Safari in Tanzania - it's a bucket list dream for most people. What makes it so? Maybe the incredible animal diversity, or the interesting locals. Or maybe it's the chance to get away from one's life, and experience something completely different. Whatever it is, we want to go!

The eleventh annual Newburyport Literary Festival (NLF) will take place April 29-30 in various venues throughout downtown Newburyport, Massachusetts. This year the Festival will honor the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay and local teacher and poet Deborah Szabo. 

Opening nights are ever an exciting and elegant gala, celebrating months of hard work. This year on May 12 – at SpringWorks indie theatre & arts festival – will be no exception. Though there may be a bit more rocking out as Sharron Matthews takes the stage with her signature irreverent wit and solid gold mash-ups in a comedic tour-de-force concert.

As a writer, I am entranced by words. I love them – writing them, reading them, re-reading them, finding writers that use them in creative, interesting ways. To say that my life is one of writing and reading is not an overstatement, but rather, a joyful way to be in the world. 

When I discover writers that I love, I dig in deeply to their words. They enrich my life, thoughts, reading. And, when I have the ability to share the talents of such writers? Well, this is one of the reasons I started this website. 

On a recent trip to Florence, I had the pleasure of sitting down for a cappuccino with two American expat friends of mine. Both lead guided tours on the art and history of Florence and teach courses at the local universities. Our meeting spot, the coffee bar at the Palazzo Strozzi museum, turned out to be a popular place for the Florence museum elite. With only a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies, I felt a bit intimidated, but I never felt out of my element.

Planning for a vacation is an exciting time for everyone, whether it’s for one or for a family. For some, it happens once a year, for those lucky ones, it happens more often, either way, thinking where to go and when to go is fun to do. What is not as exciting is the actually planning and getting everything ready, as far as searching for the right location, how to get there, the cost,  or wondering if the hotel or resort will be as nice as it looks on the web. All of this is stressful - after working hard and wanting to relax, the last thing anyone wants is to have a lousy vacation.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year trying to get happy – but what is the secret to actually finding happiness? How do America's most positive people actually fulfill the "pursuit of happiness" that is promised to us as a right? Documentarian Adam Shell ("Put the Camera on Me" and "Finding Kraftland") wanted to find the answer – so he asked.

Florida Culture for the Week of April 25, 2016 by Josh Garrick

Las Galeras is a beautiful town on the coast of The Dominican Republic. It has sparkling oceans, sandy beaches, and small restaurants. Every afternoon, you can see local fisherman arrive on the shore with their catch.