A dispatch from my desk

what I've been up to outside of this newsletter

Hi! I’m Katie — a social and cultural psychologist specializing in travel psychology. Psychologie is where I write about why we travel, who we become when we do, and the things worth sitting with along the way. I believe in slowing down, in handwritten things, and in the kind of travel that changes you. I’m so glad you found your way here.

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I’ve been meaning to write one of these for a while — one of those letters where you just catch up a friend on what’s been happening. So here it is!

It’s been a full and oh so fun season. Honestly, I've been having more fun in my work lately than I have in a long time. And it’s left me thinking about why. I think it comes down to creativity. I've come to recognise, here in my 40s, that creativity is really central to who I am. It’s foundational to my identity, my sense of self, my wellbeing. And making things, whether it’s something you can hold or something you can experience and savour, has been genuinely life-giving in a way I didn't expect. Which is a long way of saying, here are some of my favourite projects I’ve been working on lately!

Independent Collection is a portfolio of one-of-a-kind boutique hotels and resorts across the US. You know, the kind of places that have a palpable sense of character and style. They have so many gorgeous properties in the collection, and they commissioned me to write a guide on the psychology of packing. Which sounds like a simple subject until you’re in it, and then it turns out there’s quite a lot going on beneath the surface of a zipped suitcase. We built six traveller profiles rooted in real research on personality psychology and nervous system regulation, and I had such a good time with it. You can read it here if you’re curious why you pack the way you do. It’s a fun read!

I also built a travel personality quiz for Independent Collection — which, I’ll be honest, I loved doing. I have a background in measurement development and psychometrics, which is the deeply unglamorous statistical science of how you actually construct a valid psychological assessment. But, as you know me, I need even the nerdy stuff to have a heartbeat. And it turns out that skillset doesn't have to live exclusively in academic journals and research papers. Sometimes it gets to be genuinely fun! The thing is, most personality quizzes found on the internet are vibes dressed up as science. I like making ones that are the other way around. Let’s start with the science and then sprinkle on the vibes. Take it here if you want to know more about how you travel. Along the way, you’ll discover some amazing Independent Collection properties and might even find your next dream destination!

I also contributed to a piece in The Telegraph on what your airport check-in habits say about you, which still gives me a massive thrill when I think about it. Here it is — this is a gift link, so it should get you in without a subscription.

On the travel consulting side of things, I've also been having a lot of fun! Here are a few highlights from what I've most enjoyed working on lately: three Disney trips — quite a variety and each fine-tuned depending on who's going and what they need from it, a Mediterranean cruise with Viking, and a honeymoon to the California wine country that has been an absolute joy to put together. Also three trips to Scotland — each one vastly different — and a trip to the NBA Finals, which has been one of the more exciting ones to put together! If you've ever wanted help planning a trip you really want to get right, that's something I love to do — you can find out more here.

And then there’s my website. I’ve been putting more time and energy into it, which some of you may not know exists in the way that it does. I’ve been writing longer pieces over there at The Journal of Travel Psychology in addition to my work here. Those pieces are more research-backed, more room to really get into things. One I’m particularly fond of is on travel and identity, and what it means that certain places seem to hold their own versions of us — that one’s here. I also expanded a bit more on postcards and what physical correspondence actually does to us, which feels very on theme for everything I care about lately — read it here.

I also rebranded my podcast this year. The former name was fine, but it started to feel a little small and a bit too rigid for where my work seemed to be heading. The new name is The Places We Become — which has just felt like the perfect fit. More expansive, more evocative, more alive — and more true to myself. That symbiotic relationship between people and places, and how the landscapes of our lives shape who we are. I actually wrote more about the idea behind it on Substack — (read it here: You Are Where You've Been) — and it has become one of my favourite things I've written (and many of yours, too!)

And if you haven't come across The Postcard Société yet — that's perhaps the most tangible expression of all of this and one of the projects I’m most proud of. A curated correspondence box, aligned with the seasons and built around the simple habit of writing once per week to someone you love. You can check it out here.

That’s the update, my friend! Reply if anything here resonates! I always love hearing from you and am so grateful to have you beside me for this ride.