Hawaii. Dreamy, warm, beautiful Hawaii. An island paradise nestled in the blue Pacific. It’s pretty nice I must say, but there is way more to the island than Waikiki and Disney’s Aulani. Here’s an insider’s guide to Oahu and its hidden gems.

When I was younger, my Dad talked a lot about how he loved and wanted to visit the land out west in the United States. He liked the stories of tradition, the love of the land, and the great open spaces where people and animals roamed for miles. I was often happier on the coasts, as the ocean and her lapping waves provided the serenity I needed, but I knew there was more. From the minute I first set foot in Australia, over a decade ago, I knew there was more to the country than the coast.

This past weekend was surreal! As part of our study abroad program, the program director invited us this past weekend to La Serena and Vicuna, a six-hour drive north of Santiago. I am so grateful that we took rest stops to stretch our legs, because I would have gone insane. Given that our trip is coming to an end in less than a month, it was such a perfect way to spend time together as a group.

I first spotted them as we drew into the parking lot of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Visitor Center. Stunned at this unexpected, extraordinary beauty, I hopped out of the car almost as soon as Ed had put it into park.

Redolent of the spices of India, and especially warming during cold winters, Chai tea is a delicious beverage that has migrated from India to, well, everyone! You can find Chai tea lattes at Starbucks and other coffee shops, recipes on Pinterest, and premade at the store. But many of them have strange ingredients - and weak spices.