Kirsten Harrington

The Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia by gathering with family, decorating the house with red couplets and giving red envelopes with money to friends and colleagues. Also known as Spring Festival in China, this 15-day celebration starts on January 22nd and ends with the Lantern Festival on February 5th.

Do I have to sleep on the floor? Is there only one bathtub for all the guests? What's with all the different slippers? These were just some of the questions I had about staying in Japanese ryokan before a recent trip. Minshuku are similar accommodations, offering tatami mat rooms with futons, but these traditional inns are often family-run with simple amenities, like shared toilets and bathing areas. It turns out that staying in Japanese-style lodging unveiled the delightful hospitality of my hosts, introduced me to all kinds of new foods, and offered more luxury than I expected.

It was Fall of 2019 and Beijing was beautiful, with ripe persimmons hanging from trees like lanterns and golden gingko trees glowing in the park. But as the days grew shorter and the arctic chill set in, my spirits sank. Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and I longed for home. It was our first holiday away from the U.S. during our two-year assignment of living in Beijing for my husband’s job.

Breckenridge, Colorado, best known for its world-famous ski resort, had a plastics problem. Every year visitors flock to this charming historic mining town to enjoy schussing and sledding down the slopes. What do they leave behind? Sleds.

Who doesn't love to be spoiled by airline amenity kits? It's a perk of upper-class travel to receive those little goodie bags filled with silk eye masks, rich hand lotion, lip balm, and maybe even a pair of pajamas. Sometimes the kits themselves are keepsakes, with brand name designers crafting handsome purses and pouches that can be repurposed after the flight.