Reflections on taste, transformation and the untethered journey. One piece at a time.
Welcome to Tessera, the intentional travel blog by The Untethered Traveler. Discover meaningful travel stories, taste-led journeys and unique travel experiences from around the world. From hidden gems to immersive cultural encounters, Tessera inspires you to explore with purpose and create lasting connections - one piece in the mosaic at a time.
What is a Tessera? A tessera is a single tile in a mosaic - small on its own, but essential to the bigger picture. Each story here is a tessera: a moment, insight or connection that shapes a more meaningful way of traveling. Together, they create a vibrant portrait of journeys made with intention.
Once, and Yet Again: Returning to Spain with Intentional Travel
Madrid, San Sebastian, Seville - places I’d loved before but saw anew. This is the beauty of returning: deeper tastes, unexpected lessons, and the reminder that travel’s magic grows when we meet it with an open heart and mind.
An Italian Severance Project: Intentional Travel’s Restorative Power in Rome
Laid off one day, in Rome the next - at the counter of Roscioli with a plate of Amatriciana. This story explores how one meal, one reset, and one untethered moment transformed loss into gratitude and set a new course for intentional travel.
Travel, My Life Companion: How Intentional Journeys Shape Who We Become
From Prague to Vietnam to Spain, solo travel became more than an adventure - it became a life companion. This is the story of how moving at my own pace, on my own terms, turned travel into a teacher of presence, purpose, and self-discovery.