The latest find, spotted at a shop in Baltimore by Thea Lenna, was a chair beyond compare, and when DelFavero saw it, she just about fell out of hers. It had pastel polka dots along its frame, bright stripes on the seat cushion and, at its back, two giant fish carved out of wood. She recognized it right away.

This was the hand-painted handiwork of well-known designer Victoria MacKenzie-Childs. More relevant, it was the image inked onto Del­Favero’s own right calf. On a whim, she had gotten a tattoo of this exact chair nearly two years earlier, based on a dollhouse version of it that caught her eye at the MacKenzie-Childs studio in Aurora, New York, near DelFavero’s childhood home. “I stood in front of that dollhouse for 40 minutes,” she says. DelFavero didn’t know that the little chair she had gotten tattooed also came in a full-size version until she saw the picture of the secondhand find on Facebook.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more true stories, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.

A viral post sparks an unlikely mission

DelFavero felt this coincidence was too mind-bending to keep to herself, so she posted a picture of her tattoo to the group. Within moments, the Facebook page was in a frenzy. Many of the women felt this was a sign. DelFavero needed to have that chair. Several of them took it a step further and started a new Facebook group, From Baltimore to Emily D., to make a plan to get it to her—even though the chair cost $700.

Group members started pooling their money. In less than 48 hours, they had more than enough, which raised the question of what to do with the surplus. And this is where the fish chair took on an almost mystical aura. As they traded messages and got to know each other, the women realized they had more in common than just their passion for funky furniture. “All of us had experience with domestic violence,” says DelFavero, who, as a teenager, followed her mom out of the house when she left an abusive boyfriend. “The National Domestic ­Violence Hotline helped us get back on our feet,” DelFavero says. She suggested donating the excess funds to this organization, and the others readily agreed.

A journey of connection and healing

DelFavero is quick to point out that she has sweet memories of her childhood too. Emblazoning a crazy chair on her leg actually was a way to reclaim that history. “It reminded me of the happy times,” she says. “We had MacKenzie-Childs pieces in my house growing up. My mom was a collector.” DelFavero remembers eating dinner off colorful plates shaped like fish and lilting in the light of a brightly painted lamp. It was those recollections that left her mesmerized in front of the dollhouse—and now inspired strangers to bring her the chair’s full-size version.

With the donation made and the chair paid for, the only remaining matter was getting it across the distance “from Baltimore to Emily D,” more than 300 miles. Some volunteered to transport it while others mapped out the route into equal parts. Jen Garrard led things off. She picked up the chair in Baltimore and drove it to Meredith Skyy, who brought it to Maryann Wetzig. As fate would have it, the exit Skyy had to take for the exchange also took her to the cemetery where her grandmother had been buried just months earlier. Because of the pandemic, her family couldn’t hold a service. Skyy told Wetzig she was making a detour.

Wetzig’s mother was buried at the same cemetery—yet another connection she had with a woman she hadn’t known just days prior. When Skyy gave Wetzig the chair, Wetzig had something to give Skyy: flowers. “For your grandmother,” she said.

From there, Wetzig brought the chair to Jacqueline Sergent, who drove it to Rhae Blumer, who took it to Cyndy ­Buiniskis, who delivered it to Sarah Edwards.

Edwards’s trek to Syracuse was the last of the seven legs of the fish chair’s journey. It had gone from sold to Syracuse in just one week. As Edwards presented DelFavero with the chair, the two laughed and celebrated, but they also shed a few tears. “I was drawn to your story,” Edwards told DelFavero, “because your mom’s story was not my mom’s story.” Edwards lost her mother to domestic violence. Being part of this effort, she said, “gave me something that I needed, and I didn’t know I needed it.”

None of these women knew each other before the sighting of the chair in that Baltimore shop. Today, they talk regularly. DelFavero, Lenna, all seven drivers and the four women who mapped out the route now refer to themselves collectively as The Fellow­ship of the Fish Chair. “At first, I couldn’t believe that all these women wanted to come together for what seems so silly,” DelFavero says. “But now it makes sense. Knowing them, of course, they’re the kind of people who would do this.”

As for the chair, it has become her “guitar throne.” DelFavero started playing at 13, but as she got older, she didn’t practice as much as she once did. “This chair gave me a reason to sit down and play every night,” she says. Sometimes she films her strumming sessions and shares the videos with the rest of the fellowship. “It really is a gift,” she says. “This chair has changed my life.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

The Best Online Thrift Stores

Get Your Parents to Part with Their Stuff

Cheap Places to Buy Used Books Online

The post The Sisterhood of the Traveling Fish Chair: How a Thrift-Store Find Turned 13 Strangers into Lifelong Friends appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But that familiar system is starting to change—and not everyone is thrilled about it.

A new technology rolling out in Walmart stores across the country could transform how prices are displayed—and potentially how they’re set. Critics say it may even open the door to higher prices. Here’s what you need to know before your next trip down the aisles.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more shopping, cleaning, humor, tech and fun facts all week long.

What change is Walmart making in all its stores?

Walmart is rolling out digital shelf labels (DSLs)—small electronic displays that show prices, promotions and product details in real time. These are replacing the traditional paper tags that usually sit under each product.

These labels look like simple screens, but they’re connected to a central system. That means store employees no longer need to manually swap out paper tags. Instead, prices can be updated instantly across entire departments—or even the whole store—with just a few clicks.

Walmart has already introduced DSLs in hundreds of locations and plans to expand them across thousands of U.S. stores in the coming years, with a bigger nationwide rollout expected before the end of the decade.

So why make the switch? Walmart says the move is about efficiency and accuracy. Digital labels reduce labor, eliminate pricing errors between shelves and checkout, and make it easier to roll out promotions quickly. They can also support features like QR codes, helping shoppers access more product information on the spot.

Why are shoppers so worried?

The concern isn’t with the screens themselves—it’s more about what could happen next. Because DSLs allow instant price updates, they could pave the way for what’s known as dynamic pricing (also called surge or algorithmic pricing), or prices that fluctuate based on demand, time of day or even customer behavior.

Regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission, have been examining how data-driven pricing models could impact consumers, especially if companies begin tailoring prices in ways shoppers don’t fully understand.

Think of how ride-sharing apps increase fares during busy times, or if you happen to be going to the airport or home from a late-night concert. Now imagine something similar happening in a grocery aisle: Prices could rise during peak shopping hours, like evenings or weekends, or high-demand items could cost more right before a holiday or big event.

And if there’s a run on a particular product due to local demand or reduced inventory? Yep, stores could jack up the price in real time. The bottom line: DSLs make rapid price changes easier—and it has shoppers on edge.

What does this mean for Walmart shoppers?

Right now, Walmart says there’s no need to panic. The company has stated that its digital shelf labels are not being used for dynamic or surge pricing in stores. Instead, they’re focused on improving efficiency and making sure prices are consistent between the shelf and the register. That’s an important distinction. Pricing changes already happen in retail—typically overnight or between seasonal store updates. DSLs simply make those changes more quickly and accurately.

Still, there’s cause for skepticism, since the technology could be used for dynamic pricing in the future—even if it isn’t today. Notably, Walmart already has a patent for updating item prices on its e-commerce platform “dynamically and automatically.” While patents don’t necessarily reflect current practices, they do show what’s technologically possible—and what could be in the works.

Are other stores using surge pricing?

Yes. Walmart isn’t alone in exploring digital pricing tools.

Major retailers and platforms—including Amazon and Kohl’s—already use dynamic pricing online, where prices can change frequently based on demand, competition and browsing behavior. Some grocery chains, like Kroger, have also begun experimenting with DSLs, though most say they’re using them for operational efficiency rather than real-time price fluctuations.

However, data-driven pricing will probably become more common as retailers invest in automation and analytics. The question isn’t just whether prices can change quickly—it’s how companies choose to use that capability.

What do lawmakers say—and how can consumers protect themselves?

State and federal lawmakers are starting to pay attention to DSLs. At least 12 states, including New York and Pennsylvania, are considering legislation that would limit or regulate certain types of dynamic pricing, especially if it’s based on personal data.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union has also launched a campaign against surveillance pricing on groceries. There’s also a growing national conversation around transparency—ensuring shoppers know when and why prices change.

In the meantime, there are a few practical steps consumers can take:

• Track prices of your staples: If something seems higher than usual, make a note of it. If it fluctuates based on the time of day or day of the week, it’s worth timing your shopping to get the best deals.
• Use store loyalty apps and price scanners: Use your Walmart store app or in-store price scanners to confirm the price you’ll pay at checkout, and combine with coupons and promotions to score discounts.
• Shop at off-peak times: Shopping when there are fewer crowds can be helpful if you’re concerned about potential price fluctuations based on demand.
• Speak up: Consumer feedback often influences how companies roll out new tech.

For now, digital shelf labels are simply a new tool—not a confirmed shift to surge pricing in stores. But as retail technology evolves, it’s worth staying informed. Because that little paper price tag you’ve always trusted? It might be another relic of the past before you know it.

RELATED:

• This Is the Highest-Paying Hourly Job at Walmart—And They Definitely Deserve It
• If You See This Bar on the Wheel of Your Shopping Cart, Here’s What It Means
• New Report: These Are the Most-Ordered Grocery Items of 2025, According to Grubhub

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Walmart: “How the Shelf Got Smarter and Our Jobs Got Easier”
• Walmart: “New Tech, Better Outcomes: Digital Shelf Labels Are a Win for Customers and Associates”
• Sales Force: “What is Dynamic Pricing? How It Works, With Examples”
• Federal Trade Commission: “FTC Surveillance Pricing Study Indicates Wide Range of Personal Data Used to Set Individualized Consumer Prices”
• Retail Brew: “Walmart says new digital labels won’t be used for dynamic pricing”
• Google Patents: “System and method for dynamically and automatically updating item prices on e-commerce platform”
• Forbes: “Walmart, Kroger And Whole Foods Use Digital Pricing. What Customers Should Know”
• Grocery Dive: “Grocers face state and federal lawmakers’ scrutiny over ‘surveillance’ pricing”
• Gizmodo: “These States Are Joining in the Push to Ban Surveillance Pricing”
• UFCW: “UFCW Launches National Campaign to Ban Surveillance Pricing on Groceries”

Target Customers Need to Stop Doing This

Walmart's New Look Divided the Internet

Target vs. Walmart: Which Is Best?

The post Walmart Is Making a Major Change to Its Price Tags, and Shoppers May Pay the Price appeared first on Reader's Digest.

And she isn’t alone. Solo travel has surged in popularity in recent years, with the global solo travel market projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, according to Solo Traveler World. In fact, according to Airbnb’s 2026 travel predictions, “solo travel is experiencing a renaissance, fueled by online conversations that encourage self-discovery over relationship status.” And that’s just one of the many benefits of solo travel.

Here are eight of the biggest benefits of solo travel, according to research, experts and travelers who have experienced it firsthand. Read on to find out why you just might want to make your next trip a solo vacation.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

What are the benefits of solo travel?

What you get out of a solo adventure depends, in large part, on your personality and travel style. But there are a few benefits of solo travel that most people will experience, no matter who they are or where they go.

Total freedom to travel your way

One of the most obvious benefits of solo travel is the freedom to design your trip exactly the way you want. Research backs this up: An analysis of more than 1,000 Tripadvisor forum posts from solo female travelers found that the ability to make decisions independently was one of the most rewarding aspects of traveling alone. Without needing to compromise with travel companions, you can choose your own pace, interests and schedule.

For Brandon Gurr, 39, who likes to take his trips with solo travel company Flash Pack, that freedom is a major reason he enjoys going it alone. “It means less time managing others’ comfort and more time immersing yourself in the moment,” he says. It also eliminates the struggle of coordinating with friends’ busy schedules.

Traveling alone can also allow you to pursue experiences you might skip if someone else’s comfort or schedule were involved, adds Gurr. “I love traveling with my dad, for example, but I often hold back to ensure I’m not putting him in a position that strains him,” he explains. “When I’m on a solo adventure, I can head to the top of every temple.”

And sharing those experiences later can make the memories even sweeter. “I actually find that bringing those stories and photos back home to share with family afterward is often one of the best parts of taking the trip,” he says.

A major boost in confidence

Survey data compiled by travel platform Atlys found that 28% of travelers say solo travel increases their confidence and sense of independence. “It’s a guaranteed result of traveling solo,” insists Janice Waugh, the founder of solo-travel site Solo Traveler and author of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook. “In my 50s, traveling solo, I realized how much I had grown. When traveling with partners, growth is not apparent. Traveling alone, I discovered skills and abilities I didn’t know I had because I had to use them.”

Whether navigating transportation or handling unexpected travel hiccups, “we have no opportunity to sit back and let someone else figure it out for us,” says Charlotte Russell, a clinical psychologist and the founder of the travel blog The Travel Psychologist. She notes that stepping outside your comfort zone can also change how you approach future challenges. “We learn that we are stronger than we think,” she says, “and this makes us more equipped and confident to deal with unexpected challenges in the future.”

Anderson agrees. “Although I’ve been highly independent my whole life, solo travel has boosted my confidence immeasurably,” she says. “At age 62, I can travel the world solo—with a fearless spirit, a joyful strut that says my adventure is just beginning.”

Gurr experienced that confidence boost during a snorkeling excursion in Belize that involved jumping into a sea of sharks. “Standing on the edge of the boat, looking into water roiling with gray fins, I felt queasy,” he says, noting that he saw another traveler jump in and pushed himself to try. “Seeing her do it inspired my own confidence, and I took the plunge.”

Moments like that can stay with you long after the trip ends. “Overcoming that fear to be in the water with creatures that large was an unreal experience that words can’t fully capture,” Gurr says.

Stronger independence and adaptability

Trying new things doesn’t just give you a bump in confidence; when you have new experiences while traveling alone, you get a greater sense of independence as well. Russell says that by facing unfamiliar situations, whether navigating a new city or communicating in a different culture, you gain even more benefits of solo travel—namely, resilience and adaptability.

Gurr experienced that firsthand while exploring Petra. “The moment this really clicked for me was in Jordan,” he says. “I asked our ‘pack leader’ for a challenge, and he pointed me toward a rugged trail in Petra that climbed high above the crowds.”

He decided to climb the trail alone. “Standing there, I realized I never would have dragged a travel companion up that steep path in the heat,” Gurr says. That sense of independence made the experience unforgettable. “That total freedom was addictive.”

Renewed motivation and energy

Tourism psychology research suggests that navigating unfamiliar environments alone can strengthen independence, sharpen decision-making skills and leave travelers feeling energized with a fresh perspective on daily life. It might also give you a health boost, as an AARP travel survey suggests. It found that of the 73% of Baby Boomers who noticed health benefits after a trip, the most unexpected perks were better sleep (51%), more energy (50%) and increased productivity (46%). “You return to your day-to-day life with a completely different perspective,” says Gurr. “I’d almost describe it as a solo traveler’s high.”

After days spent exploring new places and meeting new people, you may hang on to the energy even once the trip has ended. “For me, there is a burning desire to keep that momentum going after I return,” he says.

A deeper sense of self

Many travelers say solo trips allow them to reconnect with themselves in ways that everyday life doesn’t. Russell explains that being alone removes the social cues that often influence how we behave. “When we are alone, it’s possible to listen to and go along with our own needs and preferences,” she says.

Stepping away from everyday roles and expectations can make it easier to reflect on what truly matters and who you truly are. “I feel like my whole life, I’ve been someone’s daughter, someone’s wife or someone’s mother, and even now, someone’s grandmother,” Anderson says. “When I travel alone, I become Jenny Lynn Anderson again, and I become me and do it my way. If I want to eat chocolate for breakfast, I do.”

Better mental health

Travel itself is often linked to improved mood and life satisfaction. According to a study published in Nature Neuroscience, it can increase happiness. “Our results suggest that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines—when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences,” explains Catherine Hartley, PhD, an assistant professor in New York University’s Department of Psychology and one of the study’s co-authors.

Solo travel may amplify those effects. “It can also provide what we consider to be the psychological building blocks of well-being, which include providing positive emotions, engagement and both a sense of meaning and accomplishment,” says Russell. “I’ve traveled solo a couple of times after experiencing difficulties at work [that] have knocked both my confidence and sense of self.” The results? “Gaining distance from the challenges I’ve faced, having some space to reconnect with myself and taking some rest in beautiful places.”

Reduced stress

“When we are burned out, it is important to rest and to have some space away from the demands that led to us feeling this way,” explains Russell. And a solo trip can do just that.

“It’s not that this leads to particular changes in the brain,” she says, “However, when we believe in our own abilities, our nervous system is less likely to be disregulated by unexpected challenges in the future.” To put it another way, building confidence in our own ability allows us to feel calmer when dealing with future challenges, and we are usually more effective at problem-solving when we feel calmer.

A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health confirms that short, three- to four-day vacations can significantly reduce stress and improve well-being, with positive effects lasting up to 45 days post-trip. And according to the research review Psychology of Solo Travel: Mental Health Benefits and Personal Growth Outcomes, further studies suggest that the increased autonomy and reduced stress from social obligations that come with solo travel may lower stress levels even more.

A healthier brain

Yup, traveling alone may actually make you smarter in a way. According to Universitat Oberta de Catalunya faculty of psychology and education sciences instructor Sílvia Sumell, solo travel can stimulate different cognitive areas. Navigating new environments forces the brain to adapt, improving decision-making and strategic thinking.

It also exposes us to new cultures, languages and surroundings, and it encourages the brain to build new neural connections. Plus, encountering unfamiliar sights and experiences can act as a workout for the brain, enhancing creativity and cognitive flexibility.

Are solo trips for everyone?

Solo travel can be transformative, but it may not be the right fit for everyone. Those who are uncomfortable with exploring the unknown, navigating unfamiliar places or managing their own safety may experience increased stress and mental distress. “I would never advise someone to push themselves beyond their comfort zone if they feel particularly anxious or are unsure that they have the skills to manage traveling alone,” Russell cautions.

Personality also plays a role. “People who are introverted tend to feel energized by spending time alone, and so naturally, solo travel may feel appealing to them,” she says. “That’s not to say that people who are extroverted can’t benefit, but it will be important for them to think about how they might meet their own needs for social interaction.”

How can you prepare for a solo trip?

If you’re curious about traveling alone but nervous about trying it, Russell advises easing into solo travel rather than pushing too far outside your comfort zone. Some tips:

• Start slow: “Stay within your own country or at least a country that speaks the same language as you,” says Waugh. “Go for a minimum of four days—it’s long enough to get past the ‘What was I thinking?’ stage and get into the groove of solo travel.”
• Practice logistics: “Use public transport and see whether you are able to navigate this by yourself,” says Russell. If that feels manageable, it may be a sign you’re ready for a bigger adventure. If you struggle, spend more time getting comfortable with this step, or travel with someone else in the first instance.

How can you choose the right solo trip for you?

Before you book that ticket for one, make sure you’re planning a solo trip that suits your travel style, experience and comfort. Here’s what the experts suggest:

• Match the destination to your energy level. If you like constant activity and stimulation, a big city with museums, restaurants and walkable neighborhoods may be ideal, says Anderson. If you’re craving rest or reflection, a beach town, mountain retreat or spa destination might be a better fit.
• Think about how much structure you want. Some solo travelers enjoy having plans, while others prefer to wander freely. If you like structure, look for destinations that offer guided tours, classes or excursions you can easily join, advises Gurr. “I’m so busy in my day-to-day life that planning a vacation can feel like just another big project at work,” he says. “That is why Flash Pack was so incredibly convenient; I knew once I stepped on the plane, everything else was on autopilot.”
• Choose a place that fits your comfort level. If it’s your first solo trip, you may feel more relaxed somewhere that’s easy to navigate and culturally familiar. As you gain confidence, you can branch out to more adventurous destinations.
• Consider how social you want the trip to be. Spontaneity and an opportunity to meet locals and other travelers were key for Waugh when planning her solo trips. If you’d like to meet people, choose destinations with group-friendly activities, like food tours, cooking classes or outdoor excursions where it’s natural to connect with other travelers.
• Start with a shorter trip if you’re new to traveling alone. A long weekend or short getaway can help you figure out what you enjoy about solo travel before planning a longer adventure.
• Decide what you want to get out of the trip. Whether it’s relaxation, personal growth, cultural experiences or adventure, knowing your goal can help you choose a destination that delivers the experience you’re hoping for, says Anderson. “Go into the travel open and approachable,” she says, “and some of the most unexpected connections can occur!”

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Charlotte Russell, clinical psychologist and founder of The Travel Psychologist; email interview, March 9, 2026
• Janice Waugh, founder and publisher of Solo Traveler, author of The Solo Traveler’s Handbook and member of the Travel Media Association of Canada; email interview, March 6, 2026
• Jenny Lynn Anderson, travel advisor and blogger at Jenny Lynn on a Journey; email interview, March 11, 2026
• Brandon Gurr, frequent solo traveler; email interview, March 6, 2026
• Current Issues in Tourism: “Understanding online tourist–tourist interaction in solo female travel: a self-determination theory perspective”
• Nature Neuroscience: “Association between real-world experiential diversity and positive affect relates to hippocampal–striatal functional connectivity”
• New York University: “New and Diverse Experiences Linked to Enhanced Happiness, New Study Shows”
• Universitat Oberta de Cataluna: “11 Benefits of Travelling Solo”
• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “Short Vacation Improves Stress-Level and Well-Being in German-Speaking Middle-Managers—A Randomized Controlled Trial”
• ResearchGate: “The Psychology of Solo Travel: Mental Health Benefits and Personal Growth Outcomes”

The Safest Countries for Solo Travel

Flying Solo Just Got More Expensive

The Best Vacation Packages for Singles

The post 8 Great Reasons You Should Absolutely Take a Solo Vacation appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But Queen Elizabeth II was built differently. According to biographies of the late monarch and staff who worked with her, she loved rolling up her sleeves and doing a very ordinary chore that you probably hate.

So what household job is fit for a queen? Read on to find out.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more royals, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Which cleaning task did the queen do herself?

The late queen loved nothing more than taking off her jewels, popping on a pair of rubber gloves and washing the dishes after a meal. Think the image of the queen up to her elbows in dishwater sounds absurd? You’re not the only one. The late monarch threw a few prime ministers for a loop with her dishwashing.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famously ticked off by the monarch after a barbecue at Balmoral, during which Prince Philip had cooked and the queen began cleaning up.

“She couldn’t bear the queen waiting on her,” writes biographer Matthew Dennison in The Queen. “She kept leaping up. Finally, the queen was heard to say, ‘Could someone tell that woman to sit down?’ After one trip, the prime minister even felt impelled to send the monarch a pair of washing-up gloves.”

A few years later, another prime minister, David Cameron, found himself in the suds with the queen. “I’m not making this up,” he told Gyles Brandreth for his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. “You sat down, and Prince Philip and Her Majesty the Queen served your dinner and cleared it away and washed it up while you sat talking with the other guests.”

After about five years of this, Cameron thought he’d join in. Big mistake. “I thought, ‘Well, I now surely can help,’” he said, explaining that he donned rubber gloves and started washing up. “I remember Her Majesty saying, ‘What on earth is the prime minister doing?’ I’d broken with the protocol and rapidly sat back down and did what I was told.”

Was this a regular thing?

No, the queen mainly liked to clean up when she was at her favorite getaway, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. (So you can stop feeling so bad about your disdain for the chore. You have to do it daily.)

Former press secretary Dickie Arbiter, who worked with the queen for many years, also witnessed her washing the dishes at her Highland home. He’d recently joined the palace and was invited to an intimate lunch at Balmoral to meet the queen and Philip. The 45-minute meal with the royal couple and the queen’s lady-in-waiting featured china plates, silver cutlery and Tupperware containers of food for the foursome.

“At the end of it, the queen said, ‘We’ve got to clear up,’ and I took it as my cue as the junior flunky to do the washing up. So I went into the kitchen and started washing up. I heard this footfall behind me and assumed it was the lady-in-waiting coming to give me a hand,” the royal commentator told True Royalty TV. “I said over my shoulder without even turning, ‘OK, I’ll wash, you dry.’ This very familiar voice behind me said, ‘No, I’ll wash, you dry.’ It was the queen. So she plunged her hands into the Fairy Liquid—no gloves—and I did the drying up. It was quite an experience to actually do a bit of domesticity with a head of state.”

Why did the queen like doing this?

Washing dishes may feel like drudgery, but it’s a very normal activity for most people in the world—and that’s what made it so appealing to the queen.

It gave her a sense of normalcy

By getting her hands wet and sudsy, Elizabeth could feel like a regular person, if only for a moment. And it’s no surprise she most often cleaned up at her Scottish estate. Balmoral was the one place she truly felt like herself, according to her family.

“It’s the most beautiful place on earth,” Princess Eugenie said in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at 90. “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands … Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs! There’s always dogs. And people coming in and out all the time. You just have room to breathe and run.”

But it wasn’t the only place the queen liked to live “normally.” She also did that in Sandringham, a sprawling royal estate in Norfolk, England, where Philip would later spend his retirement. Instead of staying in the main house, the couple regularly stayed in the homier five-bedroom Wood Farm. Philip loved to cook—his specialty was omelets—and the queen enjoyed cleaning up.

“I was once at a shooting lunch,” a courtier told journalist Harry Mount. “At the end of lunch, I heard someone say, ‘I’ll do the washing up.’ I turned round, and there was the queen in her yellow washing-up gloves.”

It hearkened back to her childhood

At Balmoral, she got a glimpse of the life she thought she would live when she was a child. The young Princess Elizabeth once told her riding instructor that she envisioned herself in the future as “a lady living in the country with lots of dogs and horses.” But when her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936, it changed the trajectory of her life.

She’d always loved playing house—for her sixth birthday, the people of Wales gifted the little princess a miniature thatched cottage called Y Bwthyn Bach, which was placed on the grounds in Windsor and came complete with running water, electricity and a fully functioning kitchen. She loved “dusting and washing up there,” Dennison wrote.

She was also scrupulously tidy. Her governess, Marion Crawford, reported that she would line up “her shoes quite straight, her clothes arranged just so.”

What other very normal household tasks did the queen do?

We’re not saying the queen could be found vacuuming the red carpets of Buckingham Palace on the regular—she had a vast staff employed to do that. But she showed interest in a few household tasks, including:

• Caring for corgis: The queen adored corgis and would feed and breed them. After receiving Susan the corgi for her 18th birthday, Elizabeth began breeding a doggie dynasty. Susan’s offspring were by the queen’s side until 2009.
• Caring for horses: Elizabeth loved horses and received her first Shetland pony, Peggy, as a fourth birthday present in 1930. Throughout her life, she groomed and bred the animals. She was never happier than when she was with her horses, clad in a waxed jacket and headscarf.
• Gardening: The queen was patron of the Royal Horticultural Society for 70 years and had a wide knowledge of plants and a passion for roses. Although not a hands-on gardener, she took an avid interest in her palace gardens.
• Maintaining a car: She may never have changed the tires on her Land Rover, but she could have, if necessary, thanks to her wartime service. In 1945, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned how to maintain army vehicles.

RELATED:

• Here’s What Kate Middleton Really Thought About Meghan Markle When They First Met
• Royal Scoop! Queen Elizabeth Kept a Secret Stash of This Sweet Treat in the Palace
• Princess Kate Always Asks This One Question Before Making a Big Decision—And It’s Really Good Advice

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• The Queen by Matthew Dennison
• Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth
• True Royalty TV: “A poignant memory from Dickie Arbiter”
• The Queen at 90
• The Telegraph: “The secrets of Wood Farm – the Queen’s favourite retreat”
• The Times: “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”

The One Thing That Scared Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth Loved This Comfort Food

Why Royals Travel with a Black Outfit

The post Queen Elizabeth Actually Loved Doing This Very Annoying Cleaning Task—And Yes, She Did It Herself! appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Why is poor sleep such a common plight? There’s an endless list of reasons, but for me, it was always the tiny disruptions that did me in: My partner getting up for the bathroom, that cold whoosh of air leaking into the warm cocoon as he lifts up the comforter. The light of his reading lamp keeping me awake while I’m desperately trying to get some shut-eye. Not to mention the tossing and turning—his or mine—that left us both awake and just slightly enraged.

