Hey everyone,
How’s it going? It’s been a few months since I’ve emailed you. In the Before Times, I would’ve tried to explain myself with some excuse (“I was traveling so much! Work got crazy!”), but let’s be real: These are not those times. The truth is that I got sucked into the Covid tunnel, and somehow months went by because what is time, and now here we are. I hope you have all been doing okay managing this pandemic since we last spoke, and that your families and loved ones are as safe and healthy as possible.
On my end, one uplifting piece of news to emerge from the rubble of 2020 is that I finished my book, Destination Wellness. It comes out on April 6th, 2021, and it’s now available for pre-order!! All of the information on how to do that is below.
But first, check out the cover, which I’m hoping speaks to you as much as it speaks to me. Every time I see it, I want to jump onto that wooden raft and soak in the soul-warming sunshine, with nothing but the sound of waves crashing and birds chirping for company. (Can you tell I am dreaming of travel in a major way?)
A quick refresher on Destination Wellness: I traveled to six different spots around the world, all before Covid, to find out what we can learn about health and happiness from other cultures. The end result is an antidote to the commercialized wellness industry, a globally-inspired narrative guide that proves that health and well-being is not about the products—it’s about the way you live your life.
I can’t stop thinking about the timing of it all. For one thing, I wrapped up my last research trip just weeks before the pandemic brought travel to a screeching halt, and I will remain forever grateful that I was able to pull it all off before everything changed. But on a bigger note, while all of the lessons in the book were relevant before Covid, they’ve become even more timely today. Destination Wellness fits right into our new world of “armchair escapism,” where we travel the globe without leaving home. The book is filled with ancient wellness principles and practices from various cultures all over the world—and the best part is that none of them require a plane ticket or a passport to experience. They simply require a couch and an open mind. In fact, throughout these past few months at home, I’ve found myself leaning on these very philosophies—like friluftsliv, the Norwegian art of embracing the outdoor life—to get through these tough times. And now I want Destination Wellness to help as many people as possible do the same.
Which leads me to…THE PRE-ORDER INFO!
Though it may seem unnecessary to pre-order now, it actually helps books get much better traction leading up to their launch date. Booksellers, for example, see those pre-order numbers and are more likely to buy more copies for their stores because they think it will sell well on their end. All of which is to say: Pre-ordering the book may help it reach more people in the end, so if you are able to do so now, I would appreciate it so much!
All of the pre-order information is on my website, here. And I am also pasting it below to make it extra easy! The best thing you can do is call your local bookstore and order a copy with them, or you can pre-order online from the following retailers:
Bookshop (to support local independent bookstores)
Last order of business: What do you want to see more of from me in the coming months?
I’m going to start sending this newsletter out on a regular basis once again, but since I’m not traveling much these days, I’m going to devote each newsletter to a particular theme (in addition to passing along book updates and other thoughts of the moment). Each broad theme will be related to wellness, travel, New York, writing, or general lifestyle in some way, such as:
My favorite books with a strong sense of place (I’m currently reading The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, which takes place in Jaipur, India, and it’s really taking me there)
My go-to globally-inspired DIY beauty rituals
My all-time favorite music I’ve gathered on my travels
Places on my 2021 travel list (this iPhone note is getting VERY long, dear lord)
Best global design stores for ethical, conscious home decor
My favorite movies/documentaries that transport you to other places
My favorite online workouts
Do you all have any other requests? Let me know if so. I’d love to know what you enjoy reading and what you are looking for in the newsletters you subscribe to right now.
***
Before I go, I’m going to leave you with the lyrics to the classic ballad “Against the Wind.” (It’s originally by Bob Seger, but I like this cover by The Highwaymen—a supergroup with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson—so much more.) These lyrics have been hitting the spot for me lately as I’ve been juggling multiple things at once (aren’t we all), but I realized the other day that they are also a great life mantra as we head into the 2020 holiday season.
In the song, Seger explains that life is a series of “deadlines and commitments,” where we must decide “what to leave in, what to leave out.” That idea of deciding what to leave in and what to leave out seems so simple on the surface, but when you really think about it, as I tend to do, it’s much deeper than that. The seemingly simple act of choosing what (and who) to leave in, and what (and who) to leave out is actually the act of creating a meaningful existence for yourself. As the year comes to a close, I think these lyrics can be a great jumping off point to start reflecting on what you want more and less of in the next year ahead.
In the meantime, have a great week, stay safe, and please please try to ~leave out~ large Thanksgiving gatherings!
THANK YOU in advance for any and all pre-orders, too.
xx, Annie