I’ve been travelling more or less full time since 2009, when I went to Australia for a year and never really stopped. In that time I’ve bought, worn out and replaced most of the kinds of kit on this page at least once. So when Amazon runs its second Prime sale of the year in…
Strength training can help you keep doing the activities you enjoy. Photo: Deposit Photos
Lifting your carry-on into the overhead bin. Climbing the last steep steps to a lookout. Scooping up a grandchild who wants to be held right now. Strength is what turns plans into things you can actually do, and it quietly shapes how independent you stay as the years go by.
Now there’s another reason to pay attention to your muscles. A major study published this year links greater strength with a longer life. The good news: you can build strength later in life, and you don’t need a gym membership or heavy barbells to start.
In a study published in February 2026 in JAMA Network Open, researchers followed more than 5,000 women ages 63 to 99 for about eight years. They used two simple tests your doctor might give you:
Participants also wore activity monitors, so researchers knew how much each woman moved and how long she sat.
Women with the strongest grips had about a 30% lower risk of dying during the study than women with the weakest grips. That held true even after researchers accounted for physical activity, sitting time and other health factors. Women who finished the chair stands fastest also had a lower risk.
What this means for you: Strength appears to tell us something about health that step counts and workout minutes alone don’t capture.
What it doesn’t mean: This kind of study shows a link, not proof that getting stronger will add years to your life. Because it included only older women, the findings may not apply to everyone. Still, it adds to evidence that strength deserves a place in your weekly routine.
Here’s the encouraging part: research in both men and women shows that strength training can make a lasting difference.
In a Danish study published in 2024, adults around retirement age were assigned to one of three groups for a year: heavy resistance training, moderate training or no structured program. Four years after the study began, the heavy-training group still had the leg strength they started with. The other two groups had lost strength.
That heavy-training group didn’t jump in cold. They began with an introductory period, then did supervised workouts three times a week. The participants were generally healthy and active, and the study looked at one specific measure of leg strength. The findings suggest that structured training can help preserve strength for years afterward.
How much is enough? A review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine linked muscle-strengthening activity to a lower risk of early death. The largest estimated benefits appeared at roughly 30 to 60 minutes a week. That’s not a strict target, and it doesn’t mean more is harmful; the effects of higher amounts remained unclear. It’s an encouraging sign that a modest weekly commitment can count.
You don’t have to start with heavy weights. Begin with moves you can do safely, then raise the challenge as your strength and confidence grow.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week. Pick days that fit your routine, with a rest day in between.
A balanced routine covers your legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms. Chair squats, wall push-ups and resistance-band rows offer a starting point. A qualified trainer can help you build a complete plan.
CDC guidance suggests eight to 12 repetitions per exercise, with at least one set. Choose resistance that makes the last few repetitions challenging while allowing control and good form. Add sets as you get stronger.
Dumbbells, resistance bands, weight machines and your own body weight all work. Whether you prefer your living room or a gym, choose a setup that keeps you coming back.
Aerobic exercise and strength training offer complementary benefits. Keep walking, cycling or swimming, and make room for strength sessions. If you’re 65 or older, include balance activities too.
Learn proper technique before adding resistance. If you have an injury, a health condition or questions about suitable exercises, consult your health care provider or a qualified trainer. Stop any exercise that causes pain.
Think about what you want your strength to help you do. Explore a new city on foot. Keep doing the gardening you enjoy. Carry your own luggage through the airport. Make that your reason to start—and your reminder to keep going.
Luke Simianer thought his fighting days were over. A veteran of the 82nd Airborne and Purple Heart recipient, he confronted the harsh realities of civilian life, battling depression and homelessness, before founding a tech startup to help the blind secure jobs and training.
Yet even as that venture took shape, Simianer couldn’t look away from a larger crisis unfolding around him. Reports revealed that one in three VA claims were denied, while veteran homelessness, drug abuse and suicide rates continued to rise. The same warriors he once served beside were now fighting invisible battles against bureaucracy and neglect.
For Simianer, enough was enough. America’s veterans shouldn’t have to wage war on their own soil for benefits they earned in combat. So he founded VetClaims.ai, determined to help his brothers and sisters successfully navigate the VA claims process and secure every dollar they earned.
