I went to see a friend who was living abroad, and being guided by someone who already called a place “home” gave me a vantage point I hadn’t had before. It’s one thing to travel; it’s another to travel knowing someone else’s story in a place.

Walking through its streets, the rhythm of the buses, the sound of accents, the art tucked into every corner, I was struck by how culture felt deliberate. Museums, markets, parks, and corners where history was visible yet still alive. I saw things I’d read about come to life in unexpected ways.