In 1940, the Regional Review called camping "an American tradition," according to a copy of the article shared by the National Park Service.

Starting in the mid-to-late 1800s, people camped for fun in North America, according to Britannica. As people increasingly sought to escape cities, organizations such as the Appalachian Mountain Club began to crop up. At the turn of the 20th century, books such as "The Camper's Handbook" continued to ignite interest, and throughout the century, organized camping grew in popularity.

In 1930, before the Great Depression really took hold, there were more than 3 million campers across the US, The Dyrt reported, citing Terence Young, the author of "Heading Out: A History of American Camping."

Camping originally just involved the campers, the outdoors, and some simple cooking ware. The shelter was simple, too: People would often sleep beneath a sheet held up by sticks and string.

If you went camping like this group in France in 1930, you were unreservedly experiencing nature. 

There was usually no electricity for miles, and campers had to make do with whatever heat sources they had — whether that be fires, blankets, or huddling together for warmth. 

By the Great Depression, with nearly one in four Americans unemployed in 1932, camping was considered a cost-efficient, resourceful vacation compared to train fares and costly accommodations.

There was a lot more manual labor involved with getting set up and making food than in campsites of the future, which might have access to full kitchens or electricity. 

Basic grooming was still expected.

Campers had to gather everything from the outdoors if they didn't bring water or other supplies with them.

Tent pegs were often wooden, not plastic, and had to be hammered into the ground.

Part of the allure of going camping was the authenticity of living outdoors, even if just for the night.

Campers would bring furniture, books, and other items from home to make their time in the great outdoors more comfortable.

While this may seem impractical today, it certainly made for a more sophisticated camping excursion.

The appeal of having no distractions while enjoying quality time with friends endures.

Campgrounds, as we know them today, weren't really established until the 1930s when the National Park Service developed "Recreation Demonstration Areas," according to the National Park Service.

Apparently, the first official mention of s'mores appeared in a Girl Scouts manual in 1927, according to Reserve America.

People started bringing more with them on camping trips.

RVs have also evolved. Starting as small cabins built onto the back of regular cars in the 1910s, they eventually evolved into homes, and even mansions, on wheels.

While the VW bus, as it is better known, came out in the '50s, it reached peak popularity in the '70s. It is one of the most iconic road trip vehicles in history, and synonymous with wanderlust.

Camping, as a result, became easier.

Who says camping needs to mean roughing it?

Instead of sleeping outside, you could have some protection by staying inside your car, or even kick back on a seat that converted into a bed.

Everyone wants to be close to nature ... but not too close.

Camping became more comfortable, meaning campers could now spend days or even weeks at a time in the wilderness.

People sometimes spent days camping outside ahead of an event.

Camping is still used as accommodation at modern festivals like Bonnaroo.

However, many campsites were still segregated, meaning only white visitors had access to certain parks and campgrounds. 

The Beat Generation was a literary movement made up of a group of writers who wrote about American culture using a stream-of-consciousness writing method.

Jack Kerouac, a popular writer of the time, wrote about the times he slept outside on the beach in Big Sur, which he later published in his 1962 novel "Big Sur."

To this day, their raw stories about traveling constantly and taking odd jobs to survive encourage readers to live more in tune with nature.

However, Black people and families still made use of desegregated parks and campsites or used parks and campgrounds that were designated only for Black citizens. These parks, like Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, became places of community for Black families and received thousands of visitors each year, Atlas Obscura reported.

After state and national parks were mandated to be desegregated, many of the Black-only parks closed or were absorbed by surrounding parks, according to the National Park Service.

In fact, the more dependent we become on technology, the more people might like to retreat into nature for a few days.

There's been a statistical rise in camping over the past decade. According to Kampgrounds of America's 2024 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality report, active campers have increased by 67% in the last 10 years, and one in four leisure trips are for camping.

As families try to find affordable summer activities, we may see even more campers seeking the great outdoors this summer.

To accomplish this, I picked the largest bag I own — a 32-liter backpack — for my two weeks in Europe.

Then I practiced packing as lightly as possible — twice — before I left to ensure I could fit everything.

I started with my work gear, which included a laptop, cameras, lenses, and a notebook. Then I packed other essentials like chargers, toiletries, and snacks.

Next, I stuffed a packing cube with two polos, one T-shirt, one long-sleeve T-shirt, three pairs of pants, a sweater, a blazer, a dress, and two light jackets.

While I longed for more outfit variety on my trip, I was surprised I had everything I needed despite packing lighter than ever.

When visiting multiple locations in one trip, I found the travel exhausting.

I started my journey with a red-eye flight to Berlin from my home in NYC. Then, I took overnight trains to Vienna and Venice, Italy, in shared sleeper cabins.

I initially thought overnight transportation would be the best way to travel through Europe to maximize my time exploring during the day.

But for me, sleeping on board flights and trains among strangers was challenging. I didn't consider how little I'd be able to sleep during these overnight rides, and I arrived at my destinations feeling more exhausted than I had hoped.

When I arrived in Vienna on an overnight train from Berlin, I planned to spend my morning seeing the sights until I could check in to my hotel at 3 p.m.

But as I stepped off the train, it was apparent that my body needed rest, so I had to figure out where to get it.

Before going to Europe, I planned everything, from booking accommodations and train rides to mapping out the locations I wanted to visit to avoid problems.

But plans don't always work out, and I had to make quick decisions, like when I arrived in Vienna. When I got off the train, I started going to random hotels to book a room. By the third hotel, I got one, and I felt relieved.

My trip was full of problems like this, and solving them made me feel more confident in my travel abilities.

When visiting a new country for just a couple of days, it's easy to pack exploration into every hour without planning for rest. But without downtime, I found travel wasn't as enjoyable.

