Steeped in Stories: Sipscript 1

Sips, Steps, and Storylines

Sips from a Well-Traveled Cup

Not every journey needs a passport stamp, though those are fun to collect. Some travel is slow, taken in by quiet moments, steeped in memory, history, culture, or a really good cup of tea.

Welcome to the table in the den, Steeped in Stories - my travel journal filled with personal nuggets about the places that linger in my memory.

This blog is not a bucket list or a nonstop itinerary. It’s about discovery—the kind that happens in half-silent museums, along dusty trails carved by history, and in the quiet cafes where a single overheard phrase lingers longer than your drink. It's for those who believe that stories live in landscapes, that ruins still whisper, and that even a layover has its own narrative. I don't travel often, but when I do, I go with eyes open to wonder, a notebook in hand, and an empty teacup ready for new exotic drinks. I have been to archaeology digs all across Europe, studied business in Asia, and traveled paths on land and sea. My kind of travel is a blend of educational programs and family adventure filled with mysteries of the ancient, warm cups of tea, local specialties, and unexpected wonders.

If you’ve ever left a place with more questions than photos—or packed a notebook before your socks—then this is your kind of journey. Welcome, friend. You’ve just wandered into Steeped in Stories—a cozy corner of my writing den where tea and tales brew together and every path, whether cobblestone or cracked concrete, holds a story worth retelling.

Pawprints Across the World

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to travel across 16+ countries over the years, soaking up culture, myth, and memory at every stop. Some places left sand in my boots, others tucked themselves into my heart, and all of them left behind stories.

Here are a few of the places I’ve explored (in no particular order):

• France

• Italy

• Greece

• Ireland

• Romania

• Spain

• Poland

• Germany

• Mexico

• United Kingdom (England & Scotland)

• China

• Taiwan

• Dominican Republic

• Canada

• Belize

• Jamaica

• Many others, plus more to come.

Each country offered a different kind of spark: a myth I’d never heard before, a ruin I could almost feel humming under my fingertips, or a conversation that made me pause and reflect. These moments are the building blocks of this blog (and there are many). They are my stories behind the postcards, and the truths you won’t find in guidebooks.

Past Prints, Present Paths, Future Forage

When I travel, I’m rarely chasing a bucket list. I’m following threads—fragments of a story waiting to be stitched together. I find myself drawn to places where history isn’t just written in books but carved into stone, woven into traditions, or buried under layers of city streets. I seek the before, the after, and the still-unfolding now.

Sometimes that means standing in the shadow of a crumbling temple and imagining what it once was. Other times it’s finding a small museum dedicated to one family’s story, or sharing tea with someone who tells me about their life with such clarity I can feel it settle into my bones.

My studies have brought me to off-the-path places steeped in a history untold by books. A history that is etched into the people who still live there and the things their ancestors left behind. Every time I travel, there is more than just a place to see or a thing to do. There are people, legends, and monuments hiding in every corner of my stops, often kept alive by a local family or a mysteriously rooted tradition.

This blog will honor those layers. The past, through historical reflections and ancient sites. The present, through my current observations and impressions. And the future, through questions I leave unanswered, and stories that are still waiting to happen.

What the Trail Journal Holds

Steeped in Stories will include a variety of post types, each steeped in curiosity, memory, and discovery. Each of varying length based on what and where I am posting from. Here’s what’s brewing:

• Historical Echoes – Explorations of the historical events, architecture, and cultures of the places I visit. Think myth meets anthropology (or archaeology).

• Travelogues – Personal reflections and stories from my travels—what I saw, how it felt, and what stayed with me long after I left.

• Cultural Snapshots – Notes on art, traditions, food, and the quirky details that make a place stick in your soul.

• Story Seeds – Short narrative sketches or creative pieces inspired by specific places or moments.

• Bearings & Brews – When I’m actively traveling, I’ll be sharing brief daily entries—morning musings over tea or coffee. These will be quick reflections on what I saw the day before or what I’m hoping to find that day. They may be poetic. They may be messy. They’ll always be real.

This isn’t just a travel blog. It’s a collection of experiential narratives—each one brewed slowly, stirred with memory, and poured out with intention. I’m here to tell stories that linger like steam from a well-steeped cup.

Paws Packed, Heart Ready (mostly)

This month, I am lucky enough to join my old history teacher on a special trip. One that will be filled with scenic stops, historic places, overflowing museums, and emotional stories as the group travels the path of World War II soldiers from London to Normandy and ending in Munich.

Starting soon, I plan to post daily morning tea updates during the trip: brief travel journal entries filled with images, soldier stories, historic tidbits, and moments that stirred my emotions. Some entries might be long, some short (it really depends on how much time and energy I have for writing). More in-depth tales will come as the mood strikes me, mixed in with all my other travel memories.

If you're the kind of person who is curious about more than just the tourist traps, who loves a personal touch on travel, or who finds comfort in quiet, worn places, you're my kind of adventurer. So bring your cup (filled with your favorite warm drink). Bring your curiosity. Traveling from the den, Steeped in Stories is about to begin.

A Final Sip of Gratitude

If you’ve read this far, thank you. You’ve already shared in the beginning of something I’ve been wanting to create for a long time. Steeped in Stories is deeply personal, rooted in my own wanderings and wonderings. But I hope it becomes a place where you see echoes of your own curiosity, too.

If anything I’ve shared has sparked your interest, I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below—tell me where you’ve traveled, where you dream of going, or what kinds of stories you wish more people would tell.

If you’d like to follow along on this journey, I invite you to subscribe to the den—most future posts will be shared with members and will include exclusive photos, behind-the-scenes musings, and updates from the road when I’m on a new adventure. You’ll also get access to the rest of my writing series, from tech troubleshooting to forensic tales, and creative short stories.

Thanks again for joining me for the first pour. I hope the stories to come warm your heart, stir your imagination, and maybe even inspire you to steep in your own stories, wherever they take you.

You’ve started the journey—now come deeper into the den. Full posts continue the adventure through places steeped in history, myth, and memory. Whether it’s a hidden trail or a centuries-old town square, the den offers more stories to wander through. Subscribe for full entries and exclusive stops along the way.

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