Always on a tangent

From historic homes to the history of tourism—consider this Embracing the Rabbit Hole, Part Two.

Feb 21, 2025

Hi, hello!

Somehow, Friday managed to both sneak up on me and take forever to get here. This week, I was hyper-focused on updating my website, so today’s newsletter is me embracing the chaos that is my brain instead of my usual, more curated and edited posts.

That said—my website is live! She’s simple but fun, and I love her. My favorite part is the homepage, which I designed to look like an email. I had this idea at the start of the year but almost gave up on it, thinking I couldn’t make it happen on Squarespace. But, as it turns out, with a bit of code and a lot of help from my friend, Lola, I was able to make it happen after all. I also refreshed my portfolio, and since it’s much more streamlined now, I’m hoping to keep it updated with new projects (wishful thinking, I know).

If you take a look, I’d love to know what you think!

This Week’s Rabbit Holes

Naturally, while working on my website, I found myself taking one too many breaks and going down quite a few rabbit holes. I wasn’t expecting my post on embracing the rabbit hole to resonate as much as it did, but clearly, we’re all fans of a deep dive. I figured I’d do a part two—so let me bring you along my rabbit holes for the week:

This Property in Bristol, Maine

Photo of property at 29 Ranger Rd, Bristol, ME 04558

To be honest, I'm not sure how I came across this property, considering it’s not even for sale. Despite being unable to afford it now (keyword: now), I had to save this link because if anyone ever asks about my dream home, this just might be it. Though I don’t typically lean toward coastal homes, everything else about this house is just perfect. It was built in 1790 and sits on almost 30 acres. There’s not much info about it besides the photos, which I assume are from when it was last sold in 2021 (for $1.6 million if you’re curious, like me). If I ever become a millionaire, you’ll find me in a place like this—unbothered, always overdressed, eating well, and tackling a new personal project all the time. If anyone happens to know the current owners…please let me visit!

Early American Colonial Homes

The Maine property led me down a rabbit hole of homes of that era. Along the way, I found two new sites to keep tabs on:

While scrolling through listings, I stumbled on what might be my actual dream home (this one is actually for sale, but way over my budget). The hills, the red barn, the interior details—I’m obsessed with almost every aspect of this home. It would’ve been every aspect until I got to the picture below… I seriously had to do a double-take.

“What If I Started a Wedding Venue?”

Seeing these beautiful properties and historic homes made me wonder: should I start a wedding venue?! I really can’t help but laugh at myself. I’ve always been slightly obsessed with weddings, and I’ve always known that when (keyword: when) I own land, I want to have a dedicated event space.

To my surprise, wedding venues aren’t as profitable as they sound. Given some of the prices I see mentioned these days, I would've assumed otherwise, but like with everything, it’s not always as straightforward. Ultimately, if I ever open a wedding venue, I’d like it to be more of a personal experience—like the bed & breakfast of wedding venues—which means it might not necessarily be my most profitable business idea, but that’s okay!

The History of Tourism

I’ve always had conflicting thoughts about tourism, so this is a topic I’ve been wanting to read about for a while. I watch a lot of period pieces (as you’ve probably figured out), and they always remind me of how inaccessible travel was for centuries. Most people only traveled every few years for family visits or religious purposes. The massive surge in tourism is more recent than one might think. If you’re interested in reading about it, I particularly enjoyed these articles:

Now, it feels like if you’re not constantly traveling in your 20s, you’re doing it wrong. In some ways, I agree with that sentiment. We now have the privilege of hopping on a plane and seeing places we never would’ve experienced otherwise—exploring different cultures, ecosystems, and ways of life in a way past generations never could.

At the same time, I struggle with the idea that being well-traveled is the ultimate marker of success. Travel is a privilege, but social media makes it seem like constantly being on the go is the norm. It’s as if being in a different city every week means you’ve made it. And maybe that’s true in one reality, but I think there’s just as much value in a life deeply rooted in one place—familiar is not a bad word.

I can never accurately place my thoughts on this, so I’d love to hear what you think—how do you feel about travel?

The Oldest Hotel in the World

Exterior of Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Japan, believed to be the world's oldest hotel — Source: Travel + Leisure

Naturally, while on this topic, I came across the oldest hotel in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. The Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, located near Mount Fuji, has been open since 705 (I’m sorry, what!!!) and passed down through 53 generations.

I can’t even begin to comprehend what it takes to preserve something for over 1,000 years. This hotel existed before entire languages and countries. I always find myself thinking about the lives that have passed through the landmarks and even homes that still stand today—how they could have never imagined we’d be walking through them now, thousands of years later, and yet, here we are. Ironically, I might have to add this to my travel bucket list if I ever make it to Japan one day.

Side Notes

📬 Two-way mailboxes. I’m sorry, why did no one tell me these exist?! I saw a woman open her mailbox from the back the other day, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. On my way to buy one as we speak.
🪟 Uncovered windows at night. If I can see what you’re watching as I’m driving by your house at night… I seriously worry about your safety. Have we not heard enough stories? I know curtains and/or blinds sometimes don’t always work for every space, but there are so many options nowadays. Be safe—cover your windows!
💻 MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro. In 2020, right after graduating college, my laptop stopped working while I was living in my hometown. There was no way to fix it locally, so I mailed it to my uncle in New York, hoping the Apple Store could sort it out. Instead, they told him, "Yeah, we’ll have to ship it to California… and you might lose everything on it." After that nightmare, I made a rule to upgrade my laptop every 2-3 years (I usually trade in my old one). I currently use a 14” MacBook Pro, but I also carry around a massive 16” Pro for work. With all the recent MacBook Air updates, I wonder if it’s a better, more portable option. Thoughts?
🪻 Brown + Lavender. Apparently, obsessing over color combinations is a new hobby of mine. Lavender has always been my favorite color (2 out of 3 things I own are probably lavender), and I typically love to pair it with red. But lately, I’ve been drawn to brown + lavender. Particularly in fashion, such as this look from Holzweiler's AW24 runway show at London Fashion Week. I also think this combination works well if you want to bring lavender pieces, such as this couch from Anthropologie, into your home, pairing it with browns in wood, rugs, and even tiles! Overall, I feel like colors that already exist in nature tend to go well together.