During the parts of my trip when I felt well-rested, I could appreciate where I was and take in the unique architecture and bustling atmosphere.

Getting sleep also made me feel more in touch with what my body needed, from staying hydrated to eating enough food.

Wearing my backpack while walking for extended periods made my muscles feel sore. I wasn't used to its weight and size. In crowded spaces, I kept forgetting that the backpack made me about a third larger than I typically am.

In these moments, I wondered if a carry-on suitcase would have been a better choice. Sure, the luggage is larger, but after lugging around my backpack all day, I felt like it could be easier to roll a suitcase.

While on my way to each destination, I read about the sights that awaited me in guidebooks I downloaded onto my iPad. These books helped me decide how to spend time in each location and built up my excitement for my coming adventures.

I also downloaded a few episodes of my favorite TV shows to comfort me, which I usually watched around bedtime.

In the summer of 2022, it felt like everyone I followed on Instagram was in Europe. So, I booked my trip for October to avoid peak tourism season.

But throughout my trip, I stood on my tippy toes to see popular historic sites above rows of heads obscuring my view.

From Rome to Zurich, I trudged through places I didn't expect to be overrun with tourists.

Europe is less crowded with tourists in September and October than in summer. But in the fall of 2022, traveling during shoulder season seemed to be trending.

During my visits to Berlin and Zurich, I stayed in small towns about an hour outside the city center by train.

I expected nothing more than a place to sleep in these towns, so I was pleasantly surprised that they felt like hidden gems.

When I visited Berlin, I stayed in a tiny home hotel in Neustrelitz, Germany.

My hotel was a 20-minute walk from the train station, and I enjoyed starting and ending each day with a relaxing walk through town, where I spotted the occasional backpacker among mostly locals.

I liked Roggwil, a small village near Zurich, more than almost any other part of Europe I saw.

I couldn't help but think I would have never seen it if I hadn't booked this specific Airbnb, which was a two-minute walk from the town's train station.

With so many crowds in the cities, I enjoyed experiencing the quiet, slower pace of suburban life while photographing landscapes in less-visited areas of Europe.

I visited six cities and two small towns in just 14 days, so I thought my memories of my European adventure would start to meld together after my trip concluded.

But I'll never forget how alive Berlin felt, with its lush pockets of greenery, dramatic murals, and street performers, or how Vienna's garden mazes and fairy-tale architecture made me feel like royalty.

The canals in Venice made me feel like I was in a storybook, while Zurich had charming streets with jaw-dropping mountain backdrops.

I spent my first week traveling solo, and when a friend joined me for the second week in Italy and Switzerland, I found I had a new appreciation for traveling with someone else.

While on my own, I endured more uncomfortable situations than on any previous trip. I also learned more about myself during my solo travels than I anticipated.

So when my travel companion arrived, having someone to share new experiences with helped me explore and problem-solve in a new way — as a team.

Next time, I'll let go of my expectations and plan to be surprised.

According to Tripadvisor, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has more than 200 hotels ranging from one to four stars.

The Sheraton Fallsview, part of the Marriott Bonvoy hotel collection, is a four-star hotel. Rooms range from an interior view starting at $150 to guest rooms and suites with views of the falls, which cost between about $190 and $425, according to a recent search for bookings a month in advance.

My room was more expensive since I visited in the summer during the high tourism season.

Since my entire trip was about seeing Niagara Falls, I decided to upgrade to a premium 258-square-foot Fallsview room with a direct view for my two-night stay.

From my room, I saw the American Falls on the left, Bridal Veil Falls in the middle, and Horseshoe Falls, the U-shaped falls on the right.

Although I didn't get a chance to use them, the hotel had some great amenities, such as a spa, gym, and rooftop pool.

When I opened the door, I could hear the water crashing down.

There were nightstands with lamps on either side of the bed. Between the bed and the window was a sitting area with a couch, chair, and coffee table.

Each morning, I hopped out of bed and opened the door to get ready to the sounds of the falls. I thought it was a peaceful way to start the day.

The bathroom also had a lit vanity and a second shower head.

At night, the Niagara Falls Illumination board projected color-changing lights onto the water from the Illumination Tower and the Table Rock Centre rooftop, according to Niagara Parks.

The fireworks show runs every night at 10 p.m. from late May to early October, according to Niagara Falls Live.

Seeing the fireworks show from my bed was a happy surprise, and I thought it made the nightly $500 price worth it. I would book it again, as long as it's fireworks season. If not, I'd try another hotel with a different view of the falls.

What it's about: Directed by her husband, John, Bo Derek plays a 23-year-old who wants to lose her virginity, which leads her to Morocco. Critics didn't just hate this movie, it has since been regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.

What a critic thought: "The real future of 'Bolero' is in home cassette rentals, where your fast forward and instant replay controls will supply the editing job the movie so desperately needs." — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What it's about: In this chapter of the iconic comedy franchise, the misfit Police Academy graduates are tasked with training civilian volunteers.

What a critic thought: "'4' isn't even a film; it's more like a long trailer, a collection of scenes without sense." — Richard Harrington, The Washington Post

What it's about: An adopted child makes life a living hell for his good-natured father (played by John Ritter).

What a critic thought: "Sound funny? The filmmakers here think so. They've jacked this loud, lame shrieker of a movie up to the highest decibels, both aural and visual, and rammed it in our faces with almost numbing aplomb." — Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times

What it's about: In the sequel to the popular fantasy movie, Christopher Lambert returns as Highlander Connor MacLeod who tries to save the world by solving its ozone layer problem. Yes, that's the plot.

