This spring my mom came to visit me in May, and as usual we decided to get away for a long weekend.  We have a tradition of leaving the Sweden every time she comes to visit me, and this year we decided to go to Alghero, Italy! It had been almost a year since I had been to Italy, so I was itching to go back.

Disney World is fun, exciting, exhausting, and expensive entertainment. It is even more exhausting for the One Day Park Hopper. Whether your visit to Disney World is just a stop along the way or a big planned vacation, follow these Disney World tips to help create memories you’ll want to remember.

In just under two weeks, athletes from around the world will be marching into Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, carrying their nations’ flags.

Well traveled roads, new horizons, unexpected bridges connecting across cultures and places: connection, whether new or old, to place, person, or idea is a thread that runs through the work of musicians on seven very different albums. 

"Sure, I know New Zealand. Lord of the Rings, Narnia and all that…"

New Zealand is a large country with a small population: about four million people in a country a little larger than Britain, a little smaller than Italy. This means there's a lot of unspoiled land to explore. In the new millennium, New Zealand's amazing landscapes have been pushed into international focus thanks to the work of Kiwi directors Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and Andrew Adamson (Shrek 1 & 2, Chronicles of Narnia) but there's plenty more where that came from.

New Zealand is a green paradise set out in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, and worthy of awe. However, many visitors only have a month to explore, which is far less time than this sub-tropical island deserves. I myself have lived here for more than ten years, and I haven’t seen everything.

Packing for short trips is hard. Packing for long-term study abroad trips is even harder. I will admit, I procrastinated until the last day to pack. It felt like such a daunting task. The biggest thing I learned is if you forget something, you typically can find it there or something close to it. So don’t overthink it too much! I put together this packing list to hopefully help you make packing a little easier. You'll be packing for the travel time (on the plane) and for your study abroad experience, as well as weekend travels, etc.

My Dad works in New York City and I grew up a 45-minute train ride away from Manhattan. For me and countless others in the metropolitan area, those famous five boroughs are ‘the city.’ Manhattan has a pulse all its own. Millions call this place home and even more travel in and out daily, weekly, monthly, and of course, to visit. Thousands show up ready to move in and make a new start, embrace a new journey, try their hands at something new, or break into a new world.

We are very happy to present you Carla O'Connor and her wonderful watercolor art. I have been following Carla's art ever since I took a DVD workshop with her. I loved being introduced to her technique and also to her open-minded generosity. Thank you Carla for accepting to be presented as our artist of the month at The Wandering Educators.

For the better part of an hour last week Cheryl Gum entertained me with stories of how she came up with ideas for new truffle flavors and candy concoctions to serve up at The Candy Shop. For the last 33 years, Cheryl has worked at The Greenbrier, an 11,000-acre historic luxury resort in the mountains of West Virginia, which dates back to 1778 and is known as a frequent stopping place for past U.S.