Florida Culture for the Week of September 14, 2015 by Josh Garrick

NOW to Oct 11 – "Fancy Nancy" Opens Season at Orlando Rep

Murder. Innocence and guilt. Justice. Ghosts. Vengeance.

The Ghosties and Ghoulies Haunted Hike in St. John's, Newfoundland, shared all that and more.

Photo: Wandering Educators

We’ve just returned from an Epic Canadian Road Trip, driving from our home in Kalamazoo, Michigan all the way out to St. John’s, Newfoundland (yes, a ferry was involved). Why? Well, I’m the co-founder of Writing Walking Women, and we chose St. John’s as the site of our conference this year – MUCH more on that to come!

Food - it's a passion of mine. I love to cook, garden, visit farmer's markets, get new recipes from food artisans when I travel, talk with chefs, eat out, peruse cookbooks (I have thousands), dream about food, plan the next meal. It's not too crazy to say that when I find similarly-minded foodies, I embrace them and talk food. 

I don’t think there are many people who will disagree with this statement: Food is an important part of every culture. It follows then that one of the great pleasures of travel is the opportunity to taste the local cuisine. There's something about sharing a favorite dish with a friend or stranger that makes it taste even better. We truly do bond over a meal.

Originating from Paradise, Newfoundland, Morgan Chafe is completing her Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) with a concentration in the field of Marketing and Communications at Memorial University. She is a lover of fashion, politics, travel and food while living on a student budget. Some of her favourite things include: coffee, Netflix, lipstick and peonies. Follow her on twitter and instagram @MorganChafe.

Iceland is an unusual place. Traveling here is an education in folklore, huldufólk, the uniqueness of living on a small island, and in the creativity that arises from living in such a stark landscape.

I had friends in high school that traveled to Eastern Europe, family who emigrated, and a history shared with millions. It’s been a place ‘on my list’ for the longest time, so when the opportunity arose, we jumped on it. Tenth graders in New York schools learn about life in Eastern Europe during, before, and after the Holocaust. Eleventh graders touch on life and politics, but focus more on America’s entrance into World War II. But for many of us, where our hands and feet wander is what we remember.

Deep Travel returns to Morocco this October, inviting you on a nine-day workshop to help preserve a fading art form: storytelling.

Morocco's ancient storytelling tradition stretches back over 1,000 years. For generations, masters of the art performed their iconic tales in Marrakech's main square, Jamaa el Fna. But in these days of TV and Internet, such a subtle art form is being lost.

Florida Culture for the Week of September 7, 2015 by Josh Garrick

Current:  Kids from the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida became Honorary ‘Mouseketeers’ at the Amway Center on the Opening Night of 100 Years of Disney On Ice on September 4.

Gifts, dinner, a visit from Mickey himself, and VIP seats for their first-ever ice show gave them a ‘magical’ experience they will never forget.