In light of the recent natural disasters, I find it ironic that we’re featuring travel this month. Recently many people have been required to travel and even temporarily move to other areas, doing so with uncertainty and certainly involuntarily. In addition to those who chose to get out of harm’s way, some people opened their homes to refugees, others traveled to the areas in need of help, and millions more reached out to those affected. Yet in a serendipitous way, humanity reconnected. Providing funds, supplies and solutions in a time of crisis is humane, but having an open-hearted and empathetic response can make a deep and lasting change in how we view our relationships with others. It’s not that I believe such occurrences are a good thing, but if the outcome moves us toward a greater understanding of the value of love and kindness, than let’s make lemonade. “Transformative Travel,” page 22, encourages us to do more than just make memories in new lands—it urges us to discover a deeper connection between ourselves and our world, and to unveil the treasures that lay in both places. 

We also are celebrating National Chiropractic Health Month, with advice for building better bones (page 28) and tips for choosing the right chiropractic care (page 26). This theme led to our recent discovery of Dr. Tony Salamay, whose personal health journey led him to apply his advanced studies in neurology and functional medicine to identify the root cause of symptoms in his patients—and himself. Learn more about his passion on page 27.

On page 20, local gynecologist Karen Kennedy sheds light on a new, cutting-edge way to tackle stubborn fat—you know, the kind that seems to hang around not matter what you do. She blends FDA-approved hi-tech with her knowledge of diet, nutrition, hormones and exercise in just the right combination to target those places where fat cells tend to gather.

The cool, crisp air arrives just in time for our local festival season, so take advantage of the beautiful weather to cheer on our renewable energy future at the Clean Energy Festival in Pensacola (page 9). Be enlightened as you enjoy Stone Soup’s annual Harvest Festival (page 5), and discover the inaugural Wellstock Festival in Fort Walton Beach (page 10)—a new event we are all very excited about.

Happy fall season!​

Daralyn & Scott