That all changed when I started using something called the Scandinavian sleep method. It’s a deceptively simple yet completely transformative approach to co-sleeping that has helped my insomnia and made sleeping next to my partner more restful and enjoyable.

Here’s what you need to know about the Scandinavian sleep method, plus my favorite tips for getting started.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more wellness, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

What is the Scandinavian sleep method?

The Scandinavian sleep method is a co-sleeping approach where both partners have their own duvet. It’s long been a part of the culture in Nordic countries, including Iceland and Norway, but it’s also common in other European countries like Austria and Germany.

Sometimes, each person sleeps in their own twin bed, with their own mattress and comforter, though the beds are pushed together to create a “separate but together” feel. The approach stems from a practical, wellness-first philosophy that emphasizes each person doing what’s best for them—no hard feelings.

I began to seriously consider adopting this technique when my partner and I took our first trip to Europe together, just a few months into dating. We stayed in an Airbnb in Vienna, where a king-sized bed was outfitted with two smaller duvets. My boyfriend, who grew up in the Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic, didn’t think much of this setup.

But me? I remember having one of the longest, most restful sleeps of my life and wondering: Could my bed coverings really make that much of a difference in my sleep? The answer, my friend, was yes.

What makes it so great?

The Scandinavian sleep method helps prevent the ever-frustrating blanket-stealing dynamic that inevitably occurs when sharing one duvet with someone else. But there are many other benefits to this sleep style—many of them backed by science. Here’s what the method does:

Regulates body temperature

Temperature plays a major role in our sleep cycle. Your body’s temperature changes in accordance with different sleep phases, and any disruption to that delicate balance can cause us to wake up.

It’s also true that some people tend to get warmer when they sleep; others may run colder and need a thicker blanket. The Scandinavian method accounts for these differences because each person can get a duvet that matches their preferences.

Accommodates different schedules

Despite evidence that going to bed and waking up at the same time is ideal for high-quality sleep, most of us can admit that, realistically, it’s different day to day. It’s also likely that our bedtime differs from our partner’s. The Scandinavian method caters to each person’s sleep schedule in a way that’s less disruptive than a singular sheet.

For instance, when I climb in bed early and my partner plans on staying up, he’ll fold down the corner of his duvet so he can easily slide into bed without waking me up. If I wake up before him, I can slip out of my personal duvet without a sound. In both cases, there’s no tugging sensation or rush of cold air to disrupt the sleeper.

This has been a great help to my insomnia. As a light sleeper, shuffling sounds and movement from my night-owl partner would wake me up soon after I fell into a deep sleep, making it hard to fall asleep again. Now, fewer disruptions equals better sleep overall.

Prevents sleep divorce

Sharing a bed has been shown to have positive psychological benefits, including a reinforced sense of intimacy and connection with one’s partner and their family unit as a whole. Married couples who co-sleep (if they’ve found the right bedding arrangement) also have better REM sleep—a phase of rest associated with better memory, mental health and longevity.

But when partners struggle to get a good night’s rest, those benefits are hard to realize. Some partnered adults have skipped the two-duvet method and jumped straight into a sleep divorce, where a couple sleeps in separate beds (usually in separate rooms) to ensure control over their sleep preferences.

The Scandinavian sleeping style offers a more personalized approach for each partner, without giving up the benefits of co-sleeping.

Accommodates late-night readers and early-morning scrollers

Nine nights out of ten, I’ll turn off my bedside lamp before my partner. He’ll stay up late reading through that week’s Economist with a small reading light, and I pull the comforter up like the snuggliest bug-in-a-rug and fall fast asleep, without waiting for him to do the same.

Likewise, I know that scrolling in bed is bad for you. Sometimes, though, I wake up and immediately check the text message notifications I’ve missed from my loved ones, many of whom are in a time zone two hours ahead of me. Luckily, I can pull the covers up over my phone and text with delight while my partner slumbers away.

Requires little investment

We’ve all heard about the fancy daylight alarm clocks and uber-sustainable mattresses that promise a better night’s sleep. What I love most about this Scandinavian sleep method is it’s super affordable—likely even free—because you can do it with items you already have. If it turns out to be the wrong method for you, nothing precious was lost in the process.

Who might not love this idea?

Despite the Scandinavian sleep method hype, there are certainly people for whom it won’t work. For instance, you might prefer a one-duvet approach if you:

• Primarily sleep alone
• Love the top sheet and don’t want to give it up
• Hate making your bed every day
• Share a smaller, full-size bed with your partner
• Rely on snuggling or being connected under the sheets to sleep
• Are primarily kept awake by a partner who snores—this won’t solve that!

So how do I use the Scandinavian sleep method?

The secret to getting this right is remembering that it’s all about personalizing your approach. However, there are a few things I’ve tried that I think will help get you started on the right track to better slumber.

Skip the top sheet

One of the most important ways to follow the Scandinavian sleep method is to give up the top sheet—the sheet that Americans typically put between their fitted sheet and their comforter (sometimes called a flat sheet).

Giving up the top sheet was strange at first. I wasn’t used to having the duvet cover directly against my body. However, we chose linen duvet covers, which are thin yet cozy enough to make up for the top sheet’s absence. And you know what? After a night or two, I really didn’t miss it!

Use the same two duvet covers

On our king bed, we use the same two twin-sized coverlets and fold them in half side-by-side to create a consistent look. We also have the same two duvets inside the covers—but that’s not necessary!

A couple with contrasting preferences could get two different duvet inserts (one thicker, one thinner, for instance) and put them inside the same covers to keep the bed feeling clean and fresh.

Make your bed with an added blanket

As Norwegian influencer Cecilia Blomdahl shows in her Scandinavian sleep method demonstration, adding a full-size blanket on top of the double duvets makes your bed cozy, inviting and more like the one-duvet-style appearance you might be used to.

Sleep inside the taco … or not

Depending on how large your bed and your duvets are, you may need to fold the covers into what can only be described as “duvet tacos” to fit them side-by-side on top. My partner says he sometimes loves to sleep inside his taco because there’s less fabric on top of him to deal with. But I only sleep inside the taco when I’m really cold and want to cocoon myself inside. (As you can see, we have different temperature thresholds for sleep!)

Most nights, though, we fully spread both duvets out on the bed (it’s OK if they overlap in the middle). I think that any Scandinavian, practical as they are, might suggest that there is no “right way” to sleep like them. In fact, the best way to actually follow this method is to use the variation that works best for you.

Tuck your ends in

My only complaint with this sleeping style is that my comforter (when not taco-ing) has a tendency to slip off my side of the bed during the night. After some research, however, I realized most countries that follow this style tuck their comforter into the end of the bed, much like you’d do with a fitted sheet. For some people, this feels too constricting. For me, it’s the perfect way to feel snuggled in and secure.

Give yourself one less thing to worry about

The Scandinavian sleep method is certainly not a cure-all for the many sleep problems that plague anxious, overworked Americans. However, I do love that it helps me decide what feels best for me each night, and that my partner can do the same. In a stressful world, it’s one less thing to think about.

RELATED:

• Here’s How to Get the Fluffiest Comforter Ever—You’ll Feel Like You’re Sleeping on a Cloud!
• Want to Avoid Jet Lag? This Is the Best Time to Fly, Says a Sleep Scientist
• Here’s Why People Are Freezing Their Blankets Outside—And Whether You Should Try It Too

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Sleep Health: “Are we getting enough sleep? Frequent irregular sleep found in an analysis of over 11 million nights of objective in-home sleep data”
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences: “How Temperature Influences Sleep”
• International Journal of Behavioral Medicine: “Re-considering the Role of Sleep Hygiene Behaviours in Sleep: Associations Between Sleep Hygiene, Perceptions and Sleep”
• British Sociological Association: “Co-Sleeping with Partners and Pets as a Family Practice of Intimacy: Israeli Couples’ Narratives of Creating Kinship”
• Frontiers in Psychology: “Couple Relationships Are Associated With Increased REM Sleep”
• TikTok: @sejsejlija

Is It Illegal to Cut Off Pillow Tags?

How to Make Your Bed Much Cozier

Should Your Cat Sleep in Your Bed?

The post My Partner and I Tried the Scandinavian Sleep Method, and We’re Never Going Back appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But the prank that really cemented our family legacy was the year we snuck into my brother’s room, moved every single piece of furniture and then put it all back exactly opposite—in a perfect mirror image. His desk was where his dresser was. His bed faced the wrong wall. Everything looked just slightly, cosmically wrong, and he was so confused, he wondered if he wasn’t healed yet from the concussion he’d gotten jumping off the roof onto the trampoline.

In the end, he thought it was hilarious. We thought it was hilarious. And that’s the key—pranks for siblings only work if everyone ends up laughing, including the person being pranked. A sibling who knows you, loves you and has been in a years-long prank cold war with you is the perfect target, because you know exactly where the line is. You’ve spent your whole life finding it together. And interestingly, Cleveland Clinic psychologists note that well-executed pranks can actually reduce stress, boost immunity through laughter and strengthen empathy. In other words: Pranking your sibling is basically a wellness activity. You’re welcome.

So whether you’re a kid looking to get your big brother back for something he definitely did, a parent trying to orchestrate a little April 1st chaos your kids will talk about for years, or an adult who still has a running tally with their sibling (no one is ever too old for this), here are 20 pranks that are just as satisfying as the Kool-Aid showerhead and significantly easier to clean up. Read on for the best pranks your siblings will be talking about for years to come.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more humor, holidays, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

The sticky-note blizzard

Wait until your sibling leaves their room, then cover absolutely everything in it with sticky notes. Every book, every pencil, every charging cable, every single item on their desk. Label each one with what it is—lamp, pillow, phone, charger. The more items, the better. This one takes a little prep time, but the look on their face when they open the door will be priceless. To take things up a notch, label the items improperly or with hilarious names. For example, the phone charger might become “internet IV.” Bonus: It’s completely harmless and—if you’re feeling generous—pretty easy to clean up.

Rise and scream

Borrow your sibling’s phone under some innocent pretense, then set a series of alarms to go off at three-minute intervals starting at 5 a.m. Label each one something dramatic: “WAKE UP,” “SERIOUSLY, WAKE UP,” “THIS IS ALARM NUMBER SEVEN.” For the older sibling who swears they’re a light sleeper, this one hits differently. Fair warning: They will absolutely retaliate.

Just married (surprise!)

Pick up a set of glass markers—the kind meant for car windows—and while your sibling is asleep or otherwise occupied, decorate the back windshield of their car. “Just Married” is the classic, but you can tailor it to maximum embarrassment: “Student Driver” works beautifully for a 50-year-old, “Just Divorced” lands perfectly for a 16-year-old, and “Honk If You Love Baby Shark” is always correct. Glass markers wipe off easily with a damp cloth, so there’s no lasting damage … just lasting humiliation for however long it takes them to notice, which ideally won’t be until they’ve gotten to their destination.

Everything has eyes now

Buy a bag of googly eyes and stick them on everything in the fridge. The milk jug, the condiment bottles, the leftovers, the mysterious Tupperware in the back—everything gets eyes. Now it’s less a refrigerator and more a small, staring community. This food prank works especially well if your sibling is the one who opens the fridge first thing in the morning while they’re still half asleep.

Sold out

Pick up a pack of those bright-red “SOLD” stickers from any office supply store, then quietly affix them to all of your sibling’s favorite snacks in the pantry. Their chips? Sold. The last granola bar? Sold. That specific flavor of yogurt they’ve been hoarding? Very sold. Walk away and wait for the confusion—and the accusations—to begin.

The balloon bedroom

The night before April Fools’, blow up as many balloons as you possibly can, and fill the space outside your sibling’s room from floor to near-ceiling while they sleep. This one takes a committed team effort and probably a pump, but the payoff—watching them open their door to a wall of balloons—is worth every minute. This prank works for every age, from a 5-year-old who will absolutely lose their mind with delight (once the surprise wears off) to a college student home for spring break who will respect the commitment. (If they’re a heavy sleeper, you can actually put the balloons in the room!)

The invisible barrier

Stretch a single layer of plastic wrap tightly across a doorway at about shin height, securing it to the door frame with a little tape. Then wait. This one is best deployed in a hallway your sibling frequently walks through while distracted—heading to the bathroom at night, walking to the kitchen for breakfast or rushing out the door in the morning. It won’t hurt them, but it will stop them in their tracks and produce a moment of genuine confusion that is deeply satisfying to witness. Parents: You should definitely supervise this one if it’s anywhere near stairs.

Dead ringer

Pick up your sibling’s phone and change your contact name to “Mom” or “Dad.” Then, at a perfectly timed moment, send a text that says something like: “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT LAST WEEKEND.” Watch them spend the next 10 minutes frantically composing a polite, slightly panicked response to a parent who is, in fact, you. Reveal yourself before they send anything truly incriminating—that’s what separates a good prank from a family incident. This one works especially well with adult siblings, whose relationship with parental texts involves a specific flavor of low-grade anxiety that never fully goes away.

The world’s worst parking job

While your sibling is sleeping, move their car to a completely different spot—someplace they can still see it so they don’t report it stolen but perhaps backward across the street, or right up against a wall so they have to crawl in the passenger side. This one requires access to their keys and approximately four minutes of effort for a truly spectacular return on investment.

A very unwelcome houseguest

Place a realistic fake spider—the bigger, the better—under a clear drinking glass on the bathroom counter. Leave a handwritten note next to it that reads: “There is a SPIDER under this glass. I cannot deal with it. Do NOT lift the glass. I mean it. It’s your problem now.” The fun part is that this prank involves zero actual setup work, because half the household will be too afraid to even look at it. It works on all ages, and if we’re being fully honest, that includes some significant others and parents too.

The great escape

This one is for the older-kid crowd (think: ages 8 and up) or adult siblings looking for a callback to their dramatic childhood years. Leave a carefully written note somewhere your sibling will find it—on the kitchen table, taped to the TV, folded under their bedroom door. The note announces, with great gravity, that you have finally had enough and are running away. Include a short list of grievances. Sign it formally. The beauty of this prank is in the specificity: The more detailed and petty the list of complaints (they ate the last Pop-Tart again, they used your Netflix account without asking for the last time, etc.), the funnier it is. Bonus points if you’re already sitting calmly at the kitchen table eating cereal when they find it.

The algorithm attack

Log in to your sibling’s Spotify or YouTube account and go on an absolute bender. Search Baby Shark, search Teletubbies, search every nursery rhyme and Kidz Bop song you can think of until the algorithm is thoroughly, irreversibly convinced that this is who they are now. Their “Discover Weekly” will never be the same. Their “Up Next” will be a nightmare. The beauty of this online prank is that it keeps going for weeks, long after April Fools’ Day is over, and every time a toddler song autoplays while they’re cooking dinner, they will think of you.

The gift that keeps on giving

This prank requires time, tape and approximately one full roll of wrapping paper per cubic foot of stuff on your sibling’s desk. Wrap everything. Every pencil, every book, every lamp. Every single item gets its own individual festive wrap job. Leave a bow on the desk chair. When your sibling sits down to do homework or work and discovers that literally nothing on their desk is accessible without unwrapping it first, they will be annoyed and then, eventually, impressed by the sheer scale of your commitment. Use holiday paper for added absurdity. (It’s even better if they’ve seen The Office.)

Things that go bump in the night

If you have a Bluetooth speaker, hide it under your sibling’s bed or in their closet before they go to sleep. Set a timer for the middle of the night—or just hold your phone in another room—and play a random sound effect at low volume. A distant, indistinct knocking noise works well. So does the sound of someone very slowly eating chips. And, of course, you can never go wrong with a juicy fart. The goal is not to terrify them but to make them lie awake for 10 minutes convinced they’re hearing things. Reveal the fact that this was a sibling prank in the morning. They will not thank you. You will not care.

Bumper sticker situation

Print out a fake bumper sticker—something deeply uncool, like “I Brake for Nickelback” or “My Other Car Is Also Embarrassing”—and attach it with a single small piece of removable tape so it looks real but peels off cleanly. If your sibling is the observant type, even first thing in the morning, they might catch this April Fools’ joke immediately. If they’re not, they may drive around with it all day. Either way, you win.

The screen that loads forever

Cut a tiny square of clear tape and press it over the infrared sensor on the TV remote. Not enough to be visible, just enough to block the signal. Hand the remote to your sibling, settle in and watch them spend the next five minutes pointing the remote at increasingly extreme angles, switching batteries, shaking it, holding it closer to the TV, holding it farther from the TV and ultimately questioning their own sanity.

The reveal time is your call, but waiting until the batteries are actually checked is peak prank excellence. (My siblings and I used to just hide the remote, but we did that one too many times and it was lost forever. My parents refused to replace it. Don’t be us.)

Signed, sealed, can’t rinse

This one is a classic for a reason. Stretch a rubber band around the handle of the kitchen sink sprayer so it holds the button down. Aim it directly forward. The next person who turns on the tap gets an immediate, face-level blast of water with no warning. For best results, do this in the morning before your sibling gets to the kitchen. Have a towel ready because they will need one and they will absolutely throw it at you.

The name game

If you and your sibling share the same type of phone, sneak into their autocorrect settings and swap out a few common words for unexpected ones. Classic moves: Change “the” to “tHe,” change your own name to something like “the incredibly handsome/beautiful one” or swap “OK” for “AS YOU WISH.” Subtle enough that they won’t notice immediately, annoying enough that they’ll notice eventually and harmless enough that this is entirely defensible. If they send a work email in the meantime, that’s on them for texting without proofreading.

The moving furniture trick

While your sibling is out, move every single piece of furniture in the living room exactly six inches to the left. Not enough to look different. Just enough that everything is slightly, imperceptibly off. The beauty of this prank is that they may not identify the source of their unease for hours. They’ll just walk around all day feeling vaguely out of sorts, unsure if they’re tired or if something is wrong, while you watch and say nothing. This is a long-game prank. It rewards patience.

The “I have a confession” voicemail

Call your sibling’s phone when you know they won’t pick up, and leave a carefully crafted voicemail that begins like this: “Hey, so I have to tell you something. I kind of did something, and I need you to call me back when you get this. It’s about [pause] … the thing. You’ll know what I mean. Call me.” Then do not pick up when they call back. This one is particularly effective on siblings who grew up in households where “we need to talk” was never followed by anything fun.

The mirror message

Use a dry-erase marker—or, if you’re feeling bold, a bar of soap—to write a message on your sibling’s bathroom mirror that they’ll only see when steam from the shower reveals it. Options range from warm and wholesome (“You’re my favorite sibling”—especially devastating if you only have one) to mildly alarming (“I know what you did”) to genuinely funny (“Happy April Fools’. The soap is not soap.”). Even if the soap actually is soap, they will absolutely not use it for the rest of the day.

The endless scroll

Wait until your sibling walks away from their laptop, then go to their Amazon, Target or grocery delivery account and fill the cart with the most aggressively random assortment of items you can think of—industrial quantities of a condiment they hate, a single spool of ribbon, 17 cans of sardines. Don’t check out; just fill it. They’ll open their cart later expecting nothing and find what appears to be the shopping list of someone having a very specific kind of breakdown. If you’ve been making a list of the best April Fools’ pranks to play on your parents too, this one transfers beautifully.

All jokes aside, a final note

Before you go full chaos agent on your household, remember that the best pranks are the ones where everyone—yes, including the person being pranked, like I said earlier—ends up laughing. If you know your sibling well enough to prank them (and after years of sharing a bathroom and a back seat, you absolutely do), you know where the line is. Keep it there. April Fools’ Day should produce stories you’re still telling at Thanksgiving, not ones that require an apology. The goal is a sibling who’s simultaneously annoyed with you and impressed by you—which, come to think of it, is basically the whole job description anyway.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has been telling jokes for more than 100 years, curated and reviewed over the last 20 years by Senior Features Editor Andy Simmons, a humor editor formerly of National Lampoon and the author of Now That’s Funny. We’ve earned prestigious ASME awards for our humor—including comical quips, pranks, puns, cartoons, one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, memes, tweets and stories in laugh-out-loud magazine columns such as “Life in These United States,” “All in a Day’s Work,” “Laughter, the Best Medicine” and “Humor in Uniform,” as well as online collections such as short jokes, dad jokes and bad jokes so bad, they’re great. You can find a century of humor in our 2022 compendium, Reader’s Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

The Best April Fools’ Text Pranks

The Best Prank for Every Zodiac Sign

The Funniest April Fools' Memes

The post 20 Pranks to Play on Your Siblings to Amp Up the Rivalry and Revelry appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Yet there’s one travel habit emerging among Gen Z faster than all the rest, with no plans of slowing down soon. This trip style empowers people with a sense of freedom while giving them space to focus on personal growth. It’s also the perfect way to meet like-minded people and return home feeling relaxed and full of purpose.

Sounds pretty great, right? Read on to learn more about this growing trend, why travel experts love it and how to start planning your own version of this life-changing experience today.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

What is the big travel trend for Gen Z?

Over the past few years, younger generations have fully embraced solo travel. Research from United Airlines shows that 70% of Gen Z fly solo. Millennials are right behind them, with 65% of this age group booking plane tickets for one. Among all generations, women are dominating the solo-travel space, making up nearly 70% of all independent travelers worldwide.

Considering the weight young American women are carrying today, their interest in solo travel isn’t a surprise.

“Between career demands, family responsibilities, caregiving roles and the emotional labor that so often falls disproportionately on women’s shoulders, the mental load is enormous,” says Dynamite Travel founder Terika L. Haynes, PhD. “Solo travel gives women permission to put all of that down, even if just for a few days.”

Solo travel isn’t just a short-term fad, either. According to research from travel platform Atlys, 62% of travelers planned to take at least two solo trips in 2025, and that same year, overall demand for solo bookings skyrocketed by 42%. Experts predict the solo-travel market will exceed 1 trillion by the year 2030.

Why is this generation embracing solo travel?

In November 2021, the United States ended its pandemic-era international travel ban, inviting visitors back into the country. This move also signaled to American citizens that traveling abroad was once again safe. It wasn’t a coincidence, then, that online interest in solo travel increased shortly after. In fact, since 2022, searches for the term solo travel have increased by 60%.

“When the world shut down and people lost their sense of agency, travel became one of the first things they reached for when restrictions were lifted,” Haynes says. “It was a declaration of autonomy.”

Solo trips have also given younger travelers a break from the tiring, anxiety-inducing world to which they’ve become accustomed. “For Gen Z and Millennials especially, who have grown up navigating economic uncertainty, social pressure and a relentless news cycle, the ability to pick up and go on your own terms is genuinely liberating,” she adds.

Aside from a sense of freedom, solo travel provides opportunities for cultural immersion, adventure and wellness experiences that most people can’t find at home or in a group.

Perhaps most important, solo travel hands people back a sense of agency to choose what they want. “In a world where geopolitical tension, economic shifts and social unrest have become the backdrop of daily life, that feeling of personal freedom is more valuable than ever,” Hayes says.

How is this different from other generations’ travel styles?

Gen Z and Millennials are leading the solo-travel trend, especially with their yearning for screen-free, adventurous experiences. However, those aren’t the only age groups interested in the flexibility and freedom that this party-of-one travel style can provide.

People over the age of 50 are also passionate about traveling alone. In fact, a study from solo travel site JourneyWoman found that 61% of women in this age group say their favorite way to travel is on their own. Many of them choose to adventure alone even when they’re partnered or married. The research estimates that by 2035, there will be more than 25 million female solo travelers age 50 and over, a market that could grow to $363 billion.

Unlike younger generations, however, older travelers have an overwhelming preference for groups. In a survey of solo travelers, 80% of whom were over 55 years old, nine out of ten said they want to take tours for at least part of their trip, a trend partially driven by a heightened desire to stay safe while traveling.

Where are people heading on solo trips?

While virtually anywhere can be a candidate for solo travel, a handful of popular destinations have the right infrastructure to ensure a great trip. Some reports cite Australia, New Zealand, Iceland and Japan as the top destinations travelers aspire to visit this year. According to 2026 Expedia data, the cities below are solo travel hot spots:

In the U.S.

• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Dallas
• Washington, D.C.
• Boston
• Miami Beach, Florida
• New York City

Around the world

• Cancún, Mexico
• Dublin, Ireland
• Puerto Morelos, Mexico
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• London, England
• Paris, France
• Tokyo, Japan
• Honolulu, Hawaii

Other countries popular among Gen Z solo travelers include Argentina, South Korea, Brazil and Morocco, according to research from Airbnb.

“As for how to choose, it really comes down to three things: your budget, your interests and the experience you are seeking,” Haynes says.

Where’s the first place you should travel by yourself?

If you’re new to solo travel, you might get your feet wet with a small trip nearby before hopping to a new continent. “Go to a restaurant by yourself, visit a museum, take yourself to a movie,” Haynes says. “Get comfortable with your own company in familiar surroundings first.”

After that, a weekend getaway by car or train is the perfect way to try out solo travel on a larger scale, albeit without a major time and financial investment. If that goes well, you could give a hybrid solo trip a try, or it might be time to book a bigger adventure for one.

“My recommendation is always to start with what excites you most and work the logistics from there. Visit a city you have always wanted to explore, a national park or wherever calls to you,” Haynes says. “The goal is to build confidence incrementally so that by the time you are boarding a flight to another country alone, it feels exciting rather than overwhelming.”

Her suggestions align with my personal experiences. At age 33, I’ve visited more than a dozen countries solo. But what first eased me into the experience was a short solo weekend trip to Whidbey Island, Washington—a place I’d always wanted to go—in my mid-20s.

That experience didn’t just warm me up to the idea of travel. It was a way to prove to myself that I could do it.

Why can solo travel be the perfect trip?

There are countless reasons why solo travel is a good idea, and many of them are highly personal. Below are some of the most common, research-backed benefits of exploring on your own.

Meet like-minded people

Today, 30% of people use travel to meet new people, and nearly 15% want to do so while digitally disconnecting, according to research from the group travel company WeRoad.

“After a period marked by isolation and uncertainty, people began looking for more authentic, human experiences, something less filtered and more real,” says WeRoad international regional manager Clarissa Cappelletti. “Overall, travel today is less about escape and more about regaining balance, control and deep human connections.”

Cappelletti’s comments ring true for me too. What’s the fundamental difference between the trips I took solo and the ones I took in a group? When I went by myself, I always came home with a new friend.

Keep plans flexible

When traveling with other people, it’s nice to have company. What isn’t so nice? Having to compromise on how you spend your hard-earned vacation.

“Solo travel offers something that is increasingly rare in today’s world: the freedom to simply be,” Haynes says. “You can move at your own pace, you choose what excites you, and you return home feeling like yourself again.”

Improve your mental resilience

Taking a trip alone has its challenges and its rewards. One day, you might find yourself in a small town where nobody understands your language; the next day, you might take a train to meet up with a group of friends and talk for hours.

This wide range of experiences is completely normal, and it can be powerful. Research shows that the highs and lows of solo travel help us hone our emotional management, deepen self-reflection and become more emotionally resilient overall.

Foster independence

Travel isn’t without its hiccups (hello, TSA lines that threaten our ability to make a connecting flight). Dealing with airline cancellations, overbooked hotels, language barriers and maze-like city streets is intimidating enough when you’re traveling with companions. When there’s no one else to help, you stretch your self-reliance muscles quickly. It’s why you’ll likely come home from a solo vacation feeling more capable and independent than when you left.

The bottom line: Proving to yourself that you can travel alone to a new place is incredibly empowering, and for most of us, it isn’t as out of reach as it may seem.

RELATED:

• Here’s Why I Always Stop by the Front Desk When Checking Out of a Hotel
• Here’s Why Hotel Reception Always Writes Down Your Room Number Instead of Saying It
• Here’s Why You Should Put Your Toothbrush in Your Hotel Room Safe (Yes, You Read That Right!)

