Laura Studarus

Freelance travel writer at BBC, Thrillist, Vice, Marie Claire and more. Not Hip. Likes catsup and pie. Great. Now we have nothing left to discuss on the second date. Got a tip? Laura at undertheradarmag dot com

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When Little House in the Big Woods hit bookshelves in 1932, it launched a literary franchise that would shape the myth of the American frontier for generations. For decades, author Laura Ingalls Wilder's semiautobiographical book series has been celebrated as the embodiment of the pioneer experience and American exceptionalism.

(via The Myths and Realities of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ | HISTORY)

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Mat Kearney’s life changed forever in 2006. While the Oregonian musician’s songs have accompanied many unforgettable Grey’s Anatomy moments, there was one in particular that every fan will instantly recognize: when Izzie chose to get up from the bathroom floor after the death of Denny Duquette to the powerful chorus of “All I Need.”

(via Mat Kearney Reflects on His Big Moment | Shondaland)

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Katie Herzig is well aware that her belief in mystical coincidences might be a step too far for more logical folks. She’s even still figuring out how to explain it.

(via How ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Reimagined Katie Herzig’s Music Story)

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If Grey’s Anatomy has an unofficial theme song, it’s the Fray’s “How to Save a Life.” It’s been played over a montage of the doctors racing to help patients, sung by the cast during the infamous musical episode, and stripped down by singer-songwriter Nilu and used as a tear-jerking soundtrack in the aftermath of Derek Shepherd’s shocking death. And it even returned in episode 400.

(via The Fray’s on the Everlasting Power of “How to Save a Life”)

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If you are looking to dive in Okinawa, you have found a true divers’ paradise. Located 400 miles south of mainland Japan, the prefecture is made up of 160 islands. It’s scattered across 620 miles between Japan and Taiwan.

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In the 19th century, Manifest Destiny emerged as a powerful justification for westward expansion of the United States—a belief that citizens were divinely appointed to spread west across North America. Hundreds of thousands of people packed their lives into canvas-covered wagons, driven by the promise of land, gold and a fresh start. They braved cholera outbreaks, treacherous river crossings and dangerous mountain passes.

(via 7 US Destinations That Bring the Pioneer Era to Life | HISTORY)

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When we met Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) on Scandal, she was painted as a superficial villain — a bitter, inconvenient obstacle standing in the way of Fitz and Olivia’s romance. But Mellie was always too big to be just a scorned wife. Over seven seasons, we saw her transform her profound grief and brutal personal sacrifices into the fuel to drive herself directly to the highest office in the land.

(via The Evolution of Mellie Grant)

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When we met Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III (Tony Goldwyn) in Scandal, he was the ultimate political golden boy. The charming 44th president of the United States looked and spoke like a picture-perfect commander in chief. But an avalanche of assassination attempts, secret military operations, and toxic power struggles forced him to break from his predetermined legacy.

(via The Evolution of Fitz Grant)

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I came to Shirakawa-go because it was striking but left with a deep appreciation for life in the Japanese countryside. I am huffing and puffing up a hill in Gifu, Japan, with seven kilograms of camera gear and a fading sense of my own fitness. The climb isn’t excessively steep, but it is persistent – the kind of physical tax one pays for a legendary view. Then, the tree line breaks. The sight of more than a hundred A-frame houses and farmland, surrounded by a ring of colourful fall foliage and mountains, literally takes my breath away.

(via Most international visitors to Japan never make it to Shirakawa-go. That’s a mistake - The Globe and Mail)

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Tokyo is a city best seen from above. While Japan’s capital city boasts an impressive metropolitan population of over 37 million people and stands as the most populous urban area on Earth, it takes a higher vantage point to truly understand how this massive urban sprawl connects from neighborhood to neighborhood.

From soaring open-air observation decks and high-altitude cocktail lounges to hotel rooms and suburban gems suspended in the sky, looking down on Tokyo turns a potentially overwhelming megacity into a living, hypnotic work of art. Here are the best places to catch a bird's-eye view.

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Naoshima is one of Japan’s best destinations for art lovers. Previously, this island in the Seto Inland Sea was a copper-smelting hub, but it suffered a population decline as younger generations left for the mainland. However, in the early 1990s, the land was reenvisioned as an open-air museum. Now the island is home to 15 galleries and creative outdoor spaces, and art is the common thread through it all, from the local bathhouse to high-end hotels.

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E.R. Fightmaster is currently having the best month of their life. You might recognize them as Dr. Kai Bartley, Grey’s Anatomy’s first nonbinary character. Or perhaps you’re a fan of their podcast Jockular, a queer-friendly look at sports they host alongside Tien Tran and Katie Kershaw. But this summer is all about their Fightmaster musical project. There’s a new album, Tolerance, which was released on June 5, and a tour, and of course it’s Pride Month, which means there are more than a few celebrations along the way.

(via E.R. Fightmaster Enters Their Radical New Sonic Era)

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While other characters on Scandal chose to step into Washington, D.C.’s mud for power or ambition, Huck (portrayed by Guillermo Diaz) was dragged into the dark, stripped of his humanity by B613, and rebuilt as a lethal weapon. But instead of a modern-day terminator, we were given the portrait of a man desperate to reclaim his humanity.

(via The Evolution of Huck)

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We were introduced to the world of Scandal through the eyes of Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes), a wide-eyed rookie who believed she had just landed the job of a lifetime with Olivia Pope & Associates. Her naivete colored everything from the first near-mystical meetings with the Gladiators to her shock at their moral shortcuts. But she was taken enough with their status in Washington, D.C., to join in.

(via The Evolution of Quinn Perkins)

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Every so often, the White House transforms its South Lawn into something unexpected. While best known as the backdrop to American political power, the grounds have doubled as high-stakes playing fields and performance spaces for over a century.

(via The Reinventions of the White House Lawn | HISTORY)

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When we met Cyrus Beene (played by Jeff Perry) in Scandal, it was clear that the White House chief of staff to President Fitzgerald Grant was a Machiavellian master. He was a brilliant political mind who believed in the potential of the president so completely, he was willing to do whatever it took for him to get (and keep!) power.

(via The Evolution of Cyrus Beene)

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I love Tokyo.

Admittedly, that doesn’t make me unique. Japan welcomed 42.7 million travelers in 2025, the vast majority of whom funneled into the country’s neon-lit, sprawling capital. With 11 visits under my belt in the last seven years, I’ve had my fill of fragrant ramen shops, panoramic sunsets, and late-night izakaya crawls. But as my 12th trip approached—a brief stopover en route to the wilds of Hokkaido and the reefs of Okinawa—I found myself asking the seasoned traveler’s ultimate question: How do you keep the spark alive in a city you already know by heart?

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