An Interview with Vegout Voyage

Vegout Voyage is created by survey data scientist Katharina Huang. Raised in Germany, the United States, and Taiwan, Katie’s multicultural upbringing ignited a deep curiosity about the shared human experience behind diverse perspectives. Her field research in Uganda and Tibet-in-Exile further shaped her pursuit of equitable representation through analytical rigor. A lifelong puzzle game enthusiast, Katie channels her obsession for The New York Times Wordle and Highlights BrainPLAY into curating guided travel adventures that combine leisurely play with global storytelling. Outside of work, she sings in her partner’s symphonic metal band.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

My partner and I visited Iceland for a year-end vacation at the beginning of 2020. Three months later, the world changed, and Iceland remained my last outdoorsy and carefree memory—a moment I cherished for years to come. During the pandemic, I went through a phase of binging anything Iceland-related—novels, recipes, volcano updates, Icelandic YouTubers, you name it. By 2024, I thought, Okay, that’s it. I have to do something with this obsession. That’s when I decided my next travel adventure book would be set in none other than Iceland.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I love an epic, dramatic soundtrack. Songs about Valkyries feel especially fitting, given Iceland’s ties to Norse mythology. For classical music lovers, Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries” is an obvious choice. Metalheads, may I interest you in Amberian Dawn’s “Valkyries”?

Iceland has produced an incredible range of musicians. I think Eivør’s “The Beloveds” is not only epic but also quite accessible to English-speaking readers, as it was created for the British historical drama The Last Kingdom. While working on my book, I often played Ólafur Arnalds’ music in the background for its atmospheric and nuanced soundscapes. I didn’t manage to squeeze these two artists into my book, so I thought it only fair to give them a shout-out here.

Have I mentioned I’m a hobby musician outside of work? You can’t expect me to see this interview question and not elaborate!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’m a Survey Research gal through and through. That said, I’ve bounced around several adjacent fields over the years due to my indecision between pursuing passion and choosing stability.

I started as a field interviewer during my college summer job, but social anxiety quickly nudged me toward the quantitative side of Survey—though not without some vanity over holding fancy-schmancy titles like sampling statistician or machine learning engineer.

Disillusioned with the facade of job stability, I joined the wave of the Great Resignation and found myself coming full circle, once again chasing the high of my passion. I’m nervous—stressed, even—but also elated. With any luck, I’ll be sharing my new Iceland adventure book with you in the summer of 2025. I hope some of you will enjoy it.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

What truly intrigues me about Survey is the exploration of the world and understanding how people think. Books like The Innocent Anthropologist by Nigel Barley, Tell Me No Lies (edited by John Pilger), and Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild have profoundly shaped who I am today.

It actually took me three years, after deciding that corporate life wasn’t for me, to save up money and refine my direction in writing travel puzzle books. Being a logical person by nature, I knew I wanted to advocate for a broader worldview, thus, with social marketing principles in mind, I chose travel and puzzles for their popularity and accessibility—and, let’s be real, I also have a mortgage to pay.

Grandiose visions aside, I know a lot of people (myself included) just want to slow down, reduce doomscrolling, and enjoy life’s little entertainments. Brain teaser puzzles help fulfill that need. If all else fails and my book flops, at least I can say I didn’t make the world suck more.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

Have fun! It’s not a serious book! I hope my travel adventure book introduces readers to a variety of daily puzzle games—some nostalgic childhood favorites and others that have gained popularity in recent years. Personally, I mull over The New York Times‘ Wordle and LetterBoxed every midnight. I’m also a fan of G. T. Karber’s Murdle and Gareth Moore’s brain-training books.

Any fellow puzzle addicts interested in joining my newsletter to play monthly travel-themed puzzles with me? You’re my perfect reader!

While my book highlights tourist attractions, I always sprinkle in cultural and local elements. When writing about Barcelona, I had readers play connect-the-dots with public transportation stations and go on a virtual food market tour. In the upcoming Iceland book, I’ve included references to pop music and Icelandic YouTubers. This is my small effort to normalize both the differences and similarities of humanity across the globe. To echo Jane Fonda’s 2025 SAG Awards speech: empathy is neither weak nor “woke.” I believe empathy is simply gaining awareness of others.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.