Welcome to Five Favorites, a weekly edit of the small things that make everyday life worth savoring.
From a travel writer currently in her homebody era, this is your weekly nudge to seek big adventures and savor tiny comforts.
In each issue, I share five or more of my current favorite things — what I’m reading, cooking, watching, wearing, and likely, obsessing over.
No algorithm. No SEO. No AI. Just the things I genuinely delight in and recommend.
What goes to your inbox:
Five personally vetted recommendations across food, travel, culture, home, parenting, and more
Monthly travel issues with city guides and destination recs, built from decades spent traveling and writing
Occasionally, I publish personal essays or themed editions, ranging from topics like my favorite foreign TV shows (I have a lot!) to the skin care I can’t live without or which Greek islands to visit,
I share it all through the lens of mes petits bonheurs, or little joys. The pursuit of the small moments that make for a full life.
So, why recommendations from moi?
I’m Anne — a writer, traveler, and mother of two based in San Francisco. I’ve been publishing online for over a decade, starting with Part-Time Traveler, a travel blog for people who love exploring the world and coming home to it.
I’ve since traveled to more than 65 countries and worked as a travel writer, book editor, and content designer. I’ve bungee jumped off a bridge in New Zealand, ate noodles off a water slide in Japan, accidentally been on safari with a honeymooning couple in Nepal (it’s a long story.) My work has appeared in Eater, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, BBC Travel, and more. I’ve always focused on applying a traveler’s mindset to daily life at home.
I used to edit cookbooks, so I know my way around a great recipe. And I love to eat. I keep vetted ‘best restaurant’ lists for cities worldwide — most of all in San Francisco, where I’ve been dining, living, and exploring for 10+ years.
Here’s what a few readers have to say:
For paid subscribers:
The Favorites Directory — a searchable archive of every recommendation ever made
All travel guides, completely free of affiliate links
The honest, dark side: the occasional un-favorites, things I can no longer recommend or have been struggling with lately
Personal updates and writing shared nowhere else online
Community discussion and reader recs
Just as we often experience “big” moments with travel, together we’ll seek out and savor small moments at home here.
Whether you read it in one sitting with a cup of tea or save it in tabs for later, my aim is that you look forward to seeing it pop up in your inbox.
Thanks for being here. xx
When you subscribe, every new issue goes directly to your inbox. You can also read it on the website, or in the Substack app. Questions? I can be reached at fivefavoritesnewsletter@gmail.com.
