You don’t have to call yourself a “foodie” to enjoy yummy cuisines when traveling the world, writes psychologist Dr. Nicola Cann for the UK’s Travel Psychologist newsletter. Extolling the benefits of local dining, she explains that “certain dishes and flavours bring back evocative memories of a particular destination,” because they “are so innately linked to that place’s culture, geography, heritage and customs.” Do you prioritize…
Before it became a catch phrase, the concept of hidden gems tended to refer to Aunt Millie’s diamond, emerald, and ruby jewelry pieces kept secure in a safe deposit box. Over time, travel authorities, realtors, and marketers seeking to make the concept more alluring began to refer to unique properties that, for one reason or another, were not as well-known as places getting more publicity…
Kari Owens loves a great Independence Day celebration, and she’s become something of an expert on why these occasions are so important to societies around the world. Her most recent post on the Nonprofit Youth Exchange Organization (ICES) website describes the joy and elation patriots feel, especially those who have had difficult times achieving independence. “Independence days hold profound significance for countries, marking the culmination…
For travelers who think that visiting France, Germany, Italy, or Japan is too burdensome because it’s impossible to get around without having undertaken a few language lessons or acquiring a helpful translation app, you’ll be happy to know that you won’t have to do either because English is Belize’s primary language. A reminder of British colonization that lasted from 1783 to 1981, English is spoken…
If you find yourself on a perpetual quest for dopamine rushes—and you consider a summer diving and snorkeling getaway as the ultimate thrill—we’ve got news that could make your world a whole lot more enjoyable. Looking for pleasure doesn’t begin with grabbing a tank and heading to the Caribbean. Dopamine spikes the minute we start making plans to leave for a pleasurable escape, notes neuroscientist…
In the not-too-distant past, all U.S. entertainment magazine editors had to do to pump up readership was to feature actress Elizabeth Taylor on the cover. The public was obsessed with her seven marriages during an era in which two marriages bordered on scandalous behavior. Attitudes have changed at warp speed since then. In 2015, a Washington Post headline declared: “Millions of Americans have been married three…
When asked the question, “When did the phrase ‘go with the flow’ originate?” most people refer to the 1960s Hippie movement, when peace signs, tie-dyed shirts, and miniskirts ruled. But historians tell us that these guesses are off by 19 centuries! That’s when Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said that time is like a river, so we may as well go with the flow since change…
Whether you call him Papa, Daddy, Father, Baba, or an equally endearing title, your Dad most likely deserves rewards for being there when you need him most. As a toddler, he helped steer your first bike. As a pre-teen, he probably gave you lame advice about the opposite sex, and once you reached adulthood, you came to realize that whether you need a short-term loan…
Guidepost blogger Megan Cherkezian makes no apologies for being head-over-heels in love with the month of June—and not just because it’s traditionally the most popular month for weddings. She’s not planning one, so her take on why June is special has less to do with rice, bouquets, and veils than it does with the fact that she’s a romantic and she celebrates ordinary things that…
The notion of “re-charging” has undergone quite the evolution over time, say lexicologists. The word’s original meaning comes from 15th-century France where the verb was used to designate the process of reloading vessels and then applied to the invention of the battery in 1876. It took until 1921 for the concept of recharging to make the figurative pivot defined as the restoration of fitness and…