What a critic thought: "'Highlander 2: The Quickening' is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day — a movie almost awesome in its badness." — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What it's about: It's pretty much the same plot as the 1980 original starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. But instead of those two attractive people stranded on an island and falling in love, it's another pair of attractive people: Milla Jovovich and Brian Krause.

What a critic thought: "A textbook example of a disaster that amazingly manages not only to contain bad acting and an appalling script, but also some of the most unconvincing love scenes ever committed to film. " — Joanna Berry, RadioTimes

What it's about: Tom Selleck (with no mustache) plays a self-absorbed guy who takes in his parents after their home burns down.

What a critic thought: "The film's appeal will depend largely on whether you feel like laughing at senile dementia and automobile accidents." — Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times

What it's about: In the final movie in the "Look Who's Talking" franchise we now follow the inner thoughts of the family's dogs, voiced by Danny DeVito and Diane Keaton.

What a critic thought: "A crude and mawkish film in which dogs attempt to communicate with Kirstie Alley and John Travolta." — Rita Kempley, The Washington Post

What it's about: This comedy set in the 1860s follows a group of settlers who are fed up with the West and hire a cowboy (John Candy) to lead them back East.

What a critic thought: "Although a comedy rife in lively characters, 'Wagons East!' affords star John Candy one of the poorest, drabbest, and thoroughly unfunniest roles of his career." — Roger Hurlburt, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

What it's about: Former basketball great Dennis Rodman was so big back in the late 1990s he got his own movie. He plays a spy who tries to save the world.

What a critic thought: "Dennis Rodman may be a great rebounder, but as a pop-culture icon, he's a one-trick pony." — Nathan Rabin, AV Club

What it's about: In this comedy, Rob (Brian Hooks) tries to change his life — with two strikes against him, he's one away from going back to prison.

What a critic thought: "Relies much too heavily on multiple repetitions of gags that aren't especially funny the first time around." — Joe Leydon, Variety

What it's about: Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu play agents at different agencies who are to take out one another but instead learn they have to team up to defeat a bigger enemy. With 118 reviews of the movie in Rotten Tomatoes, it has the distinction of being the 0% movie with the most reviews filed.

What a critic thought: "'Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever' looks like a video-game promo, has a story that plays like the fifth episode of a struggling syndicated action show, and feels like a headache waiting to happen." Keith Phipps, AV Club

What it's about: Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a NATO operative who is the only one who can stop an out-of-control train that's carrying hostages and bio-weapons.

What a critic thought: "An overblown annoyance." — David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

What it's about: Heather Graham plays a woman who throws away a loving relationship to run off with a mountain climber (Joseph Fiennes).

What a critic thought: "With miscast leads, banal dialogue and an absurdly overblown climax, 'Killing Me Softly' belongs firmly in the so-bad-it's-good camp." — Neil Smith, BBC

What it's about: A comedy that revolves around a guy who witnessed a murder.

What a critic thought: "A limp, smirky lark." — Jessica Winter, Time Out

What it's about: Five years after winning the best actor Oscar for "Life Is Beautiful," Roberto Benigni writes, directs, and plays the lead in this live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale.

What a critic thought: "What can one say about a balding 50-year-old actor playing an innocent boy carved from a log?" — Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

What it's about: Two buddies marry elderly sisters thinking they will inherit their family fortune.

What a critic thought: "So stupefyingly hideous that after watching it, you'll need to bathe in 10 gallons of disinfectant, get a full-body scrub and shampoo with vinegar to remove the scummy residue that remains." — Jen Chaney, The Washington Post

What it's about: A group of talking babies, who are also geniuses, stop a media mogul trying to cash in on baby talk.

What a critic thought: "Why? Seriously, why? Why would anyone make a sequel to Baby Geniuses, a 1999 film whose existence, from its title on down, appeared to be a cruel joke about the gullibility of the lowest common denominator?" — Nathan Rabin, AV Club

What it's about: An estranged family must confront their past when coming together to celebrate the life of a loved one who has recently passed away.

What a critic thought: "Neither the camera nor the script can focus." — Scott Brown, Entertainment Weekly

What it's about: A mechanic, who also moonlights as the lead singer of a hot unsigned band, gets sucked into the world of illegal drag racing.

What a critic thought: "It's hard to say whether gleaming automobiles or women's bodies are given the more fetishlike treatment in this vanity production." — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

What it's about: A girl who thought the serial killer who tormented her years ago was dead finds out he's still around and is looking for her.

What a critic thought: "To make a 3-D 'torture porn' movie is at best opportunist; to make one with flat, boring torture scenes is unforgivable." — Nigel Floyd, Time Out

What it's about: In this horror, people start receiving voicemails from their future selves with details of their upcoming deaths.

What a critic thought: "The direction is uninspired, acting is lifeless, and the script borders on the inept. A PG-13 rating means that it's short on shocks, too." Richard James Havis, The Hollywood Reporter

What it's about: Mischa Barton plays a scorned ex-girlfriend who seeks revenge when her former boyfriend shows up with a new girlfriend at their school's homecoming.

What a critic thought: "Neither trashy nor self-consciously funny enough to make its genre-trapped ludicrousness sing." — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

What it's about: Jon Hamm plays a detective who is dealing with the loss of his son while trying to solve a case.

What a critic thought: "Plays like a middling episode of 'Law & Order: SVU,' drawn out an extra half-hour and embellished with pretentious literary and cinematic flourishes." — Stephen Holden, The New York Times

What it's about: Comedy about a group of college kids who while doing a semester abroad in Romania find themselves encountering hard parties and vampires.

