Thanks, first and foremost, to my family for supporting me in countless ways throughout this adventure. To Ryan, for being the best “assistant” one could ask for. To Mom and Dad for being early proofreaders and sounding boards, and for providing a quiet house in which to write and daydream this book into being. To Katie, Kristy, Alex, and Elodie for being tireless encouragers and cheerleaders from near and far.
A debt of gratitude to my editor, Shoshana Gutmajer, and publisher, Lia Ronnen, for believing in me, always pushing me to do better, and helping to make this project one that I am proud to share. Thanks to the entire Artisan team—especially Mura Dominko, Michelle Ishay-Cohen, Jane Treuhaft, Sibylle Kazeroid, Nancy Murray, Allison McGeehon, and Theresa Collier—for enabling this book to come to fruition with all its parts and pieces.
Big thanks to Susie Finesman, for your continued wisdom and constant encouragement along the way.
To Rebecca Flint Marx—thank you for your endless patience and deft ability to refine my words, finesse my sentences, and help me write as simply as possible. I am deeply grateful for your support throughout the writing process.
Thanks to Charlotte Heal, for your brilliant design work and endlessly creative solutions at every turn.
Thank you to the handful of talented friends who told me I could do this—especially those who encouraged me to photograph this project myself. You know who you are.
This book wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the people who opened their homes and lives to Ryan and me, offering hospitality in a multitude of forms. Thank you for letting us photograph your homes, your faces, your families, and the beautiful way you live your lives. To everyone who participated in this book in some fashion—whether at the table, behind the scenes, or otherwise—thank you for playing a crucial role, however big or small. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you.
In Japan: Giant thanks to Tina Minami Dhingra, who helped orchestrate a whirlwind tour of Japan, introducing us to beautiful places and people everywhere we went. Thank you to Chieko Ueno; Kimiko Hiyamizu; Kyoko Ide and the whole team at YAECA; Reiko Ohhashi; Yuko Watanabe; Nobuyuki and Erina Kosuge; Masayo Funakoshi; Akiko Shingu; Yuri Nomura; Yukari Iki; Hiroko Nomura; and Nanao Kobayashi.
In Denmark: Very special thanks to Mikkel, Camilla, Oscar, Alma, Konrad, and Viggo Karstad for sharing both your incredible kindness and your extended family with us. Thank you to Cecilie Milsted Lind and Troels Nyboe Andersen; Vibeke Rudolph and Bjarne Karstad; Tinna Milsted and Manuel Sanchez; and Jessica Gray and Luc Fuller.
In California: My gratitude goes to Joya Rose and Jesse Groves; Hannah Pearl Utt; Cara Bonewitz; Meg Callahan; Jordan Thomas; Mikaila Allison; Wanda Weller; Arley Sakai; Seal Graeber; Michele Rozo; Nanette Stowell; Kourtney Morgan; Rene Norman; Jeanne Heckman; Karis Van Noord (and Hanz); Annemarie and Lukas Niklasson; Raleigh Clemens; Danielle and Ben Darin; Carissa, Andrew, Rinah, and River Gallo; and Jen, John, and Julien Vitale.
In France: Huge thanks to Chantal, Harry, and Sophie Dolman; Annie, Colin, Nikolas, and Lily Moore; Irene Espade; Sylvain Ferrai; and Andrew Trotter.
In Italy: Special thanks to John Skillen for being a gracious and generous coordinator in Orvieto and to Federico and Hannah Armbrust Badia; Gianna Scavo; Isabelle Skillen; Raffaela Franco and Stefano Gazzura; Thomas Jones; Giacomo and Anna Lardani; Alessandro, Emanuela Luciani, Michele, Daniele, Gabriele, and Gemma Lardani; and Kay and Csaba Borzsonyi.