The Well Traveled Questionnaire: Michaela Trimble
Michaela and I met 8 years ago in Guatemala and have grown to be close friends. Her vibrant curiosity and open heart lead her around the world. It's an honor to feature her today.
Michaela Trimble is a freelance journalist for publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. She enjoys covering all things Latin America, travel, design, art, architecture, wellness, psychedelics, and spirituality.
Michaela teaches online writing workshops and hosts immersive creative retreats around the world, from Costa Rica to Spain. As a teacher, she desires to guide others in finding their own voices so they can share their unique magic with the world. You can usually find her speaking on podcasts or at events like SXSW.
Right now, Michaela is finishing edits on her debut fiction novel: a thriller exploring the intersection of art and mysticism in Mexico City.
The Well Traveled Questionnaire:
Checked luggage or carry-on? Aisle or window? Book or movie download?
I always pack a carry-on whenever possible. I prefer an aisle seat on long-haul flights for easy bathroom access and a window seat on flights lasting three hours or less. I always have a book in my bag. I usually read and listen to HZ healing frequency music to calm flight anxiety. But if I’m flying business, I don’t have anxiety — ha! — and I’ll dive deep into the movies.
What is one of your most memorable coffee or tea experiences abroad?
During my first trip to Africa, I visited the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana to profile how the country revived Africa's largest mammal migration due to Botswana removing cattle fences. It was such a spectacle to see. I stayed at Jack Camp, the perfect design safari in many ways, although the real allure of my stay was the people. Each morning, a woman arrived at my tent with a French press coffee and a basket of morning pastries. She would sing to signal her arrival, like a dreamy alarm bell. On my birthday, she made me a special cupcake. I will never forget this experience!
What’s the first thing you love to do when you arrive at a new destination?
Even though I’m on the road quite a bit, I’m a homebody, and I love routines. To set myself up for ease, I usually establish where I’ll get a nice sweat in the morning and where I’ll work and write, whether in a café, hotel lobby, or a membership club like Soho House — my favorite Soho house is in Mexico City. The pool is stunning! I also like to scope out a good natural area for a walk, be it on the beach, a boardwalk, or through a park.
I love to take a nice, long stroll around sunset and listen to Alan Watts recordings. I let the rest flow from there.
Two of my favorite Alan Watts Recordings:
Hotel or Airbnb?
Is it cheating if I own it? One of my favorite places in the world is Baja California Sur, and particularly this bungalow I bought a few years ago. I love to come to the area, specifically Todos Santos, and recharge: beach volleyball, surfing, cliff hikes, and yin yoga on repeat!
Where have you recently returned from and what meaningful souvenir did you bring back with you?
Last year, I went to Bali for two months. I completed a Tantra Teacher Training and had the most euphoric, transformative experience participating in a facilitated week-long water fast hosted in a magical, Wi-Fi-free valley in North Bali. It was a challenging experience, but I felt like I was floating afterward.
This is probably the most typical Bali thing of all time, but while stopping in Ubud, I went on a shopping spree at a crystal store and brought back a big bundle of healing stones to line my altar.
When you return home from a trip, what’s the first restaurant you head to?
I’ve been living in Mexico for almost eight years now. When I’m away, I get withdrawals from Mexican cuisine. I love Sinaloa-style ceviche with a suero (sparkling water, lime, and salt). I’ll also throw down on breakfast enchiladas with chicken and two over-easy eggs on top. Or a tlayuda. It’s like a tortilla flatbread fried in lard and covered with beans, lettuce, avocado, cheese, and meat.
Where are you traveling next, and what’s drawing you there?
Next, I’ll be speaking about the rise of psychedelic tourism at SXSW in Austin and planning a few summer and fall trips to Spain and Greece. I’m especially excited to visit Greece. I once participated in a breathwork ritual where I had a vision of the Oracle of Delphi. Ever since, I’ve been eager to visit her home: the Temple of Apollo on the slopes of Mount Parnassus.
I recently returned from Costa Rica, where I led a creative and writing retreat in Nosara. While in Nosara, I was letting the retreat decide if I should do more. And now, on the other side of it, the answer is a full body hell yes. The retreat in Costa Rica reiterated my beliefs that: our gifts plus + being in service to the divine and others, equals purpose.
My Creative Retreat in Greece this October will be held on the idyllic oasis of Kea Island, a Greek island accessible by ferry from Athens and located along the Aegean Sea.
Each day is planned to invoke our ultimate creative awakening. Though the schedule may change depending on how best we can soak up the beauty of the island of Kea, we will likely begin most days with a light breakfast of coffee, tea, fruit, and yogurt before a healthy activity like a morning yoga flow or a breathwork session to get us out of our thinking minds and into our bodies.
We will then have a family-style lunch before enjoying some free time to write or relax poolside with your new writing community. We will meet again in the evening for a writing workshop led by me. Each session is designed to guide us on the path of discovering our most authentic artistry.
Our evenings will be spent enjoying the serene sunsets of Kea. We always end our day in community and reflection by savoring a family-style meal together.
It will be a really beautiful experience.
To learn more about Michaela’s work and her retreats, visit her website, linked here.
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Adding your stunning bungalow to my wishlist for my next visit to Todos!