I’d like to take you on a photoadventure around my street, where much of my family also lives. Across from our house are some close family friends, next to our house is my aunt, uncle, and five cousins, past them are my grandparents, and the last house is my aunt, uncle, and their three kids. All of the houses in the neighborhood are painted with bright, cheerful, colors. Many of the houses have colorful gardens.

“It is my honor to create global experiences for educators and artists, and to visit schools worldwide and inspire interest in global awareness for students.” ~ Jacqueline Cofield.  

Our friend, Boston-based Shannon Heaton, specializes in Irish wooden flute and traditional Irish singing. She performs with Matt & Shannon Heaton, with her string quartet project and as a solist. Her instructional books, podcasts and videos and free audio tracks serve trad music aficionados. Her engaging performance style and her concert compositions for winds, strings, voice and piano make her a multi-faceted ambassador of traditional music for music lovers across genre lines.

Hi, I’m Ally Buzzanga, a 25 year old postgraduate who’s passionate about cultural shock, urban environments, and fish & chips. I spent the fall of 2012 studying abroad in London and decided then that living and traveling abroad was something that I was passionate about. Study abroad programs are getting more and more popular in the US and that’s great. I’d love to see American culture fully embrace the “gap year” and “gone travelling” attitude that my foreign friends so casually mentioned.

Now I must admit, planning didn't start well - and I always plan. I had 10 days planned with my family in Hong Kong, and I punched in the place on my iPad for my Weather channel to provide me with a day by day assessment. So imagine my astonishment when I read a range of 7 to 16 Centigrade (44-57 Fahrenheit). It is supposed to be tropical, typhoons, yes, mist and fog, lots of rain, sure, but abject cold? I'd have to pack jumpers, gloves; what rigmarole!

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.

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.

The tale of two dogs who were left behind, by one of our editors (and one of my favorite writers), Winfred Peppinck, is a charming tale, one that is intended for both kids and their parents. You know those kind of books, where you are actually laughing while you read, because it is so clever? THIS IS ONE! 

There’s nothing that enhances a travel experience more than being the recipient or the initiator of a random act of kindness. It’s what we hold onto most dearly when we reflect on our visits to foreign lands, long after the memories of sculptures and monuments fade. In my years of world travel, I’ve had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of many unexpected displays of good will—by a local resident, perhaps, who offers to walk with me to my destination. I love returning the favor, whether I’m traveling abroad or I’m at home in Los Angeles.