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Terika L. Haynes, PhD, CEO and founder of Dynamite Travel; email interview, March 23, 2026
• Clarissa Cappelletti, international regional manager at WeRoad; email interview, March 23, 2026
• United Airlines: “YOLO, Fly SOLO: United Airlines Shares How Travelers Can Treat Themselves Ahead of National Plan a Solo Vacation Day”
• Atlys: “Solo Travel Statistics: Insights, Top Destinations & Apps”
• Travel Daily News: “Solo travellers set new standards for engagement and spend in travel retail”
• Hotel Agio: “25+ Solo Travel Statistics and Trends [2026 Edition]”
• Skift: “The New Era of Solo Women Travelers — Skift Travel Podcast”
• JourneyWoman: “JourneyWoman Releases New Study: ‘Invisible No More: The Ageless Adventuress’ — How Women 50+ Are Fuelling Solo Travel’s Billion-Dollar Boom”
• Solo Traveler: “Solo Travel Statistics, Data 2024 – 2025: Historical Trends, Sources Cited”
• Expedia on Facebook: “Solo travel is on the rise, and the data shows exactly where travelers are going next”
• CNBC: “Solo trips, national parks, and more 2026 travel predictions: People want to ‘unplug and really immerse in culture,’ expert says”
• International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure: “Going ‘Solo’: A Critical Exploration of its Meaning in the Context of Travel”

Where to Travel Alone as a Woman

The Best Vacation Packages for Singles

The Top Travel Trends of the Year

The post 70% of Gen Zers Are Embracing This Travel Trend—Here’s Why It’s the Perfect Trip for Any Generation appeared first on Reader's Digest.

In moments like these, decluttering can feel overwhelming—or even painful. But experts say it can also be an important step toward moving forward. That’s what makes decluttering after a major life change so different from a normal cleanout. It’s not just about organizing your closets. It’s about figuring out what still belongs in your life now and what really needs to go.

I spoke with experts who study why people have such a hard time letting go of possessions, a psychologist who treats those dealing with loss and a professional organizer who works with clients sorting through their homes during both emotionally and physically labor-intensive moments. Together, their advice points to the same idea: When life changes, adjusting the physical space around you can help your emotions catch up. Here’s how to make the process a little easier.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Life is a mess, so why bother cleaning?

Decluttering after a major life event may seem overwhelming, but making small physical changes is key to coping with the bigger emotional shifts.

It can reset your brain

“Our nervous systems respond deeply to our surroundings,” says psychologist Jody Carrington, PhD, a mental health and human connection expert and the bestselling author of Feeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected World. “When a big life event hits—death, divorce, a move, the kids leaving home or any major transition—it can feel like your entire nervous system has been shaken. The world you knew yesterday no longer exists in quite the same way today. And often, the physical space around you still reflects that old life.”

That mismatch can make it harder to adjust emotionally. But rearranging furniture, removing items tied to painful memories or simply creating a space that feels calmer and more intentional signals your brain that a new chapter has begun. “That environmental shift can bring a surprising sense of relief.”

It’s an important form of self-care

“We tend to think of self-care as bubble baths, eating kale and vacations,” explains Carrington. “But real self-care is anything that helps regulate your nervous system and reconnect you to a sense of control.”

Major life changes often come with feelings of helplessness. Deciding what stays and what goes in your home can restore a sense of direction and agency.

It’s a helpful distraction

“One of the hardest parts of big emotional experiences is feeling overwhelmed by them,” Carrington says. “Sorting through belongings gives your brain something concrete to focus on. It engages your hands and your attention in a way that can regulate intense emotions.”

That doesn’t replace grieving or processing feelings—humans are wired to heal through action, connection and meaning. “Sometimes folding clothes, sorting photos or packing boxes becomes a quiet way to sit beside your emotions rather than run from them.”

It can help you move forward

Therapist Melissa Legere, LMFT, the co-founder and clinical director of California Behavioral Health, says the emotional weight of objects is often what makes decluttering difficult—but also what makes it meaningful. “Decluttering after a life transition is about slowly making room for a new chapter of life,” she explains.

How do you even motivate yourself to begin?

“When you’re overwhelmed, your brain wants to avoid the task altogether,” Carrington says. “So the goal isn’t to tackle everything at once.” The key is shifting your mindset: This isn’t something you have to rush through or get perfect. In fact, experts say the most important thing to remember is that healing—and decluttering—doesn’t follow a schedule.

“Decluttering after a major life event is not a race,” Carrington says. “It’s a way of gently acknowledging that your life has changed and that you deserve an environment that supports where you’re going next.”

That perspective can take a lot of pressure off the process. Instead of seeing decluttering as one big task you have to finish, it becomes something you can approach slowly and compassionately. “Give yourself grace. Take breaks. And remember that every small decision to keep something meaningful, to let something go or simply to try again tomorrow is part of moving forward,” she adds.

Healing rarely happens all at once. More often, it unfolds quietly, through small moments like a calm afternoon spent sorting through belongings, a small pile of things you’ve chosen to release and the realization that you’re still here, still growing, still rebuilding and writing the next chapter of your story.

How can you make this as painless as possible?

Decluttering during a major life transition requires both emotional awareness and practical strategies. Here’s what the experts recommend:

Start small

Professional organizer Marisol Rivera of Sparkly Maid Austin says trying to declutter an entire home at once is one of the biggest mistakes people make.

“No matter the reason—whether it is death, divorce, a cross-country move, downsizing or an empty nest—my universal advice is the same: Do not try to tackle the entire home at once,” she says. “One room, one closet or even one drawer per session keeps the process manageable and prevents the burnout that causes people to quit halfway through.”

Go slow

Carrington advises setting a timer for 15 minutes and giving yourself permission to stop when the timer ends.

Tackle the least emotional items first

“I tell my clients to start with areas and items that carry the least emotional weight, like the medicine cabinet, the junk drawer, expired pantry items,” says Rivera. This builds decision-making stamina without immediately overwhelming you with sentimental objects. By the time you get to the harder things, like clothing, photographs or jewelry, you have already proven to yourself that you can do this.

Create a “transition box”

Legere cautions against rushing the emotional side of the process. “People should permit themselves to keep certain meaningful items without feeling pressured to ‘be strong’ or move on quickly,” she says.

For items that are too difficult to get rid of right away, experts agree you should put them in a labeled box, store the box out of sight and revisit it in three to six months. Giving yourself some distance from sentimental items can make the decision easier. After some time, you may have a better idea of which belongings you’re ready to let go of and which ones still feel meaningful.

Use simple sorting categories

For items you are ready to let go of, sort into four categories: discard, donate, keep for yourself or pass along to family or friends, advises Rivera. Having a framework takes the open-endedness out of the process.

Try a mental trick

New research from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business suggests a helpful psychological strategy: Think about belongings in categories rather than as unique items. Instead of focusing on a specific memory or feature, like “this is the dress I wore to my cousin’s wedding,” think of the item as part of a category, like “this is just one of several dresses I own.”

Research shows that this mental shift can make belongings feel less irreplaceable—and easier to part with. “The strategy is to mentally ‘zoom out,’” says Jing “Alice” Wang, PhD, a professor of marketing at the university and a co-author of the study. “It reduces the sense that each object is one of a kind.”

Keep meaningful items—but be selective

It’s worth hanging on to items that carry memories or emotional ties. Just don’t go overboard. “You don’t need to keep all the pictures your child drew in elementary school,” says Catherine Cole, PhD, a professor of marketing at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business and a co-author of the study with Wang. “Instead, lay them all out on the bed and select one that you like the best.”

Take a photo before letting something go

Some belongings help preserve memories, identity and continuity. So you may want to hang on to those meaningful items. That can be both healthy and valuable, says Wang.

“The challenge is that when too many possessions are treated as irreplaceable, they can begin to create clutter and make it harder for people to live comfortably in the present,” she explains. “Taking a picture of the item often makes it easier to let go of it.” Plus, it takes up zero space in your home.

Imagine someone else using it

Another way to ease the emotional hurdle is to think about where the item might go next, says Cole. “It’s easier to let go of something if you think that the recipient will use it in the way that it is supposed to be used.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jody Carrington, PhD, founder and principal psychologist at Carrington & Co., host of the Unlonely podcast and author of books such as Feeling Seen: Reconnecting in a Disconnected World; interviewed, March 2026
• Melissa Legere, LMFT, co-founder, chief operating officer and clinical director of California Behavioral Health; interviewed, March 2026
• Marisol Rivera, cleaning expert and professional organizer at Sparkly Maid Austin; interviewed, March 2026
• Jing “Alice” Wang, PhD, professor of marketing and Henry B. Tippie Research Fellow in the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa; interviewed, March 2026
• Catherine Cole, PhD, professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business; interviewed, March 2026
• Psychology & Marketing: “Seeing the Closet or the Clothes: How Thinking Abstractly Versus Concretely Shapes Disposition Decisions”

Experts' Best Home Organization Tips

Online Thrift Stores for Every Budget

Organize the Messiest Spots in Your House

The post How to Declutter After Death, Divorce or Any Other Major Life Event appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But hanging onto the hurt is not doing your health any favors. A new study found that being the forgiving kind may be good for both your body and mind. To find out more about the study and the fascinating science of forgiveness, I reached out to two experts: study author Richard Cowden, PhD, research scientist with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, and Fred Luskin, PhD, director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and author of Forgive for Good.

Read on for the benefits of shedding grudges—and how to do it, even when it’s hard.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more health and happiness, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How does forgiveness benefit us?

Practicing forgiveness can lead to greater well-being over time, according to the new study, published in the Nature Portfolio Journal (npj) Mental Health Research. “Our findings suggest that forgiveness may be one helpful ingredient in well-being,” says Cowden. “People who were more forgiving tended to do a little better across a range of outcomes about a year later.”

The researchers investigated “dispositional forgivingness”—as in, a tendency to forgive. Being high in it seems to give you an edge on many fronts, including psychological well-being, purpose in life, relationship satisfaction and hope.

Why is forgiveness key to well-being? “One way to think about it is that unresolved hurt can be emotionally taxing,” Cowden says, “and forgiveness, when it is safe and appropriate, may help loosen some of that burden.”

The benefits aren’t just for the natural-born forgivers. Earlier studies have shown that when people learn forgiveness skills, life gets better for them in a slew of ways. There are two big payoffs to these “forgiveness interventions”: They reduce some of the negative effects of stress hormones, and they free us up to live bigger lives.

“The biggest damage that unforgiveness does is from rumination or blame, which are highly stressful for the body,” he says. “Forgiveness dims them, so it reduces the general stress on the mind and body.”

It also increases your sense of efficacy. “The idea is: ‘If I can get over that crap life has dumped on me, I can be more brave and creative,’” Luskin notes.

Here are some of the ways forgiveness benefits our well-being:

It may reduce depression and anxiety symptoms

When folks are taught to practice forgiveness, their mental health improves. In a 2024 study in BMJ Public Health, people instructed to practice forgiveness using workbooks reported less anxiety and depression symptoms a few weeks later than those in the control group. Another study, which focused on parents who’d lost a child, found forgiveness interventions improved their mental health more than grief counseling.

In a study by Luskin from the early 2000s, Protestants and Catholics who had lost a family member in the violence in Northern Ireland were taught forgiveness training at Stanford and had a 40% decline in symptoms of depression.

It makes us more resilient

What happens in your brain when you get past a hurt? Brain imaging studies show its powerful and fast-acting effects: Letting go of an offense activates pathways and parts of the brain that improve resilience and social bonds, according to a 2020 study review in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

In other words, by forgiving them, you’re building your own buffer against life’s hardships.

It helps relationships

When one partner lets the other off the hook for something they’ve done, it benefits the marriage as a whole, research shows. “Forgiveness is one of those hidden qualities that is like WD-40 for the relationship,” Luskin says. “If you don’t learn some strategy or skill to love somebody even though they’re imperfect, the relationship will not last.”

Are some people more forgiving than others?

While anyone can learn to pardon others, it doesn’t come equally easy to everyone. “Narcissistic people have a hard time practicing forgiveness because it’s all about them, and they tend to lack empathy,” Luskin says. “And some folks have very reactive nervous systems that get turbocharged really quickly, so they find it harder to do.”

If you’re slow to forgive, does that mean it’s hopeless? No, stress the experts. “Forgiveness often unfolds gradually, rather than all at once,” Cowden notes. “It may help to think of it as a muscle that can be built with practice.”

How can you learn to be more forgiving?

The good news is that anyone can learn this vital skill. And make no mistake: It is a skill. “You can teach people to forgive, and they can practice and get better at it,” Luskin says.

To begin with, understand that the real reason we hold onto grudges is that we’re disappointed with how something turned out. As Luskin puts it, “forgiveness is about making peace with the world telling you ‘no.’”

He learned this teaching forgiveness workshops, where he’d hear similar stories that amounted to “I had this picture of how it was supposed to go, and then this other thing happened, and I couldn’t forgive that difference.”

For example, you thought your maid of honor would go the extra mile to make your wedding super special. But actually? She did the bare minimum—and even blew off a few important things. So you’re (rightly) disappointed, but your big feelings are not about your lazy bridesmaid; they’re about your dashed expectations. You need to fully grieve that and then take steps to move on.

So how do you forgive when you really (really) don’t want to?

People often imagine forgiveness as a two-person conversation in which you’re offering an olive branch. It can be that, but it’s usually more about making peace with the situation, for your own good. To do that, follow the four steps below, which Luskin uses in workshops he teaches.

Step 1: Calm yourself down

When someone wrongs you, you get triggered just thinking about what they did, hearing their name, even seeing their favorite dish on a menu. You need to counter that reaction, which is your body’s fight-or-flight response.

Slowly breathe in and out a few times, then picture someone you love. (Or you can use any quick meditation or mindfulness exercises that you find helpful.) This two-step process calms your system down in the moment. What’s more, doing it again and again can help you be less consumed by it the next time it happens.

Step 2: Repeat your mantra

Consciously think, Every life has its challenges. Or repeat to yourself, “You can’t always get what you want” or any other phrase that reminds you that this is life.

It’s a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tool to help your brain frame the situation and start to accept it. “These first two steps together form a pattern that literally puts your brain back online,” Luskin says.

Step 3: Remind yourself how lucky you are

A couple of times a day, take stock of your blessings. By noting everything that’s going right for you, “you are retraining your negativity bias to see your life more clearly,” Luskin says.

What is negativity bias? It’s that inborn survival skill that makes us hyper alert to all the ways life can harm us so we can (endlessly) prepare. While that’s quite helpful if a tornado is bearing down on your town, it’s just pointless self-punishment if you’re spinning about all the times your friend shows up late for drinks—or even something weightier, like how your in-laws constantly criticize your parenting.

To get in a gratitude groove and feel all-around happier, ask yourself questions like: What’s  one way that somebody was kind to me today? What’s a simple thing I took for granted this morning?

You don’t have to mine for deep answers. Your response could be as basic as “My co-worker saved me a conference room chair” or “There was food in my fridge.” Doing it regularly makes you more forgiving, Luskin says, because you recognize that, big picture, your life is actually pretty great.

Step 4: Flip the script from victim to hero

The problem with dwelling on the hurt is that you give the other person power over you. Instead, think of it like a stone in your shoe on your way to do something amazing. Repeat after us: “Yeah, that person/behavior sucked, but I’m not letting that stop me from living a kick-butt life.”

Change the story you’re telling yourself to focus on the fact that you’re making the decision to forgive for your own good. When you do this, you go from victim to hero, which “frees you from the prison of that vulnerable victim, which only keeps people stuck,” Luskin says. It’s sort of like that old quote: Living well is the best revenge.

You forgave someone. Now what?

You don’t have to be best friends again—unless you want to. “Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing,” Cowden says. “You may decide that trust needs to be rebuilt slowly, that the relationship should be more limited or even that distance is necessary.”

It’s your call, but whatever you decide, you can bet you’ll no longer be consumed with those draining hard feelings.

RELATED:

• Stressed Out? This 3-Minute Task Can Boost Your Mood and Help You Focus
• Doing This Simple Activity Could Reduce Your Stress Level by 22%—And You’re Never Going to Guess What It Is
• Doing This Simple Thing for Just 2 Hours a Week Can Actually Keep Your Brain Sharp

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Richard G. Cowden, PhD, research scientist with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; email interview, March 25, 2026
• Fred Luskin, PhD, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and author of Forgive for Good; phone interview, March 24, 2025
• Nature: “Longitudinal associations of dispositional forgivingness with multidimensional well-being: a two-wave outcome-wide analysis in the Global Flourishing Study”
• Applied Research in Quality of Life: “Childhood Predictors of Dispositional Forgivingness in Adulthood: A Cross-National Analysis with 22 Countries”
• Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews: “Parsing the components of forgiveness: Psychological and neural mechanisms”
• Greater Good Science Center: “How Forgiveness Changes You and Your Brain”
• The Conversation: “Forgiveness isn’t always easy, but studies show it can help you flourish”
• BMJ Public Health: “International REACH forgiveness intervention: a multisite randomised controlled trial”
• Omega: “The Effectiveness of a Forgiveness Intervention on Mental Health in Bereaved Parents-A Pilot Study”

Why Do Adult Siblings Stop Speaking?

Why People Go No-Contact with Parents

Why We Should Stop Chasing Happiness

The post Go On, Give Up the Grudge. A New Study Says Forgiveness Is Good for Your Health appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The sad thing is, I have learned nothing. I remain completely foolable. But lucky for you, it’s made me a connoisseur of April Fools’ Day food pranks. If you’re looking to terrorize someone you love—a kid, a co-worker, a partner who trusts you far too much (the fool!)—food pranks on April 1 are the way to go. They’re both harmless and hilarious, and the payoff is delicious.

Inspired by the many, many (MANY) times I’ve been humiliated, here are the best April Fools’ Day pranks to pull this year, guaranteed to deliver loads of laughs with zero actual damage. Read on to choose your favorite—for your favorite mark.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more humor, holidays, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Not your grandma’s iced tea

Pour cold beef broth over ice in a tall glass, add a lemon wedge and a straw. The color is perfect. The betrayal is immediate.

Chocolate-covered onions

Melt chocolate, dip a peeled onion in it (making sure to cover every bit of it), and let it harden on wax paper just like a chocolate-covered apple. Stick in a lollipop stick for the full effect. This is the kind of prank for kids that they bring up years later … and possibly go to therapy for.

The ketchup–sour cream flip

Mix a small amount of red food coloring into sour cream until you hit that confident ketchup red. A single drop of yellow warms the tone and takes it from “suspiciously pink” to “completely believable.” Chill it for 20 minutes so it firms back up to ketchup consistency, and funnel it into a ketchup bottle. Then ask your victim if they’d love their fries with ketchup.

The backward sandwich

Look at you being all helpful and making your partner or child lunch! (Cue the evil laugh.) Whip up a sandwich with the fillings on the outside and the bread in the middle. Wrap it up like everything is normal, and go about your day. You might not be there for the big reveal, but you’ll certainly hear about it later!

Crunchy pasta

Serve a bowl of buttered noodles that look perfect—but snap when they’re bitten. Their brain says pasta; their teeth say absolutely not. The key here is to use farfalle (aka bowtie) or fusilli pasta that looks the same uncooked as it does cooked. Pro tip: Toss it lightly in melted butter and a pinch of salt so it glistens like the real thing!

The invisible hot sauce upgrade

Put one to three drops of a medium hot sauce (Tabasco is ideal) into something creamy and familiar, like pasta or scrambled eggs. Stir until it disappears completely … at least to the naked eye. The victim of this April Fools’ Day food prank will finish a whole bite, maybe two, before an alarm in their brain goes off and they’re grabbing the nearest glass of water.

Nacho normal nachos

Swap the sour cream on nachos or a baked potato for whipped cream. It’s that simple, and that hilarious.

The suspicious cookie

This April Fools’ joke is completely customizable. Bake something strange into a completely normal-looking batch of chocolate chip cookies—a swirl of mashed potatoes (tell people it’s cream cheese) or a single pickle slice hidden in the middle. Let your imagination guide you into cookie chaos! Or if you don’t want to bake, go with the toothpaste-in-Oreos prank that my brother played on me. (Hey, there’s a reason it’s a classic!)

Turned milk

Freeze a few drops of blue or purple food coloring into an ice cube. Drop it into a glass of cold white milk without comment and hand it over. As it melts, the milk shifts from white to a soft, unsettling lavender. If you want a more defensible option, try freezing butterfly pea flower tea into cubes. It does the same thing and technically counts as an ingredient. Either way, nobody wants purple milk. That’s a fact!

The salad that betrayed you

The trick here isn’t to make the salad look obviously sweet; it’s to make it look completely normal until the first bite. Cut honeydew into thin cucumber-shaped slices. Use cubes of pound cake as croutons. Dress it with vanilla cream thinned just enough to pass as a light vinaigrette. The lettuce is real. Everything else is dessert. Bon appetit!

The sealed snack-bag switch

Pour M&M’s into an empty Skittles bag (or vice versa). Same size, similar colors, completely different flavor. The brain expects fruit and receives chocolate. You could also carefully open a chip bag from the bottom, remove the chips, fill the bag with baby carrots, and then reseal it with a warm hair straightener. The person opens the bag thinking they’re getting Doritos. Think again!

Cake that isn’t cake

Serve a perfectly frosted, beautifully decorated cake … that’s actually meatloaf. The fancier and more pastel, the better. They’ll never suspect a thing before they attempt to cut it and take a piece.

A Jell-O’ed cup of joe

This one starts with a nice premise: You’re doing something kind by bringing in coffee for your co-worker—except it’s Jell-O that just looks like coffee. Here’s how to do it: Dissolve unflavored gelatin in cold brew, and let it set overnight in a takeout coffee cup. It will look exactly like a full cup of coffee. Hot coffee on top would melt the Jell-O, so leave it as is: cold, solid, and handed over like nothing’s wrong. When your prankee tips the mug to drink, nothing comes out. Good stuff. Bonus: Your co-worker is a much easier mark when they’re not caffeinated yet!

Deviled-egg dessert

Pipe vanilla pudding into hard-boiled egg-white halves. From across a table, they are indistinguishable from deviled eggs. Serve them at a potluck right next to an actual deviled-egg platter.

The “sealed” yogurt swap

Carefully peel back the lid of a single-serve yogurt without fully removing it. Replace the yogurt with sour cream or mayo, then press the lid back down so it looks unopened. Return it to the fridge.

The frozen condiment bottle

Freeze a bottle of ketchup, mustard or salad dressing overnight. Put it back in the fridge before serving. When someone tries to use it, nothing will come out … except maybe an expletive directed at you when they figure it out.

Oatmeal raisin cookie swap

Swap sun-dried tomatoes for raisins in an oatmeal cookie: similar color, same chewiness, same irregular shape in the dough. The cookie bakes up looking completely normal. Gotcha!

The doughnut-filling switch

Use a piping tip to remove the filling from a jelly doughnut, and replace it with mustard, mayo or another savory spread. Wipe off any excess so it looks untouched, and prepare to get yelled at. Such is the price you pay for being such a glorious prankster!

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has been telling jokes for more than 100 years, curated and reviewed over the last 20 years by Senior Features Editor Andy Simmons, a humor editor formerly of National Lampoon and the author of Now That’s Funny. We’ve earned prestigious ASME awards for our humor—including comical quips, pranks, puns, cartoons, one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, memes, tweets and stories in laugh-out-loud magazine columns such as “Life in These United States,” “All in a Day’s Work,” “Laughter, the Best Medicine” and “Humor in Uniform,” as well as online collections such as short jokes, dad jokes and bad jokes so bad, they’re great. You can find a century of humor in our 2022 compendium, Reader’s Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine. For this story on April Fools’ Day food pranks, Laura Beck tapped her 15-plus years of experience as a professional humor writer for TV shows and magazines. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

April Fools’ Pranks to Play on Your Parents

April Fools' Memes You'll Relate To

The Best April Fools’ Pranks Over Text

The post 18 Sneaky April Fools’ Day Food Pranks They’ll Never See Coming appeared first on Reader's Digest.

What makes us happy also changes as we age. Sometimes our needs are just different, but by the time we round the corner to middle age, we’ve also done enough “research” to know what works for us and what doesn’t. “As we gain more self-awareness, we can ensure that our basic values align with our life and career choices,” says Lisa Jane Laird, director of the Career Center at Snow College in Utah.

So it makes perfect sense that the place that made you happy after college might not be right for you in your 40s or when you’re looking to retire. “As we age, our relationships and friendships are more secure too,” Laird says. “We have a shared history and values that have grown with time.”

With all this in mind, WalletHub decided to crunch the numbers to find out exactly which city is the happiest in America in 2026. Ahead, we talked to Laird and Julianne Holt-Lunstad, director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University, to dive into the results. Have you found a city that makes you happy, or are you still searching for the place where you can be your best self? Keep reading to learn more about 2026’s happiest cities in America.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How did WalletHub determine the happiest cities in the U.S.?

To determine the happiest cities in the United States, WalletHub identified 182 of the largest U.S. cities, keying in on the 150 most populated cities overall, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. While some of the United States’s largest cities are on the list, there are also plenty of charming small towns and quirky cities on this year’s happiest cities list.

WalletHub looked at 29 key indicators of happiness across three key dimensions:

• Emotional and physical well-being
• Income and employment
• Community and environment

The study considered everything from depression and suicide rates to commute times and poverty rates. Because hobbies impact our health and happiness, WalletHub gave extra weight to factors like the sports-participation rate and how much time people spend on leisure activities.

Which city is the happiest in America?

For seven consecutive years, WalletHub has ranked Fremont, California, as the happiest city in America. This city of roughly 230,000 people sits squarely in Silicon Valley on the east side of San Francisco Bay and calls itself the “hardware side of the Bay,” because it’s where Steve Jobs opened Apple’s first manufacturing facility back in 1984.

Why is Fremont the happiest city in America?

Fremont residents have a lot to be happy about! Fremont is the fourth-largest city in the Bay Area, and its prime location means residents have access to just about everything—without the hassles of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Fremont the happiest city in America.

High incomes

Nearly 80% of Fremont’s households have an income over $75,000, which is a significant number when it comes to happiness. “Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year—anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the study’s press release.

It’s important to note that $75,000 doesn’t go as far in the Bay Area as it does in more affordable states, but there are other factors contributing to Fremonters’ happiness.

Highest rate of life satisfaction

When you can say “I love this life I’ve built,” you’re going to be happier, and Fremont residents have the highest rate of life satisfaction of any city in the U.S. (Not surprisingly, they also have the seventh lowest rate of depression.)

Happiness and life satisfaction are highly correlated to environment: “Features such as the extent of green space (access to nature), how much sunlight you get, congestion of cars and crowds, and the safety and walkability of your community—can all influence happiness,” says Holt-Lunstad, who is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience at BYU. And you guessed it, Fremont sits at fourth overall in the environment and community ranking.

Low divorce and separation rate

Another metric in WalletHub’s overall environment and community ranking is the divorce and separation rate—and Fremont has the lowest one in the country at only 9.3%. Why couples stay together or separate is complicated, but research supports the idea that relationship stability has an impact on overall happiness.

In fact, a comprehensive (and ongoing) study called the Harvard Study of Adult Development finds that the quality of our relationships is the single most important factor in determining happiness. This research, which has followed more than 2,500 participants over many decades, has been conducted continuously since 1938.

“The clearest message is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier,” the current study director, Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, told the Harvard Gazette.

Caring neighbors

Given Fremont’s good vibes and community spirit, you won’t be shocked to learn that the city ranks highly in another WalletHub study: The most caring cities in the U.S. (where it came in fifth). Holt-Lunstad points out that friendlier communities with expected norms of responsibility tend to help each other out; in others, people may keep to themselves and not expect a high level of reciprocation.

“More socially connected communities are safer, more resilient and more prosperous—all of which can influence happiness,” Holt-Lunstad says.

Where does Fremont rank low?

No place is perfect, and Fremont is no exception. Despite 80% of households passing the $75,000 salary threshold, Fremont ranks 89th in the income and employment metric. That’s about the middle of the pack for that category, but since Fremont dominates the emotional and physical well-being category (No. 1), as well as the community and environment category (No. 4), they easily came out on top overall.

Which other cities round out the top 10?

The other cities rounding out the top 10 happiest places in America are diverse and spread out—quite literally—all across the country.

