Health Tips Line

Daryl follows a particular routine when it’s time to get to work. He gets into his gear, loosens up for a few seconds and takes a seat. Then a co-worker grabs a shoe and shoves it into Daryl’s face. Oh, by the way, Daryl is a dog . 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 s...

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images Charleston, South Carolina Book Now 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 ling...

Traveling alone can seem like the most freeing experience … or the most terrifying. Luckily, there’s a way to dip your toes into solo travel without losing the security of a group vacation: Take a hybrid solo trip. It’s the ideal getaway for anyone who longs to wander the world alone but breaks out in a cold sweat just thinking about booking that ticket for one. 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 ...

When my younger son started preschool, I ran into one of the moms and called out, “Hi, Natalie!” Then the panic hit: No, wait—that’s her kid’s name! What’s her name?! 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 ...