To deltiologists - or postcard collectors, these unique pieces have something magical about them. They offer a captivating glimpse to what travel was like many decades ago, refreshingly pre-Instagram. The postcards take you to a specific moment in time where our world was less global and cultures more vibrant and defined so that the sender may describe what they see in fine detail.

Ever since I started working in travel, Ethiopia settled itself in the back of my mind as the ultimate destination. Growing up on the opposite side of Africa, I was intrigued by this seemingly different and mysterious country that shared my continent.

If we can collectively agree on one thing, it’s that the world has reached an unprecedented global stress level in the past couple years that has brought us together in a mutual struggle to stay sane. The macrocosmic angst stemming from an obnoxious pandemic caught us all off guard, abruptly cutting us off from basic freedoms we took for granted.

For centuries, the Italian island of Sardinia has been playing a game of tug of war with its deep African roots and rich European ancestry, yet this gem remains underrated in the mass travel world. Sardinia is a place of wonder, proudly owning second place in size among the islands of the Mediterranean. It is most famous for having some of the bluest waters in the world.

Feeling hungover from my 11-hour flight to Casablanca, I approach the immigration desk where a friendly face with a bushy mustache greets me with “Salaam” (literally meaning “peace”). Dazed from exhaustion, I respond “Alaykum Salaam” and hand over my passport. He scans my ID page with a watchful eye. Name. Sarah Casewit. Place of Birth. Morocco. Nationality. USA. He looks up at me and asks in Arabic, “Where’s your Moroccan passport? I can’t let you through without a Moroccan ID.”

The Scotland of our dreams is a shared one. A castle perched at the edge of a misty loch that ripples with secrets and tales of old. Wild heather blows in from the moors with its glorious hues of mauve. Cloud-softened light gathers in patches as thin rays make their way past the Highland peaks. A fjord crashes into a serene valley of green while a distant bagpipe skirls over daring cliffs.