The Joyfulicity Blog

Iceland is one of the best places in the world to experience the aurora because you can combine the search for the lights with an incredible winter vacation. During the same trip, you can soak in geothermal lagoons, walk along black-sand beaches, explore waterfalls, visit glaciers, drive through volcanic landscapes, and eat wonderful food in cozy restaurants.

These are the places where you linger a little longer over a meal, strike up a conversation with a local, or discover something unexpected simply by wandering. And in many cases, those quieter, less-planned moments become the highlights of the entire trip. Choosing to explore beyond the most famous destinations doesn’t mean missing out—it often means experiencing more.

Paris is the kind of place where a simple walk to get coffee turns into an hour of wandering past beautiful buildings, tucked-away streets, and little moments you didn’t plan. For a first visit, it’s easy to feel like you need to see everything. But three days is just enough time to experience the highlights while still leaving space to enjoy the rhythm of the city.

Under the Tuscan Sun is a warm, sensory-rich memoir that celebrates the pleasures of slowing down, renovating a crumbling home, and building a life rooted in place. Written by poet and travel writer Frances Mayes, the book follows her experience purchasing and restoring an old villa in the Tuscan countryside, blending travel writing, memoir, and reflections on food, landscape, and belonging.