The girl in the window seat
From flight anxiety to elite status, here’s how I found my voice at 30,000 feet
I used to be terrified of flying.
I avoided the windows, afraid to look out and see just how high up our giant hunk of metal was hurtling through the clouds. My knuckles turned white from clutching the armrest and my heart rate remained higher than our cruising altitude for the entire duration of the flight. I kept a strict count of the minutes left until landing. I barely let myself breathe. I was so sure that, at any moment, we’d simply drop out of the sky.
Fast forward about a decade: I’m not just a frequent flyer with status on Delta. Now, I’m the girl in the window seat, captivated by the modern marvel of flight and enraptured by the sight of the world at 30,000 feet. This evolution took time, education, and—most importantly—exposure therapy. It’s not easy doing things that feel hard, but it can be really rewarding. This was the case with my flight anxiety, and I hope it will be the same with this newsletter.
It’s scary to put yourself out there. To allow yourself to be perceived without the fear of judgment. To do what feels like screaming into the void: this is what I like! This is what moves me! But the bottom line is: sharing my world brings me joy. And I’d like for my near-constant saving and pinning and bookmarking to go further than the dark recesses of my devices.
And that brings us here: to my humble newsletter, Window Seat, where I hope to inspire you with musings on the art of traveling well.
My credentials: I’m a creative strategist (finger on the pulse!), I run my own design consultancy (perspective AND taste!), and in the last four years alone, I’ve flown enough to circle the globe more than five times over. You can expect to read about my design-forward packing essentials, the latest travel industry news, my trip itineraries and recommendations, interviews with tastemakers about how they travel, and more. Plus, I’ll be sharing detailed travel hacking guides to help you plan the luxury vacation of your dreams with money you’re already spending.
So: let’s dive in, shall we?
Right now, like everyone else, I’ve got the holidays on my mind. As someone whose primary love language is gift-giving, this time of year is when I really get to work my magic. But it’s also a major moment for traveling & hosting, so in honor of this trifecta of personal areas of expertise, I’m dishing out recommendations for all three. Enjoy!
The art of the everyday upgrade. At the risk of sounding like a typical Taurean, I have to say: upgrading the experience of an everyday action is my preferred gift-giving avenue to show my loved ones my affection. Who doesn’t love a little luxury? Like this bedside carafe that turns the act of drinking water into a considered experience. Even chicer if you have a guest room (*cries in NYC*) to leave one in. To complete the bedside vignette: hand cream with a form as good as function. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade your robe situation? I’m a big fan of this one.
Packing, but make it elegant. No perfumes left behind. Take your favorite full-sized fragrance along for the ride in this stunning refillable bullet spray. You can keep it in this small makeup bag that won’t take up too much space in your carry-on, along with the mini size of my favorite calming toning spray. For shorter trips, I’m obsessed with my personalized Cadence Capsules (each one holds enough product to last me about a week). To recover from a long-haul flight, you can’t go wrong with a trip to your local bathhouse—here’s mine.
Hosting as a love language. Want to seriously upgrade your hosting accouterment? Let me introduce you to my chrome/silver obsession: try this Alessi tea kettle (the shining star of my cooktop), this Georg Jensen étagère (on my personal wishlist), or vintage Guy Degrenne ice cream coupes for the chicest dessert moment known to humankind. I got the latter courtesy of my wedding registry earlier this year and cannot overstate how much more meaningful it is to eat my favorite cherry chip ice cream out of these than regular bowls. There’s even a cheaper Amazon alternative. Speaking of meaningful, we can’t forget setting the vibe. One thing we are never doing is using The Big Light, especially when hosting. You simply have no excuse for not having good mood lighting anymore! Two ideas: place some portable lamps strategically (only $30!) or keep it more intimate with tealight candles and votives.
From the flight deck 🛫
Bringing you a 30,000-foot view of need-to-know travel industry news
Is anyone still going to Tulum?? If you are, good news: Tulum finally got an airport! Tulum International Airport (TQO) just opened on the first of the month. No more two-hour-long car rides after hopping off the plane in Cancun. Delta, United, American, and Spirit will be announcing routes in March.
The golden age of aviation might be poised for a resurgence. Remember the Concorde? Flying on this iconic, supersonic airliner was one of the most luxurious experiences in the sky (or as Vanity Fair put it: “a champagne-and-caviar-filled fantasy”) that could get you from New York to London in just under three hours. Now, 20 years after the Concorde’s retirement, a partnership between NASA and Lockheed Martin is paving the way for a new generation of quieter supersonic aircraft. They’re finally set to unveil their X-59 aircraft on January 12th at 1 pm PT! To celebrate, here’s a throwback to when I had a private tour of the Concorde at the Intrepid Museum.
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Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
This rules and I already have so many new bookmarks.