In under three years, the company has guided more than 50,000 veterans through the notoriously complex system.
What truly sets VetClaims.ai apart runs deeper than its technology. It’s the more than 400 veteran employees — Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Guardians — who personally handle cases rather than outsourcing to overseas call centers.
Because they’ve lived the frustration themselves, trust comes naturally. Combat veteran Chazz Ward delayed filing his own claim for 24 years, costing him hundreds of thousands in benefits. Today, he helps prevent others from repeating his mistake. “When a veteran receives the rating they deserve and finally feels heard,” Ward says, “I know we’re delivering real impact.”
For many on the team, VetClaims.ai represents more than employment — it’s a return to mission and camaraderie. “I felt like I was home again on day one,” says 21-year veteran Charles Bailey. Fellow veterans Jennifer Morgan and Kathryn Finnern describe the role as a “calling,” allowing them to continue serving with renewed purpose.
That veteran-first culture recently commanded the national stage as an official partner of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, reaching millions via Octagon branding and a compelling commercial.
“Nobody fights better than the UFC,” Simianer noted, “and nobody fights harder for veterans than we do. We wanted every veteran to know they are not alone.”
Here, the military ethos of “leave no one behind” lives on as a daily reality. For Simianer and his team, the mission endures.
VETERANS, GET THE VA BENEFITS YOU EARNED AT VETCLAIMS.AI
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VETCLAIMS.AI IN THIS MONTH’S U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE!
Read more articles for the veteran community here.
The post How Purple Heart Recipient Lukas Simianer of VetClaims.ai Is Helping Thousands of Veterans Get the Benefits They Earned appeared first on U.S. Veterans Magazine.
Coast Guard personnel returned fire after taking gunfire from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande during a joint border operation in Texas, an exchange that U.S. military officials have cited as impetus for moving hundreds of additional troops into the Rio Grande Valley.
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The transition from military to everyday life is often more disorienting than many people will admit. I know because I’ve lived it. Coming from a structured life with military norms, values and language into civilian life is hard.
Sure, you’re trained, experienced and disciplined. But you’re now out of structure and out of mission. It can be overwhelming. You’re not alone. According to Laguna Treatment Center, up to 44% of veterans report having difficulties transitioning from military life.
You’re not struggling because you don’t have what it takes. You’re struggling because you don’t yet have a framework to repurpose the transition. Take it from someone who was a Gulf War officer, Bronze Star recipient, team leader, engineer and business owner. Without a framework, I would still be lost today.
Many of us feel lost after service because we lack clarity on a new mission.
In the military, the mission is clear. In life, it’s rarely that simple. A lack of clarity can feel like failure, but it’s not.
Create your own North Star. If you’re waiting for someone to hand it to you, you’re never going to find it. In my book, The Berenyi Life Blueprint, I teach the importance of finding purpose. Start by writing a new statement and defining what success looks like on a personal level. Once you find your purpose, work becomes meaningful and everything changes.
If you’re asking, “How do I find my purpose?” let go of the myth that it’s a quick formula. Spend time with yourself. Envision who you want to be. If money and time were no object, what would you do?
The outside world is not as structured as the military, and life is often chaotic. But your discipline still gives you an edge.
Even simple actions like waking up early, showing up early and doing more than expected can be an asset. For me, this is what helped me outwork competitors.
I credit my upbringing on a Montana farm and my service for this. In both, I learned hard work, consequences and the value of taking responsibility. Reframe discipline as a market differentiator, whether for business or everyday life.
It’s common to feel isolated after service. You spent years with your team, relying on shared experiences that civilians often don’t understand.
Civilian relationships can feel transactional. Build trust the same way you did in the military: show up consistently over time.
That is what I did when building long-term client trust. I treated leadership as relationship stewardship and professional connections as long-term assets. Genuine care builds unbreakable trust, especially under pressure.
Veterans are trained for leadership, even under fire. I learned the value of speaking truthfully and clearly about goals and problems and communicating in a controlled, reassuring way under stress.
I also learned that courageous leaders persist even when things are difficult or unpopular. When mistakes were made, I didn’t make excuses or look for someone to blame. I took responsibility, learned and carried that mindset into building an engineering firm and eventually Berenyi Consulting.
