Music

10:15 Saturday Night by The Cure
New Pop Festival, 1979

Sleep to Dream by Fiona Apple
MTV Unplugged, 1997

Always and Forever by Heatwave
BBC Four, Year Unknown

Feelin’ Good by My Brightest Diamond
The Warfield, 2007

Thinking of a Place by The War on Drugs
WFUV Public Radio, 2017

Films

Falling Down
Thriller, 1993

In the Mood for Love
Drama, 2000

Mad Max: Fury Road
Action, 2015

The Talented Mr. Ripley
Thriller, 1999

When Harry Met Sally
Comedy, 1989

TV

Black Mirror
Channel 4 and Netflix, 2011-Present

Breaking Bad
AMC, 2008-2013

Insecure
HBO, 2016-Present

The Twilight Zone (Original Series)
CBS, 1959-1964

The X-Files
Fox, 1993-2002 and 2016-2018

potpourri

Edgar Wright: How to Do Visual Comedy
Every Frame a Painting, 2014-2016

Film Countdowns
David Ehrlich, 2014-Present

Live on KEXP
KEXP, 2001-Present

O.J.: Made In America
ESPN Films, 2016

The Rewatchables Podcast
The Ringer, 2015-Present

Arts & culture

Chihuly Garden & Glass
Seattle, WA

Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
Rome, IT

Fratelli Alinari
Florence, IT

Musical Instrument Museum
Brussels, BE

National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.

for science!

California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, CA

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA

Museo Galileo
Florence, IT

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
Washington, D.C.

the great outdoors

Acadia National Park
Maine

Bark'n Springs Canine Water Park
Austin, TX

Seward Park
Seattle, WA

VanDusen Botanical Garden
Vancouver, CA

Villa Borghese
Rome, IT

potpourri

The Great Wall
China

Largo di Torre Argentina
Rome, IT

Piazza di Trevi
Rome, IT

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries
Seattle, WA

Texas State Capitol
Austin, TX

Memorable meals

Seafood Risotto at Chinappi di Pesce
Rome, IT

Ramen at Daikokuya
Los Angeles, CA

Handmade Pasta at Il Corvo Pasta
Seattle, WA

Matzo Ball Caldo at June’s
Austin, TX

BBQ Tsukemen at Kemuri Tatsu Ya
Austin, TX

desserts i won’t share

Gelato Cone at Come il Latte
Rome, IT

Grandma Hagler’s Strawberry Cake at Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile
Austin, TX

Gelato at La Carraia
Florence, IT

Chocolates and Gelato at Quetzalcoatl Chocolatier
Rome, IT

Thai Tea Affagato at Sway
Austin, TX

hometown favorites

Awash
North Park, San Diego

Banh Thai
University Heights, San Diego

DAO Fu
Normal Heights, San Diego

Hinotez
Kearny Mesa, San Diego

Mitch’s Seafood
Point Loma, San Diego

potpourri

Deadstock Coffee
Portland, OR

Granville Island Public Market
Vancouver, CA

Lucy’s Fried Chicken
Austin, TX

Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
Austin, TX

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Seattle, WA

books

Elliott Bay Book Company
Seattle, WA

Powell’s City of Books
Portland, OR

South Congress Books
Austin, TX

Libreria Del Viaggiatore
Rome, IT

Ophelia’s Books
Seattle, WA

Entertainment

401 Games
Toronto, CA

Amoeba Music
Hollywood, CA

Il Museo del Louvre
Rome, IT

Twisted Jazz Shop
Florence, IT

Waterloo Records & Video
Austin, TX

Fashion & beauty

Atchoum
Brussels, BE

Charm School Vintage
Austin, TX

Glasswing Shop
Seattle, WA

Officina Profuma-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
Florence, IT

Street Doing
Florence, IT

potpourri

Distant Lands
Pasadena, CA

Fremont Vintage Mall
Seattle, WA

Ma Maison de Papier
Brussels, BE

Paxton Gate
San Francisco, CA

Take Heart
Austin, TX

“I loved the idea that looking at a painting or listening to a concerto could make you somehow ‘transcend’ the day-in, day-out bullshit that grinds you down: how in one instant of pure attention you could draw something inside that made you forever larger.” —Mary Karr