What a critic thought: "If your idea of a good time is laughing with repulsion at a humpbacked Romanian n----- with a torture-loving midget dad, or tittering every time a bong appears, a darkened theater awaits you." — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

What it's about: Set in 1920s Vienna, a young girl (Elle Fanning) receives a doll on Christmas Eve that leads to a night of magic.

What a critic thought: "This non-balletic adaptation by the Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky is something gnarled and stunted and wrong, something that should never have been allowed to see the light of day." Dana Stevens, Slate

What it's about: Halle Berry plays a shark expert who, after one of her divers is killed by a shark, finds her business hurting and struggles to get back in the water.

What a critic thought: "The sharks themselves are the only ones to emerge with credit from this." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

What it's about: Eddie Murphy stars as Jack McCall, a literary agent who after hustling a spiritual guru finds a Bodhi tree in his yard and learns when all the leaves fall off the tree will die, as well as himself.

What a critic thought: "Does Eddie Murphy actually have any range, or is it just an illusion created by a few early edgy roles and, later, a lot of CGI makeup and fat suits?" — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture

What it's about: Marking Adam Sandler's first Netflix movie, he plays a Western outlaw who discovers he has five half brothers.

What a critic thought: "It's a lazy pastiche of westerns and western spoofs, replete with lazy, racist jokes that can't just be waved away with a waft of the irony card. Woeful." — Brad Newsome, Sydney Morning Herald

What it's about: This remake of Eli Roth's 2002 horror movie follows a group of friends who embark on a cabin in the woods and encounter a flesh-eating disease.

What a critic thought: "This dud sets a new standard for the term 'pointless remake.'" — Geoff Berkshire, Variety

What it's about: Jim Carrey stars in this thriller about how a crime novel could be the clues needed to solve a recent murder.

What a critic thought: "It's very rare for a film to pretty much have no redeeming features about it, but 'Dark Crimes' is essentially impossible to recommend beyond those who have a morbid curiosity." — Andrew Gaudion, The Hollywood News

What it's about: Kate Beckinsale stars in this thriller in which she plays a mother who unwittingly releases unspeakable horrors when opening the door to a room in the house she just moved into.

What a critic thought: "There simply isn't enough freshness in the script to warrant another journey inside a dark old house." — Stephen Faber, The Hollywood Reporter

What it's about: A teenager named Max teams with his alien friend, named Steel, to create — you guessed it — Max Steel.

What a critic thought: "A spectacle without the spectacle, an autumnal, amorphous blockbuster that just sits there, suspended in mid-air, as you soak in its ceaseless banality." — Sam Fragoso, The Wrap

What it's about: Bruce Willis and Mark-Paul Gosselaar star in this caper about a crime boss who double-crosses a thief.

What a critic thought: "The stupid plot, dismal dialogue, moral turpitude and dispiriting torpor of this movie makes watching it utterly pointless." — Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun

What it's about: Dominic Cooper plays a British commando who takes out a deadly terrorist cell.

What a critic thought: "A pretty unremarkable caper: a by-the-numbers movie about a macho-maverick-man doing macho-maverick-man things." — Charlotte Harrison, Den of Geek

What it's about: John Travolta plays John Gotti in his biopic about the infamous New York City crime boss.

What a critic thought: "Starring in this mobster biopic that deserves to get whacked is an offer Travolta should have refused. Insane testimonials from Gotti supporters at the end are as close as this s---show will ever get to good reviews." — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

What it's about: Amber Heard stars in this thriller in which she has an affair with three men, one of whom she knows will be her murderer.

What a critic thought: "Quite simply, horrendous — a trashy, tortured misfire from beginning to end." — Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

What it's about: Terry Crews stars as the title character who must reconcile with his past to help two immigrant kids trying to escape the gang life of Los Angeles.

What a critic thought: "Flashes of craft can't make up for the director's easy default to gore over story." — Lisa Kennedy, Variety

What it's about: This Netflix crime thriller is set in a future where the government has come up with a signal that makes it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts.

What a critic thought: "Don't care about story, characters or words, but love violence? Even you will be disappointed." — Johnny Oleksinski, The New York Post

What it's about: The latest movie adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic went straight to Amazon Prime, and when you see it, you'll understand why.

Ice Cube plays a Homeland Security officer who, while searching for a hacker, suddenly has to deal with a sudden alien invasion.

What's different from the other "War of the Worlds" movies is this is told in "screenlife," a storytelling method made popular with the 2018 movie "Searching," in which the entire story is told visually through a computer, tablet, or smartphone screen. (And yes, there are plenty of Amazon product placements.)

What a critic thought: "Even with a Prime subscription, you have to sit through two minutes of ads to watch 90 more of what amounts to a feature-length commercial for all things Amazon." — Peter Debruge, Variety

Rehman owns Bilal Rehman Studio, a luxury design studio based in Houston, Texas.

Rehman designs for people of all incomes, but he got his start in luxury decor, specializing in high-end spaces.

"I have an appreciation for the world of luxury because of the attention to detail and the craftsmanship," he told BI of why he likes to work in luxury homes. 

Rehman turned his expertise into a viral sensation with his TikTok account, where he shares his home decor advice and has amassed millions of views on his videos. 

He spoke to BI about one of the most popular topics on his TikTok, sharing ways people miss opportunities to make their spaces look luxurious in almost every room of their homes.

"I think the No. 1 thing that they do is that they don't use the proper scale of furniture or accessories or rugs in their space," Rehman said when asked how people most often make their homes look cheap.

If you don't have much floor space, it might be your instinct to fill your home with small pieces, but Rehman said that may actually make your space look less put together.

"People think that just because you're in an apartment, you have to buy small-scale furniture, and that's not true," he said. "Go buy the big couch, buy the big rug, buy the coffee table that's oversized because what people don't realize is that scale makes your space feel bigger."

