We’ve just returned from an Epic Canadian Road Trip, driving from our home in Kalamazoo, Michigan all the way out to St. John’s, Newfoundland (yes, a ferry was involved). Why? Well, I’m the co-founder of Writing Walking Women, and we chose St.
Love art, wine, and caves? How about history, mountains, and lakes? Well, I’ve got the perfect place for you! Head to France, and explore the Occitanie region. It’s chock-full of all of the above, and more (think food: cassoulet!).
June. The month where school kids get antsy, educators are doing their best to get it all in, parents are getting stuff ready for camp, and many are planning adventures near and far. It’s a change of season, the shedding of layers, an infusion of vitamin D, and a time when one door closes and another opens. Teachers in the United States are either counting the days or already out enjoying some well-deserved time away from school.
Florida Culture for the Week of June 4, 2017 By Josh Garrick
Have you ever read a memoir that you couldn't put down? They are rare, but I've found one: A World Erased: A Grandson's Search for His Family's Holocaust Secrets. Author Noah Lederman (we've shared his book, Traveling the Cambodian Genocide, here) delves into his family's past - both in the United States, and at different concentration camps and towns in Europe.
If you go to Tuscany, you think of hill towns, medieval villages, Florence, Siena, and maybe Lucca. They are all great places to visit. But what is not far away from this part of Italy is the town of Pisa. And you all know what is in Pisa, right? THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA, of course.

This spring, Acorn TV proudly premiered the three-part docuseries Martin Clunes' Islands of Australia. In this gorgeously shot new documentary, Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) is on a quest to discover the islands of Australia. There are over 8,000 to choose from, and Martin visits 16 that offer a cross-section of island life. Along the way, he learns about the diversity, history, and challenges of island life Down Under.

I’m begging you...please read this. Read all 25 of these etiquette rules before ever stepping foot on an airplane again.
I spend many hours in the air on long international flights.
One of the most important things we can do for young kids is to read to them - and teach about the world, through those books. One such book that I just love is called Elephants, a simple, loving, and beautiful picture book that teaches about this incredible animal, as well as elephant conservation.
While travelling through the Arizona desert, I came across something that I never imagined I’d love quite this much: desert flowers. As you walk through the desert you see cacti,

dry bushes, and beautiful, yet surprising, spots of color.