This Week in the World: Week 6

Hello once again. I hope everyone is hanging in there through these long weeks of winter (not to mention, during a pandemic!) I really enjoyed taking you all for a walking tour of South Kensington on Instagram stories (I’m hoping to do another one this upcoming week to another London neighborhood too!) It has been really challenging at times over the last year to maintain creativity when the travel industry has been almost entirely halted for so long, so it felt good to be able to “share travel content” again… even if it was my own city while we’re locked down. Hopefully I won’t need to keep churning out new ideas for THAT much longer and we can get back out into the world again soon (I read earlier this week that all adults in the UK could have access to the vaccination by the end of May!? I hope that is true!)

If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a weekly recap of content ranging from around the globe. My hope is that each week, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 6.

MISCELLANEOUS LINKS I THINK YOU’LL LOVE:

• It's Not Just You. A Lot Of Us Are Hitting A Pandemic Wall Right Now. (I felt this on a cellular level!)

• Fellow wine enthusiasts: 2021 appears as though it will bring some challenges to the industry.

• It’s no secret that climate change is a serious issue… so how does the new administration plan to tackle it?

• I have been lusting over this chic, sustainable sweater from OYUN, an ethical brand that I love (I also just got a sneak peek of their Spring/Summer collection and it is gorgeous!) If you’re not already familiar with them, definitely check them out for some great sustainable items you will love and wear forever!

TRAVEL NEWS + UPDATES:

• It's time to start nurturing your travel imagination!

• Yet another update about Vaccine Passports…prepare accordingly!

• JetBlue to Launch London Flights This Summer from NY + Boston, including a new "Mint class" (private suites with a sliding door, a seat cushion by Tuft & Needle, a tilting 17-inch seatback screen, and wireless charging capabilities).

• Thinking of Traveling in the U.S.? Check Which States Have Travel Restrictions

CELEBRATING BLACK LIVES

• I loved this interview of ‘Unity With Purpose.’ where Amanda Gorman and Michelle Obama Discuss Art, Identity and Optimism.

• 18 Movies by Black Directors to Watch This Black History Month (and another list of 91 movies and TV shows to stream for Black History Month).

• 12 books by black women to read this year.

• A powerful new Black travel movement has emerged over the past decade — one centered on giving travelers of color the advice, inspiration, and sense of community we need to explore the world.

WEEKLY FAVORITES:

• FAVORITE LISTEN: I loved THIS EPISODE of Brené Brown’s podcast with John & Julie Gottman titled “What Makes Love Last.” In the spirit of Valentine’s Day next weekend, I think they did a great job tackling the nuances of relationship.

• FAVORITE FIND: My friend Natalie and I were catching up recently and she really inspired me with her knowledge around stocks and investing (perhaps you've also felt curious to learn more after all the GameStop conversations lately?) While I feel pretty up to speed about my emergency fund, maxing out my Roth IRA and a general strategy for retirement, I'm really excited to read "That thing rich people do" (which she recommended as a great starting point to learn the basics around investing.)

• FAVORITE READ: I am long overdue, but I’m finally reading “All the Light We Cannot See” (I know, I’m very late to the party) but I already can’t put it down. If you enjoy historical fiction and haven’t read this book, join me in reading!

UPCOMING EVENTS (NO MATTER YOUR LOCATION!)

• On Sunday, February 21st I'm teaching a new online course called "So you want to move abroad?"… read the course description and details here!

• This upcoming Friday, I'm signed up for virtual wine class (featuring Italian Reds) that I'm taking through one of my local wine shops (while they only ship wines locally, you can still pay a reduced rate of only £10 if you want to just join to listen!

• Later this month, the girls coming on my Atlas Adventures trip to Paris are joining me for an online cooking class with La Cuisine… a wonderful culinary school where we'll be taking in-person classes on our trip! La cuisine also offers a wide variety of virtual cooking classes that are open to the general public… check out their list of offerings here if you're missing France!

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That’s all for today. Happy reading and hope to see you back again next week!

xx

Whitney