I am in my Carmen Sandiego era. Here are a few notes from places that changed my defaults around infrastructure, cities, culture, and daily life.
Nigeria was a fun throwback to my childhood, and a reminder that infrastructure is not abstract. Power, logistics, payments, and trust shape what people can build and how much effort ordinary life requires.
Kenya brings me peace. It made me think a lot about what good urban rhythm feels like: movement, warmth, density, and enough structure for people to build around.
South Korea made me rethink default assumptions about cities, food, cleanliness, transit, and shared space. Also, the chicken is unfairly good.
The UAE feels like Wakanda built in the desert. It made me think about safety, ambition, state capacity, and what happens when a place decides to build quickly and visibly.
Mexico is home to some of the happiest and healthiest elders I have ever met. CDMX is unmatched: dense, social, beautiful, and alive in a way that makes most cities feel under-designed.