Science and Industry and not get bored. Trust me.
On travel within Chicago. It’s a mess. (Follow up story coming in January.)
Biking through the Catskills should be on everyone’s fall bucket list. (But the cider is better in Michigan.)
New Haven is as cute as Nathan’s been telling me for years, and Zuppardi’s has the best pizza (don’t kill me).
Most experts agree that you should tip housekeeping $3 to $10 per day, at the end of every day, not all at once at the end.
TSA Pre-Check is extremely easy and quick to get. I hate anything admin related so put it off for years, but am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. (It took Nathan ditching me in the regular line a few times to convince me.)
I learned so much in Ghana and we’ll talk about it in a couple of weeks, but some major takeaways: If every American had to take a tour of Cape Coast Castle the U.S. might be a very different place; spicy pumpkin, peanut, and cabbage soup is incredible and easy to make; you can take a walking safari and come across elephants in the wild for about $15. More in January.
Hygge is pronounced hue-gah, and the Danes really like Christmas beer.
Most recently, I learned that moving is HORRIBLE. Why do I keep doing it? Next time you get a newsletter from me, I won’t be living in Chicago, and I’ll still be wishing we hired movers to pack our things rather than doing it in one day on our own. Details on where we’re going in January.
Next week, paid subscribers get a list of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, plus the sparkling wine Chicago sommeliers and wine shop owners recommend for New Year’s Eve, AND a holiday giveaway.
What did you learn from travel this year? Let me know!
Travel for the Food
Last weekend, I went to Michigan to celebrate Hanukkah with my in-laws. Nathan cooked the latkes on the grill, which was new this year but worked well. A real treat paired with this champagne.
This weekend we’re feasting on lamb and some sort of chocolate pie my dad is currently baking.
For a holiday/going away party (😢) I made these negroni cookies from Food & Wine. If you like Campari, these are for you.
Holiday Cocktail
Earlier this month at Chateau l’Hospitalet in France, the bartender made batches of Negroni Banyuls. This is the only negroni variation I’ve liked as much as the classic.
Negroni Banyuls: In a shaker, mix 2cl of gin, 2cl of sweet vermouth, 5cl of Banyuls Traditional. Pour over ice and add a few squeezed orange peels. Voila!
Other Things
Read: I know I talked about this at the time, but Circe, The Great Believers, and The Unwomanly Face of War were some of my favorite books I read this year.
Make: Pigs in a blanket are a childhood classic that was a huge hit at our holiday party. I had forgotten how good they are.
Look: At the Year in Pictures
Do: Stay safe! I think around 60% of the country is under severe weather warnings. Traveling somewhere snowy and aren’t used to driving in it? Follow these tips.
Laugh: Some favorite memes/tweets of the year:
Thank you so much for reading this year! If you liked the newsletter today, please pass it to someone you know who’d enjoy it, and tap the heart icon above, which helps me reach more readers. I’m off to celebrate Christmas! Back in your inbox in two weeks. And for paid subscribers, next week you get a list of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, the sparkling wine Chicago sommeliers and wine shop owners recommend for New Year’s Eve, and a holiday giveaway.
Merry happy everything!
–Rebecca 💛
That negroni cookie recipe is going at the the top of next weeks to-do list!
Negronis are my favorite - I’m usually reluctant to stray from the original but may have to give this one a try!