February 3, 20261 min read
Start here, at the beginning. What did the air smell like when you stepped off the plane? What was the light doing? What was the first real meal or drink, and where did you have it. One exact detail carries more than three vague ones.
What did you expect this place to be like before you got here, and what turned out to be true? That gap between expectation and reality is usually the best part of a first-impressions story.
Who did you talk to first? A driver, a clerk at the hotel, a stranger who pointed you the right way. A small moment like that often says more about a place than any landmark does.
End on something you noticed that you didn't expect to notice. It doesn't have to mean anything. It just has to be true.