We ended up staying in Elephant and Castle, a neighborhood in South London near where Lindsey lived while she was studying abroad. We chose to stay at the Travelodge, which was a super comfortable, cozy hotel that was conveniently located and had everything we could need.

Beyond what one typically associates with a “cruise” is the magnificent journey and exotic experience one gets aboard Havila Voyages. We sailed the contemporary ship, Havila Castor, built only four years ago, from the northern port in Kirkenes to Bergen in the south. It even travels through the Arctic Circle.

It was only July and my adolescent mind was focused on the American Girl Doll I hoped would be under my Christmas tree that year. My American Girl Dolls were my best friends, my children, my mannequins, my therapists, and my hair clients all at once. So, what’s so mystical, magical, addictive, and to say it plainly, important about these dolls? And, who is the genius behind the company that sold for $700 million in 1998?

Last Thursday, my friends and I scrambled to the Poughkeepsie train station just shy of five o’clock in the afternoon to catch the train into Grand Central. We were on our way to see country star Zach Top at Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen and we were all super excited. 

We had a great experience on our tour to the Cliffs of Moher, so we chose to use Paddywagon again for our day trip tour to Belfast. Our tour guide for this trip was Sean, a former police officer with the Gardaí (the Irish police force). Sean explained a bit about his own background – he worked as a human trafficking investigator for the United Nations before becoming a detective for the Gardaí and ultimately retiring as a sergeant. 

Eric Church released his ninth studio album, Evangeline vs. The Machine on May 2. The album is a bit of a change in tone from his previous work, but it still manages to keep a sense of individuality when placed next to other albums in his discography. Darker and more cinematic, the album is theatrical and dynamic in its own right.