2 . Like many young people, Jessica wants to travel the globe. Unlike most of them, this 25-year-old is doing it _______ . She and her husband have spent the last two years traveling the world, stopping everywhere from Paris to Singapore. It might sound like one long, expensive _______ , but the couple has an unusual way to make their travel _______ .

They’re part of a new form of the _______ economy: an online group of house sitters. Throughout their no-cost stays in _______ homes, they feed pets and water plants in the homeowner’s _______ .

It’s not all sightseeing. The two travelers carefully _______ their trips, scheduling their days around the pets that are sometimes difficult to _______ . But house sitting also offers a level of _______ they can’t find in a hotel. “It’s like ________ at a friend’s house,” Jessica says.

The couple has a high ________ rate in getting accepted as house sitters and they always go beyond the homeowner’s ________ . For Jessica, that means ________ plenty of pictures of happy pets, keeping the house ________ and leaving a nice small gift before heading to the next house. “You want to make the homeowner feel that they made the right ________ ,” she says.

4 . I’ve reached the turn-around point of the day’s kayaking (皮划艇) trip. Sweat runs down my cheek as I ______ my fingers through the cool water. I look around. It’s just me, a couple of seagulls, and shining freshwater to the horizon. This, I whisper to myself, is ______.

Solo outings had never ______ my mind before because I always had loyal friends willing to tag along. But three years ago, I moved to Cleveland. Meeting close friends in a new city is ______. And a world wide health crisis made ______ impossible.

In October 2022, I decided to ______ a whole day on a solo hiking trip. I went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) to ______ the autumn leaves. Five miles in, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so alive. I was more ______ of my surroundings than I’d ever been while hiking that day. I studied the markings of trees, focused my ears on each forest sound and did something I had almost never spared ______ for: I listened to my own thoughts. Every word in my mind pointed to a newfound ______—solo hiking is my happy place. From then on, I have adjusted myself to any solo activity.

Pride ______ through my body when I first launched my kayak. My chest, ______ tightened by nerves, was bursting with happiness as I finally reached the middle of the river that I’d long ______ standing on shore before.

Adventuring alone has become like medicine for me! It’s also pushed me to go ______ my comfort zone and to meet new people. Through meetups and social media, my adventure friend circle has ______. But at least once per month, I schedule time to hit nature with my favorite trail buddy: me.

6 . When it comes to my fathering lessons, few adventures compare to the motorcycle trips I’ve shared with my daughter, Ewa.

Our first_______, in August 2017, was a winding (蜿蜒的) ride around the Catskills and Finger Lake districts of New York state. We _______ big highways and spent the week on_______ scenic back roads. At one point, I found myself _______along a Catskills meadow (草地) not far from Woodstock, keeping pace with a deer and shouting, “Go Bambi, go!”

On our second day, we _______ in a small town for ice cream. I asked the woman at the picnic table next to us: “What’s the_______ of this town?” “Interlaken,” she answered.“Where are you trying to get to?”

Me: “We don’t know. ”

It _______ to me then that I’d always wanted to do this no-schedule kind of trip, when you ride just for riding. Ask any middle-aged _______: We’ve all dreamed about doing the Easy Rider (逍遥骑士) thing, throwing our wristwatches into the ditch and heading toward the horizon without a_______. Now, travelling with no plan became a________ of my rides with Ewa.

Since we almost ________ knew where we were going, we were almost never ________ when we arrived, pulling ________ the road at the end of each day with satisfaction. The reason to celebrate? We________! The truth is that life on a motorbike is one close call (死里逃生) after another. On the way, riders must stay ________ 100 percent of the time. A tiny stone can be deadly. I used to be nervous, but Ewa had a different take: “To me, motorcycling is like meditation(冥想). ”

9 . Amazing Exhibitions to See in 2023

Looking for your next culture fix? Explore the must-see exhibitions for the coming year.

The Adventure of Pottery, Kettles Yard, Cambridge

4 March - 25 June 2023

The potter, Lucie Rie, was a key figure in British post-war art. Her technical innovations permanently extended the language of studio pottery. Her achievements range from functional tableware to elegant bowls and vases. Rie’s early pots from the 1920s and 1930s underline the modernist principles of clarity and innovation.

Birds of America, Compton Verney

1 July - 1 October 2023

Audubon’s Birds of America examines the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest and largest books. Published as a series between 1827 and 1838, Birds of America achieved international fame due to its epic scale and the book’s outstanding ornithological (鸟类学) illustrations. Compton Verney’s grounds are a wildlife reserve, making the perfect setting for the show.

Love Life, Charleston, East Sussex

1 September 2023 - 8 March 2024

David Hockney’s rarely-seen drawings from the late 1960s and 1970s. In 2017, David Hockney, one of Britain’s most popular and recognizable artists, painted the words “Love Life” on the final wall of the show. Explaining his actions, he said, “I love my work. And I think the work has love. Actually... I love life.”

Impressionists on Paper, Royal Academy

25 November 2023 - 10 March 2024

In the late 19th century, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists in France totally transformed the future direction of art and challenged the traditional attitudes. They lifted the status of works on paper, drawings, watercolours, etc., from something left in a studio to artworks in their own right. This exhibition brings together around 70 works for visitors.

10 . We had just come back home after a big trip. My 5-year-old boy, Baldwin, couldn't _________ to share our stories with his grandmother. Our final _________ is the Appalachian Trail, one of the longest footpaths in the world. We finished the route without any _________ in 209 days. The _________ was really hard work, but full of fun. The landscape along the way was _________, with green woods and wild animals like kangaroos. My husband and I had little time to _________ our own physical pain from walking so many kilometers, but tried hard to keep our little boy happy and excited. When we were tired, we got to eat Skittles, a colorful sweet treat, to make my son_________. We slept in a tent, _________ at 5: 30 in the morning and walking all day. Talking with other hikers along the way prevented _________ and brought extra joy.

My son was even several months __________ than “Buddy Backpacker”, a boy who once held the record for the youngest person for the route. We had been hiking __________ my son was two years old. We took every opportunity to go outside and __________ the world. It may seem like an impossible activity for a child. However, it turned out that he was strong enough to __________ it. My son's trip earned __________ from Dale, the oldest person to hike the route. He said, “It's going to change his life forever. Baldwin has gone through some hardships, making him stronger. This challenge contributes to his social and __________ development. He will smile through his life.”