Travel. Art. Design. If a combination of any of those piques your interest, read on.

Wander, whose “About” section on Facebook quotes Dr. Seuss, has an incredible Tumblr that you should browse immediately. The artwork you’ll find there stems from their Postcard Project, in which they asked their favorite illustrators “to imagine a postcard from everywhere and nowhere at once.” Many of them feature travel quotes that will send you Googling for your next international flight. They’re also available to download for free as high-res iPad or iPhone wallpaper.

Aside from the Postcard Project, the company remains somewhat mysterious. If you sign up, you’ll find a landing page that reveals more information about creating a Wanderlog, which I’m assuming will be somewhat of a visual travel journal allowing you to share places that inspire you. All speculation, of course.

Wander is also having a limited sale on Fab.com for the next couple days, which you should definitely check out. Oh, the places you’ll go!

Alright. I have a new goal for 2013: visit this Starbucks. Yeah, you heard me right. My #1 goal is to visit a Starbucks. What’s yours?

But it’s not just any Starbucks, as design milk notes. This one’s designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates, famous Japan architects who have used 2,000 (or so) wood sticks to give this coffee shop a very peaceful and unique atmosphere. Suited, as its actually right next to the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine in the Fukuoka Prefecture. So I guess I could visit that place too. But that Starbucks? That’ll be the event. Just goes to show that even if you’re corporate doesn’t mean you can’t go for cool. Artistic creativity can, and should, express itself in many shapes and forms.

Mark is one of the coolest guys to eat a sandwich with. I know that because I just recently ate a sandwich with him outside of PAWA254, a hub for visual creatives, journalists, & organizers across Kenya. We were both working at a Design Day for Human Rights in partnership with Amnesty International, and I got to pull him aside for a moment to talk about being a creative in Nairobi. I was really excited because Mark is a moving target, trying to pin him down is nearly impossible. The 24-year-old Nairobi-based creative consultant / filmmaker / entrepreneur / digital marketer is doing so many things I don’t know where to begin. He’s part of that 1% creating online digital material.

So, what has he been up to lately? Blogging on world-famous networks like Afrinnovator and AfroDigitalArt, co-writing an award-winning videogame for Warner Bros, and consulting for multi-national companies doing business in Africa. You know, the usual.

You can listen to our chat about working as a creative below. Be sure to check out his blog and follow him on Twitter to get some Africa in your stream.

Mark Kaigwa Interview (Mp3)

Talk about gamifying the real world. Fog of World is an app that allows you to remember everywhere you have been by “removing the fog” while you go around exploring different places. You can reward your worldly adventures simply by tracking where you are. There’s a lot to uncover before you win – or run out of time – so get to it. You can download the app on the Apple Store.

Hands down, the Terra Collection by Incase is pure dopeness. Oversized zippers, subtle accents and gorgeous Fall colors…there’s so much to like about this new line. New in the collection is the Convertible Pack, a versatile solution for carrying a 13″ notebook. With its single adjustable strap, it can be carried as a backpack, sling pack, shoulder bag or mini tote. Grab some here.

It was two years ago today I moved away from San Diego. After twelve years of living in a city that forces you to get creative when choosing an entrepreneurial career path, I felt the itch to play in the big leagues. Thus, after years of living and learning on the job, traveling the globe with bands, writing books on creativity, making foolish mistakes, and never letting the lack of health insurance or a steady paycheck stand in my way, I decided to leave the perfect climate and perfect burrito for a city where creativity runs rampant and opportunity smacks you in the face. Hello New York City.

You know those moments when you step outside yourself and realize you’re not where you are anymore? That’s the feeling I had on September 28th, 2010, my first day at Etsy. I woke on my brother’s couch (thanks, Scott), walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (holy shit, talk about surreal) and made my way to a super-cool, totally beloved startup in DUMBO. It was an incredible atmosphere filled with crafty hipsters, yarn-bombed ceilings, ping pong tables, locally-sourced food, random visits from the likes of Ev Williams and Mayor Bloomberg, really smart and socially awkward engineers, awesome perks (headphones expense account, ski trips, custom lab coats and $100 for each new employee to spend on the site) and an infectious feeling of optimism that we were really doing something meaningful. I was brought on to set a vision for the company’s social media strategy, from driving additional revenue and scaling internationally to integrating with future product releases and being able to manage crisis situations. Being the voice of Etsy’s millions of fanatical social media fans was a real treat. I realized quickly that experimentation was a huge part of any social media wizard’s DNA. On a whim, I bought a chalkboard speech bubble from Photojojo and started posting and responding using a physical medium that I would then photograph and publish online. Engagement went through the roof, but more than anything, it reinforced my fascination for blending online and offline worlds. Fast forward a few months and Etsy’s social media was expanding to international markets (Japan, France, Germany, UK, Australia), contributing a few million dollars in sales per month and establishing itself as an effective customer service tool (especially during site outages). It was an exciting time and the company was growing its workforce at an alarming rate, mainly in product and engineering. I can’t publicly say much on what led me to leave Etsy (I’m legally bound to never talk shit) and to be honest, there’s nothing I could possibly say that would make me think otherwise. The board decided to make some bold changes and it became pretty clear it was time for me to move on. I mean, things stop being fun when people are brought in above you who know jack shit about what you do or how to treat people. It’s a total bummer, especially when you’re passion is more than power-hungry execs could ever relate to. All this made me realize just how incredible it is to surround yourself with super smart, creative people. My time at Etsy was filled with a lot of highs and lows, but the overall experience was epic and I learned a ton,  made genuine friendships and developed a deep love affair with all things handmade.

