Living overseas during two military tours of duty in Europe provided our family with unique opportunities to learn about various cultures first hand. We didn’t have to imagine what it would be like to be European, we simply lived it. Although some Americans shy away from sampling local foods, regional cuisine was a necessary part…
self-image
Teen socializing on vacation, then and now
“Mom, how did you meet people your age during your family vacation?” my daughter Anna asked a couple of weeks ago, during the 13-hour car ride to our North Carolina beach cottage. We would be picking up Anna’s college roommate on the way. Clearly, the girls were weighing their vacation social options. I dug deep…
‘Leadership matters’: Recruiters apply past lessons learned to current crisis
Riding in a V-22 Osprey over the jungles of Liberia in search of suitable terrain to build treatment camps during the 2014 Ebola epidemic, young Army engineer Major Anthony Barbina had no idea that he was preparing for a job he would fill years later. All he knew was that his skills as a burgeoning…
Clean freaks now comfortable in the spotlight
At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, people everywhere ran frantically to the stores, clearing the shelves of disinfectant, bleach and cleaning supplies. Other than a smidge of toilet-paper-panic, I never felt an urgency to stockpile to prepare for the crisis. Why? Because I’ve been a clean freak all my life. From a very young…