Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Archives for April 2016

Friday Five 4-29-2016

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5This is the fifth installment in my new weekly series, called the Friday Five. In this series, I’ll tell you about five things that I love, whether they be books, travel, music, movies…or whatever. So without further ado, 4-29-2016’s Friday Five!

1–Celeste Barber. This Canadian comedian recreates famous people’s photos on her Instagram account. They are hilarious! Check them out here if you have a minute and need a laugh.

2–Chernobyl. I have this (probably completely irrational) desire to go to Chernobyl at some point in my life. I’m apparently not the only one, as Ashlea over at A Globe Well Travelled visited Prypyat and took some fantastic photos (check it out here). But now there’s a formerly top secret military base hidden in the Chernobyl exclusion zone that looks incredibly interesting too (check out Atlas Obscura for the story).  Fascinating!

3–Shinda the gorilla. Apparently a gorilla at the Prague Zoo, Shinda, was pregnant and none of the zoo keepers knew about it. So when she had a little miracle gorilla baby, it was quite a surprise. How cute!! Here’s the story and an adorable photo.

4–Freakonomics. I’ve been a big fan of the Freakonomics guys, Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, for quite some time. I love their books and their podcasts. Mike and I even got to see them live in Rapid City when we were in law school. I really enjoyed their latest post, How to Become Great at Just About Anything. Fascinating stuff!

5–Penny counters. I don’t mean something to count pennies with, but rather countertops covered in pennies. I made one in my office building, as it’s a 1919 bank building, so it was fitting. I used these two DIY posts (here and here) as guides and inspiration, although I incorporated coins from my travels into my penny counter. I think it turned out extremely cool. I’ll update the post later with a photo for anyone who wants to see how mine turned out.

Friday Five 4-22-2016

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5This is the fourth installment in my new weekly series, called the Friday Five. In this series, I’ll tell you about five things that I love, whether they be books, travel, music, movies…or whatever.  So without further ado, 4-22-2016’s Friday Five!

1–Giant manta rays! I had no idea that these incredible creatures existed. Some day it would be amazing to scuba dive with them. You can see photos and read more here.

2–Boaty McBoatface. There’s a new research vessel that needed naming. Some brilliant soul decided ‘Hey, let’s let the internet decide.’ Boaty McBoatface was born. Some UK official decided not to actually name the vessel Boaty McBoatface, so it’ll probably be something boring and stately. But it was fun while it lasted. You can read more here and here, as well as see some of the other names that were in the running.

3–Rehmsworld. In our area, there is a couple, Tim and Bev Rehm, who love music, and love to share really great music. Rehmsworld, a concert series put on in Loomis, Nebraska at an establishment called the Balcony, was born. Mike and I have been to several of the concerts (and I was even the opening act for one of them). They are awesome. You can see the schedule of upcoming artists at their website.

4–Science. Steven Hawking and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner announced plans to send robots to a star system (Alpha Centauri) that is 4.37 light years away (read more here). Humans are bold; and I’m constantly surprised and refreshed by our ingenuity and imagination.

5–Hello from Adele. I know this isn’t a brand new song, but I had a roadtrip to the Black Hills to visit my family this past weekend. And this song definitely was played quite a few times. And you’re welcome that you weren’t in the car to hear me singing along. 😉

Friday Five 4-15-2016

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Friday 5This is the third installment in my new weekly series, called the Friday Five. In this series, I’ll tell you about five things that I love, whether they be books, travel, music, movies…or whatever.  So without further ado, 4-15-2016’s Friday Five!

1–Travel Honesty. Crystal Paine over at MoneySavingMom.com recently took a 10 day trip to Italy and Israel. I enjoy her site regularly, but really loved reading about her travels. She is so honest about what she felt during her adventure, as well as what she struggled with. You can check out the first entry here!

2–Good Information. Like most travelers, especially those that frequent the Caribbean, I’ve been following the stories and news reports about the Zika virus. This week, the CDC and WHO came out with some concrete information about the effects of the Zika virus (you can find a news story about it here). While I obviously don’t love Zika virus (that’s some scary stuff), I do like that we’re starting to understand the effects and complications caused by Zika. The way I see it, knowledge is power, and now people can take precautions with their travels.

3–Amazon Prime. Mike and I have Amazon Prime, and LOVE it. We use the free 2-day shipping. I get two free books per month (one through the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library, one through Kindle First). We use Amazon Instant Video. And I listen to a ton of music for free on Amazon Music. Prime is SO worth what we spend on it ($99 per year). But they’re running a promotion, where you can Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. Definitely a great way to give it a shot and see if it’s worth it for you, and get it for free. And really, who doesn’t love free?!

4–Nebraska Rural Living. A couple of sisters from my town (one of whom I actually rented my first office space from), Betty and Nancy, run a really cool site called Nebraska Rural Living. The site focuses on South Central Nebraska, what there is to do and see, local businesses and entrepreneurs, and essays. But perhaps my favorite column on the site is called Rural Foodies, as a few folks who write over at Nebraska Rural Living try out some of the best eating establishments and provide reviews. It makes me hungry just reading!

5–Mainstream Superhero Love. Mike is a HUGE superhero fan…like a super-fan.  We go to all of the movies, watch the shows, and have all kinds of superhero, action figure, and comic book memorabilia in our house. I enjoyed this article in the Washington Post about the rise of black superheros. It’s not everyday superheros make the Post.

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