I'm Marie Gracie and I live near Milton Keynes in the UK. Years ago I left the corporate world so I could hang out with my kids more. And did Julia Cameron's "Artist's Way" course (link below) which got me going on my second career as an artist.  One of her key concepts was that creatives need to top up their creative tanks by taking themselves off on what she called "Artist's Dates".  That concept has stayed with me. When I lost my beautiful studio space and became an "empty nester" I had more freedom to travel and top up my own tank. Starting to travel by myself after years of family holidays was scary but has a big pile of unexpected advantages. I think it definitely works better with some research and careful planning.  Sometimes I have made work, other times less so (see thoughts on photos in that regard) but I have definitely topped up my tanks and given that muse a very good chase. As I was recording my journeys in a journal it was a natural extension to create this to share my experiences and tips. I suppose its part of my new practise! I hope that you might follow in my footsteps or be inspired to make your own journeys. Happy travelling!