Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi The best book I read this year and the one I have recommended the most to others. This powerful book should be required reading, as it taught me so much about the black experience, both here in America and in Africa, over the past two centuries. Homegoing follows two branches of a family tree, starting in eighteenth-century Ghana. One branch of the family stays in Africa, while the other is sold into slavery …
Holiday Tradition: Kolache
When I was about 13 or 14, my parents shipped me to Youngstown, Ohio, to learn how to make kolache from my grandmother. Kolache (I say “Co-La-Chee,” but my grandmother always pronounced it “Co-Lawtch”) is the traditional family dessert that is always present at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family events—even my wedding. My grandmother was Slovak, and learned the dessert from her mother. Our version is a nut-filled roll made with a buttery dough and …
What I’m Clicking: November
More and more I’m interested in good long-form writing. And by long form, I mean more than a two-paragraph news blurb. The market for this kind of writing has been decimated in the past decade—to write an article of any length is complete anathema to the digital reader. But part of me wants these stories now. They are interesting. They explore topics I hadn’t known I wanted to learn more about. They tell me more …
Bar Harbor, Maine
Andrew and I first vacationed in Maine in 2013 and fell in love with this beautiful island. We’ve been back every year since and feel like Mt. Desert Island is our home away from home now. We even got married there. Here are a few of our recommendations for things to do (and for more ideas, check out Our Acadia). Where to Stay The Asticou Inn Andrew and I love the Asticou Inn—we got married …
Salzburg, Austria
Our last stop on our 2015 Europe trip was Salzburg, Austria. We had a bit of trouble leaving Venice as we could not find an operational station to buy tickets for the public ferry. After multiple attempts, we decided to try buying one on the boat and were successful. Our 5-hour drive to Salzburg took us through 27 tunnels. Our first stop in Salzburg was the Mirabell Gardens, which are filled with fantastic sculptures, from …
Venice, Italy
I’ve actually been to Venice three times now, but my favorite trip was my latest, with Andrew on our 2015 trip that started in Munich. We drove from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Venice, which took about five hours—on the longer end of what I’d recommend for a mid-trip drive, but totally worth it. As there are no cars allowed in Venice, we parked ours in one of the large garages at Piazzale Roma and took the public ferry …
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Our next stop after Munich was Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a town I still am not confident I am accurately pronouncing. I chose it because I wanted to stay somewhere in the Alps that would have that classic Bavarian character. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a popular ski town close to the highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze, and we loved our stay there. I would definitely go back. We set out from Munich in our rental car and finally figured …
