Where I grow up :)

My cousin Kirsten and I meet for breakfast about every three weeks. For years, we went to the same two or three places. About two years ago, we decided that we would try a new restaurant every time we went to breakfast. This map is a record of the restaurants we tried out in the past two years. The limiting factor (being Los Angeles) was traffic, so we mostly went places between our two houses in the west end of the San Fernando Valley.

MAPPING SPECIAL PLACES - A walk along London's Southbank! There is nothing quite like sitting down on a bench after a stroll along the south bank.
It’s such a whimsical place perfect for both Londoners and tourists alike.
And yes going to the South Bank is a touristy thing I still do after so many years of living in London. This space is special to me. In 2006 arrived in Waterloo Station on the Eurostar from Germany via Brussels with only one bag and the idea of staying here for one year. Everything about London and South Bank was new and exciting to me. Fast forward it was the beginning of many years of adventures in this special town. There are so many great places in London that I love and where I go to off the touristy beaten tracks, but for some reason, I always come back to this lively stretch of the river and its surrounding area. This is is one of the most vibrant parts of the city for me and such a great place to soak up London and it's fast-paced rhythm even if it is just watching busy people walk passing by. Whenever I cross the Golden Jubilee bridge at night after meeting up with friends in a bar on the South Bank, I think “This is London. I can’t believe I live here” when I look at the city skyline.

This map shows a selection of the spots you can discover when taking a walk along the Southbank - a perfect spot for a wander along the Thames or a drink with a view of the city skyline.

As my years of university passed by so fast, I wanted to honor some of my favourite places in Chapel Hill. I've laughed, cried, explored, pulled all-nighters, worked, and ate my way through this city, and am happy to be able to call it my home.

Ann Arbor, particularly downtown, is special to me for a variety of reasons. I've trained for jobs there, wandered the streets on outings with friends, attended concerts, had a memorable bad date in A2 (as some locals call it) and attend the annual Hash Bash festival, along with other art festivals that are always happening every season. There are many beautiful cities in Michigan, and in the fall the showcase of colors in the trees is something we always marvel at. From great food to good music, art and people, A2 has some amazing places to see and things to do!

I used to work in Downtown Dallas before I had children. When I became I a stay-at-home mom, I started taking my kids on awesome adventures there instead. This is a glimpse at the fun we've had thus far!

This place is special to me because of all the fun times I have experienced with friends here. Harvard Ave is bustling with food, thrift shopping, markets, furniture stores and beauty salons. When ever me and the girls want to get together for some quality time together we all meet up here and spend hours just walking around. Some of my favorite places are marked on this map and if you find yourself in Boston I highly recommend stopping by!

A map of some of my favorite places to see around New York City's famous High Line park, including places to eat, art galleries, bookshops, and more.

This place is special to me because it is the perfect place to seek for all things sweet. Soho has a lot to offer and here are some of my favourite place to visit if you fancy for something sweet.

This place is special to me because I live here and frequent all these places of the New West Riverfront regularly. New Westminster is the oldest city in Western Canada. Yellow and blue are its colours. I had fun challenging myself to use a limited colour palette for my first ever illustrated map! Some fun facts:
1. The World’s Tallest Tin Soldier stands at 9.75 meters high.
2. The sculpture at Hyack Square is a reproduction of an iconic photo taken 3. at that intersection during war times in 1940.
4. The chair at Hive Cafe is made (by Hive City) completely of cardboard.
5. Pier Park has won several awards for urban design and even includes a small man-made beach.
6. WOW Westminster is a giant sculpture of the letter W using four shipping containers.

I love living here! It’s historic, tight-knit, and has the charms of both a bigger city and a small town.

This place is special to me because I love living and working here, surrounded by the colorful architecture of Downtown Queretaro. I really enjoy going on walks around the beautiful streets and plazas where you can sit and experience the happy atmosphere. Its a place where you find all kinds of activities, from music and film festivals, to museums, theatre and nightlife. 

The Jordaan is the oldest &, in my humble opinion, most beautiful part of Amsterdam. It carries so much history, charm & quirky details. The homes here are breathtaking & theres always some interesting art or collectibles in the home windows, which I love!

A map of my hometown, and everything that makes it special to those of us who call it home. Made with traditional and digital media.

This place is special to me because it’s where I fell deeply in love. El Born or La Ribera is the best neighbourhood in the greatest city. My husband and I first visited in 2006 and our hearts immediately felt that they belonged in this place. Now we travel to Barcelona every summer to speak in Spanish, wander the magical winding streets, eat the delicious tapas, drink all the cava, admire the architecture, visit the unique shops and galleries, people-watch in the parks and plazas, soak in the sunshine and breathe in the history. I will never tire of visiting it and I will never fully finish exploring all the secret treasures it holds. I hope you can imagine yourself getting lost in the unique charms around every corner, too.

Urbino is the place where I spent two years in my illustration master degree course, where I lived my best life.
In this city I met my best friends and I grew up as a new person.
Urbino is my happy place.