Health tips

I hate using public restrooms. I dislike the sounds, the smells, and the sensations. When I'm exiting the bathroom stall, I hate the awkward shuffle I have to do when I'm pulling the door towards me, while at the same time, trying to avoid touching the rim of the toilet with the back of my legs. But the worst part for me about using a public restroom is people overhearing me.

The holiday season is upon us. But festive parties, family gatherings, and travel can all increase your risk of becoming one of the approximately five to 20 percent of Americans who get the flu.

In 2021, I moved abroad to spend six months exploring Europe. I was looking for a change of scenery from New York City and to fulfill my dream of living in Europe.

As a travel writer, I spend a lot of time in airline lounges, but I never imagined that's where I'd meet my soulmate.

In March, I decided to leave the familiar hustle and bustle of Brooklyn and hit the road in search of my new home. My drive across the country landed me in Denver, where I fell in love with the sun setting over the mountains and the wide-open streets free of mysterious smells and rat corpses.

I'd wanted to get a tattoo since I was 18 years old. I loved the idea of carrying art on my body with me wherever I went and was drawn to literary-themed tattoos.

A few months before my 50th birthday in 2002, I was in the hospital for five days. I had become suddenly and severely ill; doctors did numerous tests and ruled out anything serious aside from anemia. While in the hospital, my older sister Diane called and asked if I needed anything. My answer was, "Quality time with my sisters and Mom." Diane reminded me that my 50th birthday was coming up in June, and suggested we reunite to take a trip together. Hence, "The Schemes and Dreams Tour," as we have come to call it, was conceived.

2020 was a tough year for many reasons.

I put myself on my first diet when I was 8 years old. My childhood and teen years are littered with memories of restriction and self-judgment. It's not hard to imagine how I developed an eating disorder, or ED. I struggled with restriction, bulimia, binging, and other disordered-eating behaviors for years. Thanks to my privileged access to therapists, psychiatrists, and help from loved ones, I've been in eating disorder recovery for the last 10 years.

I'll never forget walking into the Cancún, Mexico, resort in August 2007 where my new husband and I would spend our honeymoon.

With the rise of wild swimming, forest bathing (traditionally known as going for a walk in the woods) and ‘Iceman’ Wim Hof's sub-zero philosophies, there is a definite trend for reestablishing bonds with the natural world across Europe.

For the first time in a decade, I went away without my husband.

Is it really a vacation if you return looking worse than you did when you left? This was the question we asked ourselves during our 734-mile journey in a camper van with our 2-year-old daughter.

"You're doing what?" my friends asked. I had just told them I was flying across the world to see Renzo. "Yes, for a third date," I replied.

"Are you guys sure you don't want to ride the roller coaster with me?" I asked my parents, my heart skipping a beat as the screams from the mega drop faded into the background.

A Swedish advertising firm has created a ‘skin-friendly travel agency’ to combat the rising number of skin cancer cases in Sweden. 

I've lived in New York for more than a decade, and during a recent visit to Japan, I saw three major differences in how public spaces are utilized to the best of their potential in Tokyo.

Anyone who has planned a Walt Disney World vacation knows dining reservations can be difficult to snag at certain sought-after locales. From California Grill, perched high atop Disney's Contemporary Resort, to 'Ohana, at Disney's beautiful Polynesian Village Resort, these coveted spots are often booked up.

I'm a theme-park journalist who's been covering happenings everywhere from California's Disneyland to Missouri's Silver Dollar City for over a decade, but for several years there was one event that was a hard "no" for me: Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.

Some people collect souvenirs while traveling. I collect dating stories. And in the past two-plus years of living in Europe, I've collected many.

Parisians might be sleeping tight, but it's getting hard not to let the bed bugs bite.