Work Trip Rituals: Indian Take Out

Ever since I began traveling regularly for work, I’ve learned more about myself at this stage in my life — my wants, my needs, and my quirks — all through the lens of travel. For instance, I now know the perfect airplane bag, I’m extremely particular about my in-flight snacks, and I pretty much wear the exact same clothes on every business trip.

Another ritual I’ve developed is ordering Indian takeout on the last night of each trip. This habit started in Minneapolis, where — tired of cold sandwiches and uninspired pasta salad from the conference buffet — I wandered into the city and stumbled upon the best Indian restaurant of my life. Since then, I’ve eagerly sought out new Indian cuisine in every city I visit.

Part of the reason I indulge in Indian food during work trips is because my partner and daughter don’t like it, so I rarely order it at home when I know they won’t eat it. But since it’s my favorite cuisine, traveling solo gives me the perfect excuse to savor it guilt-free.

I also always order the same dishes: Lamb Biryani, Saag Paneer, Garlic Naan, and Chicken Tikka. 

Here’s a running list of the top Indian takeouts I’ve discovered on my work travels.

Minneapolis, MN: Kadai - The best Indian food ever

Washington, DC

New York City, NY

Tulsa, OK

Winnipeg, Canada

Sacramento, CA

The absolute worst Indian food I ever had was in Ireland. It was so bad that I threw it out and ordered the same dishes from another restaurant, only to discover the second place was somehow even worse. Both spots were extremely popular and highly rated, but the curries were sickeningly sweet — clearly tailored to Irish tastes. There wasn’t a hint of spice, and the sweetness was so over the top they might as well have served it for dessert. Truly disgusting.

Belfast, Ireland

Wine bar night

Went thrift store shopping for the first time in a long time, and found a very lovely red dress. I wore it to a wine bar, paired it with some of my mom's shoes, and a Muji coat. 

 

Dress: Nico Nico

Shoe: Vintage

Coat: Muji

Bag: Gucci

Photo Diary: DC in Summer

I spent 48 hours in Washington, DC for a work trip — and believe it or not, it was my first time visiting the nation’s capital. All these years, I’ve judged Japanese people who have never been to Tokyo, or Greeks who have never been to Athens, and yet here I was, an American who had never set foot in DC.

To be fair, it is really far — a six-hour flight — and it’s not a requirement to go there. Unlike many other countries, the US has numerous large cities, each with its own unique attractions. For 36 years, there was simply no need for me to visit DC — until now. My time there was brief, but I made the most of it and had fun exploring what I could.

Rhode Island In the Summer

It’s not every business trip that lands me in a $3M home right on the beach. But this work trip was special for many reasons. I had never been to Rhode Island, let alone a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. It took three full days for my colleagues to convince me to go into the water — I assumed it would be as cold as the Pacific, but to my surprise, it was warm.

I also ate there. A lot. All seafood and mostly lobster. 

I ate lobster 4 ways:

1. Lobster Roll

2. Lobster Bisque

3. Fried Lobster

4. Steamed Lobster

Lobster Roll

Raw oysters

Lobster bisque

Fried Lobster

Lobster roll again

Clams

Steamed Lobster

What did I Buy In Ireland

I spent 10 days in Ireland as part of a long work trip. As usual, I barely had time to shop while I was working. But this time, I made a point of staying one extra day in Dublin just to shop before my flight home. Here’s what I picked up on that final day — with two exceptions: the wool blanket (I couldn’t resist the colors) came from a gift shop at the Giant’s Causeway, and a magnet from Belfast found its way into my collection.

Irish Cheese, Jams, and Crackers from a grocery store

Chocolates

Rhubard Gin 

Korean BBQ Sauces from a Dublin restaurants

Wool blanket from Giant's Rock

Candles

Notebooks

A shot glass

A magnet from Belfast

Winter date nights

I’m super proud of pulling this outfit together in just 20 minutes for a weeknight dinner reservation. It had been two years since my partner and I went out for a multi-course dinner, and I wanted to look nice — but it was freezing out.

This look is mostly Muji, paired with a thrifted Pendleton skirt, an old Celine bag, and classic Prada sunglasses. Cozy, chic, and just right for a cold night out.

 

Coat: Muji
Sweater: Muji
Shirt: Everlane
Skirt: Pendleton via a thrift store
Shoes: Madewell
Bag: Celine
Sunglasses: Prada

We went to Langbaan and it was amazing as expected. 

Seaside Solo Trip

Back in 2022, I took a solo trip to Seaside, Oregon, to complete my grad school application. The project felt so daunting that I needed to escape my home, if only for a night, to hunker down and finish it in a motel by the beach. Below is an excerpt from my diary that evening, paired with photos from my day:

A dreary fog and mist soaked coastal town off season. It’s been perfect. 

This night alone was an agonizing decision. I longer to return to Astoria, but it is far and I was worried I would be too tempted to lurk around town instead of stay inside and work.  Seaside was the perfect combination of intrigue and adventure, a place I had not been in 10+ years, barely knew, could easily drive to, could afford. 

The beach was surreal today. A bright fog descended, obscuring the sky and sea and land. I stood in the middle of the three worlds, wondering where they began and ended. Two suns illuminated me: one the sky, and once in the wet reflection of the glassy mirror left behind by the receding tide. 

I realized why I’m so afraid of the ocean. Because staring out into the open sea is like staring into an open door. Expecting something to come out from there, or be drawn inward.  If there is an open door frame, then someone must walk through it. A ship, a wave, a storm. You get this uncanny feeling that something is out there ready to be taken in by the tide. And you’re waiting and waiting and waiting to meet it.

It was a surreal moment walking around the beach, being inside that hazy white cloud, feeling reality temporarily suspended. And then walking around Seaside, the charming, quirky, dilapidated town. The derelict Shilo-Inn looking, an old arcade, a sad Chinese restaurant. I was once replied by this town and now I am fascinated by it. It’s gloom, its decay, its mist. This was the right decision to come here. Now I just need to get work done.

— October 8, 2022