Stories from the Journey
A Stella Polare Journal
Travel is more than where you go. It’s how it shapes the way you see the world.
This is a collection of destinations, reflections, and moments that inspire the journeys we design.
Each story offers a glimpse into the experiences, places, and perspectives that define meaningful travel.
From quiet moments of connection to unforgettable destinations, these are the journeys that stay with you long after you return home.
Venice, But Make it Non-Touristy
Twenty years after my first vaporetto into San Marco, I came back by private water taxi and skipped the hot spots entirely. Here's where I stayed, where I toured, and who I'd send to each.
The Italian Roads Less Traveled
Rome, Milan, and Florence get the crowds. Bologna, Ravenna, and San Marino get the real Italy, arches, mosaics, and a country you can visit in an afternoon.
Somewhere on the Pacific Coast Highway, I Turned Into My Mother
Somewhere off Highway 1's right shoulder there's a cliff, then the Pacific, and I'm digging my fingers into the seats while my boyfriend, who grew up driving Italian roads, calmly ignores my terror. That's how the trip that made me love Big Sur and Yosemite began.
The Night My Airline Disappeared
The night Malév Hungarian Airlines collapsed, I was dancing until 4am in a Paris snowstorm with no idea our flight to Budapest no longer existed. What happened next says more about good travel planning than any packing list ever could.
What a Nun, a Monk, and “Y’all” Taught Me About Travel
In the early hours of the morning in Mandalay, Leilani and I strolled to a quiet pagoda glowing pink in the early light. A tiny Buddhist nun motioned me closer. Neither of us spoke the other's language, and what happened next is a story I still haven't stopped telling.