1. Fremont, California
2. Bismarck, North Dakota
3. Scottsdale, Arizona
4. South Burlington, Vermont
5. Fargo, North Dakota
6. Overland Park, Kansas
7. Charleston, South Carolina
8. Irvine, California
9. Gilbert, Arizona
10. San Jose, California

RELATED:

• This City Was Just Named the Most Welcoming Place in America—Here’s What to Do on a Visit
• Apartment Rents Are Up a Staggering 41% Across the Country. These Are the 10 Cities Where You’ll Pay the Most
• You Can Still Buy a Home for Under $300,000 in These “Hidden Gem” Towns Around the U.S.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Lisa Jane Laird, director of the Career Center at Snow College; interviewed, March 2026
• Julianne Holt-Lunstad, director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University; interviewed, March 2026
• WalletHub: “Happiest Cities in America (2026)”
• WalletHub: “Most Caring Cities in America (2026)”
• Harvard Gazette: “Things money can’t buy — like happiness and better health”
• City of Fremont, California: “About”

The Top 10 States to Raise a Family

The Best Small Town to Retire in the U.S.

The Best Cities for Gen Z for Work and Play

The post These Are the Happiest Cities in America—Did Yours Make the List? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

As a technology journalist for publications like Fortune and VentureBeat, I have been covering AI for a decade and watched its evolution firsthand. The progress has been remarkable. Although widespread use of AI has been growing since the 2010s (including under the hood of technologies you use every day, like smartphones and social media), the current global obsession with it really began in November 2022, when OpenAI launched ChatGPT.

ChatGPT was the first chatbot of its kind, capable of performing a wide variety of tasks and holding human-sounding conversations. It quickly captured the public’s imagination and became the fastest-growing consumer software application in history, reaching 100 million users in its first two months. Fast-forward to today. One-third of U.S. adults say they’ve used an AI chatbot, and about the same percentage of teens say they interact with one daily, according to the Pew Research Center.

Despite this widespread adoption, the story of AI is very much still unfolding, and the technology is far from perfect. But you can still use its unprecedented computing powers to your benefit. To engage safely, effectively and creatively, it’s important to understand what you’re working with. Here’s what you need to know.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more tech, humor, cleaning, entertainment and fun facts all week long.

What is AI?

AI is technology that enables computers and machines to perform complex tasks that are typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving. When people talk about AI today, they’re usually referring to generative AI, a type of AI system that can create writing, images, videos and computer code.

Even more specifically, they’re often talking about AI chatbots, assistants and other conversational AI systems powered by “large language models,” sophisticated software trained on vast amounts of human language data. These systems range from general-purpose tools like ChatGPT and Claude to specialized characters and “agents” made for specific interactions.

If you’ve ever engaged with Alexa or Siri, you’ve used something similar. Chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude can also act as assistants, but they’re built on newer AI systems and capable of tasks that are far more varied and intricate. Additionally, they’re not confined to a voice mode—you can type to them, send them documents and have them analyze photos.

AI systems essentially operate as gigantic pattern-analyzing prediction machines. To create AI chatbots’ im­pressive language capabilities, scientists and engineers have fed practically all the text on the internet into a type of computer system designed to identify predictable patterns in human ­language.

When you ask a chatbot to do something (also called giving it a prompt), it draws on the original data and patterns within its datasets to predict what words could come next to deliver a logical answer in sentence form. It doesn’t know, but it’s really good at guessing and mimicking how humans talk. There has been increasing debate within the scientific community about whether we should categorize what AI does as “thinking.” Research has shown that some AI chatbots behave in ways that resemble thinking or judgment. But while we know how AI models work overall, we can’t currently trace the internal decisions they make to arrive at each specific response.

“The questions [about consciousness] are notoriously hard,” says Vincent Conitzer, a professor of computer science and philosophy at Oxford and Carnegie Mellon universities. “We really need to make progress on them if we truly want to understand in what ways we can say AI thinks.” But it’s safe to say that right now, AI is not like the sentient superintelligence you’ve seen in movies.

What can you do with AI?

The sky really is the limit. I’ve heard of people using AI to make a picture book for their kids, create a workout plan and even name a puppy. One person told me she uploaded photos of her feet and had the chatbot analyze her arch and the wear patterns on her shoes to recommend running sneakers with the best fit.

Another referred to AI as her personal chief of staff. At the end of the day, she opens up Claude and brain-dumps every worry, to-do item and miscellaneous thing lingering in her mind. Claude then organizes it into steps and creates her schedule for the week.

Overall, AI tools can be incredibly useful for quickly synthesizing large amounts of data, breaking down complex topics in a simple way and pulling key themes from text (like summarizing a dense research paper or making sense of your own scattered notes).

These tools can also work with images and videos—for example, when assembling furniture, I have uploaded photos of the parts and instructions so that AI could help me figure out a confusing step.

But one of the most popular ways to use AI is as a creative thought partner. AI chatbots can help you brainstorm and will act as a sounding board for you to bounce ideas off—whether you’re planning a garden, improving your résumé, writing a screenplay or strategizing marketing initiatives for your small business. I’ve interviewed countless executives and technology leaders who have made it a priority to figure out how AI can best serve them, and they’re almost universally using AI in this way, inviting it to offer feedback or poke holes in their logic.

Personally, I’ve found a lot of benefit in the kitchen. ChatGPT adds up tedious fractions from recipes for me instantly, and Claude actually helped me solve one of my biggest everyday burdens: feeling burned out on meal planning. I explained my weekly schedule, my dietary preferences, and what worked and didn’t work about my current methods, and we came up with a structure that has saved me tons of time and made a significant difference in my life.

How can you use AI in the most effective way possible?

How should you decide which chatbot or platform to use? Currently, there’s no “best” one—though everyone using AI has personal preferences. Tech companies are constantly rolling out new versions of their products, but as of the writing of this piece, the new products generally all do the same things, and do them about as well as one another. Overall, it’s smart to experiment: Try different platforms. Or bring the same request to different chatbots to see how each responds.

When working with AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT, be specific with your prompts. AI tools are prone to filling in the blanks, which can easily lead them to give you an output that doesn’t match what you’re looking for. “Consider what you want the AI to guess and what you need to specify,” suggests Eren Celebi, AI lead and principal engineer at advertising firm WPP.

The answer you get will only be as good as the prompt you give. Think about what level of detail you want and whether you want an answer in a specific format (like a chart, a bulleted list or a 200-word email). It also helps to break down complex requests into smaller steps.

For example, instead of giving AI a broad prompt like “Help me start a business,” first give it context about who you are and what kind of business you are looking to create. Then, have it help you research the market and develop a business plan. Many AI tools have memory capabilities, so you can have a continuous conversation on a topic, getting deeper with every back-and-forth, unlike when you’re searching the web.

With AI, context is everything. If you want help writing a difficult email to a colleague, make sure to first explain the situation, the relationship dynamics, what routes you already tried, the tone you want to strike and the outcome you’re hoping for.

What should you watch out for?

According to an analysis by Harvard Business Review, therapy and companionship are the top ways people are using generative AI, but some people form emotional dependencies, leading to detachment from their real lives. Research from OpenAI and MIT that looked at ChatGPT found that these types of harmful outcomes can stem from longer chat sessions—and that heavy daily use was correlated with increased loneliness. Tragically, several suicides have been linked to AI chat usage, sparking lawsuits against companies including OpenAI, Character.AI and Google.

Another issue: AI tools also aren’t yet fully reliable in terms of accuracy. They’re known to routinely fabricate information and present it confidently as fact—a phenomenon often referred to as hallucinating. So you shouldn’t depend on them for something crucial like health or legal advice. You can ask a chatbot to use verified or scientific sourcing and to share the links of all the articles it’s referencing, so you can ensure accuracy by fact-checking the information yourself.

Chatbots often lack the most up-to-date information as well. If you’re using AI to plan a vacation, it can certainly suggest top attractions, but it may miss crucial details (like that the museum you really want to visit is temporarily closed). As far as trust goes, it’s also vital to remember that AI chatbots are created by companies vying to beat each other in a competitive market. “Trust AI as much as you trust a car dealer,” Celebi says. “Sure, they’re here to provide you a service, but the AI doesn’t work for you. It works for a tech giant.”

Connected to that, it’s important to keep data privacy risks in mind. If you share personal details and private thoughts with AI tools, know that protection of your information is far from guaranteed.

Last year, OpenAI experimented with making users’ chat logs (records of their online conversations) discoverable in Google searches, completely unbeknownst to the users. The company also launched a health feature earlier this year, but, as reported by Time magazine, the feature’s services are not subject to HIPAA. The United States still lacks the type of data protection laws that have become commonplace around the world, and as with anything online, chatbots are at risk of hacks and data breaches.

AI-generated images and videos are increasingly commonplace online. The current tools make it possible for anyone to create images and videos so realistic that it’s often no longer possible to discern what’s real from what’s AI.

Much of AI-generated content is harmless, although some of it is the low-quality, low-effort, high-volume material referred to as AI slop. And an increasing amount is created to spread false information and deceive people about current events. So operating with a strong sense of skepticism is important as you analyze the media in your feeds.

What’s next?

Tech companies are fervently working to develop AI agents—software systems that can take action on your behalf, sometimes autonomously. Instead of just using AI to help you plan your next vacation, imagine AI doing it fully on its own, even using your credit card to book your flight and hotel for you.

Future AI agents could take the “chief of staff” role to the next level, handling your emails, scheduling meetings, adding them to your calendar and setting reminders. It’s the next step to potentially creating the kind of true AI assistant that has been a staple of sci-fi for decades.

Overall, though, it’s a common sentiment in the tech industry that no one honestly can predict how AI technology will evolve. The most important thing to know is that nothing about AI is inevitable. It’s being created by people, and we get to decide whether or not to use it, trust it and regulate it. Becoming familiar with AI is the first step to being able to help shape the role it has in all of our lives.

Even though I’ve spent a decade tracking developments in the field, I’m no ­superuser—and you don’t have to be either. The way I’ve been exploring AI is to start small, and this is also my parting advice. See where it can simplify complex or mundane tasks or help you enhance your creativity.

Remain discerning about where AI actually helps you, and where it introduces too much risk. And consider what you actually like doing yourself and don’t want to off-load to AI tools. You’re in the driver’s seat.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Your AI-Generated Password Is Risky

Google's Gemini AI Is Reading Your Emails

This New AI Scam Could Fool Anyone

The post How to Make Friends with AI—And Use It to Your Advantage appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But I also felt a little impatient—there was a whole lot of story left to tell. Well, the long-anticipated sequel, The Testaments, is finally coming to Hulu on April 8, 2026. Based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel of the same name, The Testaments is set in the same world as The Handmaid’s Tale and even includes some familiar faces, though we’ll also meet entirely new characters, settings and conflicts.

When I heard about The Testaments series, I immediately had questions: How closely will the show align with the events of the book? Will it pick up where The Handmaid’s Tale left off? And will we ever see June and her daughter reunited?

I’m diving into all that and more (praise be!). Read on for everything we know about The Testaments so far.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more entertainment, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Where did The Handmaid’s Tale leave off?

The season finale of The Handmaid’s Tale saw the city of Boston being liberated from the grips of Gilead, thanks to some elaborate plotting between June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss) and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford).

A number of characters got a happy ending, or at least relative freedom, including Janine (Madeline Brewer) and Emily (Alexis Bledel). Although Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and June decide to end their relationship, they vow to never stop searching for their daughter, Hannah, who is still in the tight grip of Gilead.

At the end of the finale, we see June returning to the home where she was first abused by the Waterfords in Season 1. There, with a tape recorder in hand and a confident, unbreakable spirit, she begins narrating her experience.

It’s a powerful moment and an important reminder of the power of hope—a theme I expect to stay strong in the new sequel.

What is The Testaments about, exactly?

The Testaments takes place in the same universe as The Handmaid’s Tale, under the oppressive regime running Gilead, the country formally known as the United States.

You can expect plenty of screen time for the character of Aunt Lydia, whom longtime viewers know and loathe. She had a change of heart at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, and in the new show, her determination to remake Gilead from the inside becomes palpable.

The show will spotlight two additional protagonists, Agnes and Daisy, who grew up inside the regime and don’t know anything beyond its brutal way of life. Agnes is training to be a wife in Gilead but decides to become an aunt instead of marrying her arranged husband. Daisy, a few years younger than Agnes, grows up in Canada but enters Gilead as a means of smuggling information to the resistance.

The two young women don’t know each other, but they soon learn the truth about their respective identities and the common thread they share (spoilers for that below). This unravels long-held beliefs and challenges everything they thought they knew about themselves and the world they inhabit.

How closely will The Testaments stick to the book?

The Handmaid’s Tale television adaptation didn’t stay true to all the events in Atwood’s 1985 science fiction book. In fact, you could say that the show’s writers used the book’s main characters and world-building as a launch pad to develop new narratives.

Will The Testaments screenwriters do the same? It’s likely. Keep reading for a few things we already know about the series and how it’ll differ from the book.

Spoiler alert! Skip this part if you don’t want to know what’s ahead.

The main characters stay the same

The show’s main characters are the same as the novel’s: Aunt Lydia, Agnes and Daisy. As we see in the novel, Agnes is actually Hannah, June and Luke’s daughter, who was taken at the beginning of The Handmaid’s Tale. Daisy is actually Nicole, the daughter of June and Nick. When Agnes and Daisy realize they’re half-sisters, they join Aunt Lydia in the resistance.

The show starts at a different time

In the books, The Testaments takes place 15 years after The Handmaid’s Tale ends. But because the six-season show gave us so much more detail than the book about the lives of June and the other characters, the showrunners didn’t want to jump 15 years into the future. Instead, the Hulu TV series picks up about four to five years after The Handmaid’s Tale series ended.

But even this nearer future reflects some notable changes. As we can see in the trailer for The Testaments, the sequel has a different look and feel from its predecessor. The main characters wear different colors, they’re of a different generation and they live in a different setting (though still within Gilead).

It spans a shorter time period

The book covers a significant time range, with narrators reaching back into the past and far into the future.

The show will cover a shorter time period and will focus more on the present-day life of Aunt Lydia, as well as the lives of Agnes, Daisy and the other young women in Gilead.

One protagonist won’t be reunited with her family

June’s love interest and the father of her child, Nick (Max Minghella), died at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale TV series, something that didn’t happen in the book. This sets The Testaments series on a different track—in the novel, Nick and his daughter are actually reunited. Unless Nick somehow survived an exploding plane (in which case, I have questions), The Testaments series is sure to have a different ending.

It’s more of a TV sequel than a book adaptation

Like most television and movie adaptations of books, The Testaments show draws the main characters, their world and their situations from the book. Yet as we saw in The Handmaid’s Tale, it takes specific liberties to explore the characters’ lives beyond what’s detailed in the text (and beyond what a single novel alone could really explore).

Will June be in The Testaments?

All three of the main characters in The Testaments have some personal connection to June, ensuring that her presence will be felt throughout. But she’s not expected to play a major role in the show—officially.

Still, it’s possible that June could make an appearance in The Testaments. When asked in a recent interview on The View if she’d be returning to the show in front of the camera as June, Moss neither confirmed nor denied her on-screen involvement. But she did discuss her role as an executive producer on The Testaments, so we know her magic touch will influence the series in some way.

For those of us who loved June’s rebellious spirit, our fingers are crossed that we’ll see her again in the sequel—even if just for a cameo—especially since the character popped up in The Testaments book.

Who stars in the series?

Like the book, The Testaments television show follows three main characters:

• Ann Dowd returns to her role as Aunt Lydia. This time around, the brutal aunt who ran Gilead’s Red Center is leading the young women of Gilead as the headmistress of an elite school. While she spent several seasons as a cruel and punishing educator of handmaids, her pivotal shift in Season 8 of The Handmaid’s Tale was just a taste of how her character will undergo transformation in The Testaments.
• Chase Infiniti, star of the recent Oscar winner One Battle After Another, plays June and Luke’s daughter, Hannah, now named Agnes. In The Testaments, she’s a student at Aunt Lydia’s school.
• Lucy Halliday steps into the role of Daisy, the now-Canadian daughter of June and Nick (formerly named Nicole), who was conceived while June was the Waterford’s handmaid in Season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Other supporting characters in The Testaments include Shunammite, played by Rowan Blanchard, and Becka, played by Mattea Conforti, both of whom attend school with Agnes.

Where can you watch it?

You can stream The Testaments on Hulu, with the most affordable plan starting at $11.99 (with ads).

Stream It Now

The Testaments

Here's how to watch 'The Testaments,' the sequel to the Emmy-winning 'The Handmaid's Tale.'

Watch on Hulu

RELATED:

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• The View on TikTok: “Elizabeth Moss dishes on executive producing ‘The Testaments'”
• Hulu on YouTube: “The Testaments Trailer”
• IMDb: “The Testaments”

Books That Predicted the Future

Sci-Fi Movies That Are Out of This World

Must-Watch Movies of the Year

The post Sneak Peek! Here’s What to Expect from <i>The Testaments</i>—And How Closely This Sequel to <i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i> Sticks to the Book appeared first on Reader's Digest.

“We knew what a polarizing topic AI is,” photographer Emiko Franzen says, “so we tried to come up with something friendly, nonthreatening and approachable.” Instead of leaning into cold, robotic imagery, the team went in the opposite direction: warmth, color and just enough whimsy to make you look twice, in a good way.

The issue itself explores everything from everyday AI conveniences to bigger, what-does-this-all-mean questions, but visually, the goal was to make it feel human. Really human. And that’s how the idea clicked. Two versions of our model, Danielle Kasprzak (culinary assistant at TMBI, also known as Dee). One swing. One moment that feels instantly familiar. Suddenly, “Making Friends with AI” wasn’t just a cover line—it was a scene you could step into.

Read on to find out how we brought the cover to life, from hand-sewn looks and lighting tricks to all the behind-the-scenes details that made AI feel a little more like us.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more heartwarming stories, pets, fun facts, humor, travel and tech all week long.

How the cover came together

From there, things got very specific, in the best way. Franzen built the photo shoot backward from the final image, essentially solving a creative puzzle before the camera even came out. “I start by looking at the finished image we want, then break down how I need to tackle my shots,” she explains. Translation: Nothing about this was accidental.

That meant photographing Dee twice, once as herself, once as her AI counterpart, and making sure both versions could eventually live seamlessly in the same frame. Easy to say. Much trickier to pull off.

And then there’s “AI Dee,” who, to be clear, is not AI-generated at all. “She was styled and shot in real life,” Franzen says. “I added more makeup … more shimmery makeup overall.” Think: iridescent wig, a silver jumpsuit and a hand-sewn tunic Franzen made herself (yes, really, during the holiday break, no less). “I had visions in my head … and some very crude sewing skills,” she jokes. “But I really had fun creating an outfit that embodied the ethereal nature we wanted.”

Lighting did the rest of the storytelling. AI Dee got a slightly more sculpted, otherworldly glow (thanks to harder light and color gels) while real-world Dee stayed grounded and natural. “We wanted her smiles to feel sincere, open and optimistic,” Franzen says. And according to everyone on set, Dee absolutely delivered.

Jessie Sharon, Reader’s Digest’s senior art director, was right there in the mix, fine-tuning as they went. “While Franzen captured the images, I provided feedback on spacing and small details—adjusting folds in fabric and refining the composition,” she says. It was a true collaboration, the kind where every inch of the frame gets attention.

After the shoot wrapped, the real magic started. Franzen combined several images, blending the two Dees into one seamless moment on the swing. Meanwhile, Sharon worked closely with the editor to place and style the cover lines so everything clicked within the final layout. “Franzen’s work was far from finished,” Sharon says. “There was a long list of edits to make sure the cover fit beautifully within our Digest format.”

Even the “AI effects” came with a hands-on twist. Those glowing energy swirls? Not a quick digital add-on. Franzen created them using an LED rope and long-exposure photography, then layered them into the final image.

However, AI did make a cameo, but more as a brainstorming partner than a creator. Early on, the team used it to generate visual sketches and help communicate ideas internally. Later, it stepped in for small retouching tweaks. But the final image? Entirely human-made.

That balance, between innovation and intention, is really the heart of the cover. Or, as Franzen puts it, “AI is the trampoline that can take us even further, jumping higher creatively.” Sharon echoes that sentiment: “It’s not perfect, but sometimes it’s a helping hand.”

And maybe that’s the point of all of this. Not AI versus humans. Not one replacing the other. Just two versions, side by side, figuring it out together … on a swing, in good light, with a little curiosity.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Meet the Star of Our February Cover: Millie!

Everything About the Future of Technology

I Asked ChatGPT Some Personal Questions

The post From Concept to Cover: How We Turned AI into a Trusted Friend appeared first on Reader's Digest.

That’s exactly what our readers dug into. They shared some of the most heartfelt and relatable stories of the moments they changed their minds. Some decisions were small, some huge, but every single one came with the same satisfying truth: Changing your mind isn’t just OK; sometimes it’s the smartest move you can make.

Read on for stories that might make you rethink your own “final” decisions.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more true stories, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.

A new dawn

You’d think a job that required rising at 6:30 a.m. would convert a lifelong night owl like me, but it didn’t. I’d still stay up watching late-night TV shows, and my husband had to drag me out of bed each morning. Then I switched to a job where I worked from 4 p.m. until midnight. Life was great—I could stay up until 2 a.m.! I kept that schedule after retirement, but realized I was sitting alone at night while my husband slept, and vice versa.

After one particularly long day, I crashed early and woke up at 7 a.m. My husband asked if I’d like to go for a walk with him. The morning was beautiful, with the fading moon and rising sun. It turned into two days of early walks, then a week, and now a year. I never thought I’d willingly wake up for the sunrise. —Gail Clarke, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Dogs and their tricks

I always said no to volunteering at the animal shelter because I thought it would be too depressing. A year ago, I finally agreed to help out. It’s a lot of hard work, it can be stressful and, yes, it’s tough to see what some animals go through. But it’s the most rewarding and fun volunteer job I’ve ever had. There’s no better feeling than watching an animal, one that you cared for, find a home. —Susan Silver, Thornton, Colorado

Change is brewing

During graduate school, I spent summers working for a construction company. A coffee truck would pull up to the jobsite, and concrete pourers and steelworkers would line up to order big, steaming cups of coffee. When my turn came, I didn’t have the courage to say, “Can I have a hot chocolate?” So I tried coffee for the first time. I liked it. Who knew? —Paul Bailey, Fayetteville, New York

Losses and gains

My wife convinced me to join my cousin’s weight-loss group despite my resistance. It was a large group—pardon the pun—made up entirely of women. By the third week, I’d lost the most weight of anyone in the group. Everyone cheered and made me feel so good about myself. I paid the small membership fee and lost nearly 140 pounds in a year. I became the leader of 12 chapters in my state and made countless friends. Second-guessing can make a difference in your life. I’m living proof. —John Murray, Wakefield, Massachusetts

A flipped decision

My son wanted a trampoline, but I was afraid he’d get injured, so I refused to have one on our property. He was determined, and after several attempts, he came up with a winning argument: “What if you hear an ambulance whizzing down the street but don’t realize it’s me because I was hurt on someone else’s defective trampoline?” That was all it took. I ordered the safest trampoline I could find, and he and his friends had years of (cautious!) fun on it. —Anne Shipley, Rochester, New York

Going faux?

After the kids moved out, my husband and I bought an artificial Christmas tree. I was certain we’d wind up donating it to Goodwill. But it was a smart purchase. No more cleaning up needles or disposing of a real tree. Our fake tree is easy to set up, decorate and store—though I do miss the smell of fresh-cut pine. —Sharon Silva, Felton, California

A sweet surprise

I grew up not liking sweet potatoes. My mom didn’t, so I was convinced I wouldn’t either. Years later, our cafeteria was serving sweet potato fries, and I told my story to a co-worker. She said I was being childish and shamed me into trying some. Now, not only do I like sweet potato fries, but I’ll even have just a baked sweet potato for a quick meal. —L.M., Crystal River, Florida

Adopting a new perspective

A few years ago, my great-nephews were taken away from their mother. One was 4 years old, the other a 3-month-old baby. When initially asked to take them in, I said no. My husband and I had never wanted kids. And by that point, he had passed away and I was almost 60. But when I looked at their little faces, I couldn’t imagine them entering foster care. I’m now the legal guardian of a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old. I bought my first house (for them, really). And, at 64, I am raising a family! —Sherry Cannon, Toledo, Ohio

A real change of heart

I’ve had a life full of challenges, failures and satisfaction. I’ve lived in extreme poverty, as well as abroad and in comfort. I used to say, “If I die tomorrow, I’d die happy.” But in June, my granddaughter was born. Now, if I knew I was going to die tomorrow, I’d beg, “Please, God, give me several years with my granddaughter!” —Rifalda Lobato, Lyndhurst, Ohio

Rising to the occasion

Our daughter was an honor student home from Penn State for the summer. One night, she came back from her restaurant hostess job and said she’d met a wonderful guy there. He was a Temple University dropout, lived in an apartment with another girl (he swore they only shared rent) and often called our daughter for emergency rides to work when his old beat-up car didn’t start. Safe to say we weren’t sold on him at the time.

Today, he’s the wonderful father of two kind and successful kids. He’s respectful and interested in what we have to say. He likes to cook and often sends dinners over to our house. But most of all, he’s an excellent, caring husband to our daughter. —Joyce Anagnostache, Marietta, Georgia

The (med) studentbecomes the teacher

I planned to be a doctor but nearly failed an organic chemistry course and had to choose another career path. I’d never wanted to be a teacher—the thought of spending every day with noisy, wiggly kids didn’t appeal. But when teacher friends invited me to observe their classrooms, I was surprised to find quiet learning environments. They showed me their curricula, which had room for creativity. I decided to give teaching a try, even though it meant going back to school.

The first class I taught was made up of 30 delightful second graders. They loved learning, and I was patient and firm. Now I’ve been an elementary school classroom teacher, special education teacher, librarian and counselor. Thank heavens for organic chemistry. —Gloria Bolduc, Chesterton, Indiana

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Our Readers' Best Unexpected Purchases

Hilarious Tales of Pampered Pets

Real-Life Love Stories from Readers

The post Best Decision Ever! 11 Relatable Tales of Readers Who Changed Their Minds appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Ten more minutes pass, and she’s still nowhere in sight. Suffice it to say, I am not pleased. Not angry, yet, but irritated—the lowest rung on the rage scale, but one big step nearer to the ubiquitous human experience where annoyances, hassles and frustrations mount to the inevitable: an irrational explosion directed at whichever unfortunate soul—my friend who’s running late, a slow cashier, your poor kid, the jerk who cut you off in rush hour—is closest.

Whether you call it losing your cool, blowing a gasket, flipping out or flying off the handle, if you’ve gotten to this point, irritation has won the battle. Luckily, with a little bit of introspection, you can still win the war. My friend, as usual, is late for brunch. 

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more science, relationships, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.

The evolution of frustration

Though a slightly late meal is hardly a “threat,” millions of years of human evolution have the brain computing the situation the old-fashioned way.

“Different and overlapping parts of your brain are frequently communicating about expected rewards and perceived threats,” says Melissa Brotman, PhD, chief of neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Here, a basic human need (food, because I’m hungry) is being blocked by an obstacle out of my control (my ever-tardy friend). Frustration in the form of irritability is only normal and natural. Never getting angry or irritated, Brotman says, would be a lousy coping mechanism for certain circumstances, or, as the good doctor puts it, “maladaptive.”

Meanwhile, evolution has also ­created humans with all different thresholds for irritation. Everyone is conditioned by “both biological aspects that you’re set with and environmental experiences that change over time,” says Brotman.

Everyone experiences irritation sometimes, but my lax, type B buddy’s tolerance for lateness—and her flexibility in general—is far greater than mine. That’s probably a big part of why we get along so well most of the time: She’s the yin to my yang. But not today. Today, she’s just annoying me.

This is your brain on irritation

Alone at a table for two, I check and recheck my phone for a text—a “stimulus,” which is, technically, anything and everything that triggers a response in the brain. Whatever you’re doing, one of the hardest-working organs in the body is already busy making meaning of the situation at hand.

“Your brain is always going through this cycle of prediction and preparation, updating and course-correcting as it goes,” says neuroscientist Kristen Lindquist, PhD, a professor at Ohio State University. As I sit, still alone, at my table, my brain kicks into action as it remembers that my friend was late the last time we met up too.

Inside the brain, the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure deep in your temporal lobe, raises a red flag. “The amygdala identifies a potential problem and gears you up to take action,” says Lindquist. It shoots a message to the hormone-dispensing hypothalamus to release adrenaline and cortisol, aka the stress hormone. You are now in full fight-or-flight response mode.

