Ballooning should be on EVERYONE'S bucket list! 

Growing up, I spent at least a week -- usually more! -- almost every summer in Upstate New York. And there are countless amazing things to do there: hiking Taughannock Falls; swimming at Buttermilk Falls; getting in (or on) the lake; and wine trails, to name a few.

But one of the best Ithaca adventures I’ve ever had, hands down, was my flight with Southern Tier Balloon Tours.
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​My cool cousin John is a baseball prodigy – but sadly, he had a bad dislocation this summer, and had to undergo the same shoulder surgery I had a few years ago.
 
Because he loves science, I decided to share a crazy story about my microbiome with him. And because I wish I’d had more/better information about shoulder surgery while I was deciding whether or not to have it (eventually, my body made the decision for me), I’ll conclude with a few thoughts about the pros and cons of the surgery.

I spent several weeks traveling in Costa Rica an Panama this year -- and, obviously, I met a lot of expats. Many of whom were total new-age hippies.

As individuals, they are wonderful people. But spend enough time (say, over five minutes) with a group of them, and one will inevitably launch into a "life is so much better without money" monologue. 

​I recently posted The Very First Thing ALL Divers Should Do When They Get to Bonaire, in which I described the Lionfish Hunting certification course I took while traveling in the ABC Islands. (Eradicating invasive species for the win!)
 
But I also wanted to give a shoutout to what I thought was the best dive shop in Bonaire – VIP Diving, through whom I took said lionfish course.

Three weeks ago, I had never heard of a place called Bonaire. But then, one day, I decided to Google "world's best shore diving," and Bonaire kept showing up -- usually in the number one spot -- on every list.

So I did an image search for Bonaire, fell in love, and booked a flight.

As my departure rapidly approached, I checked the CDC website to read their recommendations for water and food safety in Bonaire.

​Like many things, the government got it all wrong. 

Just me, myself and I, hanging out at the Rio Celeste in Costa Rica. #MieScattering

Let me start by saying, you're right. I am pretty cool for traveling alone. It's something I love about myself -- that if I see something I want, I go for it. Even if "it" is a country on the other side of the world, and no one else wants to go there with me. 

Regina Harrell, 9, was removed from her home after her "negligent" mother let her play in a park unsupervised.
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Last Sunday, the New York Times published a gut-wrenching article, The Families That Can't Afford Summer. The piece raised some important issues about the affordability of childcare and summer camps for low-income families, and the total major burden summer vacation imposes on them.

We all want our kids to have happy, magical childhoods (I hope). 

And, due to changes in our society -- technology addiction, over-scheduled childhoods, and decreased participation in community activities, to name a few -- many adults feel like they don't have many friends in their neighborhood. In fact, one in four of us say we have "no close friends to talk to."

There's a simple way to address both of these issues.

Many years ago, I visited Bath, England -- a place of water, life, and healing. Upon one of the fountains there was engraved, "Aqua est Vida." Water is life.

And plastic is death.

I strongly believe that everything should be big, silly and over-the-top. Go big or go home, right?

That's why I spent 10 days in Mexico for Thanksgiving and my birthday. Because what better way to usher in another year? (And also because I found a sweet deal on Virgin America -- $264 for a nonstop, roundtrip flight from San Francisco to Los Cabos.)

Despite evidence to the contrary