Meet The Travelling Troubadour

Q&A with Richard Philion (The Inner Thoughts Version)

Hey Club Members,

Meet Richard Philion from Travelling Troubadour! When I came across his Substack and discovered his dance background, I was suddenly channeling my inner eight-year-old, cycling through all five ballet positions (arms and all) as I devoured his posts. Maybe it was my recent Étoile binge that gave me the courage, or his artistic approach to travel writing, but I knew I had to reach out.

Richard was incredibly gracious, not only responding to my random DM but also agreeing to tackle my barrage of questions about his travel perspective. What follows are my questions and his responses, complete with my real-time reactions as I read his thoughtful answers.

Natalie's first written question (nervous and wanting to sound professional): How has your dance background influenced the way you observe and write about places?

Richard's brilliant response: Dance, and the required training, is highly visual. Later, as a teacher and coach, I am having to constantly observe. When I travel I find myself watching others— how locals and guides react when they think we’re not looking, how other tourists navigate unfamiliar situations. My background learning and creating choreography has forced me to notice patterns, or the absence of them. I’m also acutely aware of local art and it’s differences and, most importantly, similarities to what we have at home.

My inner thoughts: I'm right there with you about observing others and loving the flow of visuals in this response. Now I'm wondering - has he ever experienced a flash mob? Am I the only one who visits places and hopes people will break out into musical numbers?

Back to Natalie’s next written question: Along with attention to detail, do you find yourself noticing movement, rhythm, or visual composition because of that training?

Richard’s awesome response: I find myself walking behind people and noticing that their hips are out of alignment, their gait uneven. Always in tune to how other people and their bodies are moving, I find that when I travel I pay particular attention to the unconscious choreography of crowds. Visually, the composition of towns and cities always stands out for either its extreme harmony or lack there of. Music, a constant presence in my life, fascinates me— what is playing on the radio in the taxi? the restaurant? the convenience store?

My inner voice, now more outer: YES! A fellow constant soundtrack person. I nod about his insight on posture and straighten. I'm due for a chiropractor appointment and proper posture is so important to health.

Natalie # 3: I really like your photos. Are they your own? If so, do you plan shots to complement your stories?

Kind Richard: Thank you! I take all my own photos with my iPhone. I try not to ever plan my shots and take pictures of whatever calls to me in the moment. It’s easy to become stuck behind the camera so I try to stay present and limit my photos so I can enjoy the place I’m visiting. I don’t plan shots to compliment my stories, but so far I’ve found I always have the shots I need to accompany the story.

Glancing at my iPhone, “Why can’t you do that for me?”

Natalie #4: You cover such a variety of places. How do you decide between revisiting familiar spots versus exploring new ones?

My favorite of Richard’s responses: I love exploring new places and rarely revisit (although I always tell myself I will). I’m the same when I cook, I’m always trying new recipes and only have a select few that I repeat. Broadly, my partner and I are always returning to Italy, although rarely the same exact locations. Thailand is our other go-to, it’s our favorite relaxation spot. With every trip I take I find myself adding multiple places to my list of “want to visit.” Visiting somewhere new and unknown usually wins out in the planning process.

I’m nodding again and opening a new browser tab to check flights to Thailand.

Natalie's 5th question, while attempting what can generously be called ballet’s fifth position: Is there a common thread/reason that pulls you to certain locations?

Richard in his wisdom: Nature, whether it’s mountains, wildlife, or unique landscapes will always pique my interest. I love the culture and vibrancy of cities but the beauty and diversity of the natural world is what interests me the most.

So true, Richard. So true!

Natalie’s shameless “place-related” question: Have you had a moment when a place you visited just "clicked" for you? If so, can you pinpoint why?

Richard on point: Funnily enough the place is here in the United States. I went to Glacier National Park during 2020 on a whim. I didn’t know enough about the park to realize I could see very little in June, I was just happy to get out of NYC. I immediately planned a trip for July the following year and fell in love. It has the most beautiful concentration of hiking trails. Sitting alone atop Swiftcurrent Mountain I realized I could come back here every year for the rest of my life.

I’m feeling akin, growing up in Wyoming and in Oregon now: I get it!

Natalie's last chance: Would you ever consider writing about NYC?

Richard’s sneak peak share: I’m working on it! I wrote one post about my neighborhood recently. My goal is to see the city through a visitor’s eyes. I’ve lived in NYC for over a decade and it has so much to offer that I overlook being a long time resident. When I have some downtime my goal is to explore some new-to-me neighborhoods and write about them.

Please, yes! Can't wait to see NYC through those trained dancer's eyes.

Richard, I can't thank you enough for your time and for sharing your travel insights. I know I'm not alone in looking forward to where you're headed next!

Club Members, visit Richard's travel corner for more of his fantastic stories and photos.

Natalie