“The information is sent down the spinal cord to activate your heart, lungs and muscles.” The heart is racing, breathing is faster, the body becomes tense and temperature rises. Do you recognize this sensation? It’s called the “I’m pissed off” response.

The fight-or-flight response that originated in the amygdala is also communicated to the prefrontal cortex. “This is the part of your brain that helps you reflect, make meaning of your emotional experiences as they’re unfolding and change your predictions,” says Lindquist. It’s the part of your brain that would wisely remind you that you love your friend, who has many other excellent qualities, that she’s not deliberately late just to spite you, and that you, too, have been late to events.

But the prefrontal cortex is now not getting the amount of blood and oxygen it needs to do its job (they’ve been redirected to your racing heart, your rapid breathing, your rising temperature). So the hasty amygdala is quick to take the wheel and foolishly steer you toward escalation instead.

“???????????” I type. And when my friend reads the text but doesn’t respond, I get mad.

Anger vs. irritation

Arguably the best thing about anger is that it’s very straightforward. “Typically, when people get angry, they know why,” says Ryan Martin, PhD, a psychologist and anger researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Whether your boss dumped an impossible deadline or your spouse spaced on your birthday, something specific happened to make you feel wronged, and you know just what it is and how you might fix it.

The same can be true of irritation—sometimes. Frequently, a slew of headaches has led to this moment. A pause to contemplate the source can help spot external, easily fixable nuisances like a mounting laundry pile (stop procrastinating) or a roommate blasting loud music (“Volume down, please!”). But it’s equally possible that you’ll come up empty for what exactly is ­getting under your skin or, more specifically, going on in your head.

Since I’ve got some time to think, I order a mimosa and sit with my feelings. I’m mad that my friend is late, true, but am I this mad all because of her? If I’m totally honest with myself, this aggravation isn’t entirely my friend’s fault. I stayed up too late last night flipping through Reddit (scientists have found that irritability and fatigue are strongly linked), and I also skipped breakfast (studies show that “hanger” is very real).

It’s good to have recognizable reasons, but people can and do just have bad days too. It’s so common and ubiquitous, in fact, that we’ve collectively agreed on an idiom about “the wrong side of the bed.” I wake up there more often than I’d like to admit.

How irritated is too irritated?

If irritability regularly interferes with daily life or it’s a sudden symptom you didn’t have before, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Mention irritability—and/or accompanying physical issues like rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, nausea or excessive sweating—and they’ll inevitably have a few questions.

“I’d want to explore underlying conditions like depression or anxiety,” says Martin, who would first rule out the serious stuff of which irritability could be merely a symptom on the side.

But it could be nothing serious at all, and just that you, like me and many others, have a low frustration tolerance to lateness, inefficiency and (perceived) incompetence. Also, long lines, traffic jams, tailgaters, loud breathers, interrupters—I could, and sometimes do, go on and on and on. It’s easy to let the little things nag at you all day; it’s hard work to control your thoughts and manage your moods.

I like to imagine irritation as being like water collecting in a bucket: I can’t change the size of my bucket, but I can scoop water out before my bucket overflows and spills, resulting in my snapping at a teenage cashier.

How to skip that shameful scene in advance? Well, you know, with healthy habits. “Take breaks throughout the day; get outside; take a five-minute meditation break or even just a few deep breaths. These will all help alleviate some of that irritation before you reach the breaking point,” says Martin.

The myth of venting

“This is the last time & you’re dead to me,” I text. OK, I don’t actually send it, though I won’t deny the thought feels devilishly good. You might think that exploding to let it all out, not to mention smashing a plate and making a scene, would be the best way to let your anger go, but you’d be wrong.

“It’s a myth dating back to Aristotle that it’s good to vent and blow off steam, but there’s literally no scientific evidence to support that it works,” says aggression expert Brad Bushman, PhD, a professor of communication at Ohio State University. Yelling or screaming or punching a wall doesn’t just fail to relieve pressure, he says, but actually makes it worse: “It’s like using gasoline to put out a fire. It just feeds the flames.”

Less dramatic and far better is to take a deep breath and stay calm. “You can’t control other people’s irritating behavior, but you can control how you respond,” says Bushman. Most things that bug you are out of your control, so controlling what you can—that is, you—can give you a little feel-good hit that moves you in the right direction. And just in time, too, because guess who just walked through the door?

Back to good

With a big smile and a flower bouquet in hand, my friend is finally here, 38 minutes late (but who’s counting?).

My brain can’t do an immediate 180, but it gets right to work with a whole new batch of stimuli and corresponding chemicals: dopamine (a neuro­transmitter that helps us feel pleasure) for my new pretty flowers; oxytocin (a hormone that helps us bond with loved ones) when she gives me a hug; endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers, which can create a feeling of well-being) that reduce my stress; and serotonin (a natural mood-boosting hormone) to counteract my bad mood.

Before I know it, the amygdala deactivates, and the rational prefrontal cortex regains control. Then we eat eggs Benedict and laugh, and I remember how much I like my friend, even if she’s perpetually late. Once the irritation is gone and coffee has kicked in, I decide to take Bushman’s advice and get proactive. “Rather than seethe about it, tell the person how you felt and that in the future, if they’re going to be late, to please let you know so you’re not waiting,” he suggests.

I realize my friend probably won’t change, and I probably won’t either. But at least the next time I’m left waiting in a restaurant, I’ll know how to better control my irritation before it takes control of me. Maybe a second mimosa?

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Melissa Brotman, PhD, chief of neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland
• Kristen Lindquist, PhD, neuroscientist and professor at Ohio State University
• Ryan Martin, PhD, psychologist and anger researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
• Brad Bushman, PhD, aggression expert and professor of communication at Ohio State University

Heartwarming Stories About Friendship

A Teen and a Race to Save His Life

Kindness Saved a Little Girl's Christmas

The post Here’s What <i>Really</i> Happens in Your Brain and Body When You’re Aggravated appeared first on Reader's Digest.

He’s a bloodhound, specifically. So sticking his snout deep into a sneaker is standard practice when the humans he works with at the Farmington (Missouri) Correctional Center’s K-9 unit need him to track someone down. On a blazing hot day last July, at the edge of a ravine about 60 miles south of St. Louis, 6-year-old Daryl was given one of the most important jobs of his life. He had to find a 13-year-old boy named Dakota “Cody” Trenkle Jr.

The boy had been missing for more than three days, and his mom and stepdad, Stephanie and Jared Neely, were frantic with worry. Authorities believed Cody might be somewhere in that deep, wooded ravine, but time was running out for him if he didn’t have food or water. So Stephanie provided one of her son’s most pungent sneakers, and Lt. Joe Gillam, the leader of the K-9 unit, let Daryl smell it. Then he gave the command: “Find.” Daryl took off running.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more true stories, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.

A boy like any other

Sunday, July 27, 2025, began like any other summer day for Cody—with his brothers, Steven, 12, and Parker, 7, under the watchful eye of his grandmother ­Martha Askins. She often watched the boys while his mom, a corrections officer at the Missouri Department of Corrections, worked a 12-hour shift. Askins lives in an unincorporated gated community called Goose Creek Lake. Whenever Cody was there, his routine was to ride his skateboard to his friend Sam’s house on the other side of the 2,500-acre development and hang out there for much of the day.

Around 9 a.m., Cody had set out across town on his faded gray board decorated with a purple graffiti monster. A few minutes later, security cameras outside the firehouse near the entrance to the community recorded the 5-foot-6, 170-pound teenager skating by, decked out in a greenish-blue Harry Potter T-shirt and a black-and-white flat-brimmed ball cap over a mop of curly black hair.

“I remember skating past the firehouse,” Cody says. He doesn’t remember what happened after that. And there’s no further security footage to help fill in the timeline.

As best as anyone can guess, he skated for another 15 minutes or so before heading down a hill on Wren Drive to a T-intersection with Bluebird Drive, which was on the edge of a ravine. It seems that Cody lost control of his skateboard, hit some tall grass on the other side of the intersection, flew off his board and tumbled down a steep incline into the ravine. Did he lose consciousness fully? Nobody knows. He certainly hit his head.

Cody apparently had periods of partial consciousness, because he stripped off some of his clothes and crawled into deeper shade to escape the July heat, ending up about 250 yards from the road. It would be about another nine hours before anyone even realized he was missing.

The day he vanished

Cody typically came home from Sam’s by about 4 in the afternoon, in plenty of time for dinner. When he didn’t, Askins began to wonder what was up. Cody didn’t have his cellphone with him, so at 6 p.m. she called Sam’s house.

“Hey, is Cody coming home any time soon?”

“He isn’t here,” Sam said. “He never made it today.”

Sam had assumed that his friend had found something else to do. When Sam and Askins realized that neither of them had seen Cody all day, Askins called the Francois County Sheriff’s Department, then Stephanie.

“You need to call me immediately,” Stephanie heard her mother say on her voicemail when she finished her shift at 7 p.m. “Cody’s not home,” Askins told her daughter when they finally connected.

“What do you mean?”

“Cody went to his friend’s house, and his friend says he never showed up, and he hasn’t called us back and we don’t know where he is.”

That’s not like Cody, Stephanie thought. Her son was a creature of habit—he followed the same schedule every day. She drove straight to her mom’s, where officers from the sheriff’s department were gathering details and filling out a report. They suspected that Cody might have run away. Stephanie knew in her bones that was not a possibility. Either somebody kidnapped him, or he’s lying dead in a ditch somewhere, she thought. So she set out to find him.

Stephanie and her mom drove up and down every street in Goose Creek Lake in Askins’s truck, while Jared searched the neighborhood on his motorcycle. But it was getting dark. There was only so much they could do.

A frantic search

Stephanie’s sister, Brittney Van Volkenburg, is a volunteer firefighter for the Goose Creek Lake Fire Department, and Monday morning—about 24 hours after Cody was last seen—Stephanie called on her to organize a search team from the firehouse.

Van Volkenburg rallied her team. “I said, ‘This is my nephew—we need to get a search team together,’ and everyone was immediately on board,” she later told the local NBC News affiliate.

The search party, made up of nearly 50 firefighters and local residents, ­conducted a grid search. Some went off-road in all-terrain side-by-sides. Some rode motorcycles. Some walked arm-in-arm through the woods. They looked just about everywhere they could, but didn’t realize that to find Cody, they’d have to hike deep into the wooded ravine off Bluebird and Wren.

Jared and Askins took care of the two younger boys while Stephanie and her sister led the search. As the hours—and then days—passed, Stephanie was determined not to let panic overtake her. Me sitting on my butt crying is not gonna help anything, she thought.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office received reports that Cody had been seen two towns over. Stephanie never bought any of that—she felt sure he was somewhere in Goose Creek Lake. He had to be.

She also understood that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. “I knew the statistics,” Stephanie says. “The longer it went on, the more I had to kind of wrap my brain around that we may not be finding Cody—we may be finding a body.”

Hope on the trail

On Wednesday, July 30, a little past 9:30 in the morning, Askins jumped in her truck for another desperate pass down the same roads they’d been over countless times. Her grandson Steven sat in the back, his eyes peeled.

“Stop!” Steven suddenly yelled. There, in tall grass near the intersection of Bluebird and Wren, sat Cody’s skateboard with its distinctive purple graffiti monster. They sped back to Askins’s house to get Stephanie and Jared.

Stephanie will never forget what she saw when she arrived on the scene. “The nose of the skateboard was pointing down toward the ravine,” she says. “It was almost literally like the universe was telling us, ‘He’s right here.’ ”

Jared and Stephanie slid down into the ravine, which was slick from the previous night’s rain. The terrain was rough—large boulders, loose rocks, oak trees and thick undergrowth—and they couldn’t see Cody anywhere. Before they went any farther, they called the sheriff’s department and were instructed to wait for officers to arrive with their K-9 unit.

But St. Francois County’s dogs are German shepherds and Belgian Malinois, neither of which can track older scents the way bloodhounds do. So a call went out to Joe Gillam at the Farmington Correctional Center. He already knew about the missing local boy. He also knew that his dogs had never found anyone when the trail had gone so cold.

“Look, I’m not going to make any promises,” Gillam told the county officer on the phone. “This is like a 3-day-old track. But, with finding the skateboard, we have a place to start. So we’re gonna do everything we can to get Cody home.”

A nail-biting rescue

Gillam gathered a team—six people in all—and assessed which of his five bloodhounds would be best suited for this situation. It was clearly a job for Daryl, who worked well in hot weather and on older tracks, and was great in thick vegetation.

When they arrived a little over an hour later, Gillam and his crew took a quick look around, staying out of the ravine to avoid creating more scents for Daryl to sort through. Stephanie was waiting with Cody’s sneakers. Daryl was fitted into his harness. Ready to go to work, he sniffed one of the shoes and heard that magic word: Find!

Gillam and two members of his team stayed at the command post at the top of the ravine, with Cody’s family nearby. K-9 handler Lt. Chris Marschel and the two others from the team went with Daryl. Within minutes, Daryl found his way to the edge of the ravine and repeatedly stuck his neck out, an indicator that he had picked up a scent he liked. After that, he was off, down the steep 15-foot drop, the K-9 unit members literally sliding down behind him.

Gillam and the others lost sight of the rescuers as soon as they entered the thick vegetation. But information came in over the radio. After several minutes, Daryl found Cody’s Harry Potter T-shirt and black pants. On they went, deeper into the wet woods. Then, 21 minutes after Daryl had set off, the radio crackled. “Hey, we’ve got a visual!”

Nobody knew yet if it was a rescue or a recovery. Stephanie turned to her sister and the other rescue workers at the command post and said: “Go! Go get him!” The firefighters and EMTs, including Brittney, tore off down the ravine, heading for the GPS coordinates that Daryl’s handlers had sent to them.

After an agonizing few minutes, Stephanie heard her sister’s voice over the radio: “We found him! We found him!” The tone in Van Volkenburg’s voice told Stephanie that Cody was alive. He was lying face up in a temporary creek created by the rain, which had helped prevent his body from overheating. But he was severely dehydrated. One of the K-9 unit members, Lt. Virginia Stafford, slowly poured water, a few drops at a time, into Cody’s mouth. He was looking at his rescuers, alert but unable to speak.

The road to recovery

Cody’s injuries were extensive: lacerations and scrapes all over his body from falling and rolling down the ravine, and bedsore-like burns on his back from lying in one position too long. The medical team would later discover that he had suffered a fracture on the right side of his head, brain trauma, pneumonia and bacterial infections. It was no wonder that Cody hadn’t called out for help or been able to extricate himself from the ravine. But his survival instincts had kicked in enough that he had crawled to a shaded area until help finally arrived.

The doctors later told Stephanie that Cody probably wouldn’t have survived more than another few hours alone in the woods. The fire department’s rescue team secured Cody to a stretcher and carried him out of the ravine, then drove him to a nearby flight pad, where he was airlifted by medical transport helicopter to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. Once in the pediatric ICU, Cody started crashing. The doctors decided the best thing for his survival odds would be to place him in a medically induced coma.

For days, Stephanie and the rest of the family waited at Cody’s bedside. The doctors tried to ween him off his sedation and wake him, but his body wasn’t ready. Finally, after 11 days, he came out of his coma. Using a hand gesture from American Sign Language that Stephanie had taught her sons, he told his mom, “I love you.”

When Cody could talk again, two weeks after he was found, he made the sort of proclamation you’d expect from a 13-year-old boy: “Ma, I need a Coke from McDonald’s.” After a couple of weeks in a rehab facility, Cody returned to his home in Farmington in late August. A few weeks later, he started eighth grade at Farmington Middle School.

Cody’s recovery has been slow. “He still has a lot of neuro challenges,” Stephanie said about three months after the incident. “He’ll be having a conversation with you and then completely forget what he’s talking about. Or he’ll be standing there and he’ll lose all muscle control.” The doctors had explained that full recovery would take another 6 to 12 months.

An emotional reunion

On Thursday, Sept. 11, Cody, by then 14, traveled to the Farmington Correctional Center to thank the four-legged hero who led rescuers to where he lay in the ravine. “Hi, buddy,” Cody said to Daryl in a soft, loving tone, as he bent down to pet the black-and-brown bloodhound and affectionately scratch his neck and chin.

“I was getting a little emotional myself because I have a 14-year-old,” Gillam recalls. “Seeing him get to meet the dog that saved him, that was pretty special.”

As the media picked up on Cody’s story, folks from as far away as California sent Daryl dog treats. As for Cody, he says he has a new four-word mantra for when he is finally allowed to get back on his skateboard: “Keep the helmet on!”

“And,” adds his mom, “don’t leave home without your phone.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

A Teen and a Race to Save His Life

This Is the Craziest Hotel Stay Ever

The Story Behind My Trip to the Titanic

The post Last-Ditch Effort: A K-9’s Race to Find a Missing Boy appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Best for: Southern charm

Charleston feels tailor-made for solo travelers who love history, architecture and great food. The compact historic district is wonderfully walkable, so it’s easy to spend the day meandering through pastel-colored streets, admiring centuries-old homes and popping into boutiques or cafes whenever something catches your eye.

One of the best ways to get your bearings is with a walking tour. On my first morning in Charleston, I joined a small-group walking tour with a local historian named Cooper who brought the city’s history to life highlighting architectural styles, famous houses (from those in movies and TV shows to celebrity homes) and hidden corners I might have otherwise missed. From there, it’s easy to explore on your own—browsing the Charleston City Market, window-shopping along King Street (I got a custom hat at Marsh & Magnolia and jewelry at Peyton William) or lingering over a long Southern brunch.

Charleston’s food scene also makes dining solo feel natural. Restaurants like 82 Queen, known for its charming courtyard and classic Lowcountry dishes like she-crab soup and fried green tomatoes, are perfect for a leisurely meal, while elegant spots like Zero George’s caviar bar offer a memorable splurge. And if you time your trip to coincide with the spring Charleston Wine + Food festival (like I did), you’ll get a true taste of the local flavors, stories and creativity that define this city’s longstanding culinary spirit.

Where to stay: The Charleston Place. This iconic hotel sits right in the heart of downtown, within easy walking distance of King Street shopping, the Charleston City Market and many of the city’s best restaurants. Newly renovated rooms and excellent dining options (including a pop-up by chef Daniel Humm—go for happy hour and order the laminated bread, pickled seasonal vegetables, Charleston fried chicken and house fries cooked in duck fat) make it an ideal home base for exploring the city on foot.

Portland, Maine

Book Now

Best for: Coastal New England vibes

With its working waterfront, historic Old Port district and thriving restaurant scene, Portland offers the kind of laid-back coastal atmosphere that makes exploring alone feel effortless.

Alexandra Dubakova, a travel expert with FreeTour, says the city’s walkable downtown makes it especially appealing for solo travelers. “Portland is my all-time-favorite solo destination,” she says. “It gives the sophistication of a big city without the anxiety or the crowds.” She particularly loves the “cobblestone streets in the Old Port district, the smell of sea salt in the air and a community that is very welcoming.”

Visitors can spend the morning wandering harbor-front streets before heading to nearby Cape Elizabeth to see the iconic Portland Head Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. Another unique experience is the Casco Bay Mailboat Run, a ferry route that delivers mail to island communities while offering scenic views of the coastline. Worried about dining alone? “One thing I love is that the locals there prefer eating at the bar, and you never feel out of place,” Dubakova says.

Where to stay: The Press Hotel. Housed in the former headquarters of the Portland Press Herald, this historic hotel features literary-inspired decor and a central downtown location. “I love that the hotel leaned into its history with letterpress art installed and a wall covered in vintage typewriters,” says Dubakova. “A typewriter is also available for guests.”

Scottsdale, Arizona

Book Now

Best for: A wellness adventure

Scottsdale offers the perfect blend of outdoor adventure and relaxation, making it a fantastic destination for solo travelers who want to stay active yet enjoy plenty of downtime.

I’ve lived in Phoenix for 23 years, and I spend a lot of time solo in Scottsdale. Start the day with one of the area’s most iconic hikes: Camelback Mountain. The trails are challenging and steep, but the panoramic views of the Sonoran Desert from the summit are worth the effort. Just be sure to bring plenty of water—desert hiking requires preparation, especially during warmer months.

After a morning outdoors, spend the afternoon exploring Old Town Scottsdale, where art galleries, Southwestern boutiques and turquoise jewelry shops line the walkable streets. The weekly Scottsdale ArtWalk is especially fun, giving visitors a chance to browse galleries and mingle with locals. At night, this area transforms into a mini Vegas, with nightclubs and late-night eateries.

When it’s time to refuel, head to Buck & Rider, a local favorite where solo diners can comfortably grab a seat at the bar or enjoy happy hour on the patio (fresh seafood is flown in daily, so order oysters, crab and lobster from the raw bar). For the ultimate reset, book a treatment at Joya Spa at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia, home to a stunning 200-year-old cherrywood hammam table and arguably the best spa in the Valley.

Where to stay: Hotel Valley Ho. Located in the heart of Old Town, this stylish midcentury-modern hotel makes a great base for exploring the area on foot. Its lively pool, great restaurant and bar scene and vibrant atmosphere are ideal for meeting new people.

Kansas City, Missouri

Book Now

Best for: Barbecue lovers

Kansas City may be best known for its legendary barbecue, but the city’s vibrant music scene and growing cocktail culture also make it a rewarding destination for solo travelers.

Travel and food writer Aly Walansky says she was surprised by how much she enjoyed exploring the city on her own. “The barbecue scene was epic, but there were also great cocktail bars and live music spots that made the city really fun to explore solo,” she says. “It was super walkable, and I felt very safe, even when walking by myself in later hours.”

Start with a classic barbecue meal—Walansky recommends hole-in-the-wall Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and says not to be scared that it’s inside a gas station with zero ambience because it has some of the best burnt ends she’s ever had. Then, head out to discover Kansas City’s historic jazz heritage.

Where to stay: Hotel Kansas City. This boutique property occupies a restored 1920s social club building downtown and features an inviting lobby bar, restaurant and live-music venue. “But aside from the glamorous backstory, it felt comfortable and cozy, with a great on-site restaurant and lobby bar and even a hidden spot for live music and nightlife,” says Walansky. “Their cornbread, which is made with local Kansas corn, is insane, and I had a potato chip and green bean salad there—such a crazy combination, but I’m still thinking about it to this day.”

The Palm Beaches, Florida

Book Now

Best for: A glamorous beach escape

The Palm Beaches, a collection of 39 towns and cities, offers the kind of effortless coastal glamour that makes it especially appealing for solo travelers. I actually visited with my boyfriend last year, but he fell ill the night we arrived, so I did literally everything on my own while he was confined to the hotel room.

One of the pleasures of visiting Palm Beach alone is how effortlessly the day unfolds. I spent hours wandering Worth Avenue’s boutiques, art galleries and charming cafes. When it came time to eat, I found plenty of places where dining solo felt completely natural. One morning, I headed to Benny’s on the Beach, where breakfast comes with sweeping Atlantic views and the sound of waves crashing below the pier.

Afterward, I wandered the length of the pier, watching fishermen reel in their catch. Buccan delivered one of the best meals of the trip with inventive small plates like sweet corn agnolotti, while afternoon tea at Café Boulud offered a refined pause between sightseeing with delicate pastries, proper scones and beautifully brewed tea.

Where to stay: The Colony Hotel. This iconic pink hotel sits just steps from Worth Avenue and the beach, making it an ideal base for exploring Palm Beach on foot. Its vivacious pool scene, stylish lobby and excellent restaurant create plenty of opportunities for solo travelers to socialize or simply soak up the island’s signature glamour.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Book Now

Best for: Craft food and drinks

Raleigh’s vibrant food and beverage scene makes it a great choice for travelers who enjoy discovering new restaurants, cocktail bars and local breweries. And travel creator Mikkel Woodruff, who first visited Raleigh on a solo trip before eventually moving there, says the city’s welcoming community makes it easy to meet people. “There’s a special camaraderie among locals and visitors,” she says.

Downtown Raleigh offers a mix of museums, galleries and restaurants within easy reach of one another. Monthly First Friday events keep galleries and shops open late (and offer complimentary wine or beer as you walk around), while restaurants like Whiskey Kitchen (order the lamb burger) and Bida Manda (don’t miss the pork belly soup) provide lively atmospheres where solo diners feel right at home.

Where to stay: Longleaf Hotel. This stylish restored motor lodge blends midcentury design with modern comfort and is just a short walk from downtown attractions. “I loved going to the bar there, The Longleaf Lounge, with my husband; they have great cocktails, and you’ll feel transported to the 1960s,” says Woodruff. “The bartenders are always friendly, and as a solo traveler, it will be easy to strike up a conversation.”

Kauai (Lihue), Hawaii

Book Now

Best for: Outdoor adventure

If your ideal solo trip involves waterfalls, hiking trails and dramatic coastal views, Kauai is hard to beat. I’ve been here at least five times, and it always drops my jaw. Staying near Lihue places travelers within easy reach of many of the island’s most memorable experiences—from kayaking the Wailua River to exploring scenic overlooks at Waimea Canyon, often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

Travel advisor Dora Liu, who specializes in Hawaii travel, recommends Kauai for travelers who want both adventure and ease. “The entire island of Kauai is an active traveler’s paradise,” she says. “By staying in Lihue, you’re conveniently located to hikes, kayaking and snorkeling.”

Another unforgettable experience is seeing the dramatic Na Pali Coast, where jagged emerald cliffs rise straight out of the Pacific. Boat tours and helicopter flights both offer spectacular views, and guided excursions make it easy for solo travelers to join the adventure.

Where to stay: Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort. This oceanfront resort on Kauai’s east side offers easy access to Wailua River kayaking, nearby beaches and cultural activities like hula lessons and ukulele demonstrations.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Book Now

Best for: Entertainment and nightlife

Las Vegas might seem like a destination built for groups, but it can actually be an easy and entertaining city to explore solo. With world-class restaurants, immersive shows and iconic attractions clustered along the Strip, it’s simple to plan a full day without ever feeling rushed.

Travel writer and Fora travel advisor Melissa Curtin says the city’s variety makes it particularly appealing for independent travelers. “You can create your own trip—whether that’s relaxation, excitement or a bit of both,” she says.

Beyond the casinos, Las Vegas offers plenty of memorable experiences. The massive Sphere hosts immersive shows and films unlike anything else in the world, while Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart delivers a surreal interactive art adventure. Even simply strolling the Strip—stopping to watch the Bellagio fountains or popping into restaurants and cocktail lounges—can easily fill an evening.

Where to stay: Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. This elegant non-casino hotel offers a quiet retreat from the Strip’s energy while still being within walking distance of major attractions. “My suite was super quiet, with blackout curtains easily shut by the button next to the bed,” Curtin says. “And the spa was just a few floors away, perfect for a few hours of peaceful bliss—it has a steam, sauna, bubbly jacuzzi jet chairs and an Experience Shower with varying temperatures and pressures.”

Chicago, Illinois

Book Now

Best for: Big-city culture

Chicago combines the energy of a major metropolis with neighborhoods that feel welcoming and easy to explore on your own. From museums and architecture to jazz clubs and lakefront parks, the city offers enough variety to keep solo travelers busy for days.

Travel specialist Diego De Luca with Rome2Rio now calls Chicago home after visiting solo in 2021 and falling in love with the city, and he says the city’s personality is part of the appeal. “Each neighborhood feels like a small town within the metropolis,” he says, pointing to areas like Andersonville, Wicker Park and Lincoln Park as places where cafes, shops and music venues make it easy to connect with locals.

One of the best introductions to the city is an architecture cruise along the Chicago River, where guides explain how Chicago rebuilt itself after the Great Fire and created one of the world’s most recognizable skylines. Afterward, explore the Art Institute of Chicago, listen to jazz at The Green Mill or stroll along the scenic Lakefront Trail.

Where to stay: The Robey Chicago. De Luca favors The Robey, a boutique hotel in Wicker Park. “It’s located around the corner from the L train stops that give travelers easy access to neighboring areas and a convenient train ride to the Chicago O’Hare airport after your stay,” he says. “Once the weather warms up, solo travelers can also take advantage of The Robey’s complimentary bikes to explore the charming Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods.”

McMinnville, Oregon

Book Now

Best for: Wine lovers

Located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, McMinnville offers an approachable wine country experience that’s perfect for solo travelers who enjoy tasting rooms, great food and charming small towns.