There is nothing about a journey that is more exciting or terrifying than those moments when you walk away from something (familiar, consistent, safe) to explore a whole new something (unknown, challenging, fun). This is the sound life makes when you’re tired of waiting and ready to stare down any fears. Your hands are shaking, but you’re ready to answer the call even when you haven’t the slightest idea what that call is or where any of it might go. But let me tell you, the hairs standing up on the back of your neck don’t lie. It’s time to make it happen and it’s that rush that makes the car drive faster, the music sound louder and the sex feel oh.so.incredible.

My craving led me to MKG, an experiential marketing agency in the heart of SoHo. Just steps away from Broadway Lafayette’s subway stop, the creative energy is so tremendous you can almost taste it. We’re surrounded by startups, fashion brands, creative agencies, a shopping paradise, overpriced everything, epic architecture and the best pizza your lips will ever touch. This is what it’s all about – the adrenaline pumping, mind racing and ideas flowing. We’re building, designing, architecting and executing thoughtful consumer experiences for some of the biggest brands in the world (Google, Delta, NBCU, evian, GQ, Coke, New Balance). The work is bold, beautiful and best of all, challenging. Not to mention I get to play at the intersection of digital and physical, a sandbox I’m having way too much fun in. It feels good, but none of this would be possible had I not taken that leap. Now two years later, San Diego, I do miss you but I hope you’re proud of me. Who knows what the future holds, but as confident Facebook is of Instagram, I sure as hell know the best is yet to come.

When are we first told travel broadens the mind? Elementary school? By our parents or after-school television? Everyone gets the gist of what it means, but I doubt everyone seizes the opportunity. I don’t think I always have and I’m still learning how.

But one recent trip where I got things right was my first visit to Portland. I told my friend there that I had no interest in being touristy (to me, that’s to be saved for later visits). I wanted to experience how locals lived. So on my first morning we woke up, sauntered over to Red E for some caffeine and took the MAX over to Portland Farmer’s Market. As it turned out, my friend had promised another pal that we would work her juice stand. It’s probably not something most people would be keen on doing during vacation, but I was cool with it. As I schmoozed with Portlanders who came up for samples, I quickly saw how passionate they were about supporting local by the types of questions they asked. Conversations quickly turned towards what outdoorsy adventures people had planned for the weekend. I was already getting a sense of what it was like to live here within a couple hours.

The energy I felt inspired me to be active and seek adventure.

My friend was an amazing guide throughout the weekend. We went hiking, biked to brunches, bars and zine shops where I legitimately felt the outdoorsy, environmentally-conscious, DIY camaraderie that had me set on becoming more like these friendly folks. But on my last night there (my friend had to get up early for work the next day) I snuck out on a solo bar-hopping adventure to talk to more locals. I had a fun couple hours chatting with both transplants and natives, and could not help but feel so very welcomed in their city.

What I’m getting at here is that you need to go beyond Yelp or friend’s recommendations to get the most out of traveling anywhere. Those are great resources, but (to me) broadening the mind means being open to how other people live life. You don’t have to adopt that lifestyle, but you should aim to respect and understand its merits. Hopefully, you’ll even be motivated enough to take the elements of their lifestyle that you appreciate and weave it into your own world. Even if it’s a place that you really can’t fathom having a connection with (the deep South comes to mind for me), just know there’s always something beneficial you can take home from the experience… if you take the time to listen and observe.

So talk to that random dude on the barstool next to you. Have a conversation with that pretty lady on a park bench. Otherwise, what’s the point of traveling at all? To brag, Instagram or feel good about yourself? Hardly (and if it is, please reconsider). There’s a million ways to live a life and even though we’ll never get to try half of them, we can always experience a few. Traveling done right is an amazing way to re-energize, educate yourself and prioritize what’s important to you. Yup, this is why I travel. What about you?