Speedy Boarding with Tori Simokov
Talking Paris, Japan, and tote bags with someone who's always in the Window Seat
Welcome back to Speedy Boarding, a bi-weekly series on Not That You Asked that is great news for those of you who are getting sick of me. That’s because it’s a series where I ask some of my favourite writers on Substack eight quick-ish questions about travel. So, the vast majority of the words you’re about to read weren’t written by me but by someone else.
This week the questions are being answered by Tori Simokov. Tori Simokov is a travel-obsessed graphic designer living in Brooklyn, New York who writes Window Seat, a newsletter for people with good taste who want to travel well. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Tori’s Substack is both really interesting but incredibly aesthetically pleasing - it’s really worth your time.
Right, let’s get to the questions.
Where is the best place you’ve ever been and why?
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit so many beautiful places, but nowhere captivated me quite like Japan. I spent ten days in Tokyo & Kyoto last year for my honeymoon and can’t wait to go back. I knew on some level that I would love it because I’m obsessed with Pokémon and Japanese cuisine, but there were so many unexpected aspects of Japan that charmed me.
Firstly, everything feels more fun in Japan. It’s like the culture gives you permission to get in touch with your inner child. So many inanimate objects sing to you or play songs. I love how vibrant and alive everything feels in Tokyo. The culture and history are so rich, and being in Kyoto where it’s so well-preserved feels like stepping back in time.
Everything is so clean, organized and efficient (which is wonderful for a Type-A personality like me). And then there are the people: we sat at many a family-owned restaurant where we were treated so warmly that I got emotional when it was time to leave. At least once a week I feel a deep pang of longing to return!
Where is the place you most want to visit?
This changes frequently, but right now the destination at the top of my list is South Africa. I daydream of visiting the African Penguin colonies at Boulders Beach, driving along the Garden Route, a 300-kilometer stretch of coastal road on the southwest tip of South Africa regarded as the most beautiful region in the country, and whale-watching in Hermanus, the closest on-land whale watching lookout on Earth.
Who's your dream travel companion?
It might sound cliché but, my husband, Dylan–and that’s one of the reasons I married him! We’ve traveled the world together for nine years now and he’s seen me at my best (enjoying oysters in a bathtub in a hotel suite in Paris) and at my worst (hangry in a jungle hut in Nicaragua with no air conditioning or hot water). He always packs all of the chargers I need, he figures out how to get us the best deals on luxurious flights and hotels, and he’s maybe the only person on Earth who’s more of an Airport Dad than me, so I get to turn my brain off when we travel. He’s also the kind of guy who would trade his Business Class seat for my Economy, and I just think that’s beautiful.
Great news! I'm going to buy you a hat. The catch is that you have to wear this hat on every future travel trip at all times. What kind of hat would you like?
I’m afflicted by a syndrome where I wholeheartedly believe I don’t look good in hats (but desperately want to be the kind of girl who looks effortlessly cool in a baseball cap). Until they find a cure for my illness, I’ll have to settle on a silk scarf–does that count?
Where is the place you never want to go back to?
Nashville, Tennessee. A lot of people love it, but I’m on the other end of the spectrum. The only reason I’ve been at all is because I was forced to go for a work conference. The food, the music, the drinking, the bachelor/bachelorette parties… It’s all very over-the-top and not at all for me. Sorry!
You've been given a million pounds to live your best life in one destination for a year. The problem is - you're trapped there and can't leave for the year. Where would you go?
Probably Paris. It’s a goal of mine to live there someday, or at least have a pied-à-terre. Hopefully by the end of the year I’d stop being The Annoying American, at least a little?
How do you decide where to visit next?
I actually dedicated an entire newsletter issue to this very question! There are so many extraordinary places in this giant world of ours that it feels impossible to decide where to travel to next, so for the last several years I’ve anchored my trips around hotels. This feels natural to me; I gravitate towards certain hotels more so than destinations. For example, visiting Grand Cayman wasn’t anywhere near the top of my bucket list, but going to Palm Heights was. I blame my Taurus Sun & Venus combination, as it makes me especially prone to luxuriating in a hotel bathrobe, or trading an excursion for an on-site spa day (see above re: oysters in bathtub). My next hotel-determined-destination is taking me to Switzerland, courtesy of Suvretta House.
And finally, what's the one thing you never leave home without when travelling?
My ultimate travel companion, the Away Everywhere Tote! No matter how short or long my trip is, this bag is always at my side.
A huge thanks to Tori for agreeing to be part of Speedy Boarding. If you liked this post please do consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to Not That You Asked. Paid subscribers get two free travel guides a month for just £4.99, which is way cheaper than Netflix. If £4.99 is a bit steep in this economy there’s a 50% off forever sale on at the moment to celebrate two years of Not That You Asked.
The next Speedy Boarding will drop on the 14th of June, next up is Eleanor Anstruther!
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Definitely need to get to Japan... Sigh.
Literally every single person you’ve interviewed (including yours truly) said something about Japan.😂 we should all arrange a trip together.