WELLNESS TOURISM

Integration I was four or five when I started sipping filter coffee at my grandparents’ kitchen table. Coffee became linked to safety, connection, conversation, a pleasant pause in the day. The comfort of a large cup in my hands has felt natural ever since. A daily ritual I take with me everywhere I go. A frothy cappuccino by a fountain, tall ice-lattes drunk barefoot on a beach, a tiny shot that packs the right punch after dinner, some homebrew in the garden, a warming cup on a snowy...

Integration Trigger warning: This text discusses death, bereavement and loss. This week I am sharing the inspiring story of Rachel Tan, whom I contacted for an interview. I am delighted she agreed. Raised with a strong work ethic, she worked hard to get a degree from Uni, build a stable career, following a traditional formula many of us were taught to pursue. Soon she landed a job which brought her to corporate London, living as an expat overseas. There was no resting on those laurels. A...

Integration Some dishes transport us more than others. From the moment we savour them, they become a part of us. A taste that goes beyond presentation, eating and aftertaste, it returns back home with us. Travelling through time and place, years go by, decades even, and somehow certain flavours can still be recalled. Sitting at the tip of the tongue, yet packed with ambiance, they’re much harder to describe. Out of the blue, while travelling, we sit down to eat, recognise a familiar taste and...

Integration Peaceful stillness. A light flickering between the lashes. A muffled sound. Slowly opening the eyes while breathing deepens. Giving the body a full stretch. An inhale, held, then let out and turned into a smile. That feeling of waking up from a truly refreshing sleep never ceases to amaze. Light limbs, a calm mind, eyes rested. Nothing can come between you and your day, presence is easy. We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep. How we do that, has deep meaning for the quality...

Integration There is something about being in transit that loosens people up. On long-distance train rides, on planes, in lounges and lobbies, people talk in relaxed ways they rarely do otherwise — a particular kind of openness emerges. You could say it’s inevitable when you’re seated close together with limited personal space. But I’m not referring to logistical chatter or small talk. I mean those random encounters where two strangers slip into unexpectedly profound conversation or share an...