Imagine a sunny morning when you’re about to leave home for a long-desired road trip. You’ve picked your destination, planned out your route, and packed up your car. While nowadays road trips are easier to plan and undertake thanks to modern vehicles and the equipment they carry, the road isn’t as predictable as the destination may be. Because of the conveniences modern vehicles offer, travelers are better prepared to navigate through different weather conditions during one journey.

Eight hours sounds like a lot of time, until you factor in the walk from the pier and the queue at the taxi rank, that is. There may even be an unexpected detour when someone in your group spots a nearby market stall.

Let’s talk about the word “like.”  I’m sure you’ve like noticed the number of times a young person like uses the word as a verbal placeholder, often like several times in one sentence.  It’s annoying, but we’ve come to accept it. We old folks even find ourselves doing it.  Regarding legitimate uses of the word “like,” being old school, I use “like” to compare things, but not to give examples. “A cucumber is like a zucchini in shape” shows comparison. When giving examples, some people would say “She grew several vegetables, like cucumbers.” I would say “She grew several vegetables, such as cucumbers.” To me, using “like” in this case suggests that the vegetables she grew are similar to cucumbers, when the person means that cucumbers are among the vegetables she grew.  Because of current usage, I’ve come to accept using “like” in this case, but I still believe “such as” is more accurate.

I’m pretty good at editing, one of the few things I think I do well.  I believe it’s a gift, but it can also be a curse. When I read a book, like it or not, I read it with an editorial eye, picking out every grammatical or punctuation error or poorly worded sentence.  I sometimes even mark up the book with my corrections.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, more than one in four adults in the United States suffer from some type of disability. Fortunately, this doesn't prevent many of them from traveling to places near and far from where they live.

Overpacking for a travel excursion, is a huge negative, and I’ve witnessed trips ruined regarding luggage that weighed more than gym weights. Here in Southern California with popular weekend cruises to Ensenada, Mexico, I’ve seen cruisers pack on enough luggage for a week’s trip to Buenos Aires. However, I neglected to follow packing light guidelines when on assignment for 10 …