Instead of settling for what fits the résumé, consider what builds a legacy. Aim bigger, even if it feels risky. A good leader seeks excellence and continuous improvement, defines clear standards and holds everyone, including themselves, accountable.
Transitioning to civilian life isn’t less pressured; it’s just different pressure. But pressure is not foreign to you.
Years after building my business, a wrongful incarceration had me losing everything I had built. I could have buckled or blamed someone else. But I didn’t. I used that pressure to move forward, rebuild, learn everything I could and serve at a higher level.
With the right mental tools, such as faith, coaching or journaling, you can harness pressure rather than fear it.
Leaving the military isn’t the end of the mission. It’s another chapter and the start of ownership. Veterans don’t need sympathy. Veterans need structure. They need belief and a personal blueprint.
Tony Berenyi is a Gulf War veteran, an executive coach at Berenyi Consulting and a former business owner who led an industrial engineering and construction firm for more than 30 years. Photo: Tony Berenyi COURTESY OF TONY BERENYI
Read more articles for the Veteran Community here.
The post A Veteran Transition Framework appeared first on U.S. Veterans Magazine.
This Crockpot Mac and Cheese gives you tender macaroni in a rich, creamy sauce with very little hands-on work. All you have to do is give the pasta a quick head start on the stovetop so it can finish cooking gently in the slow cooker without turning mushy. This recipe makes 8 servings for just $0.82 each, and I think it’s PERFECT for family dinners, holidays, and potlucks or anytime you need a side dish you can mostly let the slow cooker handle. And that creamy cheddar sauce? It’s absolutely the part everyone will be going back for. 😋
Mac and cheese is always a crowd pleaser, so having a super easy slow cooker version in your back pocket is a pretty great thing. Sure, our homemade mac and cheese can be on the table in about 20 minutes, but this Crockpot version really earns its place when I’m feeding a crowd or want to free up my stove for the rest of the meal. It makes a big batch, there’s very little to do once everything is mixed together, and you can serve it straight from the slow cooker. That makes it especially handy when I’m cooking for a group! Add a green veggie on the side or make it part of a larger meal, and you’re pretty much set.
As for the flavor here, I keep things simple and classic on purpose. Sharp cheddar brings the familiar cheesiness, cream cheese adds richness and a little tang, and evaporated milk helps create a smooth sauce (without making a roux or adding extra thickeners). I only par-cook the macaroni for four minutes so it gets a head start without fully cooking, then it finishes gently in the sauce.
I also tested this crockpot mac and cheese recipe MANY times, and I think this ratio of whole milk, evaporated milk, and cheeses really hits the sweet spot for a creamy sauce that isn’t too loose. However, you can absolutely add a splash more milk at the end if you like your mac and cheese extra saucy!
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**For the creamiest slow cooker mac and cheese, shred the cheddar yourself using the large holes of a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese contains starches that can keep the cheese from melting as smoothly. Other cheeses that work well here include American cheddar, Gruyère, Gouda, a little Parmesan for nutty flavor, or Pepper Jack for extra spice.
***I love the subtle heat that a little cayenne adds, but it’s optional. Feel free to leave it out for a milder flavor.
****Par cooking the pasta: Don’t skip this step. The macaroni needs to be partially cooked before it goes into the slow cooker so it can finish cooking evenly without becoming gummy or mushy.
Gather all of your ingredients so they’re ready to go. Cut the 4 oz. cream cheese into small pieces so it melts more evenly, and measure out the seasonings and milk.
Freshly shred the cheddar: Shred 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 cups) using the large holes of a box grater. Keep the shreds fairly loose rather than packing them into the measuring cup. Freshly shredded cheese melts much more smoothly into the sauce than pre-shredded cheese.
Give the macaroni a 4-minute head start: Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Add 16 oz. elbow macaroni and cook for 4 minutes only, then drain well. The macaroni should still be very firm and noticeably underdone when you taste a piece. That’s exactly what you want because it’ll finish cooking in the slow cooker.
Grease the slow cooker: Lightly grease the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray, oil, or butter. Coat the bottom and sides, especially around the edges where the cheese sauce is most likely to cook onto the crock.
Coat the macaroni with butter: Transfer the hot, drained macaroni to the prepared slow cooker and add 3 Tbsp salted butter. Toss until the butter has completely melted and the macaroni looks lightly coated and glossy. This helps keep the partially cooked noodles from sticking together while you add the remaining ingredients.
