Angelique & Hunter
September 2026 ·
Bruges was our first Still-Wandering experiment—not because it checked a box on a list, but because it fit the Still-Wandering plan.
Bruges was our first Still-Wandering experiment—not because it checked a box on a list, but because it fit the Still-Wandering plan.
We wanted to travel realistically, move slowly, pack compactly and live without a rigid itinerary.
But first, we had to get there.
Busy airports, fast paces, confusing train stations, large cities and bustling crowds created exactly the kind of overstimulating environment we were trying to escape. After a long journey, we finally reached Bruges, found our small hotel and started walking.
And then—ahhh. Finally.
This was what we had been waiting for: quiet strolls, beautiful architecture, canals and little restaurants tucked along the streets.
Bruges gave us a place to test the question behind Still-Wandering: "What if?"
What if we tried an extended weekend in Europe? Would we love it or hate it? Could we practice slow travel during a short trip and still feel as though we had experienced what mattered? Could we pack less, schedule less and discover more?
Other people had traveled farther with even less time, so our answer was simple: let's find out.
There would be coffee in a new favorite café—there will always be coffee—wine to linger over and enough time to discover what really mattered.
The question was not how many destinations we could cover in a short time. It was how many meaningful experiences we might have by letting go of the pressure to cover them all.
Could we decide what needed to come with us and what could be left behind? Was Bruges the right place to begin? Could we prove that slower, more realistic travel was possible during an extended weekend? Would we make mistakes? Would we do things differently afterward? Would we find something useful enough to share with our fellow Wanderers?
The answer to all of those questions was yes.
Before leaving, we sat down to explain who we are, why Bruges became our first Still-Wandering experiment and what we hoped would happen when one Gen Xer and one Millennial attempted to travel more slowly and pack more compactly.
This was what we believed before the wrong train, the failed microphone, the confusing trams and the packing lessons Belgium had waiting for us.
Watch
What Happened Next?
- Our real arrival in Brussels — Coming soon
- The wrong train — Coming soon
- Finding our rhythm in Bruges — Coming soon
- A Ghent day trip — Coming soon
- What we packed — Coming soon
- What we actually used — Coming soon
- Our travel mistakes — Coming soon
- Tips we learned afterward — Coming soon
- The complete Candid Chat — Coming soon
- Our final Bruges verdict — Coming soon