Travel

The idea of buying a one-way ticket, packing a backpack, and setting off to explore the world in proud solitude is both alluring and daunting. On the one hand, there’s absolute freedom; on the other, a swarm of anxious questions: “What if I get bored?

A laptop against a backdrop of palm trees, a cup of aromatic coffee on the terrace of a Balinese café, a video conference from the beach—that’s the classic image of a “digital nomad” on Instagram. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Imagine a vacation. What would you choose? A sunny beach with palm trees, the quaint streets of historic Europe, or… an abandoned amusement park in Pripyat, a death row cell at Alcatraz, and the ruins of Pompeii? If you're leaning toward the second