Arriving to the upscale restaurant dressed up and excited to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Puerto Rico, we were shocked when the maître d’ blurted, “You are late but we will seat you.” Our expectation was that our 8:00 p.m. dinner would lead to hours of frivolity in Old San Juan; however, from the moment … Continued
Sighisoara, Romania – Go Back in Time for a Romantic Anniversary My first trip to Sighisoara was also my first ever independent trip, back in 2000, when I was a freshman. I have always been fascinated by Medieval castles or citadels and I was hooked from the moment I saw the citadel from the train, … Continued
Chris Bohjalian’s novels have always intrigued me. His topics challenge, educate and encourage us to take action. Nearly one hundred years after the “Slaughter You Know Next to Nothing About,” his latest novel, The Sandcastle Girls (Vintage Contemporaries) , inspires me to wonder what should be done two years from today, April 24, 2015, to … Continued
Six years ago, on January 18, 2007, I had the best first date of my life. However, the get-together almost did not occur. I signed up for The Onion Personals online site, but George was not a member, having signed up at an affiliate site, Salon. Fate intervened again when an automated email triggered by … Continued
PEARLS OF WISDOM 50 COUPLES EACH MARRIED 50 YEARS As an assistant cruise director on the Love Boat, I hosted a party that included more than 2500 years of marriage. I asked the couples to tell me their secrets. How did they stay married for over half a century, when most of us can’t even … Continued
Article first published as The Secrets of Happy Marriages on Technorati. This recent sunset in Brentwood, California reminded me of the one a year ago when we got married at Casa Del Mar, December 19, 2009. I thought, “We made it! One year of marriage! Thank goodness we both showed up for the first blind … Continued
Article first published as Colombia: To Go or Not to Go? on Technorati. When I mentioned we are leaving to go to Colombia in two weeks, nearly everyone replies, “Is it safe to go there?” The Lonely Planet starts its section on Colombia by saying, “Colombia’s back. After decades of civil conflict, Colombia is now safe … Continued