Manhattan’s Lower East Side was a neighborhood of immigrants at the turn of the century. Look familiar? I’m sure you recognize images like this. It’s part of our collective memory. Immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Russia… were welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, processed on Ellis Island, and then crowded into tenements. Maybe some of…
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The New York City Library collects more than just books. A LOT more. Their collection consists of 56 million items. Some of those objects are featured in its current exhibition entitled: TREASURES. The exhibition is well named. A stroll through this free, rotating exhibit feels like a mini trip to the Smithsonian -only more international. The…
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My airline still publishes a monthly inflight magazine, found in your seat-back pocket. Doesn’t that seem like a relic from a more glamorous past? Every month, this complimentary magazine features a new destination “in three-perfect days.” That’s great, but who has three days? Recently, some friends asked me to help show their out-of-town guest around…
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Sandcastles: Over the past month, I have watched an old man in a speedo repeatedly build a sandcastle. After the elements and kids destroy it, he starts again. His tan skin is leathery and saggy, and there’s a lot of it… on account of the speedo. He makes multiple trips to the ocean back and…
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I love writing lists. It’s my favorite thing to write. After I’m gone, my family will undoubtedly find lists all over the house, tucked into every drawer and book for months and years to come. Little love letters letting everyone know what to do next. But lists aren’t just a helpful tool to organize your…
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Actually, this blog isn’t about Costa Rica at all. It’s about why I do this job. Which is neither for money nor glamour. (Points previously made in past blogs.) No, I do this job to go to new places, to stay in fabulous resorts for free, and to be surprised. I just laid over in…
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My brother was recently in town visiting for Christmas. This means that I have been spending a ton of time watching football -and cheering him on in his quest to become champion of his fantasy league. My brother is a sports FANatic. He loves all sports: football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, boxing, professional, college, international….
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Surely the snow globe was invented in New York City. It must have been. The city looks so idyllic in December that I often feel like I’m standing inside of one. If you’ve never been to New York and have always wanted to visit, the holidays are THE perfect time to go. The city is…
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I know lots of experts offer packing tips. You can roll your clothes. You can use packing cubes. You can vacuum pack into compression sacks. You can do whatever you like. I’m not going to tell you how to pack, just what to pack. In this blog, I’m sharing my tools of the trade and what I won’t leave…
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Over the years, my brother, Michael, has given me two valuable pieces of advice: 1. He told me to always buy a $10,000 car. This is great advice. Ten thousand dollars will get you a reliable car and a payment you won’t even notice. But, come to think of it, he bought himself a very…
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