Add the creamy sauce ingredients: Pour in 12 oz. evaporated milk and 1½ cups whole milk, then add the shredded cheddar, 4 oz. cream cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt.
Stir everything together well, making sure the cream cheese pieces and shredded cheddar are distributed throughout the macaroni. The mixture will look quite loose, and the cheeses will still be visibly separate at this point. That’s normal.
Cook LOW and stir as you go: Cover and cook on LOW for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Each time you stir, scrape gently around the sides and fold everything back toward the center so the macaroni cooks evenly. Begin checking at 45 minutes. The mac and cheese is ready when the pasta is tender but still holds its shape, and the cheeses have melted into a creamy sauce. If it starts looking dry before the macaroni is tender, stir in a splash of whole milk.
Switch to WARM and serve: Once the macaroni is tender, switch the slow cooker to WARM rather than letting it continue cooking on LOW. The sauce should still look creamy and slightly loose because it’ll thicken as it sits. If it gets thicker than you’d like while serving, stir in a small splash of whole milk until it loosens back up. Serve and enjoy!
One of my favorite things about crockpot mac and cheese is that I can switch the slow cooker to WARM and serve it straight from the crock. No transferring it to another dish, and I can keep it warm while everyone helps themselves! That makes it especially handy for holidays, potlucks, parties, game day, or anytime I’m feeding a group.
For a holiday meal, I’d serve it alongside my honey glazed ham or a roasted turkey breast. Both can cook in the oven while the mac and cheese finishes in the slow cooker, which keeps the stovetop free for anything else.
Or for an easy family dinner, our classic homemade meatloaf is a great match because its 50-minute bake time lines up nicely with the mac and cheese. I’d add sautéed green beans or oven roasted broccoli for something green on the plate. The green beans are especially handy because they only take about 15 minutes, so I can start them once the macaroni is nearly done. Easy!
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. This crockpot mac and cheese recipe also works well for meal prep, but the sauce will be thicker after refrigeration. Add a splash of milk when reheating to bring it back to a creamy consistency.
I’ll usually reheat individual portions in the microwave, stirring halfway through, with a splash of whole milk to loosen the sauce. For larger amounts, I prefer to reheat it gently on the stovetop with a little milk, stirring frequently.
I would not recommend freezing this recipe. Cream-based cheese sauces can separate and become grainy after thawing, so the texture is best when refrigerated and reheated.
Our Crockpot Mac and Cheese recipe was originally published 10/23/24. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 10/5/26.
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For the 12th year, Windstar Cruises is bringing some of America’s most compelling culinary voices aboard for its 2027 lineup of James Beard Foundation chef-hosted cruises. It’s a partnership that pairs the line’s intimate, small-ship itineraries with chefs whose personal stories mirror the very destinations they’re sailing to.
“From the Mediterranean to French Polynesia and from East Asia to the Greek Isles, each voyage in our 2027 collection has been paired with a chef whose culinary journey speaks directly to the cuisine and culture that guests will encounter on their voyages,” says Peter Tobler, Windstar’s director of hotel operations.
“Onboard these chefs will lead hands-on cooking demonstrations, intimate dinners, and destination-focused culinary events that bring a level of storytelling and expertise to the table that only chefs of James Beard Foundation caliber can offer.”
Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation, experienced a chef-hosted cruise in August, on French Feast: Normandy, Brittany & Aquitaine, when 2-star Michelin chef Gabriel Kreuther was onboard. “What you experience,” she told us, “is that the partnership brings something new and exciting to the cruise experience. It offers an opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with both leading chefs of the world and newer talent in the culinary arts.”
Curious to know more?
In 2027, the James Beard Foundation culinary voyages will include:
Read on for the full lineup, including each chef’s story and the voyage they’ll be hosting in 2027.
The Date: July 13 – 20, 2027
The yacht: Wind Surf
The itinerary: Windstar’s seven night Treasures of the Greek Isles, a roundtrip voyage from Athens’ port of Piraeus, visits places such as Nafplio, Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi (which features Windstar’s private dinner Destination Discovery event at Ephesus), Monemvasia and Santorini.
