Travel

By Megan M. Seckman No one let me in on the secret, but now I know.Every year I search and search for an easy, affordable beach getaway for my family and either come up empty-handed or disappointed. At last, I think I’ve found my beach. Hilton Head has satisfied all my family’s yearnings: it’s close enough to drive without everyone killing each other in transit; the pristine beach is expansive enough that you don’t feel like one in a herd of colorful, greased seals vying for your square of sand; and the planning and development [...]

By Megan Seckman A view of Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris from The Left Bank. If you’ve ever said, “Next year, I’m leaving town” amidst the cacophony of endless Christmas gatherings and twinkling lights; if the pressure, and the calories, and the spending, spending, spending during the holidays leave you exhausted and wishing to run for the hills, this article is for you. Every year, I know I proclaim that next year will be different, but once the tree is taken down, normal life resumes, and the mountain of debt is conquered through quiet monthly payments, the [...]

By Megan SeckmanErica Bachelor is not one to let the grass grow under her feet. At 31 she has traveled to at least 20 foreign lands. She graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California; did a stint interviewing celebrities on the red carpet for E! News in Hollywood; landed the “head of marketing” position for the Hard Rock Cafe enterprise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she worked with the company’s Seminole CEOs and medicine men; and cured herself of medically-induced lupus (by learning about food while becoming a certified raw foods chef) at 20 after [...]

By Megan Seckman When Kendra Garvin, 44, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer five years ago, she knew she had a choice to make. Kendra had worked for 15 years as a cancer registrar, where it was her job to collect and record the tragic accounts of deceased cancer patients. She knew exactly what was ahead and the grim outcome of her diagnosis. She knew she could choose to succumb to being sick after the chemo, radiation, and immunotherapy to come, or she could truly live. It took a cancer diagnosis for this island [...]

By Torie TempleTwo years ago Linda Tharp and her husband Deny set sail on their dream vacation — cruising the open sea for 35 days. Waking up to the landscape of different exotic cities was just one of the many splendors the couple experienced. From new friends to new lands, this was a trip of a lifetime. “It was a very small ship with 650 passengers, which is great because everybody gets to know everyone,” Linda says. “We have been all over the world, and cruising is my favorite way to travel because you unpack [...]