I'm often on the move—I love to escape the four walls of my home office to experience new places and cultures.

Earlier this year, I went on my (hopefully) annual winter escape, this time to Costa Rica. Although my winter escapes are working trips, they provide an opportunity to relax and catch some rays before my workload gears up for the year, as well as a chance to recharge my creativity. Depending on where I go, my recharge may relate directly to art and design—in Costa Rica I did a walking tour of San Jose and learned how the city is investing in public art to make it a more desirable place to live—but more often, it comes in indirect ways related to the experience of travel.

First and foremost, getting out of my element helps to slow my mind, observe my new surroundings, and be more curious. Costa Rica is best known for it's biodiversity, and nothing beats Mother Nature when it comes to design and beauty, especially when rainforests and sunsets on the beach are involved! My last destination in Costa Rica was Manuel Antonio, a national park on the Pacific coast, where the co-work space was on the hotel roof. In one direction, I could see the ocean and the other overlooked the national park. If that weren't inspiring enough, I was lucky enough to see four macaws flying over the forest canopy one afternoon as I was preparing to finish up work outside to watching the sunset. Seeing their brilliant reds and yellows contrast against the dense green of the park was a magical moment.

Travel, international in particular, puts me into constant problem-solving mode—new surroundings, languages I barely speak, cultural differences to learn and understand. It's both invigorating and exhausting. But this sharpens an important tool that I constantly need to pour into my work.

Finally, these experiences help to continuously build empathy, which is essential to reaching audiences. Taking the time to be in a new place opens my mind to new perspectives and different ways of living, but most importantly, I get to build memorable connections with the people I meet along the way.

Next week, I'll be off enjoying one of my favorite places in the world—Rome. If you have spoken to me over the last few weeks you already know how excited I am to return. Not only do I have familial connections to Italy (my grandfather emigrated from Sicily), I also spent my semester abroad in Rome. I look forward to walking amongst the ancient ruins again where the balance of form and function dictated the city's development.

You can check out photos from my Costa Rica trip, keep up with my future travels and see other things that inspire me on Instagram.

Street Art Inspiration

I was lucky enough to get a private tour led by a young Costa Rican while in San Jose who showed me what he loves about his city and told me about the entrepreneurial spirit in the city. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Costa Rica, do consider spending a day or two in San Jose to see the urban side of the country. I recommend taking a tour so that you can fully appreciate all the city has to offer and get the insider perspective.

I'm a big fan of street art—I love the textures, colors and the juxtaposition again the cityscape. Here's a few samples of what I saw in San Jose.

What do you enjoy most when visiting new places?