This is a monthly series I’m writing here, Just Between Us, where I sit down with someone whose way of seeing the world I’m genuinely curious about… and we see where the conversation goes.

This month, I’m chatting with Riana, a travel writer based in Vancouver and the voice behind Teaspoon of Adventure. I actually first came across her years ago on House Hunters International, well before I started my own blog. When I did, she was one of the first people I connected with, and we’ve been supporting each other ever since.

Riana travels in a way that feels both thoughtful and real, balancing family life, limited time, and the kind of experiences that stay with you long after you’ve left. In this conversation, we move from a small city farm in London to the streets of Tokyo, to meals you can almost taste, and a neighbourhood in South London that’s very much worth noting.

So, settle in and pour yourself something warm. I’m thinking a cup of chai for this one.

Come, listen in.

What’s a place you didn’t expect to like—but did?

We spent a month living in the Spitalfields neighbourhood of London and, on a whim, decided to visit Spitalfields City Farm one day. I thought it would be a nice thing to do with our toddler because what kid doesn’t love farm animals? But I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy it.

As soon as we walked in, I was so charmed by all of the wooden signs, the rustic coffee cart and the farm shop where we could buy seedlings, freshly laid eggs and beeswax candles. Visiting all of the animals was just as fun for us adults as it was for the kids. Each animal also had its own bio, so we got to learn about Jemima the duck, who was born with one eye and Holmes the pig, who would grunt when you greeted him.

We had such a great time at the farm that, of course, we had to make a return visit before we left London. It was fun for the whole family - and free to visit (though donations are much appreciated).

Be honest—what’s not worth it?

Getting the perfect photo. There are some places - Buckingham Palace, Machu Picchu, the biggest icon in any popular city - that are always going to be teeming with people. Rather than wake up at the crack of dawn, spend hours waiting for the millisecond that the crowds clear out of the frame, or use AI to remove all the people, I’d much rather experience a place for what it is and have my photos reflect that reality.

It also means when I share those photos with the readers on my blog and Substack, I’m giving them an accurate and honest portrayal of what they’d see on the ground. That’s much more important to me than a postcard-worthy shot of the Eiffel Tower.

Sure, I’ll take a minute or two to find a nice place to pose. But I’m never going to be the type of person who shows up with a tripod, multiple outfit changes and my own lighting. I’m also not going to block anyone else’s way to have a personal photo shoot!

A place you’d go back to—without hesitation?

Tokyo. I spent a month in Tokyo when I was 23 as support staff for a language school. I got to live with a host family, take Japanese lessons and participate in lots of cultural activities. It was such a different side of a city I never would have experienced on my own.

Since then, I’ve only been back to Tokyo once for 24 hours on an extended layover. I got to bring my now-husband on a whistle-stop tour of some of Tokyo’s coolest neighbourhoods and yummiest restaurants. That was seven years ago, and I am itching to return. There’s so much in Tokyo I want to revisit, and then there’s the rest of Japan that I’d love to explore too.

I know that the food, culture and history will once again blow me away, so Tokyo is a no-brainer for a repeat trip.

Tell me about a meal you still think about.

Anyone who’s read my Substack over the last few months knows I am a devoted fan of Dishoom. While living in Brighton, we brought each one of our parents who visited us to Dishoom and converted them into devotees too.

Dishoom is a chain of Bombay comfort food restaurants in the UK, most famous for their lunch and dinner menus. But their breakfast naan roll is my favourite!

Imagine freshly baked naan with a spread of cream cheese and tomato-chilli jam, filled with runny-yolk eggs, peppery sausage and juicy bacon. And all washed down with cup after cup of bottomless chocolate chai!

I’m salivating just thinking about it. We actually bought a tin of Dishoom’s chai home with us, and a friend of mine sent me a recipe to make my own naan rolls. So maybe I’ll try a DIY version to tide me over until I get back to the UK for the real deal.

What’s a place you almost don’t want to share?

Only because we no longer live there can I let you in on the foodie paradise that is Brixton in South London. Get an Earl Grey honey bun at IRENE before they sell out, order the green beans from Banh Banh, get any flavour of Jamaican beef patty you can dream of at 14 Parish, and end your day with homemade ice cream from Jefferson’s!

As a regular reader of Riana’s website, newsletters and answers, I kept thinking the same thing: she’s someone I’d trust to plan a day that actually works.

There’s a practicality to the way she travels that I really appreciate. It’s thoughtful, yes, but also realistic. She knows what’s worth your time, what isn’t, and how to make the most of a place without overcomplicating it.

After spending nine months travelling through Canada, France and the UK with her baby daughter (and dog), she’s sharing those adventurous family memories here.

If that’s the kind of travel you’re after, her newsletter, Teaspoon of Adventure, Unfiltered, is a good place to start. She shares what it actually looks like to travel with a family, slowly, thoughtfully, and with a bit of flexibility, along with the details that make a difference once you’re there.

If you want to keep eavesdropping on conversations like this, subscribe, and I’ll make sure you don’t miss the next one.