Musician Sasami Left Her Heart in California (and Maine, Vermont, Australia...)

Forget about revenge travel (in truth, it never really felt relevant to us). This year, we’re embracing reconnection travel, which is turning out to be the primary motivation for travel in the postpandemic era. After challenging years, people are venturing into the world again with genuine enthusiasm and intent. To explore what “reconnection” means, we spoke with 11 globe-trotting celebrities about their experiences, whether it’s traveling solo, enjoying culinary adventures in Italy, reuniting with old friends, honoring those they’ve lost, or making that crucial visit to their mother.

Below, musician Sasami Ashworth reflects on the various locations worldwide that have inspired her.

What destination is beckoning you back?

It’s fascinating because I recently relocated from L.A. to a small, coastal town in Marin County that has been calling me for years, so I’ve found a deep sense of belonging, replacing my former feeling of restlessness. Still, on these long, rainy winter days, I occasionally find myself dreaming of the mythical paradise known as Stradbroke Island, or Minjerribah, affectionately called “Straddie.”

On the eastern shore of Moreton Bay, near Brisbane in Queensland, Stradbroke Island is an enchanting destination I had the chance to explore briefly during an Australian tour years ago. Shannon Logan, the incredibly cool and charming owner of Jet Black Cat Music, took my bandmates and me across a sunny stretch of the Coral Sea for an overnight adventure filled with encounters with koalas, goannas, quails, skinks, spiders, snakes, and kangaroos. Despite the significant scars humans have left through careless development, Straddie is one of those places that makes you feel as though you can imagine a time before our presence—a land refreshingly untouched and verdant.

What place feels like home, even if it’s not your birthplace?

Over the years, I have grown quite fond of southern Vermont and parts of coastal Maine, as my touring band (a Brattleboro-born metal group called Barishi) is based there, and they somehow convinced this California girl to join a New England-based band. I’ve spent a few autumns and summers on Deer Isle, Swan’s Island, and other coastal locations where the mountains meet the sea, nurturing my deep appreciation for fungal, algal, and plant ecologies. The salty scent of pine-infused seaweed will forever linger in my heart and in the depths of my soul.

Are you planning any trips to reconnect? If so, how will you do it?

I’m planning a visit to my family and my hometown of Los Angeles just as Dodger season kicks off. I’m looking forward to indulging in plenty of home-cooked Korean meals, squeezing in some music studio sessions, and most likely enjoying Angel’s Tijuana Tacos’ amazing al pastor tacos topped with a beautifully caramelized slice of pineapple. The long line at Eagle Rock Target is a fantastic spot to inhale the aroma of sizzling pork while reflecting on the whimsical folly of human existence at the multiplex.

—Sasami, an artist whose most recent album is Squeeze

Explore more from our Reconnection Travel series.

Discover additional insights in our Reconnection Travel series.