Rehman said your space will look more luxurious if you fill it with a handful of statement pieces rather than too many small pieces.

"There's a fine art of not cramming your space with too much stuff and underdoing it to where all the furniture feels like it's miniature," Rehman said. 

Rehman said kitchens often look "cluttered" and cheap when you fill your cabinets with flatware, dinnerware, and glassware that don't match, particularly if you have open cabinetry.

"It doesn't look cohesive or expensive. It starts to look like you went and dug through a bargain bin to find all these pieces, but for the same price, you could buy a really beautiful matching set of mugs or plates or appliances to elevate your space," Rehman said. 

He also advised people to think about aesthetics as well as function for any item that will live on their countertops, pointing to Smeg toasters as an example.

"There are cheaper alternatives, of course, but Smeg is a great player in the game of taking something utilitarian and making it artistic," he added. "I have a chrome Smeg toaster on my countertop and I love it. It's just so pretty to look at, and it's taking something so basic and making it elevated."

It can be natural to fill your bathroom counters with products, but Rehman told BI that not having more sophisticated storage can make your space feel cheap. 

"Do not have all your products on the countertop," Rehman said. "Especially if you're dealing with a smaller bathroom, that empty visual space is your friend that makes your bathroom feel high-end."

He said to prioritize putting out items you use daily, and find other storage solutions for things you use less often.

"It makes it feel bigger. It makes it feel cleaner. And honestly, when everything is organized, it's so much easier to get ready in the morning and get ready at nighttime when you know where everything is," Rehman said. "When you're dealing with a bathroom, really be intentional on what's out and what's hidden and put away."

And if you don't have much storage space, remember to invest in functional items with aesthetic appeal, like coordinating soap-bottle sets or a nice toothbrush holder.

Rehman said thinking strategically about your choice of bath mat can make a huge difference in your home, particularly if you have limited space in your bathroom. 

"Don't buy a whole bunch of different bath mats, like the small bath mats meant to go in front of the toilet or the shower or the sink," Rehman advised. "Instead, try to get a large-scale rug or a large-scale runner that creates this unified piece in your bathroom and makes it feel clean and simple."

If you're hesitant about putting a real rug in your bathroom, Rehman said to remember that there are plenty of water-friendly rugs on the market.

"Just get a cool rug from Ruggable and throw it in your washing machine every couple of weeks," he added. "That looks so much better in the end than all these mismatched mats that are moving all over the place."

Matching bedroom sets might seem like the easiest solution to making your room look cohesive, but Rehman said it's rare for the set to look as good in your home as it does in the store.

"It looks so good when you walk into a store, and everything matches because they set it up in a certain way, but the second you take it home and you put it in your bedroom, it literally just looks like you went to a big-box store, picked up that room, and dropped it into your house," Rehman said.

"It has no personality, it doesn't look collected, it doesn't look designer, it doesn't feel high-end at all," he said. "Instead of doing that, the same money that you're spending on that, spend it on mismatched pieces that are cohesive."

Rehman said it's a better idea to find pieces that complement each other, as this will make the space look more intentional.

Rehman advised people to approach decorating the outside of their homes just as they do their interiors.

"Don't be afraid to accessorize your outdoor space," he said, pointing to items like rugs and layered looks. "Put art on your brick on the outside of your house."

"You're going to walk outside, and there's going to be a seamless flow from the inside to the out," Rehman said. "It just makes your space feel so much grander and so much more put together."

He said investing in pieces that complement the natural colors of your environment can help make the space feel even more cohesive and chic.

Of course, the furniture you choose for your home, especially pieces like couches and beds, should be comfortable, but Rehman said it's just as important to prioritize its appearance.

"When people are going to buy furniture, they focus so heavily on the comfort and they don't focus on the style," he said. "They end up buying this big, bubbly couch that has lots of padding, and it has a built-in cupholder and USB chargers. That's great for maybe a movie room, but in your main living room, where you're entertaining, you want to feel sexy, and you want to have people over, and you want to create different moods."

Rehman said there are so many affordable, comfortable pieces with aesthetic appeal that he doesn't understand why people wouldn't pick prettier pieces whenever possible.

"In today's market, there's been so much innovation with the world of design and furniture that finding things that are stylish and comfortable is so much easier than it was five years ago," he said. "Just take that little extra step and go find things that are the best of both worlds."

It's always helpful to have a few tried-and-true dinners on hand for nights when the kids get fussy.

When I want to make sure I get some food in them, I take a couple of minutes to prepare these thin pasta triangles with butternut-squash filling inside.

My kids have yet to turn the pasta down, and this dish allows me to rationalize that I've fed the children a fruit — squashes have seeds!

My local Trader Joe's often stocks Cosmic Crisp apples, a cross between Enterprise and Honeycrisp apples.

They come in two distinct sizes: small ones, which are in a 2-pound bag, and huge ones, which customers can buy individually. 

I especially like the latter. Cosmic Crisps tend to brown more slowly than most other apples because they have higher levels of acidity and sugar, so if I cut one up and pack it as a snack for both kids, I know the slices will look fresh and appetizing all day. 

And in my experience, Cosmic Crisps don't seem to bruise easily. I throw one in my bag whenever I anticipate the need for a healthy afternoon snack.

Trader Joe's jalapeño sauce stays true to the taste of its namesake pepper, though I'd say it carries more of the jalapeño's flavor than its heat. 

Like all hot sauces, this product has a wide range of potential uses. However, I didn't discover its true purpose until I put it on a salami sandwich in place of mustard. It brought out the very best of cured meat. 

