My husband thinks that some things are too special for restaurant service. I think that is exactly why people should get to eat them. On Monday, the argument started again. This time over two trays of focaccia.

After Hurricane Lala left you without power, cell service or information, you realized that what you had in the house and what you actually needed were two different things. Here’s what you’re changing before the next storm rolls in.

You are here again. Standing in the dark. No power. No phone service. Just a stoic SOS marking the space where cell phone bars used to be. Hurricane Lala didn't just interrupt the plan for this season. It rooted you back in what it means to make Maui home.

You have just left your brother-in-law behind in Milan, not knowing how many more days he has to live. What you do know is that your daughter's summer cannot be defined by grief. And that someone in the car needs to hold steady. This is how you arrive in Florence anyway, yellow flowers giving way to rooftops, dread giving way to the city’s gold light, one long night before you understand what tomorrow will bring.