Soul Food: How Traveling Through Taste Feeds More Than Just the Body
There’s something sacred about sitting down to a meal in a new place. Whether it’s a steaming bowl of pho on a quiet street in Vietnam, fresh plantains sizzling in a roadside stand in Jamaica, or hand-rolled pasta passed down through generations in a Tuscan kitchen — food has a way of telling stories no words can match.
For me, food is a passport. A passport to memory, to culture, to connection.
Every bite reveals something deeper: the history of a people, the rhythm of daily life, the spice of celebration. Food is how we gather, how we heal, how we show love. And when we travel with intention—open-hearted and curious—we receive more than just a delicious dish. We’re fed on a soul level.
When I curate travel experiences, I’m not just booking flights and beds. I’m crafting moments where my sisters can taste joy again. Where the salt in the air meets the salt on the rim of a glass, and laughter flows as freely as the ocean breeze.
From open-air markets to quiet candlelit dinners, food becomes the bridge between us and the world—and often, back to ourselves.
Here are a few ways to savor your next trip through food:
- Eat with the locals. Skip the chain restaurants and sit where the aunties are stirring the pots.
- Take a cooking class. Learn the recipes, the meanings, and the memories behind the meals.
- Try something new. Even if it scares you a little. Especially if it excites you.
- Talk to your servers. Ask for their recommendations and their stories—they know the real gems.
- Give thanks. To the hands that prepared it, the land that grew it, and the grace that allows you to enjoy it.
Food isn’t just nourishment—it’s an experience. And when you travel with intention, even a simple meal becomes a moment you’ll carry forever.