About a month ago, my doctoral research led me to sects and new religious movements. I was fortunate to have sourced a selection of a dozen tapes that held the teachings of a notorious sect leader. What was on these tapes? I wondered. What things could be revealed to push my research in the right direction or another direction completely?

Let me take you back to the year 2014. A young, exuberant, history nerd had just finished high school and embarked on a gap year around Europe. It was there in Paris, with her mum, that she made it her goal to visit every place of significant importance to the French Revolution. I guess you could say this was my very own journée.