I eat a lot of burgers at home, so I play around with condiments to keep things interesting. I found that combining this jalapeño sauce with mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce makes an excellent burger topping.

These might be my favorite chips of all time, which is no small accomplishment.

They taste quite a bit like Cool Ranch Doritos, just with an extra little kick of heat. The chips' hearty texture is phenomenal, and they remind me of higher-caliber Fritos. 

The bag suggests dipping these chips in guacamole, but that seems unnecessarily indulgent. They carry enough flavor on their own.

I sometimes fantasize about crushing them up and using them to bread chicken, but in truth, I usually just eat half the bag on my walk home.

I drink an alarming amount of coffee. Ever since I started making cold brew at home about 10 years ago, I estimate I've saved thousands of dollars in coffee-shop purchases. 

I've experimented with various roasts, origins, and preparations and have yet to find a high-quality coffee in the same price range as Trader Joe's organic Bolivian blend.

It produces cold brew exactly as I want it: strong but smooth, with subtle, caramel-tinged sweetness.

I could say I buy multicolored carrots because my kids think they're fun, but in truth, the novelty hasn't yet worn off on me either. 

Now our crudités look like a beautiful autumnal cornucopia. The purple ones are especially popular in my house, and it doesn't hurt that they're also very tasty.

I have sensitive skin and can't handle most fabric softeners, so I always keep a stock of these dryer bags, which have lavender as their only ingredient, to help my clothes smell nice.

I also like that they don't have harsh chemicals. The lavender is enough to add a pleasant, floral fragrance to my laundry and freshen up the air in my apartment.

I'm old enough to remember a time when stuffed pretzels seemed rare and felt reserved for special occasions. 

Now they're widely available — especially at Trader Joe's — and you can choose from multiple different nut-butter fillings and coatings. I favor the classic ones with peanut butter on the inside.

They're crunchy, salty, sweet, and satisfying. When I think of a Venn diagram representing all the different ways I want my snacks to taste, these treats land smack-dab in the middle.

After trying a variety of Trader Joe's frozen pizzas, I've found I often prefer to make my own. I pair ready-to-bake plain pizza dough with a jar of fat-free pizza sauce and a fresh mozzarella log. 

The jar of sauce and the cheese are enough for at least two pizzas — assuming no one snacks on the cheese — and the dough is easier to work with than other supermarket ones I've used in the past.

My kids won't eat spicy food, but I jazz up my slices with Trader Joe's version of Sriracha.

It's always important to stock up on foods my kids will eat, but it's equally important to keep some on hand that my kids won't touch. 

I want to know that I have lunch options that won't descend upon like vultures, and the jerk-chicken burrito is one of them.

It's delicious and has enough Caribbean spices that my children, who can't handle spice, stay away from it. Like most burritos, these are great with a little sour cream.

Although I haven't found it in stores in a while, I hope Trader Joe's brings it back as it often does with products.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on July 2, 2023, and most recently updated on August 6, 2025.

My trip began with a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the night before my cruise, and a stay at a budget hotel near my departure port.

This was the first of many crowded bus rides during my trip. Looking back, I wish I had called a cab — especially since the next morning, I piled into a hot bus with several other cruise guests as I headed to the port.

Inside the cruise terminal, there was another long line to get through security. While I waited, I chuckled to myself as I read signs that said, "Adventure begins here."

My obstructed view of the ship leaving Fort Lauderdale was as frustrating as standing behind tall patrons at a concert.

But I found the maps on each floor to be helpful.

While people seemed to enjoy themselves, many communal decks looked and felt like crowded malls.

The outdoor decks had three large pools and several plunge and whirlpools. These spaces were crowded throughout the day. And even though there were rules against saving chairs with towels, I saw plenty of people doing it, so finding a spot to relax was stressful.

A Royal Caribbean representative told Business Insider that crew members might remove items from lounge chairs after 30 minutes. Still, they must also consider families and groups who may be in the pool or going to the restroom when enforcing rules like these, using their best judgment.

From the cruise ship buffet to activities like water slides and mini-golf, I felt like I spent more time waiting in line than enjoying the ship. For example, I waited in line for three hours to play a round of laser tag that was less than 20 minutes long.

At port stops, I waited in lines to go through security every time I left and returned to the ship. This wait time was less annoying than the other lines because it made me feel safer.

I often had to battle through crowds just to find signs for my excursions.

The Royal Caribbean rep told BI that the cruise line worked with local tour operators for its excursions, so air conditioning standards varied.

I hoped to capture an empty image of this majestic jungle bridge, but it wasn't possible without losing my tour crew.

The most enjoyable parts of my cruise were early morning walks on the top deck before other cruisers swarmed in. I think that if I were to book a less crowded cruise next time, I might like it more.

Buying Into Baltimore is a program that awards $5,000 in down-payment and closing-cost assistance to a few lucky prospective homebuyers who enter a lottery after attending a special Trolley Tour that is held three times a year. (The next one will be in the fall.)

The prize is not limited to first-time homebuyers, but following the event, applicants have 10 business days to make an offer on a home, have the offer accepted, and obtain a contract of sale to be eligible to even enter the lottery.

A special note for remote workers considering making a move: The property must also be used as a primary residence.

Building a house can be expensive, but what if someone helped foot the bill?

Belleville, a small town in north-central Kansas' Republic County, is offering up to $35,000 in grants to attract new residents willing to build homes there.

The incentive includes a $25,000 base grant for anyone constructing a single-family home. An additional $10,000 bonus is available to those whose homes are among the first five built within city limits.

To qualify, you have to apply through Republic County's economic development office or partner with a local bank prior to starting construction. After approval, construction must begin within 30 days.

