3 . I’ve been into volunteer work since childhood. As a girl, I volunteered at animal shelters, played music at nursing homes, and helped with community cleanup. In college, I volunteered heavily at a large yearly conference, which is where I first met and fell in love with my husband Tom, who was on my team of co-volunteers. Since getting married in 2013, we’ve been living in Beirut, Lebanon. My husband works for a nonprofit organization. I have an online coaching business, so I’ve many opportunities to volunteer for youth education.

Volunteering has been a way of life for me and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it. Most of the time, you do feel that you’re making a difference. Once I led a project that provided food to Syrian families. When it was nearing Ramadan, the biggest holiday season in Islam, I filled the food package with nuts, olive oil, sweets... We took the package unannounced and arrived just as the Syrian family was sitting on their floor for breakfast. They had nothing but some bread and a pot of tea. The mother cried when seeing us, saying she would never forget our kindness.

Another time, some friends and I volunteered to a distant church with only a few elderly residents. The building was old and the churchyard needed attention. We spent the weekend in the home of one of these old ladies so we could clean and repair the church. I’ll never forget the new life in her eyes as she stayed with us. She couldn’t repair broken doors or pull weeds, but she loved us like nothing else. It breaks my heart to remember this old lady beaming with joy for such small efforts we made. Volunteer work is satisfying not because you have done some work, but because your presence has an effect on people around.

Volunteering makes me a better person because it puts my focus on others. It makes me grateful for what I have and gives me a chance to serve people, which gives a deep sense of meaning to my life.

4 . “You can either travel or read, but either your body or your soul must be on the way.” The popular saying has inspired many people to read or go sightseeing. Here are four books that you can take on your trip.

On the Road, 1957, by Jack Kerouac

The book is a popular spiritual guidebook about youth. The main character in the book drives across the US continent with several young people and finally reaches Mexico. After the exhausting and exciting trip, the characters in the book begin to realize the meaning of life.

Life Is Elsewhere, 1975, by Milan Kundera

Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” The book describes a young artist’s romantic but miserable life, about how he reads, dreams and has a relationship during his trip to Central Europe. The book invites you to deeply reflect on your current life and to honor the Czech-born writer Kundera.

My Name Is Red, 1998, by Orhan Pamuk

The book, a masterpiece of the Nobel Prize winner for Literature Orhan Pamuk, has been translated into more than 50 languages and published around the world. It tells a story of a young man, who was away from home for 12 years, coming back to his hometown in Istanbul. What embraces him is not only love, but a series of murder cases as well.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 2013, by Rachel Joyce

The novel tells a story of a 60-year-old man who lived a boring and unhappy life, until one day, he received his old friend’s letter who got cancer. In deep shock and sorrow, he went out to send his reply letter. 627 miles in 87 days, he walked depending on one belief that “his friend can survive as long as he walks”.

6 . San Francisco Winery Tour

Running: February 1st through April 30th

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.

(Included in tickets price)

Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.

Duration (时长): 2 hours

Price: $90

Back to the Fifties Tour

Running: August 16th through August 31st

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco's most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Duration: 2 hours

Price: $90

Spooky Halloween Tour

Running: October 10th through October 31st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.

Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Price: Available upon request

Holiday Lights Tour

Running: December 6th through December 23rd

This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco's most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Advance reservations required.

7 . “Have you checked the oil in the car?” my father used to say to me, his way of “Hello, hope you are well.” Sometimes our phone calls would begin with a question about the oil and end with a question about the oil, with not a lot in between.

Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it’s often offered by means of practical advice. In my experience: It’s mostly about my car. “How’s the car running?” “Did you get it serviced?” My car — an old green Toyota Corona bought for $500 — was where my father showed his love.

Why can’t we fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”? The point is: that’s exactly what we are saying. You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish. Listen closely enough and the phrase “I love you” can be heard in the slightly longer “I could come around Saturday and repair your chair.” The words “You made my life better from the moment you were born” may be hardly heard, but the main meaning is there in the more common “I’ll hold the ladder while you get the leaves down from the roof.”

When I was 17, I went on my first road trip — a friend and I in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold morning to say goodbye. “Highways are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try overtaking anything faster than a horse and buggy. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.” At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would sing “horse-and-buggy” every time I tried to overtake some other speeding cars.

Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I’d have understood that the speech my friend and I so carelessly laughed at was simply Dad’s attempt at love.

8 . Food Festivals Around the World

Stilton Cheese Rolling

May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors’ lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.

Fiery Foods Festival — The Hottest Festival on Earth

Every year more than 10, 000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction-food that is not just spicy, but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper — officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing’s for sure—if you don’t like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn’t for you!

La Tomatina — The World’s Biggest Food Fight

On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts La Tomatina-the world’s largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week’s events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes — official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.

The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50, 000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again — and for a much-needed wash!