Laurie's light travel travel tips

Wacky isn't the adjective I think of when I look back at 2025, but that's the fun of this annual post: tradition dictates that despite the pain, I find the wacky. "Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think," a philosopher, Jean de La Bruyère, said. I have thought of that statement countless times over the years, and on my best days I realize life is a blend of both darkness and light. As we end 2025 mourning the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner -- a tragedy that has extended beyond the entertainment community in the States, worldwide -- I reflect again on the fragility of life. This was the year I was at my most vulnerable, felt the most alone and scared. Yet when the world is looking at you as a crazy old lady (some days), you have only two choices: believe the world, or flip them the bird. I chose the latter. In the spring I broke into Washingtonian magazine, interviewing a source at the NIH who chose to remain anonymous to protect the...

Either staff have been instructed to spin the story or this is genuinely a nothing burger, I am not sure. But, there is just a minimal amount of foot traffic through Terminal A, which has been consistent for about the past two hours. I asked a Jet Blue agent if this was a normal night, and she said yes, for a Tuesday. She also didn't see any difference in terms of air traffic controllers showing up to work. Yet, speaking to a TSA agent sheds a different light. "We have to work for fear of retribution," she told me, "even if we aren't getting paid." I told the agent thank you for working and I hoped the government shutdown didn't last long. As I look around me in the airport , though, I cannot help but wonder if people are staying away for fear of another airline incident. I mean, who wants to get on a plane knowing the air traffic controllers aren't getting paid? The U.S. shutdown has entered its seventh day. It was just reported that across the cou...

A recent study developed by MouseNotifier , which alerts users when a Disney restaurant table is available, ranked 203 countries based on LGBTQ+ rights and safety. Hearing this, I took note, as rights of this community are in peril in the U.S. In a comprehensive report, the researchers tapped five key factors, including legalized same-sex marriage, LGBTQ+ worker protections, and the criminalization of LGBTQ+ acts. Key Findings Sweden ranks #1 for strong protections, including legalized same-sex marriage and hate crime laws. I spent my 57th birthday in Stockholm , I am not gay it definitely felt very LGBTQ+ friendly. Where else would one find such colorful foods, flowers and art? Indeed, Sweden has hate crime legislation written into the Penal Code, as follows from the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Hate Crime Report: Criminal Code of Sweden (1962, as amended 2018) (excerpts related to hat...

Dear tourists: Save a grand flying roundtrip from Omaha in June and come enjoy the splendours of a New York winter. From ice skating in Bryant or Central Park or Rockefeller Center to enjoying a hot cocoa with friends in the Village, the city is oozing warmth this time of year. True, you must pack that winter coat, a good hat and gloves, and another layer for every body part (I wore jeans and sweats yesterday). You must also check your vanity at the door, ladies -- caught my reflection and realized my face looked like a very white raisin. Remember to moisturize! I recommend dining indoors, not out, even when restaurants offer heaters oitside. It is impossible to heat the entire space and you will freeze running inside to the bathroom. Book ahead if you really want a decent table. My favorite restautants include Butter (butterrestaurant.com) in Midtown and Balthazar (balthazarny.com) in lower Manhattan. But for simple good eating either buy a hot dog from a street vendor or pop into...

August 21, 2018: I needed to get out of town. I know that sounds rich coming from someone living in London this year, but it's how I felt. I'd bought the ticket months ago for just one night in Stockholm, a birthday celebration designed to punctuate a thesis already written. Unfortunately, that didn't happen; nor did plans to make my student loan stretch til October. I'm not even done with chapter one, and I'm so broke I'm 'borrowing' a bit of honey from cafes in order to add zest to a piece of bread. This is real. And yet, yes, I was in Sweden just yesterday. 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪 January 16, 2024: I just found the above paragraph in draft form. I had forgotten I had written it because the next day, my mother died. While in Sweden, she had told me to be sure and look at the bright, beautiful flowers in "Europe", telling me "I remember how beautiful they were." She had said this August 19th, my birthday. And so the next day, I just wandere...

After Lawn Love came out with a list of the most popular states for a "green" burial , it gave me pause: just what is a green burial, do I want one, and why hadn't I (Miss Green) ever heard of one? I had always figured cremation to be the greenest - or arguably, GREENER - alternative. I had seen death as bifurcated - I will be burnt or I will be buried. Scratch that, my body. I will be somewhere else, I hope, sipping a Mai Tai with Elvis, my mom and Uncle John. Connecticut is 24th in the nation for green burials, but Massachusetts is an impressive fifth. (Analyses of these figures is on Lawn Love's site.) A green burial, turns out, can take several forms - from choosing a Redwood we like (while alive!) and buying the little plot of earth around it (then buying a plaque to mark our spot) to, more popularly I think, being buried in a green fashion by forgoing embalming fluids or a toxic burial containers in favor of one that is biodegradable. Connecticut has Better Plac...