The Weekly Journey🧡

Homeland Visit, and New Goals

📍This week, I’m writing from my home country - Israel!
I flew in from Germany on a late-night flight and spent the next day with the people I love most in the world: my family.

I’ll be here for about a month and a half.
Will that be too much time together? Time will tell.
Or maybe it’s exactly the dose we all need, to stock up on love and energy until next time, whenever that may be.

And something else exciting happened this week…
I got my very first collaboration offer!
I was thrilled, and of course, my first instinct was to question myself. (Because, well… success is scary sometimes.) But I shook it off quickly and gave myself a new goal. And if there’s one thing I love, it’s new goals.

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📆 This Week in the Journey

As part of The Journey Through Time, I took you back to Cairns, Australia, and shared two unforgettable encounters I hadn’t planned at all:
A dive in the Great Barrier Reef where I met Nemo (yes, like in the movie), and a deep conversation with a guy trying to convert me to Jesus.
Two very different moments — but both reminded me to stay open to the unexpected.

Still in that spirit of meaningful encounters, I brought you into the quiet nighttime streets of Vietnam, after the tourists go to bed, when real life starts to show.
I reflected on the difference between public exposure in places like Vietnam and the kind of privacy many of us are used to. Some places only reveal their truth once you step out of the tourist zone.

As part of The Journey Beyond Borders, I took you on a reflection about time, through three stories from my journey:
From energy management in Mexico, to planning the perfect cake in Melbourne, and finally, an early-morning club experience in Auckland.
I realized my battle with time was actually a battle with myself.
And I learned that sometimes, the best thing you can do… is ease up on your expectations.

Over on The Secret Journey, I shared the full story of landing back in Israel and being jolted awake by a rocket siren on my very first night.
Not exactly the welcome I was hoping for.

But the most disturbing story this week came from a spa in Hoi An, where I discovered a security camera pointed straight at the massage bed.
I shared this as a safety warning for women travelers and a reminder to always trust your gut when something feels off.

And I wrapped up the week with a surprising writing session.
I started writing about how the war in Israel has been affecting me, and ended up uncovering very different fears hiding under the surface.
Turns out, writing is still my best way to face anxiety and figure out what’s really going on inside.

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🎬 Behind the Scenes:

When walks open up new worlds.

I’ve never been a fan of going on walks.
I even wrote once that walking without a purpose felt strange to me, like… just walking? Why?

But I’ve changed.
These days, I don’t see them as “pointless.”
Sure, there’s the health benefit (and in the heat of Hoi An, trust me, you start sweating within five minutes, no gym needed).
But beyond that?
These walks have become a kind of quiet ritual, an opening to whatever the universe wants to drop in.

Especially in lively, touristy areas like old towns and beachfront promenades.
In Da Nang, it was the endless beach walkway.
And here in Hoi An, I’ve grown used to the vendors.
I’ve developed thick skin, and even the guys standing outside bars trying to lure people in already know me.
It’s funny now, they shout “Hey, gin & tonic! How are you?” and I laugh as I pass by.

It’s no longer just a walk, it’s a whole experience.
And maybe that’s what keeps me going.
Because if we’re being honest, working out to work out isn’t exactly at the top of my list, no matter how hard I try to convince myself.

Let’s see how long this new habit lasts.

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👀 Coming Next Week:

Next week I'll take you back to Townsville that taught me about flexibility, share how a conversation with a Swiss nomad freed my writing, and reveal what minimalism taught me about inner freedom.

I’ll present the Japanese concept IKIGAI and the question "When did you last try something new?", and tell you how a local guide brought back the spark I thought I'd lost.

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See you on the next journey,

Maya 🧡

Your support helps me to continue experiencing new worlds and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, a single cup of coffee can make a difference.

Thank you for being part of this journey.