Chef Roel, a Filipino immigrant, says that he has always believed that “food is about connection, bringing people together and creating lasting experiences,” which completely reflects the ethos of the James Beard Foundation’s partnership with Windstar. As someone who’s regarded as a genuine mentor to many of America’s most talented chefs, his passion for teaching and sharing his love for cooking not just with participating guests but also with onboard chefs and galley crew, will inspire.
In addition to Chef Roel’s Filipino roots, he has a great passion for Greece and Turkey as a result of his time as chef at Miami’s Mandolin Aegean Bistro, which enabled him to extensively research, through travel and cooking, Greek and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.
Born on a family hacienda in the Philippines where his great-grandmother fed neighbors and strangers alike, Roel Alcudia moved to the United States at the age of 13. After studying fine arts at Pratt Institute and Rutgers, a bowl of his mother’s soup redirected him to the French Culinary Institute, where he graduated at the top of his class. The chef trained under some of America’s top chefs like Thomas Keller (Per Se), Tom Colicchio (Craft), and Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto) before moving to Miami.
There, he cooked at The Cypress Room (named one of Bon Appétit’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America in 2013) and at the aforementioned Mandolin Aegean Bistro. He later moved back to New York, this time to its Hudson Valley. Part of the James Beard Foundation’s chef community, Chef Roel was part of the opening team at Stissing House, a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, and has cooked at Platform by JBF, the Foundation’s culinary space in New York City.
Recently, Chef Roel returned to Miami to work with David Foulquier, founder of We All Gotta Eat, which operates a variety of fine dining restaurants. There he will be creating new menus and dishes for Focq, one of Miami’s top restaurants.
The Date: September 5 – 16, 2027
The Yacht: Star Breeze
The Itinerary: The Tahiti-based voyage includes visits to Society Islands such as Moorea, Huahine, and Bora Bora (where Polynesian Feast & Fire, Windstar’s exclusive Destination Discovery event, is a major highlight) and also to the Cook Islands.
Based on the North Shore of Hawaii’s Oʻahu, Chef Felix Tai is the culinary director and executive chef of the Polynesian Cultural Center. The Malaysian-born chef’s ethnicity reflects traces of China and India.
His culinary signature? “Great food is inseparable from the place and the people who created it.” To that end, Tai specializes in marrying culinary traditions to contemporary innovations in dishes that span thousands of islands, each with its own relationship to the ocean and the land.
At the Polynesian Cultural Center, he oversees all culinary efforts, from culturally authentic luau feasts to the Pacific Rim-inspired comfort dishes served at Pounders, an onsite restaurant. Cool fun fact: Pounders was named in honor of a nearby beach.
Chef Felix bridges his culinary operations in Hawaiʻi with national advocacy, mentorship, and high-profile guest appearances through his alignment with the James Beard Foundation’s initiatives. He is a 2026 advisor alum of the Foundation’s Legacy Network program.
The chef was inducted into the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2019.
Bonus: Experts from J Vineyards and Winery, in California’s Sonoma County, will be onboard as part of Windstar’s partnership with Lux Wines. On this cruise, guests can engage in wine tastings, menu pairings and special events.
The Date: September 8 – 16, 2027
The yacht: Star Legend
The itinerary: On this Piraeus (the port city for Athens) to Istanbul sailing, Star Legend calls at off-beat and iconic islands, such as Greece’s Santorini, Itea for Delphi, Limnos, and Mykonos. Stops in Turkey include destinations such as Bodrum and Kusadasi (which features a Windstar signature, “destination discovery” event at Ephesus).
Chef Cara is co-owner and executive chef of Honey Road Restaurant, in Burlington, Vermont, specializing in Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. The dinner-only menu focuses on vegetarian-influenced mezze. Specialties include tahini hummus, sweet harissa chicken wings, kale salad, smashed potatoes with jalapeño labne, and house-made baklava. Dishes change seasonally.
The chef’s food journey began at culinary school in California’s Monterey. A move to Boston with her husband yielded a job at Cambridge’s Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Oleana, helmed by James Beard Award winner Ana Sortun. Tobin rose from sous chef to chef de cuisine there, spending years immersed in the food of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and the broader Eastern Mediterranean region, traveling often there to learn from local home cooks and market vendors.