Portland-based travel and food creator Nori De Vega says the welcoming atmosphere keeps her coming back again and again. “I’ve spent so much time in McMinnville as a solo traveler, it became almost like a second home to me,” she says. “The people who live there are so welcoming to visitors. It’s like a cool Pacific Northwest version of a storybook town.”

The main drag is lined with tasting rooms, restaurants and shops, making it easy to spend the day sampling Pinot Noir or enjoying a leisurely brunch at Alea Bakery. And the surrounding valley is home to dozens of wineries, many just a short drive away. De Vega also has another reason to love McMinnville: “The frequency of my solo visits—I go multiple times a year—is a testament to the town’s safety, as well.”

Where to stay: The Atticus Hotel. This stylish boutique hotel sits right in downtown McMinnville, placing guests within walking distance of tasting rooms, restaurants and shops. Thinking aesthetically, De Vega says the property’s jewel tones are a welcome vibe in a world of neutrals. She also says its amenities are thoughtful and offer a strong sense of place, including custom toiletries by a local maker, Pendleton robes and local coffee and tea.

Miami, Florida

Book Now

Best for: Culture and beach energy

Miami is one of those cities where exploring on your own feels completely natural. Distinct neighborhoods each offer a different personality, making it easy for solo travelers to spend a day wandering from art-filled streets to sunny waterfront parks without ever running out of things to see.

Travel journalist and documentary filmmaker Michaela Guzy, who has visited more than 120 countries, says Miami has a way of drawing people in—even when they’re traveling alone. “The best places for solo travelers are the ones where curiosity is rewarded,” she says. “Miami absolutely fits that bill.”

She says to start with Wynwood Walls, where colorful murals turn entire city blocks into an open-air gallery. From there, head to Little Havana for a Cuban coffee and a stroll down Calle Ocho, where domino players gather in public plazas and the scent of fresh pastries drifts from neighborhood bakeries. For a quieter afternoon, the Pérez Art Museum Miami offers contemporary art and sweeping views of Biscayne Bay.

Where to stay: Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Located directly on the sand in South Beach, this lively oceanfront resort offers easy access to the Miami Beach boardwalk, restaurants and nightlife. Multiple dining options (Rao’s is a must-do for dinner), a large pool deck and comfortable lounges make it easy for solo travelers to relax—or strike up conversations with fellow guests.

Solvang, California

Book Now

Best for: Slow travel and quirky charm

Nestled in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang offers a unique Danish-inspired setting that feels worlds away from the state’s busier wine regions.

Travel writer Matt Kirouac-York says he discovered the town on a solo trip and quickly fell in love with its relaxed pace. “The vibe is comfortably slow-paced, and it’s easy for solo diners to snag a barstool and feel comfortable in its restaurants,” he says. His favorite solo-friendly bars include Final Girl Wines, a gothic tasting room inspired by the owners’ love of classic horror films and heroines, and High Roller Tiki, a cove-like tiki bar that makes wine-based tiki cocktails.

Visitors can explore windmill-dotted streets, sample traditional Danish pastries like æbleskivers or visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. The surrounding valley also offers easy access to wineries and scenic countryside drives.

Where to stay: The Landsby. This Scandinavian-inspired boutique hotel sits right in the center of Solvang’s walkable downtown and features cozy rooms and an excellent on-site restaurant. “I’ve stayed at The Landsby twice now, and I adore it,” says Kirouac-York. “It has lots of Scandinavian hygge vibes, right down to the cream-toned color palette and fluffy animal artwork. There’s also a great restaurant on-site, Mad & Vin.”

Denver, Colorado

Book Now

Best for: Urban adventure with mountain access

Denver offers the rare combination of a lively city scene and easy access to the Rocky Mountains, making it ideal for solo travelers who want both culture and outdoor adventure.

Travel writer Lauren Durie says the city’s social atmosphere makes it easy to connect with people while exploring. “Denver is the kind of place where you can wake up with no plan, end up on a mountain adventure by noon and finish the day at Red Rocks with people you met six hours earlier,” she says. “The vibe is young, active and welcoming, and it’s not uncommon to find your next hiking or concert buddy simply by striking up a conversation on a LoDo or RiNo patio (guilty).”

Spend time exploring the colorful murals and breweries of the RiNo Arts District, then venture into the mountains for hiking or scenic drives. In the evening, catch a show at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, one of the most spectacular concert venues in the world.

Where to stay: The Ramble Hotel. Located in the RiNo Arts District, this stylish boutique hotel is surrounded by galleries, breweries and restaurants. “The iconic cocktail bar, Death & Co, makes it easy for solo travelers to grab a drink, mingle or start the night before heading out to explore,” says Durie. “It’s within easy walking distance of major attractions like Union Station and Coors Field, and you can rideshare just about anywhere else.”

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this story on the best places to travel solo in the U.S., Jill Schildhouse tapped her experience as a longtime travel journalist and avid traveler. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Dora Liu, travel advisor with Ahu Adventure Travel; interviewed, March 2026
• Melissa Curtin, travel writer and Fora travel advisor; interviewed, March 2026
• Diego De Luca, travel specialist working with Rome2Rio; interviewed, March 2026
• Nori De Vega, Portland-based travel and food creator; interviewed, March 2026
• Michaela Guzy, travel journalist and documentary filmmaker; interviewed, March 2026
• Alexandra Dubakova, travel expert with FreeTour; interviewed, March 2026
• Aly Walansky, travel and food writer; interviewed, March 2026
• Mikkel Woodruff, travel creator at Sometime Sailing; interviewed, March 2026
• Matt Kirouac-York, co-founder of The Gay Lane; interviewed, March 2026
• Lauren Durie, travel writer and founder of The Down Lo; interviewed, March 2026
• Hilton: “Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report”
• GeoSure: “Hyper-Local Safety Intelligence”
• Get Your Guide: “Take a History Tour with an actual Historian – Cooper!”

The post 13 Solo Travel Destinations in the U.S. for the Perfect Trip That’s All About You appeared first on Reader's Digest.

For years, it’s been easy to assume that anything older than your current phone is basically obsolete. Tech moves fast, and we’ve all been trained to keep upgrading, skipping to the next big thing. But lately, something interesting has been building—it’s less a mic drop than a slow crescendo, but it’s happening. Devices we once wrote off as relics are getting an encore.

Take the iPod, for instance. Apple officially pulled the plug in 2022, but its story didn’t stop there. According to Back Market, sales of refurbished iPods have been climbing at an average of 15.6% per year since then—proof that this comeback is more than just a one-hit wonder.

So, what’s driving the replay? To get a better read, I tapped music and tech expert Emily White, who recently surveyed active iPod users about using this retro tech. And to find out what your old device might be worth today (and how to get top dollar), I spoke with top-rated eBay seller Angie Cardona Nelson and dug into the latest resale data.

If you’ve got an old iPod collecting dust, it might be time to press play again. Read on to hear what might just be music to your ears.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more tech, cleaning, humor, travel and fun facts all week long.

Why are iPods suddenly popular again?

One of the biggest drivers of the iPod comeback isn’t actually about music—it’s about rules. Across the country, schools are increasingly restricting or outright banning smartphones during the day to cut down on distractions, social media use and screen dependency in classrooms.

But Gen Z, being Gen Z, found a loophole: the iPod.

Unlike smartphones, MP3 players like iPods don’t connect to social media apps, don’t send notifications and don’t pull students into endless scrolling. But they do play music—downloaded, curated and entirely offline. And they’re not phones. So, in many schools, they slip through the cracks of device bans.

Why else are people loving iPods again?

The trend goes beyond a workaround by high schoolers. In a survey of 70 active MP3-player users by music and tech expert Emily White, only about a third (32%) were members of Gen Z (which means, if you do the math, that 68% were older).

White found a mix of emotional and practical motivations behind the iPod resurgence. Most said they started using an iPod (either again or for the first time) within the past year—highlighting just how recent the comeback is. Statistics back this up: Global searches for iPods on eBay jumped more than 20% in December 2025 compared with the year before, according to an eBay spokesperson I contacted, and users searched the term iPod more than 1,300 times per hour on average in 2025!

Here’s what White learned from the iPod users in her survey:

• Nostalgia hits hard: Launched in 2001, iPods were a defining part of growing up for Millennials, with younger Gen Xers adopting them in early adulthood. Rebuilding an old music library feels personal in a way streaming never quite does. White points out that “we’ve seen a lot of analog technology kind of trending,” from vinyl records to digital cameras to Y2K-era aesthetics.
• Practicality wins over sentiment: For “a lot of the people that I spoke to, it was more of a utilitarian decision,” she says. Users cited long battery life, portability and not needing Wi-Fi—especially for running, commuting or travel.
• Digital minimalism is in: There’s a growing pushback against constant connection. iPods offer a stripped-down, distraction-free experience—none of the notifications, apps and always-on connectivity of smartphones. Using an iPod is viewed as a form of “digital detox” by some listeners, White says.
• No subscriptions are needed: Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music require monthly payments—and come with algorithm-driven listening (and ads). With an iPod, you own your music outright. Many respondents told White that they use their iPods in addition to streaming services, but a notable 26% use an iPod instead—reflecting a desire for more control over how music is discovered and played.
• Curated listening is empowering: Instead of infinite choice, you get your songs. No skips driven by boredom, no autoplay rabbit holes. Many users are pushing back against passive listening. As White said, “Another theme that I really heard was wanting a more intentional relationship with music,” including “more agency” and “a deeper connection” to what they listen to.
• “Good friction” adds meaning: What used to feel inconvenient now feels meaningful. Manually loading music—whether ripping CDs or downloading files—requires effort, but that effort makes the experience feel more personal. “There’s this idea of friction actually being a feature, not a bug,” she explains.
• Cybersecurity risks are lower: Because iPods are offline devices, they’re not vulnerable to hacking or data tracking.

How much could your old iPod go for?

Here’s where things get interesting—and potentially profitable. Depending on the model, condition and rarity, iPods can sell anywhere from $20 to well over $1,000. And prices aren’t static; in many cases, they’re rising. Data from eBay shows significant increases in average sale prices on the following devices between 2023 and 2025:

• iPod Nano (3rd generation): Up over 60%
• iPod (3rd generation): Up over 50%
• iPod Nano (4th generation): Up over 45%
• iPod Classic (6th generation): Up over 40%

 What affects the value of an old iPod?

“Condition is king, no question,” according to Nelson. A clean, fully functional device will consistently outperform one with visible wear. After that, battery health, storage size and overall demand play major roles. And original packaging is a huge bonus for collectors.

An interesting note is that for younger generations, shopping refurbished is a conscious choice offering simplicity and cost savings. According to eBay’s 2025 Recommerce Report, 34% of Gen Z feel proud when buying pre-loved tech, and 16% see it as trendy or stylish.

“Refurbished tech is no longer a secondary market; it’s becoming a primary choice for a growing segment of consumers, especially Gen Z,” Nelson notes. “People are more informed, more environmentally conscious and more comfortable purchasing pre-owned devices.”

What are the current resale ranges?

The price your device can command depends on many factors (as outlined above), but here are the typical ranges for previously used items:

• iPod/iPod Classic (5th–7th generation): $80–$250
• iPod Nano (especially early generations): $30–$120
• iPod Shuffle: $20–$80
• iPod (1st generation): $200–$500

Note: Unopened “mint condition” devices can command significantly higher prices, sometimes reaching into the thousands for rare collector-grade items.

What about other old-school tech?

The iPod isn’t alone in its comeback. Other retro items are also popular, including:

• Sony Walkmans: Searches on eBay were up more than 5% year over year in 2025.
• Digital cameras: Sales grew by about 6% from 2023 to 2024, marking a rare rebound after years of decline, according to tech website ElectroIQ.
• CDs: Global eBay users searched for this old-school music medium more than 200 times per minute in 2025.

How do you sell one of these old devices?

If you’ve got an iPod collecting dust, selling it isn’t complicated—but how you do it can make a big difference in what you earn. Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Etsy are perennial favorites for online selling and buying, but don’t overlook Mercari, a general peer-to-peer marketplace, and Swappa, which focuses exclusively on tech.

To get the best deal for your beloved old iPod, make sure to get it in tip-top shape:

• Clean it carefully
• Take clear, well-lit photos from multiple angles
• Show it powered on if possible
• Include any accessories you have
• Be transparent about its condition

On that last point: If your device doesn’t turn on, don’t panic! Some buyers specifically look for units they can mine for parts.

Is there anything you should keep in mind about using an iPod in 2026?

If you’d like to start using your iPod again (rather than sell it), there are a few practical considerations.

• Battery life and repairs: Most devices are over a decade old, and battery replacement may be necessary.
• Charging and cables: Older models use 30-pin connectors—not the Lightning or USB-C cables you’re used to. You may need to hunt down compatible chargers online.
• Software limitations: Some modern computers may not easily support older syncing methods.
• Storage vs. streaming: You’ll need to actually own or download your music files; there’s no instant access to millions of songs unless you convert and transfer them manually.
• No backup: Again, iPods are offline, so there’s no cloud backup or recovery option.

The bottom line? That old iPod sitting in your drawer isn’t just a nostalgic relic. It’s part of a growing cultural shift. Whether you’re looking to cash in or tune out, it might be worth giving it a second look.

RELATED:

• Gen Z Is Nostalgic for Y2K—And It Makes Total Sense. Here’s How to Party (and Otherwise Live) Like It’s 1999
• It’s 2026 … So Why Is Everyone Suddenly Obsessed with 2016? Here’s the Reason for This Nostalgic Trend
• Here’s Why Gen Z Is Actually Welcoming the Return to Office—And You’re Totally Going to Get It

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece, JoAnn Liguori tapped her experience as a journalist to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Emily White, music industry expert, writer and product consultant; phone interview, March 20, 2026
• Angie Cardona Nelson, founder of Angie’s GreenGo Surplus, a top-rated eBay seller; email interview, March 23, 2026
• eBay press office; email interview, March 19, 2026
• New York Times: “New York Bans Smartphones in Schools, Joining National Movement”
• Back Market: “Why the iPod remains popular in the age of smartphones”
• emwhitenoise on Substack: “Why Are iPods Making a Comeback?”
• eBay: “Apple iPod Classic”
• eBay: “2025 Recommerce Report”
• Apple: “The Music Lives On”
• ElectroIQ: “Cameras Statistics By Usage, Type, Market Size and Facts (2025)”

Why Capital Letters May Soon Go Away

How Amazon Music and Spotify Differ

How to Listen to Free Books on Spotify

The post iPods Are Back in Style, Thanks to Gen Z—Here’s How Much Yours Could Be Worth appeared first on Reader's Digest.

When I started my international tour company, EscapingNY, I noticed that many of my guests liked the idea of solo travel, but they weren’t quite ready for it. They joined my tours because I offered a lot of different activities but still allowed free time to explore. These travelers often got comfortable in the group setting, then gained the confidence to go out on their own during free time, even in faraway places like Cuba and Jordan.

I’ve relied on hybrid solo travel myself—it’s a great way to vacation with friends or family who have different travel styles from my own. So how can you make it work for you? Drawing on my own experiences and those of Madeline Driver, a frequent traveler from New York City who’s a fan of hybrid solo travel, I’m sharing the tips and tricks that have allowed us to enjoy many hybrid solo vacations with friends and family. Read on to find out how you can do it too.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

What is hybrid solo travel?

Hybrid solo travel is a loose group trip where you gather friends or family to travel together, while retaining the flexibility of a solo adventure. You can do some activities together and some alone, or you could have completely different schedules, sharing only accommodations and a few meals.

The beauty of hybrid solo travel is that you get to decide exactly what it means to you and how you’re going to enact it. You might set aside a portion of each day for solo activities, then spend the rest of the time together. Or you might simply share a home base but spend the bulk of your time alone. You might even extend your solo time with a side quest, like booking a place with friends in Italy’s Cinque Terre but having a solo adventure in Florence.

Driver’s group vacations with friends are now hybrid solo trips. Recently, they all stayed at the same all-inclusive resort in Mexico and spent most afternoons and evenings together, but she reserved the mornings for herself so she could schedule activities that weren’t of interest to the rest of the group.

During a recent trip to Venice, my sister and I specifically chose to stay on the sleepy nearby island of Murano, which is quiet and away from the action. My sister gets anxious and overwhelmed with busy cities and packed itineraries, so we went with a hotel that had a relaxing vibe and waterfront views that let her read, think, journal and just sit in peace while I tackled my nonstop itinerary.

My sister and I took one Venice walking tour together and had breakfast together each morning, but she spent the rest of the time alone at our glass-factory-turned-hotel while I ran myself silly. It was the perfect hybrid solo trip for both of us because we each got to do exactly what we wanted.

How does a hybrid solo trip offer the best of both worlds?

Hybrid solo trips let you combine the best aspects of solo and group travel, so you can create the perfect family vacation or group getaway. These trips let you spend time with loved ones and share some costs while enjoying some of the freedom and flexibility of solo travel.

There’s built-in security

With hybrid solo travel, you get the security of the group (there’s safety in numbers), but you can still do things your way. Stressed about navigating international travel on your own or worried you’ll have a medical emergency without anyone around to help? If you’re on a hybrid trip, you’ll have your crew there for support.

You can save money

Highly personalized solo trips can be really expensive because you’re not sharing the costs of transportation, guides and accommodations. With a group trip, major costs are spread across the group, cutting down on your overall out-of-pocket expenses. Even if you spend much of the time alone during a hybrid solo trip, sharing some of the travel costs can be a game changer for your wallet.

There’s group camaraderie

Traveling alone can get lonely (especially during extended trips), but hybrid solo trips allow for camaraderie during group tours and shared meals. Every group is different, so you may want to spend much of the day together, but you also may just want to allocate a certain time of day (say, mornings) to group activities.

It offers flexibility

Because you and your group will be designing your own trip, you’ll get to decide exactly what you want that itinerary to look like. This way, you can work with your group to include free time so you have the flexibility to do your own thing.

As a very active traveler, I like to create incredibly packed schedules for my personal vacations, but they tend to be way too much for my friends and family. If we stick to my schedule, they feel overwhelmed and exhausted, but if we skip things, I’d feel disappointed and like I’m not getting the most out of my trip. Hybrid solo vacations give us all the flexibility we need to truly enjoy the experience.

You have the ability to explore

Driver loves traveling with her friends, but she began noticing that many of them have different interests and travel styles from her. “I realized that either I’d have to skip a lot of the things I really wanted to do,” she says, “or I’d go do them on my own and my friends would get upset and feel like I abandoned them.”

Going on a hybrid solo trip gives everyone a chance to vacation in their own way. Because you can build so much flexibility into this type of travel, you get the ability to explore on your own. This could include lazy walks around town, reading in local cafes or intense full-day hiking and biking adventures.

How can you make a hybrid solo trip work for you?

To prevent problems coming up during your vacation and to have the best success with a hybrid solo trip, talk with everyone well before you travel. Any successful vacation requires planning, and to ensure the success of your first hybrid solo trip, you’ll want to prepare and confirm details in advance with your entire group.

Do some pre-trip planning

Typically, you’ll need to talk more than once, and the bigger, longer and more complicated the trip is, the more you’ll need to discuss.

Schedule group calls (video calls can be fun), start a WhatsApp group chat or create a private, trip-specific Facebook group. You can also share Google Docs, where everyone can add their input and respond to others’ ideas.

Get everyone on the same page

Diverse groups have diverse interests, so discuss these in advance. One person may want to spend the entire trip lounging at the beach, while another wants to go on walking tours at 8 a.m. every day and another wants to sleep in and go out dancing late every night. All these scenarios could work together, so long as the group confirms in advance that it’s OK that everyone does their own thing.

I’m a very active traveler, so I don’t spend a lot of time at the hotel or on the beach. I always share this with potential travel companions to confirm they’d either like to do activities with me or would be OK staying back at the hotel by themselves. This is exactly what my sister and I did when we visited Italy. We confirmed the walking tour we wanted to do together in busy and bustling Venice, then we did our own things.

Discuss budgets

Whether you’re traveling on a budget or planning a luxurious group retreat, it’s essential to go over money matters with your crew. Confirm what everyone’s budget is, especially if you’ll be sharing a condo or renting an apartment. If you all have very different budgets, it may work better to stay at a hotel where some travelers can book budget rooms and others can stay in luxury suites. The latter is Driver’s preferred option, “My friends don’t travel as much as me, so they like to splurge on fancy suites, whereas I’d rather book a budget room so I can afford to travel more during the year.”

Meals can make up a big part of trip costs, so confirm if you plan to eat out a lot together, and if so, be on the same page about the sort of restaurants that are within everyone’s budgets. If your suite, homestay or apartment has a kitchen, this could be a great way to save money on meals, whether they’re shared with the group or on your own.

Share your itinerary

While it may not be necessary to send everyone in your group a detailed spreadsheet of every single activity you want to do on the trip, it can be helpful to let them know ahead of time about any activities you definitely plan to do. This way, you can still check off the must-dos on your trip list while also letting your friends know that you want to spend time with them.

Driver loves traveling with her friends, but she’s the only one in the group who’s an avid scuba diver. “My friends love going to brunch on vacation, so I usually tell them to go enjoy a leisurely brunch while I get in my morning dives, then we meet up in the afternoon or evening to do something together.”

Establish ground rules

Ground rules can be helpful when planning any group vacation, and they are especially important when you’re sharing accommodations. How does everyone feel about TVs and phones blaring early in the morning or late at night? Should everyone dump their phones into a basket during group time to focus on talking about the day or playing board games instead of looking at social media?

What about smokers? Is smoking allowed on the property, or will having the smell of cigarettes wafting into windows ruin someone else’s enjoyment? Are kids allowed? If you’re planning a hybrid solo family vacation, would the trip be appropriate for all ages or just for smaller kids (or, conversely, just for teenagers and college kids)?

If most travelers will be doing their own thing during the day, does the group want to set a rule that everyone meets for dinner in the evening? Or should the group agree on sharing breakfast together every morning, then doing their own thing?

While your group is in the trip planning stage, you’ll have the opportunity to bounce ideas off one another and determine which ground rules make sense for your trip.

Do you need to take a hybrid solo trip with friends or family?

Nope! An excellent way to get comfortable with solo travel is by joining a group tour that caters to individual travelers.

Tour companies like Wilderness Travel, Trek Travel and Intrepid specialize in small group tours that immerse travelers in the destinations they visit. Many who join these trips are also solo travelers who enjoy the camaraderie and cost savings of the group, along with the freedom and flexibility they get from the free time built into the schedule. (Pro tip: Before booking a trip, review the itinerary to ensure you’ll have a lot of free time to yourself, if that’s important to you.)

Last summer, I joined a group walking and hiking tour with Trek Travel in the Dolomites, a stunning mountainous region in northern Italy. I loved that the trip included several routes each day so I could choose to do a challenging mountain hike or make it much easier on myself by taking gondolas and doing shorter routes.

Not only was the daily group schedule flexible, but there was a lot of free time after hikes, which I usually spent relaxing in the hotel’s sauna by myself or reading on the patio. While I was on my own, I learned that some of the others in the group enjoyed going out to explore together. Essentially, we all customized the group tour into a hybrid solo-group trip according to our interests.

When the five-day group trip ended (in the gorgeous Alta Badia area of the Dolomites), I felt confident and comfortable in my surroundings, so I spent another five days there exploring alone.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Source:

• Madeline Driver, frequent traveler who regularly takes hybrid solo trips with friends; phone interview, March 2026

Where to Travel Alone as a Woman

The Best Vacation Packages for Singles

The Safest Country for Solo Travel

The post Hybrid Solo Travel Is the Genius Way to Vacation Alone, Together appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I still don’t know because I bolted out of there, totally embarrassed.

We’ve all had that experience of meeting someone … and then completely spacing on their name moments later. Jake? Joe? Jay? I think it started with a “J” … but maybe I’m totally misremembering? You’re probably breaking into a cold sweat just reading that. That’s how stressful it is to try to remember a name.

Luckily, there is a way to get rid of this stress altogether. It’s a mind trick that Randy Charach, a mentalist based in Vancouver, Canada, swears by to keep track of new names (which he has to do during every performance). Let’s just say, this is totally going to change your life, and no, I am not exaggerating. Keep reading to learn this handy hack, the fascinating brain science of memory behind it, and how to lock down names when you meet a few new people at once.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more relationships, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Why is it so difficult to remember people’s names?

Mainly, because we’re beyond distracted. “People don’t have memory problems so much as they have concentration problems,” says Charach. We blank out on people’s names because we are distracted, don’t have good listening skills or are too focused on how we appear to others to register what was just said.

When you meet someone, “your brain is juggling a lot of information at once,” explains neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, PhD, director of Comprehend the Mind in New York City. “The name gets lost in the chaos, so it barely makes it into your memory in the first place.”

And even if you do catch that your new acquaintance is “Ella” or “Eva,” there’s another problem: “Your brain stores names in short-term memory by default, which is basically a trash can that empties itself every few minutes,” Hafeez explains.

You need to get that sucker into your long-term memory to be able to call it up the next time you see this person.

What is the trick to remembering a name?

A foolproof way to lock down names is with the Mental Snapshot Method. That’s what Charach uses onstage when he meets a bunch of people and has to keep their names straight. Here’s the drill: Consciously tune in when the other person introduces themselves, and “treat the name like an important piece of information so you capture it in your short-term memory,” he says. Next, create a mental image when you hear the name. “If you hear Mike, imagine a microphone,” he says. “Your brain remembers images better than words.”

There’s a cool brain-science reason this strategy works. “Basically, your brain is wired to remember stories and pictures, not random words,” explains Hafeez. So, by attaching the name to an object (like imagining a toilet for John, or a red-bellied bird for Robin), you’re working with your brain instead of against it.

What if the name doesn’t conjure up an object? Link the new name to a famous person or character, as Hafeez does. Meet a Leo? Picture Leonardo DiCaprio. Just got introduced to Rachel? Imagine Jennifer Aniston’s character (and iconic hairstyle!) on Friends.

What else can reinforce this?

To remember a name in a way that really burns it into your brain, repeat the name right after the other person says it. Say you meet a Jim. You’d go, “So great to meet you, Jim!” (while you picture a Slim Jim … or a jungle gym). “Repeating a name out loud activates your motor cortex, which adds a physical layer to the memory and makes it stick longer,” Hafeez says.

Is there a secret to remembering multiple people’s names?

The best way is a method called chunking, according to Elizabeth Mateer, PhD, a neuropsychology fellow at Harvard Medical School who researches attention and memory. To chunk the group you just met, divide them into pairs or triads—like “the two co-workers,” “the couple,” “the siblings”—and attach names within those chunks. This trick works because groups “increase your cognitive load, so you need structure,” she explains.

“Use the names in a loop as you go: ‘Nice to meet you, Sam … and Priya … and Daniel,’” Mateer says. Then give yourself a recall test a minute or two later, where you (silently) repeat the names in each group. “Retrieval practice locks it in,” Mateer says.

Is blanking out on names you’ve known for a while normal—or a bad sign?

Deep breath. It’s completely common and normal to sometimes space on names you most definitely know. Maybe you run into someone you haven’t seen in a year (or three, or ten)—like an intern from an old job or a class mom from a few years back—and you just plain draw a blank. Mateer says this type of memory lapse is usually a retrieval-access issue, which means it’s not the same as true forgetting.

Trying to force yourself to dredge it up usually backfires. You’re better off moving on until the name randomly pops up. If you want to try to jog your memory, though, ask yourself, “Where do I know them from: work or my personal life? What’s the first letter of their name? Any similar-sounding names?” These cues can nudge our brains in the right direction, Mateer says.

The more you use these hacks, the better they’ll work. As a performer and mentalist, Charach has to remember lots of names in front of big audiences, and he insists this is not so much a talent as a skill. “If you want it to be a talent, you have to practice it until it becomes an unconscious behavior,” he says.

At the same time, you’re only human. If you’re distracted and don’t catch a name, Mateer recommends owning it and just saying, “I’m sorry, say your name one more time?” It may feel awkward, but it’s truly no big deal. “Most people appreciate that more than you think,” she says, “especially if they have also forgotten your name.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on how to remember a name, Lisa Lombardi tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who frequently writes about relationships, health and lifestyle for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Randy Charach, mentalist based in Vancouver, Canada; email interview, March 18, 2026
• Sanam Hafeez, PhD, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind; email interview, Feb. 21, 2026
• Elizabeth Mateer, PhD, neuropsychology fellow at Harvard Medical School; email interview, Feb. 20, 2026

The Surprising Way to Answer 'How Are You?'

