In the Spotlight Blog

Two real people are behind this blog and, indeed, everything else from Spotlight Sojourns. Our promise to you, friend, is this:

Everything you see and read from Spotlight Sojourns is, and always will be, original, created with attentive craft and artisanal care by yours truly, Marilee and Paul, from our lived experience and firsthand perspective.

In short, it’s all wholeheartedly human at Spotlight Sojourns. All by us two wholehearted humans, the Hidden Gemologists.

I'm Marilee, the voice and writer behind Spotlight Sojourns. Paul is the skilled photographer, drone pilot, and our custom mapmaker.

To clarify, I write everything, and Paul photographs everything, the old-fashioned way:

We do it ourselves. His lens. My pen.

During our real-world travels. Sharing genuine emotions and authentic experiences. From our real-life perspective.

It's still the same now as it's always been, since we met as grad students on an archaeological dig in Greece. When I said to him:

“Your pictures. My words. Our travels.”

Here's our purpose

Slow travel storytelling is the purpose-built foundation of Spotlight Sojourns.

Because slow travel creates connections to places, cultures, and above all, people.

Slow travel connects us to one another, in person, together sharing human moments, emotions, experiences, and stories.

We believe human connection matters now, more than ever before this automated age.

So, that's why we make the original, wholeheartedly human promise.

Now, it must be remembered that from time to time, Paul and I make mistakes. Because we're human.

Likewise, things change and places close without notice. Because it's the real world.

When that happens, please know that our goal is to correct and update information as quickly as possible.