Belleville, through MakeMyMove, also offers eligible remote workers perks beyond homebuying: up to $1,500 annually for five years toward student loans and up to $3,000 for movers who are employed by Republic County.

Bemidji, a 15,000-person city in northern Minnesota, has a program offering remote workers interested in moving to the area six months of free internet service, a one-year membership to a coworking space, a one-year membership to the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, and free access to community programs and events.

To qualify, movers must work primarily from home and be relocating from at least 60 miles away.

Nicknamed the "City of Five Seasons," Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is located in eastern Iowa along the banks of the Cedar River. While it's the second-largest city in the state, its closest big town is Des Moines, which is about a two-hour drive northeast.

Cedar Rapids is located in one of the most prominent manufacturing regions in the US and is recognized as the largest corn-processing city in the world, according to its official website. Beyond agriculture, the city also has a strong job market, with several Fortune 500 companies, including Collins Aerospace and Nordstrom calling it home.

In partnership with MakeMyMove, the city is offering $5,000 to non-Iowa residents to relocate there. To qualify, applicants must be willing to move within six months of approval, work remotely, and earn an annual income of at least $55,000.

Columbus, a 200,000-person city on the Georgia-Alabama border, is offering $5,000 to remote workers who move there.

Through MakeMyMove, Columbus also offers relocators other perks, including six months of time at a coworking space, coffee with the mayor, and a two-night hotel stay for a visit before your move.

The total package is worth $8,700, according to MakeMyMove.

In order to qualify for the program, you need to be employed full-time, earn at least $75,000, and live at least 75 miles outside Columbus at the time of the application.

Both first-time and repeat homebuyers moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana, can get help buying a home thanks to Hoosier Homes Plus, a down payment assistance program sponsored by the Fort Wayne Housing Authority.

The program offers buyers up to 5% of the home's purchase price to assist with down payment and closing costs.

To qualify, applicants must work with an approved lender, have a minimum credit score of 640, and have a household income at or below the county-specific limit of $126,000.

Additionally, first-time homebuyers are required to complete a homebuyer education course.

Hamilton, Ohio — a city of 63,000 about 20 miles north of Cincinnati — is encouraging recent college graduates to apply for its Talent Attraction Program Scholarship.

Scholarship recipients can get up to $15,000 a year toward student loan payments. 

In order to qualify for the scholarship, you must have graduated from a STEAM (science, tech, engineering, the arts, or math) program within the last seven years. You must not already live in the city of Hamilton but have plans to move or live in what the city defines as one of its urban neighborhoods.

Applicants must demonstrate employment within Butler County or a full-time remote position. Preference is given to people "with a desire to give back to the community and become engaged in activities."

Hutchinson — a city of about 40,000 people in south central Kansas — is helping its movers achieve the American dream of homeownership.

The city is offering renters who move into one of its qualifying neighborhoods —College Grove, Creekside, Founders, Grace Arbor, Houston Whiteside Historic District, Midtown — up to $2,500 in matching funds to purchase their first home.

Jackson, Michigan, a city of about 31,000 people in south-central Michigan, is attracting residents with newly built homes and down payment assistance.

As part of its 100 Home Program, the city plans to construct 100 one-and two-bedroom homes on vacant residential lots across Jackson, each priced at $175,000.

To help buyers better afford these homes, the city is offering up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for eligible applicants earning up to 120% of the area's median income.

In addition, buyers are encouraged to apply for an extra $10,000 in assistance through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

The nonprofit Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) was founded to reverse population loss in the rural, mountainous regions of Kentucky.

It offers relocation grants to remote workers, which include $5,000 for the worker who moves, plus an additional $2,500 bonus if their partner secures a job in education or healthcare.

Interested remote workers can move to any of 34 eligible counties in the eastern part of Kentucky; the swath includes a scenic network of canyons called the Red River Gorge and the Country Music Highway Museum, dedicated to artists from the region like Billy Ray Cyrus and The Judds.

Applicants must make $70,000 and currently reside outside Kentucky.

Ketchikan, a scenic coastal city near the southernmost tip of Alaska that is a 90-minute flight from Seattle, launched the Choose Ketchikan program in November 2021.

Applicants over 18 must be "fully employed." To be eligible, an individual or family must currently live outside Alaska while working remotely for a company that is also outside Alaska.

After relocation, all Alaska residents get an annual payment from Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend, which can be as much as $3,000 a year or more.

Ketchikan, which touts its clean air and drinking water, is also offering new residents three months of free high-speed internet.

Macon-Bibb, Georgia, is one of the newest cities to launch a relocation program through MakeMyMove.

The central Georgia city is offering qualifying out-of-state remote workers $2,500 to make it their home. Additionally, new residents will receive a three-month coworking membership at The Office, a local workspace, and a three-month family trial membership at One Life Fitness, a local gym.

Maine has said it can reimburse residents who graduated after 2007 through its student loan repayment tax credit program.

If you live in Maine during the tax year, you are likely eligible for a tax credit that could total up to $2,500 annually, up to $25,000 lifetime, toward student-loan payments.

Additional perks are available for graduates with STEM degrees, including the possibility of refunding the entirety of their state tax payments.

Manilla — a small city in western Iowa — is offering free lots of land to anyone looking to build a single-family home.

Manilla is also eliminating taxes on the homes built on the "no cost lots" for the first five years.

West Virginia launched a program named Ascend WV to attract out-of-state remote workers to Morgantown, a vibrant college town home to West Virginia University.

To be eligible, potential residents must be 18 years or older, able to verify remote employment, and willing to move to the city of 30,000 for two years.

Those accepted to the program are expected to relocate to Morgantown within six months and receive $12,000 in cash in monthly installments. If people choose to purchase a home in West Virginia, they can get the remaining cash payments in a lump sum.

