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Putting goals, dreams, and even self-care aside for the daily grind of work and immediate responsibilities sounds all too familiar for most. Luckily, for hard-working Delta employee William Holmes, a new outlook on the future, as well as a new skincare routine, are now at the forefront thanks to the cast of Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” In an episode of the award-winning show that was released on YouTube this summer, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk, and Jonathan Van Ness — known to fans as the Fab 5 — surprised Holmes on the tarmac of Philadelphia International Airport, swooping in with their tips, tricks, and lifestyle hacks to help him regroup and press the restart button on life....

If you have dreams of jetting off to destinations abroad this year, you’re going to have to do one thing first — make sure you have a valid passport. In 2021, more than 145 million Americans had a valid passport, which is way up from 1989 when only about 7.3 million Americans had one, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. Plus, the State Department has been processing more and more passports....

Alaska exists on a wholly different scale than the rest of the US. It is the biggest state in the union — nearly 2.5 times the size of Texas. The final frontier is home to Denali, highpoint of the North American continent. It holds 34,000 miles of coastline, more than half of all the other states combined. You’ll also find the country’s highest volcano, its largest glacier, as well as the four largest national parks....

I’m a seasoned traveler with an intuitive sense of direction and a knack for Google Maps. I have successfully navigated cities across the globe, from Kigali to Chengdu and La Paz. But on my first trip to Tokyo, I got really turned around to the point where it eroded my navigational confidence. So when I returned a few years later, I decided to consult a professional. Getty Images Japan is known for its rental friends, people you can hire for an hour or two to keep you company as you dine out or go shopping....

Irish government officials have approved a plan to require a hotel quarantine for travelers arriving from countries including Brazil, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, and 17 African nations. Visitors will be required to remain in quarantine for 14 days and take several COVID-19 tests during their stay. However, travelers may be able to exit quarantine after 10 days with a negative COVID-19 test, The Irish Times reports. Quarantine violations could be met with stiff penalties....

California’s Joshua Tree has partially reopened to the public on Sunday in a “phased approach,” permitting visitors to return to the national park. “People were excited to see the park again,” a for the park spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times this week. “We were pleased to not have as much crowding as we did when the park first began decreasing access in March.” All park entrances, roads, and parking lots are now open....

If you thrill to the sight of wildlife in their natural surroundings or even if you’re just a bit intrigued by the thought of watching whales from the comfort of your hotel lanai, you’ll want to spend some time in Kapalua. Each winter, thousands of North Pacific humpback whales arrive in Maui from Alaska to breed, give birth, and raise their young in Hawaii’s warm waters. Arrivals from their 3,500-mile journey begin in December and reach their peak in February....

Shark tanks, dessert buffets, and circus shows are among Vegas’s G-rated attractions. It’s not a side of Sin City that you hear about often, but it thrives below all of the glitz and glamour. The result? Many of the more family-oriented activities are also fairly affordable. Go in the spring or toward the end of the summer to keep the kids out of the worst of the mid-year heat. Cravings...

The Scots who make Laphroaig know it’s not everyone’s cup of… Scotch. Made in Islay (pronounced EYE-lah), an island off Scotland’s western coast, since 1815, the spirit has a peaty, smoky taste reminiscent of—as its fans say proudly in this marketing video—“a bog.” Others pronounce it redolent of “sweaty workmen and tar” … but not in a bad way, mind you. Those who love Laphroaig really love it, and when mingled with other ingredients it lends a certain smoky effervescence to a cocktail....

Among the hottest places on Earth — from Death Valley to Sudan — the destination with the hottest regular temperatures is a remote spot in the Ethiopian desert that’s only accessible by camel. Why Death Valley’s Hottest Time of Year Is Also One of Its Most Popular Dallol, in the Danakil Depression, has earthquakes, volcanoes, geysers and salt canyons. Dallol was at one time a busy camp with workers mining for potash, sylvite, and salt, but the mine is now abandoned....

