I’ve always hesitated to share much about my personal life on my work platforms. But the funny thing is that my best client relationships often start from the most random conversations.
The stories about our dogs. The travel recommendations swapped on a call. The shared obsession with one specific matcha spot.
Over time, I realized those small connections make my work feel more human, and maybe that’s worth sharing.
Over the past two years, I’ve been traveling a lot. And while I’ve seen temples, beaches, and new skylines, my favorite part of exploring a new place has always been finding coffee shops.
It’s such a simple ritual, but it always feels like the easiest way to get a sense of a city’s personality.
Some of my favorite cafés in Chiang Mai:
- Self Coffee | Groovy music + specialty coffee (think smoke-infused cold brew)
- Street Coffee Crew | Rap music, runners, local-fave
- Brewginning | Probably the most Instagrammed spot in CNX
- % Arabica | A classic dependable choice
- All Black Coffee | Freshly brewed + a really cute black cat
- Yelloo | Bright, airy, minimalist cafe
Lately, I’ve been bringing my junk journal with me to these spots. It’s a little way to be present. It helps me slow down. It’s easy to sit behind a laptop all day, even in the prettiest places, and forget to actually see what’s around you.
And I guess that’s the lesson I keep coming back to. That design is never isolated.
Every project I create eventually exists alongside something else. A street, a sign, a storefront, a cup of coffee.
Maybe that’s why these small travel moments mean so much to me. They remind me that good design isn’t just made and appreciated on screens.