Sebastian Modak
The New York Times
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Sebastian:
Audiobooks Explain Things to Me
Chuck Klosterman on the ’90s, Michael Schur on ethics and Florence Williams on the science of a broken heart. → Read More
How Do You Write an Anthony Bourdain Book Without Anthony Bourdain?
After the author and TV personality’s death, his longtime assistant was left to finish his last book, a world travel guide. → Read More
Audiobooks to Get You Through the Most Distracted of Times
New fiction by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Barack Obama’s accent game, a Wilco frontman’s memoir and romance by Vonnegut. → Read More
How Medellin, Colombia, Plans to Become South America's First Eco-City
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Medellin, Colombia looks toward a brighter—and more sustainable—future. → Read More
Travel and tattoos: An intertwined and complicated history
Travelers have long marked their journeys with ink. We traced the roots of the tradition and asked readers to show us their permanent souvenirs. → Read More
I Traveled to 52 Places. Then I Discovered N.Y. on My Bike.
After a nonstop year zooming to far-flung destinations for The Times, a well-traveled writer learns to love the local attractions — and the spaces in between. → Read More
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Just Got Even Better
Sony has adopted the “if it ain’t broke…” approach to its latest iteration of headphones, focusing on a handful of new features instead of a total redesign. → Read More
Money can buy social distance. But where does that leave budget travelers?
From isolated villas to private jets, the wealthy have found ways to travel during a pandemic. But for backpackers and hostel enthusiasts, it’s not as simple. → Read More
The Joy of Making New Friends Through Google Translate
On a boozy night in Georgia, near the Turkish border, the translation app opened doors and turned strangers into friends. → Read More
Missives From My Locked-Down Friends, From Siberia to Samarkand
The people I met as the 52 Places Traveler were suddenly just as close as my friends down the street, so I reached out to my global community. → Read More
The Little Tastes of Normalcy on a Trip Around the World
It was a ritual on my journey through The Times’s list of 52 Places to Go to send a postcard home from each destination. Now that I’m back, they’re a collage of my memories. → Read More
In a Year of Abrupt Transitions, a Trip to Tahiti. And Calgary.
The 52 Places Traveler visits the definition of paradise in French Polynesia — and then makes his way to his final stop: Alberta in the dead of winter. → Read More
Drifting Through Puglia, Italy’s Heel
Arriving exhausted, the 52 Places Traveler found Puglia the perfect place to go with the flow. → Read More
Switzerland’s Once-in-a-Generation, Over-the-Top Party
When the 52 Places Traveler arrived in Vevey, Switzerland, he thought he was hallucinating. But no: it was just a celebration that hasn’t happened since 1999. → Read More
When in Brazil, Just Follow the Music
A sampling of some of the music Sebastian encountered during his week in Salvador → Read More
On a Dutch Island, Sunsets, Bike Rides and the Great Lamb Chase
On the island of Texel, part of the Frisian archipelago, the 52 Places Traveler finds a place of quiet charms and a meal that sparks an obsession. → Read More
Skal! A Danish City Makes You Feel Like a Member of the Club
Aalborg has replaced faded factories with a high-design waterfront, but the 52 Places Traveler sought out its old-school spots. → Read More
Alone, Happily Alone, in the Tatra Mountains
Empty hiking trails and winding roads suit the the 52 Places Traveler’s mood in Slovakia. → Read More
Roman Ruins? Sure, but Bulgaria’s Second City Offers So Much More
In Plovdiv, the 52 Places Traveler meets the people who are turning the city into a true capital of culture. → Read More
The List Said Go to Batumi and Eilat, but I Got Other Ideas
Facing rain on the Black Sea in Georgia and crushing crowds on the Red Sea in Israel the 52 Places Traveler decides to improvise. → Read More