Traveling with kids can be super stressful. Not only do you have to pack for more than just yourself, but you also have to ensure they stay entertained on long flights or car rides. Luckily, parents have seemed to find a solution with the Zeazu Travel Tray. The popular car seat tray keeps your children’s snacks, toys, tablets, art supplies, and more in one convenient place — so they can eat, watch movies, color, and play games with ease....

When British couple Jon and Annmarie Nurse raffled off their own Tuscan villa last year, they realized they were onto something: With the entry fees, they were able to donate $69,000 to support children’s charities. So, they’re doing it again — this time offering up a $470,000 four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa in the Garfagnana region of the Tuscan countryside. The best part? It’s already furnished and ready to go. For £25 (about $35), you’ll be entered in a drawing to win the home....

When I moved with my husband and two young children from Brooklyn to coastal Spain late last year, we did not anticipate staying put; we’d planned to use the opportunity to explore as much of the Mediterranean as possible. The fountains of Rome, the Pillars of Hercules, carpe diem, and all that. But tragedy after tragedy struck, and the pandemic rages on. Unable to travel, we’ve been mostly stuck on one remote hilltop, nestled in the fragrant orange and persimmon groves outside Valencia, and the pandemic’s instead granted us the rare and unexpected luxury of slowly, intimately becoming familiar with our new adoptive country, its people, plants, and peculiarities....

A cow escaped from a cattle ranch in Brazil and made a beeline for a waterslide at a nearby resort — and the whole thing was captured on video. Following its daring escape, the farm animal made its way to the resort pool and climbed up onto the top of the waterslide, according to a video posted by Brazilian outlet Diário da Região. The amoosing animal then slowly slid down the slide — because cows just wanna have fun — before getting stuck and taking a break....

About a two-hour drive from the urban bustle of New York City is a soothing site centered around one plant. Lavender By the Bay on Long Island’s North Fork in East Marion blooms with more than 80,000 lavender plants each season on its 17-acre property, creating a calming pastel paradise. The farm grows more than 20 varieties of both French and English lavender, each with its own flowering schedule, so there are three peak periods in mid-June, early July, and late summer or early fall....

When it comes to luxury shopping destinations around the world, locations like New York City, Milan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai immediately come to mind. However, this under-the-radar shopping center in Florida, filled with a plethora of designer stores, not only belongs on the list but may just move up the ranks with its ongoing $550-million renovation. The Bal Harbour Shops, just north of Miami, houses luxury stores including Gucci, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chanel....

Cape Cod is the ultimate New England summer vacation destination. With 560 miles of pristine beaches, charming coastal towns, a vibrant arts scene, rich history, and idyllic landscapes, this hook-shaped peninsula in southeast Massachusetts has plenty to offer travelers who flock here to relax and recharge. So, if your upcoming summer plans include a visit to Cape Cod, consider staying at Chapter House, a luxury boutique hotel that reopened on April 1 after an extensive renovation....

A family-based online petition to American, Delta and United airlines has gained more than 88,000 signatures in an effort to make airlines seat families together for free. As airlines drop seat assignments from their basic offerings, many families are showing up at the airport to find that children have been assigned seats far away from their parents, prompting Consumer Reports to launch the petition asking the airlines to “put safety over profits, and seat children with their families without charging them extra for it....

A new beach park in Bergen will have you planning a trip to Norway very soon. According to Dezeen, a floating pool in Bergen, Norway is just one of the stunning features being built as part of a new, urban waterfront park called True Blue. Courtesy of White Arkitekter True Blue is a development project to refurbish Bergen’s coastline, according to Dezeen. The pool itself was designed with Fredrik Pettersson Arkitekter from the Swedish architecture firm White Arkitekter, and will consist of triangular structures that form three pools....

Are your UFO conspiracy theories enough to make your family want to send you out to sea? Book a cruise. Holland America cruise line is hosting a seven-day UFO Cruise this autumn to explore the possibility of what’s out therewhile passengers are out at sea. Passengers will partake in “seminars at sea” while docking in Mexican ports to discover the history of UFO sightings and artifacts in the country. According to the cruise line, passengers will be able to hear from speakers who are “researchers, investigators, authors, teachers, speakers, intuitive counselors, healers, contactees, abductees, and spiritual teachers....