Other perks of the program include a coworking-space membership and free outdoor-gear rentals.

In addition to Morgantown, Ascend WV also incentivizes moves to other parts of West Virginia: the Greenbrier Valley, the Eastern Panhandle, the New River Gorge area, and Greater Elkins community.

Newton, Iowa, about 30 miles east of Des Moines, wants to give relocators who purchase a home there cash upon closing.

The city is offering $10,000 in cash to buyers of homes valued at more than $240,000 and a five-year tax abatement for homes below that value. Eligible homes include single-family new builds that started construction in 2020 or 2021.

There's also a "Get to Know Newton Welcome Package" that includes gifts from local businesses and opportunities to attend local events, including at the Iowa Speedway.

Located just 30 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, Noblesville is home to the Ruoff Music Center, the region's most significant outdoor concert venue.

The town is offering new residents a package that includes a $5,000 relocation grant, a $500 health and wellness stipend, and a one-year membership to a local coworking space, among other incentives.

Remote workers interested in the program must make at least $80,000 annually and be able to relocate within six months of applying.

Quincy, Illinois, a town of 40,000 on the Missouri border, has also launched a program to incentivize Americans to relocate there.

The Quincy Workforce Relocation Assistance Program, also called Quincy's Calling, offers movers who can get a job within the county a property-tax rebate of up to $5,000 after one year of living and working in the area.

If you would prefer to rent, you can get a rental rebate of up to $3,500 after six months of residency and employment.

Remote workers aren't eligible for the program. New residents must work in Adams County, where Quincy is.

Since 2023, Perry County has offered a cash incentive of $7,000 to qualifying remote workers and their families who move to the rural community. Located between Evansville, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky, along the Ohio River, Perry County has fewer than 20,000 residents, according to the most recent census data.

The $7,000 payment is split into two installments — one when families first move and another after 12 months. Families also receive a welcome basket that includes freebies from local fudge to discounted WiFi.

Eligible applicants must make $50,000 at a job they can retain when they move and be able to relocate within 6 months.

Shiraz Mukarram, manager at the Perry County Development Corporation, told BI that families have moved to the county from states including Florida, Georgia, California, and Massachusetts with great success.

Switzerland County, Indiana, about an hour southeast of Cincinnati, is home to the towns of Patriot and Vevay.

The latter was once home to the first successful wine vineyard in the US, though wine production has since ceased.

Still, each year, people from across the country gather to celebrate the county's wine heritage and sample wines at its annual Swiss Wine Festival.

To encourage relocation to the area, the city has partnered with MakeMyMove to offer $5,000 to eligible out-of-state remote workers who relocate there.

The Shoals in Alabama — a cluster of municipalities including Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia that straddles the banks of the Tennessee River — is offering remote workers $10,000 to move to the area.

Near the border with Tennessee and Mississippi, the four cities are just a few hours from hubs including Memphis, Nashville, and Birmingham. 

The program offers $2,500 upfront for relocation costs, an additional $2,500 six months after moving there, and $5,000 at the end of the first year of residency.

Eligible applicants must be over 18 and able to move to the region within six months. They must also be employed outside the area and have a minimum annual income of $52,000.

Texarkana is a pair of neighboring twin cities with the same name in both states it straddles: Texas and Arkansas.

The cities have separate municipal governments but often operate as one metropolitan region. It has a joint offer for remote workers moving to either city.

Texarkana is offering a $5,000 relocation bonus along with other incentives, including free tickets to the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra and a 25% tuition discount at Texas A&M at Texarkana, the local four-year public university.

Eligible applicants must make at least $75,000 a year. They must reside outside the state of Arkansas or, if a Texas resident, at least 75 miles from Texarkana.

Kansas' state capital has teamed up with employers to offer cash to those willing to move there.

Participants of the program, called Choose Topeka, can receive up to $15,000 if they purchase a home in Topeka and secure a job in the area. Remote workers with employment outside the area can earn up to $5,000 toward rental costs or $10,000 toward a home purchase.

As an added bonus, Jimmy John's, the sandwich franchise, throws in an extra $1,000 for anyone who moves within delivery range of one of its shops.

A local economic-development organization launched Remote Tucson during the COVID-19 pandemic to lure remote workers to the area.

The program offers relocators $1,500 toward moving costs, one year of free internet, free trials at local coworking spaces, membership to a local cultural institution, networking opportunities, and more.

Eligible applicants must be over 18 years old, have full-time remote employment outside the area, and be able to move to Tucson within six months.

Tulsa Remote, a program that started in 2018, is designed to draw new residents to Oklahoma. Since 2018, the program has helped more than 1,400 people relocate to Tulsa.

The program offers $10,000, which people can put toward purchasing or renting a home in Tulsa. It also offers $500 travel reimbursements and a $150 Airbnb credit for applicants to familiarize themselves with the area.

BI previously interviewed four people who hailed from major cities on both US coasts and made the move to Tulsa — most said it was a fantastic decision.

To qualify for the program, applicants must be over 18 and live outside Oklahoma. They must also prove a consistent stream of income and the ability to work remotely. Applicants must also promise to commit to moving to and living in Tulsa for at least one year.

Sitting just across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee, is West Memphis, Arkansas, which is working to attract more residents.

The city is offering housing incentives for movers. Homebuyers can receive up to $10,000 in cash, while renters may qualify for up to $5,000.

Through MakeMyMove, new residents also receive a two-night stay at West Memphis' Southland Casino Hotel and an opportunity to have dinner with the mayor.

Taylor Borden, Libertina Brandt, and Leanna Garfield contributed to previous versions of this story.