I rarely travel without a sketchbook.

Over the years, it has become one of the most valuable tools I own—not because every sketch is perfect, but because it slows me down. It encourages me to look a little longer, ask better questions, and notice the details that photographs alone often miss.

What has surprised me most is how often a sketchbook creates connection. I've lost count of the number of times someone has quietly peeked over my shoulder before striking up a conversation. Sometimes we share a common language, and sometimes we don't. It rarely seems to matter. The sketch becomes the language. We point, smile, laugh, and share a moment that neither of us could have experienced quite the same way without it. A shared sketch becomes a shared experience. Occasionally, after we've talked for a while, I sign the sketch and give it away. The memory stays with me, while the sketch travels home with my new friend—a reminder of the moment we shared together.

When people ask me about a trip, I find it far more meaningful to share my sketchbook than to pull out my phone or try to describe the experience. A photograph captures what a place looked like, but a sketch captures what it felt like to be there.

When I flip through these pages, I'm immediately transported back to that exact moment. I remember the sights, the sounds, the smells, the conversations, and the emotions that surrounded each sketch. The pages become more than drawings—they become memories. They remind me not only of the places I visited, but of the people I met, the stories they shared, and the lessons they taught me along the way.

These Field Notes are a collection of those moments. They aren't intended to be travel guides or complete records of each journey. Instead, they preserve the experiences that made me pause, look more closely, and see the world through the eyes of a designer.

My hope is that they encourage you to slow down, stay curious, and perhaps pick up a sketchbook of your own. You may discover, as I have, that the greatest souvenir from any journey isn't something you buy—it's the way the experience changes how you see the world.

Welcome to my Field Notes.

— Marla Emory