Author: ajinananth
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COME SAIL AWAY
Last May, I had the chance to leave my husband and hormonal teen daughters behind (darn!) and sail with a friend on the Rhine Getaway, one of Viking’s most popular river cruise itineraries. The plan? We’d sail on the Rhine through Germany from the gateway city of Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam on the Viking Hlin (pronounced…
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A WEEKEND IN SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE
There’s a time and a place for visiting the iconic spots in a city. Yes, you should see New York’s Times Square, Washington’s museums and memorials, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. And you should see Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and wander the neighborhoods near the waterfront. But there’s much more to…
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A WILDER TIME
The characters we meet in our favorite childhood books continue to inspire us throughout our lives. That’s especially true for the adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder in her Little House on the Prairie series. So I was prepared to be inspired by her home when I visited De Smet, South Dakota. What surprised me was how much…
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CHOOSING EXPERIENCES INSTEAD OF THINGS
The happiness facts are in: The Declaration of Independence declares “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama reminds listeners that “the purpose of our life is to be happy.” Notable psychologists such as Harvard professor Daniel Gilbert and Cornell’s Dr. Thomas Gilovich have proven with statistical studies that in order to find greater happiness,…
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HOW TO NOT GET HACKED ON VACATION
Traveling comes with enough logistics to juggle. The last thing you need on a trip is hours wasted on the phone with the police or with your bank trying to stop someone who is pretending to be you on the other side of the world. These days thieves don’t need to steal your stuff. They…
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HOTELS FOR SOLO TRAVELERS
Traveling solo around the world, I’ve felt comfortable in every hotel in which I’ve stayed, whether in big cities or the countryside. But some hotels are better suited to solo travelers than others. So how do you find them? Start with a smaller boutique hotel. The modest size means the staff generally know guests by…
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HOW TO EAT SAFELY WHILE TRAVELING
We have all sorts of questions when we travel abroad because so many things are new and different. When I first started traveling, many of my questions were about food. I wondered whether I would like what was on offer, whether I’d make any embarrassing mistakes in a restaurant, and whether I’d get sick. With…
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FINDING FITNESS
As a self-proclaimed ‘yo-yo’ dieter, Megan Yelaney struggled with finding balance between food, fitness, and fun. She had the “all or nothing mentality” and couldn’t shake it for years. Today, she has found balance and is not only the healthiest and fittest she has ever been but has helped hundreds of women feel the same…
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HOW HIKING CHANGES YOUR BRAIN
We tighten the laces of our hiking shoes and look up to find the giant hill looming ahead. Behind us, the rushing tides of the Pacific Ocean and ahead, a chance to work the legs and lungs. The sun is bright and high, the path winds before us, the expanse of the sparkling water begs…
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GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY
“Practice kindness whenever possible; it is always possible.”—Dalai Lama Do you find yourself spending time looking in the mirror picking at your flaws? Have you criticized the way your clothing fits, the way a patch of skin hangs, or the way a spot on your face crinkles when you smile? We are truly our own…