Further’s managing editor on surviving long-haul flights, her favorite meals in Italy, and how she (accidentally) got into volcano hiking
Further’s managing editor on surviving long-haul flights, her favorite meals in Italy, and how she (accidentally) got into volcano hiking
Blending in on the Amalfi Coast.
Hanging out with Kenya’s famous super tuskers in Amboseli National Park.
When entering a glacier cave in Chilean Patagonia, dig in and don’t look down (or back).Last trip? Indonesia for the first time. I started in Bali and then sailed around the islands of East Nusa Tenggara (including some stops in Komodo National Park, home of the famous dragons). The scenery under the sea was maybe even more stunning than the islands themselves. I spent an hour in the water within inches of three incredible whale sharks and went diving near some of the most colorful reefs I’ve ever seen.
Next trip? I’m headed to the Amalfi Coast. I took my mom there once many years ago for her birthday. My first full-time job was as a travel magazine editor in Ireland and I was excited to be able to treat us. Hopefully it’s as charming and beautiful (and lemon-filled) as it always was.
Checked bag or just a carry-on? Typically a carry-on. The colorful Cotopaxi Allpa backpack is my secret weapon. But if I’m packing for multiple adventures or need several pairs of shoes, I will happily check a bag instead of stressing myself out. I pick up gifts for birthdays and holidays along the way, so I like to think of it like this: a half-empty suitcase is full of potential.
Travel outfit: Dress up or dress easy? Dress easy, but make it look dressed up. The trick is black (as every New Yorker knows) and neutrals. Merino wool is a miracle fabric, because it keeps you warm and cool at the same time somehow, which is great for planes. (Smartwool makes some of my favorite basics.) I usually go for lightweight black pants, a solid tank top or T-shirt, a long cardigan, and a colorful scarf.
How do you survive a long-haul flight? I have a system: Fill up my large water bottle before I get on the plane. Wear compression socks (I like Sockwell). Pack my own eye mask so I don’t have to subscribe to cabin time. Bring a sturdy neck pillow. (I think I’ve found my match in Ostrichpillow.) And most important: snacks. I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years and airplane food for dietary restrictions really runs the gamut. Nobody wants to be hangry in the air.
What better place to channel Mrs. Roper than on a catamaran in St. Bart’s? 
A sunny afternoon in County Clare, Ireland (but as anyone who’s lived there will tell you, always have a raincoat available). 
Sailing through Komodo National Park on an Indonesian phinisi schooner. 
A pink-sand beach to match the pink sunset in Indonesia. 
Post-hike in Patagonia National Park, Chile. 
Watching elephants graze under shadow of nearby Mount Kilimanjaro and willing them to come visit. Favorite words to hear while traveling? “You’ve been upgraded.” “We’re pet-friendly.” “The weather is going to be perfect for sunset/sunrise.”
What was one life-changing moment on a trip? My love of hiking began on a college trip to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on New Zealand’s North Island, after studying abroad in Australia. I went solely because of the Lord of the Rings factor and had absolutely no idea what I was in for, physically or geographically. I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and I had exactly one apple (and no cell phone) for the seven-hour trek, which was equal parts grueling and stunning. When you’re young and clueless, you feel invincible, so reaching snowcapped peaks and standing above the cloud line in worn-out sneakers didn’t faze me the way it should have. I think I went to bed at 6 p.m. that night. Once the soreness subsided, I wanted to do it all over again and see the world from those angles. I’ve been an avid hiker (and frequent volcano trekker) ever since.
If you had an entire year to travel, with no obligations or expense, would you spend it in a single cherished place, really getting to know it — or would you spend that year discovering a new place every week? I would go to a new place every month or so. I’ve lived on three continents. The temptation to base yourself somewhere but go away every weekend is strong, because there’s so much of the world to see — especially in Europe, where you could easily visit a new country each weekend. But then you miss out on all of the wonderful things right around you, which is a unique and existential kind of FOMO.
Meals you’d travel all day for? Pasta alla Norma in Sicily. Carciofi alla giudia. Anything with Amalfi lemons. Fresh pesto. A crisp Sicilian cannoli (with the candied orange or pistachio).
Travel pet peeve? “Conditioning shampoo” 2-in-1s in hotels. You’re not fooling anyone. Give us an actual conditioner.