This Is the Key to Stronger Connections

How to Gracefully Exit a Conversation

The post This Super Simple Trick Will Ensure You Never Forget Anyone’s Name Again appeared first on Reader's Digest.

I personally enjoy the feeling of a tightly made hotel bed. It can have the effect of a weighted blanket for me, the heft and sturdiness of the bedding helping me reach a state of calm after a stressful day of travel. Even if it takes me a minute to get there, that is.

But there is an obvious question hidden beneath those layers of ironed sheets: Why are they so tight in the first place? Is it solely for appearance? Are there any other benefits?

Like so many other aspects of everyday life we tend to take for granted, there’s a real history here. You just have to fold back the comforter to understand this hotel mystery—and we’re doing that below.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, fun facts, humor, cleaning and tech.

What’s the history behind those insanely tight hotel sheets?

Tight sheets on a hotel bed are comfy, but they’re also a historically well-worn way of maintaining hygiene. The name Florence Nightingale probably rings a bell, and you may actually have her to (at least indirectly) thank for your snuggly hotel stay.

Battlefield hygiene

Battlefields are notoriously deadly places, but back in the day, most mortality came from infection rather than direct combat. “Even a conflict as recent as the Spanish-American War (1898) had five deaths from disease for every battlefield fatality,” says military historian Michal Muir. “Nursing, along with mass vaccinations and penicillin, has significantly reduced the death rate from disease in warfare.”

With the arrival of nursing came—to use Muir’s words—“proper ventilation and basic hygiene [practices], which had tremendously positive results.” And, yes, bed-making eventually became an important component.

Nursing knowledge

Although it’s impossible to say who folded the first tight hospital corner, we do know that it’s a product of the nursing techniques developed and used in the mid- to late-19th century. Florence Nightingale is broadly credited as the first organized battlefield nurse, and she practiced in the Crimean War in the 1850s. Hospital corners arrived sometime between the Crimean War and the start of the 20th century.

Making beds was (and is) an important part of maintaining hygiene and patient comfort and recovery in hospitals. This is why bed-making best practices have remained an essential part of nurses’ formal education. Not only could a poorly made bed or improper bed linens make patients uncomfortable, but they could also cause bed sores, which could lead to infection.

Plus, according to Alec Dalton, a hospitality-industry historian and professor at Boston University and Florida International University, modern cleansers and industrial-scale laundering weren’t even available until the 1960s. As a result, layering sheets in a way that makes them easy to change and free of lumps, clumps and divots (where things like food crumbs or bodily waste could hide and fester) was essential to cleanliness.

How did this practice make its way into hotels?

The 20 years between 1960 and 1980 are referred to as the Golden Age of Hospitality. More people were traveling after World War II, and hotels adopted modern hospitality industry standards. These included standards for room and bathroom hygiene and the idea that the guest is the “center of every interaction.” Bedding hygiene, including the widespread use of the hospital corner, is a product of these mid–20th-century changes within the hospitality industry.

According to Dalton, bed-making in hotels experienced two major growth spurts over the last century. The first, which took place in the 1960s, involved the production of synthetic-fiber linens, large-scale laundry machinery and better detergents. “At the same time, President Eisenhower’s drive for the new interstate highway system prompted hoteliers to grow branded chains and franchises for rapid expansion,” Dalton explains. “Hoteliers like J. Willard Marriott, Conrad Hilton and Howard Johnson strove to ensure that their hotels were uniformly clean, so they enacted precise brand bedding standards and housekeeping protocol.”

Today’s bed-making standards are a product of these parallel innovations. According to Dalton, the next “revolution” happened in 1999, when Westin launched its so-called Heavenly Bed. The “visibly clean,” all-white duvets most chains use now came from this second revolution.

Why didn’t “hospital corners” in hotel rooms disappear once fitted sheets were invented?

The fitted sheets that we all know and love (and hate to fold) were invented in the 1950s, though the more recent iteration that doesn’t slip was patented in 1992. Either way, we’re talking decades of fitted sheets … that hotels don’t actually use. Why? It has to do with the number of washes required for hotel sheets versus the sheets you use at home.

At some hotels, sheets are washed daily; at others, sheets may be washed every three or so days for multi-night guests. No matter how you slice it, that’s more frequent washing than the recommended weekly laundering for personal bed linens. The elastic in fitted sheets, which gives them their mitered-edge effect, degrades over time, especially when it’s in regular contact with hot water and detergent. A daily wash is certainly regular contact.

And it’s not just the number of washes the sheets have to go through either. We’ve all epically failed to fold a fitted sheet, right? It’s universal knowledge that flat sheets are easier to fold, iron and store, and at the scale of a hotel, it’s much more efficient (and tidy) to avoid fitted sheets altogether.

So, without any fitted sheets in their linen closets, hotels continue to make use of “hospital corners” to create the effect of a neat, tidy and clean bed for their guests.

What’s the trick to getting sheets super tight like this?

To get a hospital corner, you must fold the corners of the bed sheet in 45-degree angles “like an envelope” and tuck them tightly underneath the sides of the mattress. Here’s how to do it:

1. Tuck the end of the sheet beneath the end of the mattress at the foot of the bed.
2. Take the ends of the sheet, which are now located on each of the outside ends of the bed, and fold each one at a 45-degree angle back up onto the bed; take whatever is left hanging down and tightly tuck it beneath the mattress.
3. There will still be a portion of the sheet stacked on top of the bed. Pull that back down, stick your hand underneath it where it meets the mattress, and tuck the remaining sheet beneath the bed.

Voila! You’ve got tight, fitted hospital corners.

RELATED:

• Here’s Why Hotel Reception Always Writes Down Your Room Number Instead of Saying It
• Here’s Why I Always Stop by the Front Desk When Checking Out of a Hotel
• This Free Hotel Amenity Has 5 Genius Uses You’ve Never Thought Of

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Michael Muir, military historian and former professor at Kumamoto University; email interview, March 14, 2026
• Alec Dalton, professor at Boston University and Florida International University and co-author of Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry; email interview, March 2026
• University of Virginia: “Flashback Friday – The Art of Bed Making”
• Royal Albert Museum: “The fitted sheet – An Alberta invention and folding nightmare”
• Russell and Dawson: “Evolution of hospitality industry”
• ELIYA Hotel Linen Supplier & Manufacturer: “Do 5 star hotels change sheets daily?”
• Crane & Canopy: “How to make hospital corners”

How to Secure Your Hotel Room

Do This After Checking into a Hotel Room

Why Hotels Have Ice Machines

The post Here’s the Real Reason Why Hotel Sheets Are Tucked So Tightly—And How Workers Get Them Quite So Snug! appeared first on Reader's Digest.

He called again. I texted again: Why are you calling? Just text me.

He texted back: Because I just wanted to hear your voice. It makes me happy.

Oh, the feelings I had in that moment! I felt like a complete jerk. He wasn’t trying to inconvenience me. He just wanted to talk to me. His wife. Whom he loves. And my response was to treat his affection like an IT help ticket.

So I called him back. He wanted to ask me a question about a brand of cereal he couldn’t find at the store. And all my annoyance flared up again. OK, so he wanted to hear my voice … tell him it’s in the natural foods section, not the cartoon cereal section? I said “I love you” through gritted teeth before I hung up.

Which brings me to a nagging question: Is texting back instead of answering actually rude? Or after years of one-word responses, read receipts left hanging and mass-communication anxiety, have we collectively decided that answering the phone is optional? Let’s untangle this.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more etiquette, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

The case for the text-back

Facts: The numbers are overwhelmingly on the texter’s side. Ninety percent of Americans prefer text messages to phone calls, according to a 2024 report by SMS Comparison. A 2026 YouGov survey found that messaging has replaced phone calls entirely for 68% of Americans. And 75% of Millennials say they avoid phone calls because they’re too time-consuming, with 81% reporting actual anxiety at the prospect of making or receiving one.

Phone anxiety. Over a call. From someone you know. Is that where we are as human beings?

Apparently, yes, and there is a rational case for it. Texting is asynchronous, so it lets you respond when you have the mental bandwidth instead of when someone else decides to demand your full attention in real time. A call requires both parties to be present, coherent and ready to converse at the exact same moment. A text can be answered while you’re sitting in a waiting room, while you’re half-watching TV, while you’re in the checkout line at Target. A phone call cannot. Not politely, anyway. And texting doesn’t require audio. I’ve missed a lot of calls because I’m very rarely in spaces where I have enough privacy to answer them.

There’s also something to be said for the permanent record a text creates. Plans, addresses, important details—texting keeps everything tidy and searchable. Phone calls, on the other hand, produce memories, which are considerably less reliable.

The case for just picking up the phone

Here’s where it gets uncomfortable for those of us who’ve fully committed to our texting identity: The science is kind of against us.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that people feel significantly more connected when they communicate by voice than by text. Participants consistently predicted that phone calls would be awkward—and they were consistently wrong. The calls were no more awkward than texting, and they built stronger bonds. Researchers also found that hearing someone’s voice triggers the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone. Texting? No such hormone. You’re just swapping words, not warmth.

My husband is right. Calling me because he wants to hear my voice isn’t a communication inconvenience; it’s actually the more emotionally intelligent move. This is not what I wanted to find out.

One big caveat: It really does depend on who’s calling

There isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but if it’s your mom or grandma, pick up. For older generations, a phone call isn’t just a communication preference; it’s how they express love and connection. Different generations have genuinely different texting styles and communication norms, and for Boomers and the Silent Generation, letting a call go to voicemail from a family member can feel like a snub. It’s about the asymmetry of effort: If she’s calling because she wants to hear your voice and you text back “what’s up,” you’ve saved yourself two minutes at the expense of making her feel like a burden. Not worth it.

If it’s a close friend, use your judgment. Close friendships can handle a “call you later?” text. The key is actually following through. Saying “can’t talk, I’ll call you tonight” and then not calling is the real social crime, not the initial redirect.

If it’s a work contact, tread carefully. Some workplaces and industries still operate on phone-call norms, and reflexively texting back a professional contact who called you can read as dismissive. If your boss, a client or anyone who doesn’t have your cell number as a personal contact calls you, answer or call them back instead of texting.

But if it’s a Gen Zer, by all means text. Gen Z has essentially reinvented phone etiquette from the ground up—they prefer not to answer at all and will text back as a matter of course. Meeting them in their medium is just being considerate.

When a text reply is actually not OK

There are a handful of situations in which texting back is genuinely rude, no matter how committed you are to your no-call lifestyle.

• Bad news. Breakups, deaths, medical diagnoses, job losses—these require your actual voice and humanity. Tone doesn’t travel through text, and if you’ve ever sent a “he passed away” message only to be met with a read receipt, you know exactly why. Some messages need the weight of a real human voice behind them. A thumbs-up reaction is not a condolence.
• Someone is calling you six times in a row. Whether they’re in crisis or just genuinely need to reach you, the repeated calling is the signal. At a certain point, continuing to text-dodge isn’t a communication preference—it’s avoidance with extra steps. Merge this with the previous point if they’re also crying. (And leaving someone on read entirely is a whole separate column’s worth of problems.)
• Actual emergencies. Think: car accidents, natural disasters, a child with a 104-degree fever, getting separated from your group at a concert, trying to find the car in a parking garage at 11 p.m. Yes, the parking garage one counts!
• Your kid’s school. I genuinely wish this one wasn’t on the list. But if the school is calling, you pick up. It’s almost certainly nothing—a permission slip, a lunch-account balance—but if it is something, you don’t want to be the parent who texted back, “what’s up?”
• When the conversation requires 47 texts. Medical questions, complicated logistics, anything involving the phrases “OK, but wait” or “no, I meant the OTHER one”—just call. If you’re already deep in a text thread that looks like two people trying to assemble Ikea furniture via Morse code, pick up the phone. It will take four minutes.
• When you literally asked them to call you. “Call me later!” Past You said, with confidence. So they called. Pick up! Past You made a commitment on your behalf, and you are going to honor it.
• When you need something from them. You can text-dodge someone reaching out to you, but if you’re the one who needs a favor, an answer, a signature or a ride from the airport, that’s the moment to just call like an adult and get it done.

Do people actually get mad about this?

Some, yes. Whether it registers as rude depends almost entirely on the relationship and/or the caller’s generation. Studies consistently show that older adults feel more slighted by unreturned or deflected calls than younger ones do. If a Baby Boomer calls you and gets a text back, there’s a meaningful chance they read it as dismissal, even if you’re just being efficient.

Over time, always redirecting calls to texts can erode a relationship quietly—less like a fight and more like a slow cooling. The UT Austin research is worth taking seriously here: If phone calls actually build deeper bonds than texting, a lifetime of text-only communication means a lifetime of shallower and shallower connections. And when the strength of our relationships is the No. 1 factor that predicts happiness and longevity, we all need to rethink texting exclusively. It’s not just about etiquette; it’s about our quality of life.

The verdict

Texting back instead of answering the phone is genuinely the norm for a large swath of the population, and it’s often the most practical choice. It’s also kind of rude. Not red-line, go-straight-to-etiquette-jail rude, but the kind of rude where a kinder, more polite choice exists and you didn’t choose it … because it inconveniences you.

The real question isn’t can you text back. It’s should you, given who’s calling and what they need. Your mom calling on a Sunday afternoon probably wants more than a reply bubble. Your college roommate checking if you’re free for dinner? Text away.

As for my husband, I’ve started picking up the phone more. Not every time—life gets in the way—but way more. It turns out hearing his voice is actually pretty good, even if it is just asking about cereal. I’m just not admitting that to him until I’ve extracted some kind of concession about loading the dishwasher.

Sources:

• YouGov: “How Americans communicate in 2026: The rise of messaging & AI trends”
• SMS Comparison: “SMS Marketing Statistics 2024 for USA Businesses”
• University of Texas at Austin: “Phone calls create stronger bonds than text-based communications”
• Journal of Experimental Psychology: “It’s surprisingly nice to hear you: Misunderstanding the impact of communication media can lead to suboptimal choices of how to connect with others.”
• Greater Good Magazine: “Should You Call or Text? Science Weighs In”

Is It Rude to Wear Headphones in Public?

Is It Rude to Skip the Tip at a Coffee Shop?

Is It Really Rude to Pull an Irish Exit?

The post Is It Really Rude to Decline a Phone Call and Text Back Instead? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Eyes of blue

The Dutch Rabbit is one of the most popular and recognizable breeds, according to the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). A Dutch rabbit named Bernie even graces the packages of Annie’s Homegrown Foods. We think a real-life one is even cuter, though, and makes a great subject for a happy picture!

Picture perfect

This little guy could be the model for a Russell Stover chocolate bunny—a great choice for Easter candy.

Nibble, nibble

The Harlequin rabbit comes in two gorgeous varieties—the Japanese and Magpie. The Japanese rabbit is orange or fawn with either black, blue, chocolate or lilac. The Magpie is white with either black, blue, chocolate or lilac, and both varieties are around 10 pounds of stunning beauty.

Floppy ears

This Holland Lop bunny almost looks like a little puppy dog with those droopy ears, compact body and round snuggleable face. The hallmark features help this Netherlands-originating breed rank as one of the top five most popular breeds in the ARBA.

Paws-itively adorable

French Lop bunnies, like this one, are hardly dainty, with massive, heavy-boned physiques and broad sturdy heads. But, hey, you gotta have a sturdy base to hold those thick, adorable ears that hang so low.

Crazy hair

It’s a far stretch from a lion to a rabbit, but this petite little four-pounder sure is trying to come off as the king of the jungle with its distinctive mane!

Gentle giant

Flemish Giant rabbits average around 14 pounds but have been known to tip the scales at over 20 pounds. This one’s just a baby! The docile personality of the Flemish Giant has earned it the nickname “Gentle Giant,” and some say the breed acts more like a dog than a rabbit.

Best buds

What’s better than one adorable bunny? Two adorable bunnies. We love an adorable picture of animal friendship!

Teeny-tiny

We’re melting over this little gray ball of fluff! What a sweet tiny animal.

More than meets the eye

This cutie is brown from head to toe, but its breed, the Himalayan, actually has the ability to change color! Most Himalayans are born with white fur, but depending on the climate or even changes in seasonal climates, their color can vary. A white rabbit living in a cold climate turns black, for example.

You lookin’ at me?

The sweet and delicate little bun-bun is a Netherland dwarf, the smallest breed of domesticated rabbits, weighing in at just two-and-a-half pounds. We dare you not to smile at that face! Its adorable short round head and chubby cheeks, paired with those little-bitty perky ears, make these honey bunnies hard to resist.

Chin-chillin’

The American Chinchilla rabbit, like this one, can be credited with the development of more breeds and varieties of rabbits worldwide than any other domestic breed, according to the ARBA. This salt-and-pepper hunka-bun is the rarest of all the Chinchilla breeds. But don’t confuse it with another small pet—the Chinchilla, which is actually a delightfully cute rodent.

Don’t take a picture of me when I’m eating!

But you’re so cute—just this once!

Posing for the camera

Regarded as the “King of the Rabbits,” the Rex was first shown at the Paris International Rabbit Show in 1924 and, soon after, introduced to swooning fans in the United States. The Rex can be seen in 16 color varieties that show off its Chinchilla-like fur. Shown here is a Mini Rex!

Did someone say carrots?

There’s a new-ish breed hoppin’ down the bunny trail, and it’s turning heads with its brilliant fiery reddish fur. In 2005 the Thrianta became the newest breed passed by the ARBA Standards Committee since 1988. It was originally developed in Sweden for the Royal House of Orange-Nassau in the late 1930s.

The perfect snow shot

This photogenic Angora rabbit has mastered the art of the stoic nature photo. It’s no surprise that these little guys’ fur is super soft and requires daily grooming to prevent painful knots. Bunny grooming is not for the faint of heart!

On alert

We don’t know what caught this gorgeous bunny’s attention, but it’s sure caught ours!

Eye see you

The Target dog has nothing on this cutie!

Up close and personal

Well, hello there! Are you the Easter Bunny?

Hippity hop

You knew there had to be at least one picture of an adorable bunny mid-hop among these cute bunny pictures.

Do I have something on my face?

As a matter of fact, you do. And it might just be the cutest thing ever!

Peekaboo!

Just popping in to give you the warm and fuzzies.

“When you remember it’s only Monday”

Whaaat?!?! This cute bunny is ready for its introduction and a well-earned spot in a roundup of funny animal memes!

Best seat in the house

What do you mean, I’m not allowed on the couch?!

A cliché of cuteness

We’re not sure where the magician is (maybe they’re taking the picture), but we all know the rabbit is the star of the show here.

Cool as can be

This bunny’s got a real maverick look going on.

Snuggle bunnies

Cute bunny pictures don’t get any purer than this!

Care for a cuppa?

Now that’s a tiny bunny.

Rain, rain, go away

This bunny knows exactly how we feel on rainy days!

Chubby bunny

You might be familiar with the marshmallow game, but personally, we prefer the real thing!

Additional reporting my Meghan Jones.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

The post 30 Cute Bunnies You’ll Want to Take Home appeared first on Reader's Digest.

That’s what most people assume. It makes sense that if you mail something on time, it’s considered sent on time. But here’s the catch: Your mail isn’t postmarked when you put it in the mailbox. It’s postmarked when it’s processed at a postal facility. And that misunderstanding could cost you in a big way.

A subtle but important shift in how the United States Postal Service (USPS) handles mail processing means your postmark date may not be what you think it is. And yes, that could cause you to miss critical deadlines for mail that needs to be postmarked by a certain date, all without even realizing it.

Here’s what’s going on and, most critically, how to make sure your important mail isn’t marked as late.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more life tips, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

Did the U.S. Postal Service update how postmarks work?

Not exactly. The U.S. Postal Service says it hasn’t changed the rules of postmarking. Officially, a postmark still reflects the date the Postal Service accepts and processes your mail—not the moment you drop it in a blue collection box. So what’s different?

In recent years, the Postal Service has made operational changes to improve efficiency, including consolidating processing centers and adjusting collection and transportation schedules. That means mail often travels farther before it’s sorted—and that can delay when it actually gets postmarked.

Before, mail was more likely to be processed locally and quickly, often the same day. Now, mail may sit longer between pickup and processing or get routed through regional facilities, delaying the official postmark. Plus, collection times in many areas have shifted to earlier in the day. All of this means that even if you drop off a letter on, say, April 15, it might not be processed—and therefore postmarked—until April 16 or later.

Why does this matter?

It matters because for many important documents, like tax returns, mail-in ballots, legal documents, court filings, rebate forms, insurance paperwork and bill payments, the postmark date is everything.

If you can’t reliably predict when your mail will be postmarked, that creates real risk. Imagine you mail your tax return by the deadline, assuming you’re safe. But if it isn’t processed until the next day, it could be considered late—potentially triggering penalties.

Or take mail-in voting: You might send your ballot well ahead of Election Day, but if there’s a delay in processing, your vote could be disqualified for missing the required postmark date—and you may never know.

Even something as simple as a routine bill payment could incur late fees if the postmark doesn’t match your expectations.

So what can you do to ensure your mail is postmarked by the deadline?

If a deadline truly matters, don’t leave it to chance. Here are the smartest ways to protect yourself:

• Go to the post office in person. Ask a clerk to hand-cancel (manually postmark) your envelope. This ensures it’s stamped with that day’s date on the spot.
• Use certified mail. Certified mail is a U.S. Postal Service offering that provides proof of mailing and tracking, giving you documentation if timing is ever questioned.
• Mail earlier than you think you need to. Build in a buffer of several days—especially around weekends, holidays or busy seasons like tax time.
• Check collection times carefully. Check the “last collection” date listed on the front of the blue collection boxes. Mail dropped after the last pickup of the day won’t begin processing until the next business day.
• Consider digital options. You can file taxes online, pay bills electronically and submit forms via secure digital portals these days, all of which ensure that your important documents get to where they need to go instantly.
• Vote in person or drop off ballots directly. If you are physically able, dropping off your ballot (if allowed) or voting in person removes uncertainty. In many states, mailed ballots have a grace period to allow votes to come in after Election Day. But in March 2026, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could tighten the rules around these grace periods, if not eliminate them completely.

The bottom line: Dropping a letter in the mailbox by the deadline no longer guarantees it will be postmarked on time. And when deadlines matter, that distinction can make all the difference. A little extra planning now can save you from missed deadlines—and major headaches—later.

RELATED:

• Amazon Is Making Delivery Even Better for Millions of Customers—Here’s Who Will Benefit
• What’s Going on with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry? Here’s What You Need to Know Before You Fly
• Here’s How Much of a $100K Salary You’ll Really Have Left After Taxes in Each State

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• USPS: “Postmarking Myths and Facts”
• The Guardian: “US supreme court appears poised to limit mail-in ballots ahead of midterms”

What a Red Flag on a Mailbox Means

Great (Legal) Gifts for Your Mail Carrier

What Paw Prints on a Mailbox Mean

The post Mailing Your Taxes? This USPS Change Might Make You Accidentally Miss Your Deadline (Yikes!) appeared first on Reader's Digest.

CRASH went the sculptures … and I burst into tears.

I don’t think of myself as super sentimental, so this was unexpected. But the sound of their first creations bursting to smithereens unleashed all kinds of feelings. Including—you guessed it!—guilt.

Even if you’re not a hoarder, sentimental clutter can really get its hooks into you. Whether it’s kids’ artwork, old birthday cards or family heirlooms and cast-offs, objects with sentimental meaning are tough to purge. This is especially true if you feel a deep emotional attachment to, well, everything.

We hang onto sentimental stuff because it reminds us of our favorite people and times, notes Matt Paxton, the extreme-clean-out expert on Hoarders and the author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff. “It’s not the stuff that we love. It’s the people attached to it,” he says. “It’s not the chair—it’s the grandfather who sat in the chair.”

That doesn’t mean you need to keep it all, though. To pare down memory-laden objects, you have to figure out what no longer serves you and what still does.  ”It’s about getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t matter, so you have space for the stuff that does,” Paxton explains.

To find out how to do that, we talked to Paxton as well as Sarah Seung-McFarland, PhD, a therapist who specializes in the psychology of design, and Tracey McCubbin, the founder of dClutterfly and the author of Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Magnetizing the Life You Want. Keep reading for their clever, easy and immensely helpful strategies that will help you declutter without feeling guilty—or losing the memories.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more cleaning, travel, tech, humor and fun facts all week long.

Figure out your organizing goal

It sounds basic, but this is the first—and maybe most important—step. Knowing why you’re organizing your home is key, says Paxton, because it tells you how ruthlessly to edit. Do you need to completely clear out your house to sell it? Are you making room for a baby or an in-law? Or are you just streamlining a closet or freeing up space in your attic? The answer will help you know how much to donate or toss.

If you need to go scorched earth, try to be gentle with yourself. “It can be difficult to let go of sentimental clutter, because it feels like you might be losing the emotional connection along with the clutter,” says Seung-McFarland. But try to remember that “memories actually live within us, not within the objects,” she adds.

Lean in to the stories

By far, the hardest belongings to release are those we inherited from family and friends no longer with us. How do you honor these amazing people without drowning in memorabilia? To start, Paxton recommends making “a legacy list” of the five most important sentimental objects in your home. You might include things like your grandmother’s old charm bracelet, your mom’s vinyl collection and your dad’s trumpet. Next, share the stories behind them, or write them down. “Talk about the things you love,” Paxton says. “That’s how you let them go.” That’s the dining room table where my grandparents started their business! This is the baseball my dad got signed by Nolan Ryan! 

“You’ll find once you share those amazing stories and memories, the item isn’t as important anymore because you’ve celebrated that person,” he says. At the same time, you may find there are a few cherished hand-me-downs you totally love and don’t want to let go of just yet.

Treasure (and display) the keepers

The goal isn’t to give it all away. (Phew!) Instead, it’s to identify a select few objects that have real significance and you want around. Maybe you want to keep one (or three) items from each category or person. You might say, “I’m going to hang onto one piece of furniture from each of my grandparents’ homes.” Or, “I’m going to keep one of my aunt’s groovy ’70s jackets.”

Letting go is less painful when you celebrate those hand-me-downs that have extra-special meaning and even put them on display. Instead of stashing Mom’s typewriter in the attic, place it on a shelf in your office. When Paxton remarried, he went from being a single dad of three kids to a married father of seven. To make room for his expanded family, he weeded through everything he had inherited. “I found my most meaningful item was my grandfather’s fishing rod, so I put it front and center in my living room,” he says. “People ask me about it every time they come in. He’s been gone 25 years, and I still get to share that story.”

Another tip Paxton swears by: Create a family wall of fame filled with favorite photos and mementos, old and new, then rotate it every few years. “Your home shouldn’t be a museum,” he says. “It should be a living museum.”

Create a “maybe” pile

Let’s face it: It’s hard to commit yay or nay on mementos from some of your favorite people ever. That’s why a “maybe” pile or bin is essential when organizing sentimental clutter. Store it in a halfway place like the garage or basement, as a way to dip your toe into the water of releasing it. “ You’ll know when it’s time to get rid of it,” Paxton says. “And if you’re not able to yet, then you are not ready and that is OK.”

This half-step can be especially helpful for people who grew up with scarcity and find security in stuff, Seung-McFarland says. If this is you, “start in steps,” she says. “You might pack certain items away and see how your space feels without them. Often, you’ll feel lighter or more comfortable without the extra objects around.”

Snap a photo so you never have to lose the memory

I’m not the only parent who gets all choked up about their kids’ art and first short stories. There’s a really good reason why so many of us cling to bins of infant clothes and baby toys in the attic (even though our kid is already driving): They remind us of happy times we can’t help but miss. “You see them and remember what it felt like when they came home from the hospital and they were so sweet,” says McCubbin.

That’s a rush you don’t have to give up. Just snap a photo of anything special, and add it to your 26,600 shots in the cloud. Then release the clothes, by donating them or trashing them if they’re stained. “If you understand you’re keeping it for the feelings and that you can conjure up those feelings by looking at a photograph of it,” McCubbin says, “it makes it easier to let go because you’re not really giving away the feeling.”