A decade ago, she moved to Burlington where she opened Honey Road Restaurant, continuing her passion for the cuisines of countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
At Honey Road, she has been honored as a two-time James Beard Award nominee and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist, including in the, Outstanding Restaurateur category alongside her business partner (and co-owner) Allison Gibson in 2025. She was a Rising Star Chef in 2015 while at Oleana.
Community involvement has played a big role in Cara’s restaurant philosophy. Honey Road supports local organizations that are involved with the arts, LGTBQ+ rights, childhood development and care, animal rights and local food systems.
Fun Fact: The mother of two sons, Tobin and her husband, a scientist, operate their own business called Sunday Morning Mushrooms.
The date: October 14 – 21, 2027
The yacht: Wind Surf
The itinerary: This voyage, from Rome’s port of Civitavecchia to Athens’ Piraeus, calls at ports such as Italy’s Sorrento and Messina and Greece’s Monemvasia and Gythion.
Based in Kansas City, Chef Cody is executive chef of Lidia’s, where he has worked with its founder and namesake, Lidia Bastianich, for 28 years. Before rising to the role of executive chef, Hogan, who joined Lidia’s at the start-up, served as pastry chef, chef de cuisine, and then general manager.
Here’s why Bastianich herself has played such an impactful role in the culinary arts: through her first, New York-based restaurant in the early 1980s, she transformed Italian cuisine from its then peasant roots to fine dining. She brought that same magic to Kansas City, where her self-named restaurant, her first outside of New York, opened in a Midwest city.
Growing up on a cattle ranch in northwestern Arkansas, he absorbed the importance of local farms and products. Before he embarked on his cooking career, he studied as a classical pianist but was intrigued enough in the culinary arts to begin working at Alice Waters’ famous Chez Panisse. He joined Lidia’s Kansas City in 1998.
Committed to growing community involvement in the culinary arts in the Midwest, he maintains a direct pipeline to the foundation’s fundraising networks and works closely with regional farmers to advocate for the sustainable, equitable food systems the foundation promotes.
Fun fact: As Cody Hogan first heard the adage “performing live music is like preparing an inspired meal” from his piano teacher. Jo Ann Baker, one of the Conservatory of Music and Dance’s cornerstone piano teachers, encouraged students to structure a recital like a meal — an appetizer to open, then a soup, a main course, and a light dessert to close. Hogan didn’t fully grasp the comparison until he discovered cooking himself.
The date: November 4 – 14, 2027
The yahgt: Star Seeker
The itinerary: Sailing from Osaka to Hanoi, this 10-day itinerary visits ports such as Japan’s Ishigaki and Okinawa, Taiwan’s Taipei, and Hong Kong.
Chef Christine’s culinary journey has followed a distinctive path: fine-dining Italian at Alto in New York, produce-driven cooking at Centovini, Basque cuisine at Bar Basque, Japanese-American technique at Sea Grill alongside Chef Yuhi Fujinaga, and the izakaya tradition at Bar Chuko. All of these experiences were threaded together by every stretch of vacation she could accumulate across Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. That travel built the library of flavor that would become the foundation of her own voice, making her a natural fit to lead guests through the region herself.
Though raised in Oakland, Lau is the daughter of parents who emigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong.
In August 2020, she opened Kimika in New York’s Nolita neighborhood, blending her Italian training with Japanese technique into what she calls Ita-meshi cuisine. As she told the blog Chuboknives, the menu was laid out like an Italian restaurant — snacks, then small dishes, a fried pizza section, pasta and rice, larger plates, a side or contorni, and dessert — shaped by her years in Italian kitchens, her time under a Japanese-American chef, and her stint at an izakaya. The concept earned critical acclaim: New York Times critic Pete Wells praised her deft hand at balancing the two cuisines, and Kimika was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2022.
Today, Lau oversees culinary operations for Ladyfish, a seasonal seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine, focused on celebrating Maine seafood simply and thoughtfully — paired, co-owner Jordan Rubin notes, with flavor profiles distinctive enough to surprise even seasoned diners.
Bonus: Experts from Napa’s Louis M. Martini Winery, best known for its cabernet sauvignon, will be onboard to host tastings, wine and menu pairings, and offer engaging educational sessions.
The post Windstar Cruises Announces 2027 James Beard Foundation Chef-Hosted Voyages appeared first on Windstar Cruises Travel Blog.
