Laurie's light travel travel tips

When I arrived at Heathrow in October, I was two weeks late to the start of my course at King's College. Frazzled, cat-in-tow, I was a picture of what a middle-aged woman who thinks she can pull off acting like a 22-year-old again would look like on too little sleep and too much bluster. Luckily, I had and have enough of the latter to propel me along as I maneuver the challenges of London housing, grad school (including the protracted instructors' strike in the UK), and missing friends and family back home. It would have helped if I had understood the following before I arrived: 1. When people tell you it's impossible to find a cat-friendly flat in London , they mean it. If you are planning to bring your cat (as I was), start searching in advance for a place. Put down a deposit before getting on that plane. God, I wish I'd done that. It's been a nightmare and I'm not done yet. Fingers crossed for something to come up in Ealing this April. 2. Everything you...

Buona sera! Did I say that right? OK, good. I've been talking about wanting to go to Rome since 2004, when I bought a $20 D.K. guide and slapped it down on my desk. "Ever been to Rome?" I asked my then-boss Eugene. "No," he said, "but I'd like to." I was reporting for a London-based company out of their New York SoHo office. My world was opening up as I worked with colleagues from the UK and also, remotely, from Hong Kong and elsewhere. I remember a coworker saying to me, when I told him I didn't have a passport, that "there's a whole world out there!" It took me about a week to hustle out and get my first passport - thank you, Ben. So that brings us to Rome. It only took me 14 years to realize this dream, but it was well worth the wait. I took an Alitalia flight out of London's Heathrow, purposely sitting at the window. Being daylight, flying into Rome and seeing ruins from the plane stirred the giddy child in me. It had ...

Hiya, greetings from London . Though my body is in Blighty, part of my heart remains with the good ol' U.S.A., especially at holiday time. With Easter fast approaching (April 1 both here and in the States), time to think of one's favorite treats. Yes, I love a good chocolate malt ball-stuffed bunny or a blue Peep or even some of that finely glazed ham Mom makes. But I really love butter-flavored Jelly Bellies. Source: CandyStore.com Thus, I was tickled to see that my former state of Connecticut agrees with my choice, as reported by Candystore.com. The company has provided a beautiful graphic delineating each state's preference. Here are the top 6 faves: #1 Buttered Popcorn. As Candystore says, yes, "it's polarizing" but it's also America’s #1 favorite for a reason - with its salty-but-sweet flavor reminiscent of a trip to the movies, it's unmatched. Wish I had a handful right now. #2 Black Licorice. Black licorice was one of the original Jelly B...