Or steal Paxton’s trick: “If it’s a work your child really likes, take a video of them telling the story of the art.” Awww.

Break free of aspirational clutter

The good silverware we never use. The leather-bound Shakespeare editions collecting dust. The big picnic basket that’s too heavy to hike with. The elliptical strewn with laundry. It’s all lovely—and making you miserable.

“Aspirational clutter reflects the life we imagine we should be living rather than the one we’re actually living,” says Seung-McFarland. The problem? It’s taking up precious space, for one. But worse, it nags at you. (“I really should be … reading The Tempest, hosting fancy dinner parties, improving my resting heart rate, and so on.) Who needs that?

To free yourself from this draining clutter, think about your priorities, goals and tastes, then ask yourself: Does this object support them? You may decide the crystal candlesticks you use only at Thanksgiving and Christmas actually do, but the silver platters taking up oodles of space (and turning black) don’t. “If the item doesn’t actually fit your life, letting it go can create space for the things that better support who you are now,” Senug-McFarland says. Bye-bye, elliptical. Hello, pilates reformer!

Pay it forward

If you have pangs about throwing out Grandma’s perfectly good midcentury lamp or the leather jacket your dad wore in college, pass them along to someone who wants them, through a charity or local Facebook “buy nothing” group. You’ll be entrusting them to someone who truly wants them. “It’s kind of like paying it forward,” Seung-McFarland says. “Knowing that something meaningful can still bring joy to others makes it easier to let it go.”

And if you have a wedding dress and veil all boxed up and languishing in the attic, consider passing it on to a local bride or even donating it to an organization like Brides Across America, which gives away wedding dresses to military and first-responder brides.

Don’t fear the wrath of dead people

Why does it feel so traumatic to throw out so much as a T-shirt or tea towel from someone you truly loved? “What’s going on is guilt—death guilt,” Paxton says. “And so a lot of us waste years holding onto stuff because we don’t want our dead mother to get mad at us.”

Paxton remembers one client who was struggling to chuck her grandfather’s boxers. “We’re literally holding onto our dead grandfather’s underwear, which sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud,” Paxton says. If this is you, recognize that you’re just having magical thinking when you worry you’ll be dishonoring them by not keeping everything they ever owned. Think of it this way: Would you want someone hanging onto your undies?

Give each family member a treasure chest

As you’ve probably noticed, not everyone in a family has the same attachment to stuff … or opinion on what’s a treasure vs. trash (see: Pokémon cards and flatscreens that no longer work). Paxton has a practical solution: In his family, each member gets their own locker, where they can store whatever they want. “What you put in your locker is nobody’s business,” he says. “It just can’t spread beyond your private storage into family space.” An easy variation: Give everyone in your crew a large storage tub to keep in the attic or basement.

Upcycle it

Upcycling is the perfect way to take something that was once special to someone you loved and make it relevant for you right now. Inherited jewelry that isn’t quite your taste? Take it to a local jeweler and reset it to your liking. You can make it into something else entirely: An ornate pearl brooch can become simple earrings. Upcycling works with passed-down furniture too. Reupholster Grandma’s wing chair or settee in a modern fabric you love and you’ll have a piece that reflects Grandma and you. Or strip your great aunt’s mahogany dresser and finish it with a nontoxic sealant to have a raw wood piece that feels more your vibe.

One of the best ways to upcycle is to take a relative’s favorite everyday item and turn it into a meaningful new treasure. Paxton worked with a family who transformed the grandfather’s beloved flannel shirts into a pillow for each grandchild. As he notes, “It’s just a really cool way to keep the memory going.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Matt Paxton, author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, cleaning expert on Hoarders and host of Filthy Fortunes; phone interview, March 12, 2026
• Sarah Seung-McFarland, PhD, therapist who specializes in the psychology of design; email interview, March 12, 2026
• Tracy McCubbin, founder of dClutterfly and author of Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Magnetizing the Life You Want; phone interview, March 9, 2026
• Brides Across America: “How to Donate a Dress”

How to Avoid Scams on Facebook Marketplace

This 3-Minute Task Can Boost Your Mood

Things a Professional Organizer Would Toss

The post How to Declutter When You’re Too Sentimental to Throw Anything Away appeared first on Reader's Digest.

An eye-opening new study is shedding light on a common travel item that’s brimming with hidden bacteria. Here’s a hint: It’s something you tote on almost every trip … but would never think to clean. Yet somehow, it has way more bacteria than the travel gear you’d expect to get filthy.

What’s the top bacteria magnet, according to the new report? And how big a worry is it, really? To understand the risk and how to protect ourselves, we talked to microbiologist Jason Tetro—known professionally as The Germ Guy—and epidemiologist Brian Labus, an associate professor of public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Read on to find out and keep those travel germs at bay.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, cleaning, humor and fun facts all week long.

What travel must-have contains tons of germs?

Surprise: It’s your passport! That’s the unexpected result of a 2026 study commissioned by JRPass, a Japan Rail Pass provider. The company tested the bacterial counts for common things we tote on our trips … and bring home with us. Passports were the germiest, with 436 colony-forming units (CFUs).

To arrive at these findings, the company teamed up with a microbiologist, who swabbed travel essentials, including passports, carry-on bags, checked bags, shoes, coats and phones. They tested three of each item and sampled multiple surfaces to get reliable results. Next, the samples went in a nutrient agar (a food gel for growing bacteria and fungi) and into an incubator for eight days before counting the CFUs. With its 436 CFUs, the passport was seven times germier than shoes. Yes, you read that right!

Why are passports so germy?

Basically, passports get around. They pick up tons of germs, thanks to all the hands and surfaces they come into contact with. Airports and airplanes are high-touch places, in general, and “passports can be handled by a lot of different people during travel who can leave whatever is on their hands all over the passport,” Labus says.

It doesn’t help that their “tear-resistant paper acts like a hard surface and allows more bacteria to aggregate on the pages and cover,” Tetro notes.

What types of germs are on passports and other travel gear?

While the JBPass study didn’t determine what types of bacteria were on the passports, Tetro says that anything that comes into contact with many hands likely harbors normal human skin bacteria, as well as microbes from saliva and fecal matter. He mentions Staphylococcus, E. coli, Corynebacterium, Klebsiella and Streptococcus are common bacteria found on travel items. There’s even a chance opportunistic (read: extra bad) pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumanii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, may be hitching a ride on your passport.

A more likely risk? You’ll get exposed to a virus like flu, COVID-19 or norovirus. “If you find human bacteria, you’ll probably find human viruses as well,” Tetro notes. Previous research has shown that surfaces in airports carry common cold and flu viruses and possibly others, like SARS-CoV-2. “They can stick to your passport and get onto your hands or in your mouth, leading to a risk for infection,” he adds.

Why are passports dirtier than shoes? How is that even possible?!

It’s hard to believe the shoes we walk into public restrooms with are actually cleaner than the important ID we carefully tuck in our totes, but it’s true. While our sneaks and Birks pick up all kinds of bacteria, they don’t actually hang onto much of it. “Shoes are continually transferring microbes without actually aggregating them,” Tetro explains. “Even when exposed to high amounts of bacteria, they tend to hold only about 1%. So it would make sense that they would have fewer microbes than a passport.”

How do passports compare with other trip items?

The JRPass report broke down the bacterial load of passports versus everything else they tested. Here’s how that little book that holds the world’s worst photo of you stacks up against some other travel gear:

• Passport: 436 CFUs
• Checked luggage: 97 CFUs
• Shoes: 65 CFUs
• Carry-on bag: 56 CFUs
• Phone: 45 CFUs
• Coat: 15 CFUs

Before you take industrial-strength bleach to your passport, though, know that plane tray tables are far germier, with more than 2,000 CFUs per square inch. Still, there’s a problem with both items: bacteria transfer straight to your mouth. 

So can you get sick from the bacteria on passports?

Sure, you could come down with something like a respiratory or skin infection from bacteria on your passport. But the risk isn’t as great as you’d think, Labus stresses. “The world is covered in bacteria,” he says, “but the vast majority of those bacteria won’t make you sick.”

Rather than getting overly stressed that the gate agent just contaminated your passport (and ruined your trip), just make a habit of frequently washing your hands when on the road. “Soap and water is the best way to do it,” Labus says, “but alcohol-based hand sanitizers also can be effective against many pathogens.”

Is there any way to prevent a dirty passport?

“We touch our faces about 16 times an hour when relaxed and more when nervous,” Tetro notes. This means that whatever is in our hands will likely touch our faces and could end up in one of our portals of entry. He recommends keeping your passport in a separate sealable bag when traveling. Then, when you’ve (finally!) made it through customs, play it safe and wipe the document. “Because passports are made with that tear-resistant paper, it’s easy to disinfect them with a wipe,” he says. “Just make sure that you let it dry fully before you go about your business.”

RELATED:

• The Gross Reason You Should Think Twice Before Washing Your Hands in an Airplane Bathroom
• New Report: This Airline Was Just Named the Cleanest Airline in the U.S.
• This Is the Dirtiest Part of a Cruise Ship, According to the CDC

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jason Tetro, microbiologist, author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, and host of the Super Awesome Science Show podcast; email interview, March 19, 2026
• Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; email interview, March 18, 2026
• JRPass: “Your Passport Is the Dirtiest Thing You Bring Home from Holiday”

The Dirtiest Spots in Hotel Rooms

The Germiest Item in a Restaurant

This Bedroom Item Is Surprisingly Dirty

The post This Essential Travel Item Is Even Filthier Than Your Phone, According to Microbiologists appeared first on Reader's Digest.

The kerfuffle sent me down a rabbit hole that eventually led to Jake Peters, the founder and CEO of EDJY, a company that has done something no one has done in about 145 years: fundamentally reimagined the nail clipper. Peters has traveled the world to buy and analyze nail clipper designs, owns hundreds of them, built a team that includes an engineer who designed suspension systems for cars and otherwise has become the closest thing to a nail clipper scientist that exists.

He knows what that little hole is for, and he knows that you’re probably not using it. It’s the sort of detail that doesn’t demand attention—kind of like a nail clipper itself. “You own nail clippers?” he asked me. “Yeah, and you don’t know where you bought them, the brand, what you paid for them or even where they are. You might be able to find them if I turned your house upside down and shook it. Six or eight of them would fall out.”

This is pretty accurate. I have six nail clippers, and I’m proud to say I know where all of them are. Thanks to my husband and children, there are almost certainly others in my house that I haven’t discovered yet—they’re like truffles, except less exciting.

Sound like your situation? Like my family, you need an introduction to that easy-to-overlook hole. Read on to find out the hidden meaning of this design feature and learn how it can help you keep track of this essential toiletry.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more fascinating facts, cleaning, travel, tech and humor all week long.

Why do people think that little hole is there?

The theories in the comments of that viral Facebook post ran the full gamut from reasonable to spectacularly wrong, which is the internet’s greatest contribution to daily life.

The most popular guess was that the hole catches nail clippings. It’s a noble idea that falls apart the moment you consider how small the hole is and how aggressively clippings travel in every direction except toward it. Peters told me the typical nail clipper uses about 175 pounds of force to crush a nail, which is why your clippings end up in your spouse’s coffee across the room.

Other guesses included structural support, ventilation (absolutely not) and—my personal favorite—a bottle opener. (What is that, a bottle for ants?) Several people said it was purely decorative. A few guessed the correct answer and got into arguments with everyone else.

The real surprise wasn’t the wrong answers. It was that so many people had never once examined the tool they’ve used thousands of times. Peters says this is entirely on brand for the nail clipper. “Five million nail clippers are sold a day. Certainly more than 50 billion, if not 100 billion, nail clippers have been sold overall,” he says. “And yet [most just aren’t] well designed.”

When something is that ubiquitous and that mediocre, nobody bothers to look closely at it. It just exists, like elevator music or the mystery cord on your window blinds. I’ve written about the hole in your safety pin and why maple syrup bottles have those tiny handles, and the more I learn about everyday objects, the more fascinated I become.

So what is the hole in your nail clipper actually for?

It’s for attaching your clippers to a keychain, lanyard or toiletry bag so you stop losing them every six weeks. (I was right. Moving on.)

No secret function, no engineering wonder—just a small attachment point so you can thread a key ring through it and keep your clippers where you can actually find them. Some early clippers even came with a small chain already attached for exactly this purpose.

Peters confirmed that the feature traces all the way back to the original patent. “It’s not a hole, but they have a loop in the patent from 1881,” he says. “You’ll recognize the product. It’s 100% exactly the product at Target today. From 1881.”

It’s so elegantly useful, in fact, that when Peters set out to redesign nearly everything about the nail clipper, the hole was one of the few things he kept. EDJY cutters have an updated version on their protective cap for the same purpose.

The hole has also picked up a few bonus uses over the years. You can hang your clippers on a hook inside a bathroom cabinet so they’re never buried under 16 tubes of expired sunscreen. You can thread a ring through two clippers—one for fingernails, one for toenails—to keep them together as a set. (Your nail tech will notice if you mix them up.) And in many clipper designs, the hole doubles as the insertion point for the pivot pin that holds the lever and base together during manufacturing. So it’s not just practical for the user. It was functional during construction—the belly button of the nail clipper, if you will.

Has that hole always been there?

Yup, it’s been around more or less since the beginning, which for the modern nail clipper was the 1880s.

Before that, the standard method of nail trimming was a small pocket knife. You’d hold it perpendicular to your fingertip and peel the nail like an apple. Peters summarizes the design flaw: “There’s a reasonable probability that your fingers are bleeding.”

So in 1881, inventors Eugene Heim and Celestin Matz of Cincinnati filed U.S. Patent No. 244,891 for a lever-based “finger-nail trimmer” that gave users roughly 15-to-1 mechanical leverage—no bleeding required. And right there in that original patent, projecting from the lever’s free end: a loop.

The patent, notably, doesn’t call the cutting surfaces “blades.” It calls them “jaws.” Peters finds this telling: Traditional clippers crush the nail rather than cut it, which is why they send clippings flying and—as any nail tech will tell you—leave ragged edges that aren’t great for nail health. It’s also why Peters reinvented the classic tool with a single guillotine-style blade, making EDJY cutters the first meaningful redesign of the device in roughly 145 years.

The lever, he’ll be the first to say, was always brilliant. “The lever on a nail clipper is magical,” Peters says. “Everything below the lever was terrible.”

By the early 1900s, nail clippers had become mass-produced commodities: affordable, widely available and apparently so satisfying that superstitions began springing up around them. An 1889 Boston Globe article earnestly advised readers not to cut their nails on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, lest they play into the devil’s hands, invite disappointment or end up with bad luck all week. (Based on my current schedule, I am in for a rough few months.)

Is that little hole here to stay?

Almost certainly. Features that serve no purpose get cut—they cost material and manufacturing steps, and accounting will notice. The hole’s persistence across every price point, from the $2 drugstore pair to premium Japanese models to Peters’s own EDJY cutters, is proof that it still earns its keep. People hang clippers on hooks, attach them to key rings, keep fingernail and toenail pairs together, and clip them to toiletry bags so they survive the journey home from a hotel.

As for why so many people still don’t know what it’s for, Peters has a theory. “Every person under the age of 30 got their nail clippers by stealing them from their parents when they left home,” he says. “And the child does not think they’re a thief. Nor does the parent think they’ve been stolen from, but a crime has occurred.”

I laughed out loud at this because I absolutely took my parents’ nail clippers to college. I have no memory of buying my first pair as an adult. I do, however, have a very clear memory of buying my children their own nail clippers for Christmas a few years ago, specifically so they would stop taking mine. I wrapped them up and put them in their stockings with a cheerful bow, and they had the audacity to look slightly underwhelmed. The next generation will understand when they’re older. The cycle continues. The hole remains.

RELATED:

• Here’s Why People Put Pennies in Flower Vases
• Here’s Why Hotel Sheets Are Always White
• Here’s Why There Are Ridges on the Bottom of Your Freezer

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jake Peters, founder and CEO of EDJY; personal interview, March 19, 2026
• U.S. Patent No. 244,891: “Finger-nail trimmer”
• Newspapers.com: “Ruled by Superstition”
• Atlas Obscura: “The Long, Slightly Strange History Behind Fingernail Clipping”
• EDJY: “The Evolution of Nail Clippers”

Why Soda Cans Are Beveled on the Bottom

What Purple Paint on a Fence or Tree Means

Why We Hear Barking Dogs Before Takeoff

The post Here’s What the Tiny Hole in Your Nail Clippers Is Actually For (Who Knew?!) appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Our solution: Turn the microwave into your new kitchen powerhouse. While it has a ho-hum reputation, the microwave is actually an indispensable tool even for professional chefs. You just have to learn how to utilize it! That’s how we came across Anyday microwave cookware, which claims to streamline the microwave-cooking experience.

Naturally, we picked up a set of the brand’s two-cup microwave egg cookers to see exactly what all the fuss is about. Here’s our experience testing it with eggs, leftovers and beyond.

We Tried It

Anyday Microwave Egg Cooker

Our tester was impressed with how these glass containers helped her better utilize the microwave.

Shop on Anyday

Shop on Amazon

Shop on Williams Sonoma

$40 at Sur la Table

What is the Anyday egg cooker?

While the microwave is mostly used for leftovers, Anyday microwave cookware seeks to change that. By combining high-quality, toxin-free materials with a small footprint, the brand’s convenient microwave cookware can do almost everything a stove can. The cookware is made from plastic-free borosilicate glass, food-grade silicone, and microwave-safe stainless steel. The magic lies in the vented knob on the lid, which lets you trap steam for even cooking.

But the real beauty of the Anyday egg cooker is that it doesn’t just work for eggs. Like the rest of the Anyday cookware collection, these microwave- and dishwasher-safe containers also work well for storing, freezing, baking and serving.

How we tested the Anyday egg cooker

Turning an often misunderstood appliance into a clever, modern meal solution is a fantastic time saver for folks who want to streamline their cooking game. After all, nothing beats the microwave when it comes to speed—especially when you can prep, cook and serve your meals all in one dish.

If that sounds too good to be true, we had the same thought. That’s why I tried several recipes straight from the Anyday recipes hub to test this functionality. Our tests included eggs, of course—poached, scrambled and frittatas, to be specific. But we also tried leftovers and steaming veggies, too.

Spoiler: Get ready to be amazed!

Poached eggs

For poached eggs, I used the recipe on Anyday’s website (minus the vinegar, which I didn’t have on hand). The instructions say to fill the cooker with cold water, crack an egg into the water, then cover with the venting knob in the “up” position.

From there, I microwaved my egg at power level seven for four minutes. The recipe notes that you may have to experiment a little with your microwave settings, but mine came out almost perfectly on the first try. While I could have adjusted the time down to three minutes for a runnier egg, it absolutely worked—and I didn’t even have to wait 10 minutes for my water to boil!

Scrambled eggs

If the prospect of a poached egg in the microwave blew my mind, imagine my surprise at the idea of making scrambled eggs. For this recipe, you’ll need your two eggs, plus about a tablespoon of butter and a squirt of mayo (or sour cream).

First, I cooked the butter in the dish until it was melted—around 30 seconds. Then, I added my eggs and mayo. While the idea of mayo in my eggs felt kind of weird at first, I quickly got over it. After all, mayo is mostly just eggs, right?

I whisked everything together, then popped the Anyday egg cooker into the microwave with the lid off. I cooked my eggs for about two minutes, opening the microwave to whisk everything together every 30 seconds. My skepticism quickly turned to amazement as I neared the end of the cook time and watched the whisk turn my egg patty into curds. Genius!

Once the eggs were finished, I gave them a final whisk and added my salt and pepper. I’m not exaggerating when I say that these were some of the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had! They were soft, fluffy, and so, so easy to make—no stovetop, extra dishes or spatulas required!

Frittata

The recipe for frittata is delightfully simple and uses almost the same method as the scrambled egg recipe, minus the whisking. I made mine plain so I could split it with my husband, and we could top it with our favorite veggies and sauces. It came out perfect: fluffy, moist, and oh-so-tender. This is definitely going to be my go-to morning meal.

Leftovers

Normally, I use my oven to reheat leftovers whenever possible. While the microwave is quick, it can also dry out my dinners if I’m not careful. The Anyday egg cooker combats this with its top vent, which closes up to prevent moisture from escaping. I’ve used it to reheat rice, pizza, shawarma—you name it. Each time, my food emerges just as juicy and delicious as it did on day one.

The Anyday egg cooker is now my go-to dish for reheating leftovers. Not only does it do an amazing job of sealing in moisture thanks to the venting system, but it also doubles as refrigerator food storage. In fact, you can even use it to prep and freeze make-ahead meals for simple dinners! When you’re ready to enjoy your leftovers, the glass dish doubles as a serving bowl, too.

Steaming

Given its amazing results when reheating, it should come as no surprise that steaming also comes naturally to this multipurpose cookware. One thing I love about Anyday cookware is that it comes with a useful cooking guide that you can post up on your fridge for easy reference. Using this handy printout, I’ve successfully steamed corn, carrots, broccoli and potatoes.

Not only does it take mere minutes to make a healthy side dish, but using Anyday’s egg cooker also frees up the oven for your protein. It’s such an invaluable space saver for holiday hosting or summertime gatherings!

The steam vent works well to support a variety of dishes, making it a great tool for those tight on time. It also prevents splatters, so you don’t have to constantly clean your microwave. Plus, the plastic-free, durable materials will last through years and years of use.

I can’t wait to try out some of the more exciting recipes on the website, such as microwave mug cakes!

Where to buy the Anyday egg cooker

We Tried It

Anyday Microwave Egg Cooker

Breakfast prep just got way easier with these handy microwave egg cookers.

Shop on Anyday

Shop on Amazon

Shop on Williams Sonoma

$40 at Sur la Table

Those looking to level up their microwave skills can secure a set of two egg cookers on the Anyday website for $40. You can also find this clever cookware on Amazon, Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table.

While they’re a bit of an investment, these glassware cookers shave so much time and frustration off the meal-making process. It’s a purchase that’s every bit worth it for the convenience alone!

The post Eggs in the Microwave? We Tried the Anyday Cooker for Fuss-Free Breakfasts appeared first on Reader's Digest.

So when his son Sam called him out one day at the kitchen table about his lack of connections, McCarthy was shaken to his core. “It had been so long without having these active friendships,” he says. “These guys were instrumental to me when I was a young guy. Then they all moved away, and I was the last one standing.”

So he got moving … and writing. And in Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America (out March 24), he shows just what friends are for. In the book, McCarthy, who’s authored four other nonfiction works, travels nearly 10,000 miles to talk to men—from cowboys to blues musicians to teenagers—about their male friendships. He also meets up with some of his own long-lost pals.

“I didn’t plan to do it all at one time—it just evolved that way,” he says. “I would approach random dudes on the street or in gas stations and restaurants and ask, ‘Will you talk to me about your friends?’ They all looked at me like I was nuts, but not a single guy said no to me. And, invariably, they all just wanted to keep talking.”

That’s an even bigger feat considering that none of the interviewees were Gen X women who once crushed on him. McCarthy, after all, initially came into the spotlight thanks to roles in hit ’80s films like St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s. Aside from writing and acting, he’s also been directing films and TV series (such as Gossip Girl and The Blacklist) for decades. Most notably, he revisited his Brat Pack roots in the 2024 documentary Brats.

Ever a man in motion—Brat Pack inside joke!—McCarthy Zooms in from Ireland, where he’s performing in a stage production of The Crucible, to bond with Reader’s Digest.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.

Reader’s Digest: What’s your official theory as to why so many men don’t have close friends?

Andrew McCarthy: It’s a topic that guys don’t deal with or want to talk about. In the 19th century, men had very intimate friendships and were very demonstrative, physically and emotionally, with each other. But somewhere around World War II, that was done. John Wayne took over. You carry your own water and hold your tongue. So guys are just not good at opening themselves up and being vulnerable in that way, because vulnerability is equated, of course, with weakness. And the one thing a guy can never be is weak. So there’s that. And the word intimacy is also another terrifying buzzword.

Reader’s Digest: So it’s an alpha male thing?

Andrew McCarthy: Oh, I talked to all sorts of men. I met a Mormon preacher in Utah, and it took him awhile to confess that he didn’t have any friends. And my next-door neighbor is a real alpha dude, and he’s got tons of buds and he’s always out there. So I don’t think there’s a certain type.

Reader’s Digest: What about you? Did you not stay friends with any of your co-stars from back in the day?

Andrew McCarthy: It wasn’t as easy as it is now. Back then, we were all very young and scared and competitive and trying to just get the next job. They’re all great and fun, but my friends [who know my children] have always been largely outside of show business. But it is ironic that I’m a solitary person and yet I was grouped with this pack forever. But when I went back [for Brats], I was shocked how much affection we all had for each other in a way that we didn’t when we were younger.

Reader’s Digest: Would you refer to them as friends now?

Andrew McCarthy: I feel much closer to them now. I text with Rob [Lowe] and Emilio [Estevez] fairly frequently. There’s so much water over the dam now. We went through something that only a select amount of people could understand.

Reader’s Digest: In general, is it harder for guys to make friends now because social media is such a crutch?

Andrew McCarthy: I don’t know if that’s a particular influencer. Guys of my age came of age without that stuff—and older men, in particular, have a lot of trouble with friendship. A guy gets married and their wife becomes their confidante and they get busy with their children. And they work. So the role of a friendship just gets smaller and smaller.

Reader’s Digest: Don’t a lot of women have these responsibilities too? And they have friends.

Andrew McCarthy: Yeah, my wife is wildly social. She’ll call her friends and say, “Let’s go get coffee.” I don’t think I’ve ever said that to a guy. They’re more likely to play a round of golf together. But that can be valuable and important too because it’s a way to bond.

Reader’s Digest: How do you know when you’re friends with someone? Is it a round of golf?

Andrew McCarthy: It’s all different. You can make that date to go golfing—and by the 12th hole, you might just go, “You know, this happened … ” And suddenly you’re standing there and talking about it. One day, I was making a basketball hoop in the back for my kid. I’m a terrible DIY guy. And my neighbor poked his head over the fence and said, “You need a hand there?” He helped me, and four hours later, we were friends. So a bonding experience can help initiate that.

Reader’s Digest: What are the qualities of a true friendship?

Andrew McCarthy: I asked a lot of people, “What word would you use to find the most important quality in friendship?” And most people said trust. But I would say it’s a feeling of safety. Safety encompasses trust, but it’s a little more than that: You have to feel like you’re in the right space to confide in someone and have that person reply, “I know what you mean … ”

Reader’s Digest: So what’s your top advice for a guy looking to make friends?

Andrew McCarthy: Get this book! You can say, “Did you read this book?” And then the next person says, “Yes, I read this book too. It’s really interesting!” When certain guys can talk about something outside of themselves, it really is much easier to find a place of identification. Then they can slowly come around to more personal topics and conversations. That’s why it’s good to put the focus on an activity like golfing. But I’m no expert—that’s why I was driving across the country!

Reader’s Digest: Then let’s get to the big question: Why do males need friends?

Andrew McCarthy: If you’re a female, you don’t want to be a guy’s entire support system and the only one he talks to. We all need friends in our lives because we’re all better people when we can say to somebody, “Hey … ” We should be able to communicate the important stuff and the stupid stuff.

Rapid response with Andrew McCarthy

Reader’s Digest: Time for some rapid-fire questions. Dog or cat?

Andrew McCarthy: It’s complicated. I used to be a cat person, but then I became allergic to cats. Now we have the most beautiful English golden retriever, who is the nicest person I’ve ever met. So I have to go with the dog.

Reader’s Digest: Window or aisle?

Andrew McCarthy: Oh, aisle.

Reader’s Digest: Favorite junk food?

Andrew McCarthy: McDonald’s.

Reader’s Digest: Favorite time of the day?

Andrew McCarthy: Very early morning.

Reader’s Digest: What book is on your nightstand?

Andrew McCarthy: I’m reading a book called Through a Glass, Darkly by Helen McCloy. It was written in 1950, and it’s really interesting.

Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America by Andrew McCarthy is out now.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Emily Henry on What We'll Love Next

Mitch Albom Is Learning from His Mistakes

Author Freida McFadden on Big Risks

The post EXCLUSIVE! Andrew McCarthy on His 10,000-Mile Quest to Find Male Friends appeared first on Reader's Digest.