A search continued Sunday off the Massachusetts coast for an air ambulance carrying six people that disappeared during a flight from Bermuda to Boston as authorities planned to comb the seabed floor, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
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I’ve been travelling full time since 2010, and a duffel of one kind or another regularly makes it into our packing setup. Right now there are two in the house: a leather Floto that Jess gave me as an anniversary present a few years ago, and a pair of thin Outdoor Products duffels that pack…
By Neil Brooks, real estate agent and NewDay USA spokesperson
For generations, the VA home loan has been one of the most valuable benefits available to veterans and military families, designed to make homeownership more affordable and provide a path to building generational wealth.
NewDay USA’s 2026 Military Homebuyer Readiness Survey, a study of more than 1,200 veterans and active-duty service members, shows just how well the benefit works when veterans use it. Among those who have used a VA home loan, 98% say they’re satisfied with the experience, and 47% say they wouldn’t have been able to buy a home without it. More than two-thirds of veterans and service members who don’t yet own a home call homeownership one of the most important milestones in their lives.
So why do so few feel ready to take that step?
The same survey found that only 7% of non-homeowners consider themselves completely ready to buy in 2026. Nearly half (49%) say homeownership feels entirely out of reach. The desire is there. What’s missing, for many, is a clear path through the upfront costs that stand between them and the keys to a home.
The VA home loan eliminates the down payment, which is one of its most powerful advantages. But closing costs, home inspections, appraisal fees and earnest money deposits still require cash on hand. That’s where the math breaks down for many military families.
The survey found that 49% of non-homeowning respondents cited saving for upfront costs as one of the biggest barriers to homeownership. Forty-five percent said they don’t have enough savings to cover closing costs, and nearly one in five have zero savings set aside. Meanwhile, 52% carry more than $5,000 in high-interest debt. Among active-duty respondents, half carry more than $10,000.
These numbers reflect a real challenge. When home prices keep rising and affordability gets tighter, saving for upfront costs becomes harder for everyone, especially military families managing frequent relocations and the financial disruptions that come with them. That reality shouldn’t keep veterans from a benefit they’ve earned.
The good news is that when you remove the upfront cost barrier, intent changes fast. Only 21% of non-homeowning respondents said they were likely to buy a home in 2026 when facing those costs. That number nearly doubles to 40% when down payment and closing costs are taken off the table.
The financial barrier is real, but it’s made worse by what many veterans and service members don’t know about the benefits available to them. The survey found that 55% of respondents held at least one misconception about the VA home loan. That’s a problem because every misconception a veteran carries is a reason to hesitate and, in many cases, a reason never to start the process at all.
The truth is that the VA home loan offers advantages that most other loan types don’t. There is no private mortgage insurance, which can save buyers hundreds of dollars a month. The VA loan typically carries a lower interest rate than conventional mortgages. The benefit can be used more than once. And with an experienced VA lender, the process doesn’t take longer than conventional or FHA loans. These are fundamental advantages that change what a military buyer can afford, and knowing about them makes all the difference.
Veterans and service members who feel priced out of the market have more options than they may realize. The VA loan’s zero-down-payment benefit already removes a major obstacle most buyers face. For closing costs, NewDay USA’s Home Advantage Loan allows qualified veterans and service members to finance those costs with an unsecured personal loan, with interest refunded if repaid within one year.
Working with lenders and real estate agents who specialize in VA loans also makes a measurable difference. When veterans pair the right benefit with the right team, the process works the way it was designed to. A good first step is finding a lender who primarily works with VA buyers and can walk through the full picture, from what’s needed upfront to what the monthly payment will look like. That single conversation can turn homeownership from something that feels out of reach into something with a clear timeline and plan.
The VA home loan was built to give veterans and military families a real advantage on the path to homeownership. The barriers that remain are real, but they’re solvable. With the right information and the right support, more veterans can put this benefit to work and build the stability and wealth they’ve earned.
Neil Brooks is a Navy veteran and real estate professional who has specialized in serving military and veteran families since 1999. With more than 1,000 closed transactions, he has earned a reputation for steady leadership, clear communication and mission-driven service. He uses his experience serving veteran buyers to help shape more accessible and effective products for those who have worn the uniform.
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