Since OCD entered my life in 2008, I’ve built a Rolodex of doctors and specialists, taken seemingly every medication on the market, and made a host of lifestyle changes in search of some sort of normalcy. And while all of these steps have played a part in keeping me grounded, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still a piece of the puzzle missing.

Well, I found it in 2018 when I landed in Copenhagen, Denmark.

For the next week and a half, nothing bothered me. The compulsions and rituals that ruled my life were no more. The checking behaviors were gone. I wasn’t seeking reassurance from anyone. It was all gone. For the first time in more than a decade, I felt like myself. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how, but for some reason, traveling plucked OCD from my brain. 

So, I kept traveling (when I could), and each time, my OCD stayed at home. So now, whenever I travel, I do it with a purpose: to find happiness.

Strategic Wander is my way of chronicling that. 

But there’s more to Strategic Wander than tales of adventure and wanderlust. I didn’t want this to be just another travel blog. I wanted to weave in the other big piece of my life: mental health.

Strategic Wander marries the two as I explore mental health from a global perspective.

So, what can you expect?

• Guides to help you have stress-free and relaxing fun in different cities.
• The connection between the Mediterranean diet and reducing the symptoms of depression.
• A look at the mental health systems in different countries.
• Understanding ikigai and how it can improve your mental health.
• A dive into cutting-edge medications being created around the world.

I’d love for you to follow along.

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