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In last week's newsletter, I talked about hope and daffodils, a symbol of spring and renewal in some parts of the world.

Imagine my surprise when, just a day later, I stumbled upon this Emergence Magazine podcast episode that mentioned daffodils as "an imposition of a particular view of springtime onto other peoples."

Intrigued, I started digging, as I admit, I haven't given this much thought to daffodils before.

Turns out, while these white-yellow bursts of color originally grew in Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa, we have the European colonial settlers to thank for their spread throughout the world.

Cornell University's Botanic Gardens calls daffodils a "global symbol of hope, renewal, and resistance," but also acknowledges that it was European colonists who brought the flowers into the New World.

In Berkshire Magazine, Afro-Caribbean writer and Harvard professor Jamaica Kincaid writes, "I used to hate daffodils because we had to memorize this poem by Wordsworth, 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,' that was all about daffodils."

She recounts the flower's history and symbolism in her novel, Lucy. Much like Kincaid herself, her novel's protagonist is forced to memorize a poem about daffodils by a British writer, even though she herself would never see daffodils in her home in colonized Antigua.

Because of their colonial transport mode, daffodils are not Indigenous to many places where they now grow.

In the words of one of the Emergence podcast guests, "they’re pretty, but they don’t really feed the local ecosystem."

Of course, daffodil's colonial history is not the flower's fault. I'll still enjoy the sight of one when I see it on the street.

But I'll also pause, and pay attention, and wonder what other everyday objects and symbols carry a meaning I'm not aware of.

I'm sharing this daffodiled trip down a rabbit hole with you because, in a way, this is what Going Places is all about.

We're approaching the one-year anniversary of Going Places, and I'm reflecting on what this year has meant.

Together, we're all learning how to become more thoughtful travelers and how to dismantle the Western and Global North-centric gaze in our own work and life.

That's the work I'm deeply committed to for years to come.

xx Yulia

🏠 Inside Going Places

Insights from Condé Nast Traveler

ICYMI: Last week's guest was Lale Arikoglu, a longtime editor at Condé Nast Traveler and the host of the Women Who Travel podcast. She shared insights from the magazine, including on how to pitch her.

Take a listen here.

How Condé Nast Traveler Meets This Moment

CNT’s veteran editor Lale Arikoglu on borders, visa equity, and the privilege of travel.

Going PlacesYulia Denisyuk

Coming up this week

➡️ This Wednesday, you'll hear from Muna Haddad, a changemaker in the travel industry and the founder of Baraka Destinations. The conversation I had with Muna is among my all-time favorite episodes.

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🌍 In The World

Kazakhstan ➡️  Greece ➡️  Peru

Next week, I'm hitting the road for an 8-week journey with three back-to-back press trips.

I'll start in Kazakhstan, where I'll be reporting from the ancient cities on the Silk Road, then spending some time with family (as you might know, I was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan's former capital).

I'll then join colleagues for an ATTA adventure in Greece's Pelopponnese peninsula, then head to Peru for a trek to Machu Picchu.

I'm often amazed that this is my life and my work. It seemed impossible a decade ago, yet here I am.

I've shared most of what I know about this industry inside the masterclass I ran this February, and you can now purchase it as a video series here.

And if you're in or near these three locations this Spring, do let me know. A Going Places get-together might be in order.

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