In the following articles, we sent writers to destinations at random—by literally spinning a globe. And we packed them off with as little notice as possible. This series ran in our print magazine from 2009 to 2020, and the impromptu trips resulted in some beautiful, hilarious, and delicious adventures. These are some of our favorites from the archive.
Emma John dodges Brits, looks for Russians, and goes beneath the surface in this ever-changing Baltic country.
Writer Lisa Abend discovers that Malta is a dream of Europe past, all faith and firepower.
Steven Petrow arrives with some trepidation in the Scandinavian birthplace of ABBA and a certain meatball.
Rebecca Walker embarks on a spontaneous journey to Bulgaria, guided by locals she connected with both virtually and in real life.
John T. Edge lands in Kazakhstan, determined to get to know the country’s largest city through its food.