Author: Mary Preston

I remember sitting on a weathered wooden bench in a small village outside of Monteverde, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine, when I found myself trapped in a loop of awkward nods. I was deeply enjoying the stranger’s story about his family’s coffee farm, but my internal clock was […]

I still remember the humid, heavy air of the Costa Rican rainforest, the scent of damp earth so thick you could almost taste it. I was crouched near a fallen cedar, trying to capture the perfect light hitting a rare orchid, when my phone gave a final, pathetic shudder and went dark. In that moment […]

I remember sitting in a tiny, sun-drenched cafe in Monteverde, the scent of damp earth and roasting coffee heavy in the air, only to feel that sudden, cold spike of anxiety when I realized I’d been locked out of my own digital journal. I had spent so much time trying to follow those rigid, clinical […]

I remember sitting in a crowded, neon-lit café in Tokyo, feeling more isolated than I ever did in the middle of a bustling city street. I had just joined three different “wellness” groups online, hoping to find a sense of belonging, but all I found was a loud, performative noise that felt completely disconnected from […]

I remember sitting in a sun-drenched café in a small village outside of Monteverde, the scent of damp earth and roasted coffee swirling around me, as I shared a laugh with a local weaver. It was one of those magic moments that reminds you why we travel—to find those unexpected, soulful connections that change us. […]

I remember sitting in a tiny, sun-drenched café in Ubud, the scent of lemongrass drifting through the air, when I first realized how much the digital world has drifted from the grounded reality we crave. I was chatting with a local weaver about the rhythm of her life when I glanced at my phone and […]