The United States has a tumultuous relationship with weather, bearing witness to some of the most devastating natural disasters in history. Our sheer size and dynamic terrain mean we’re easily subject to all kinds of frightful weather scenarios including tornadoes, blizzards, floods and perhaps the most feared of all, hurricanes.

Known for being unpredictable, hurricanes have a knack of making their way around, wreaking havoc from the south all the way up the eastern seaboard, leaving immeasurable destruction in their wake. On average, there are about 10 tropical storms that develop in the Atlantic each year, with six of those storms becoming hurricanes.

Amid all the hurricanes the U.S. has weathered over the years, there are some that have truly made history. These are some of the worst hurricanes ever to touch down in the United States, forever altering the lives of those caught in their paths.

The Worst Hurricanes in U.S. History: A Timeline

The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900

Regarded as one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 claimed an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 lives. This colossal storm struck the island city of Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 8, 1900, with winds reaching 140 mph. The city, which was already vulnerable due to its low-lying elevation, faced storm surges up to 15 feet that completely submerged the area. The tragedy prompted significant changes in hurricane preparedness, leading to the construction of a seawall and the implementation of more robust early warning systems.

The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 made landfall in the Florida Keys with wind speeds surpassing 185 mph. The storm struck with such force that the entire Overseas Railway connecting the Florida Keys  was destroyed. Hundreds of World War I veterans working on the railway lost their lives, further compounding the human tragedy.

Hurricane Camille, 1969

This category 5 hurricane – one of only four to ever make landfall in the United States – arrived along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi in August 1969. With winds exceeding 175 mph, Camille’s storm surge resulted in the deaths of approximately 259 people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and homes. The storm brought unprecedented rainfall, triggering flash floods and landslides in the mountainous areas of Virginia.

Hurricane Andrew, 1992

Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in August 1992. With wind speeds peaking at 175 mph, Andrew leveled entire neighborhoods and caused catastrophic damage estimated at $26.5 billion. The storm claimed the lives of 26 people and thousands more were left homeless. After Andrew, many insurance companies started to establish hurricane deductibles in coastal states.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

One of the most infamous hurricanes in U.S. history, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with unparalleled force, primarily impacting the city of New Orleans. The catastrophic failure of the city’s levee system resulted in massive flooding, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents and causing over 1,200 fatalities. The response to this disaster was marred by deficiencies in disaster management and emergency response, highlighting the need for more effective coordination between federal, state and local authorities during times of crisis.

Hurricane Ian, 2022

A rare category 5, Ian was the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and is currently the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the U.S. With winds peaking at more than 160 mph and a devastating surge (an estimated 10-15 feet), the storm claimed around 160 lives along its path, which continued as a category 3 hurricane in western Cuba and finally a category 1 in South Carolina. The storm surge alone leveled southwestern Florida’s Sanibel Causeway and the Matlatcha Bridge, resulting in about $113 billion in damage.

Hurricane Helene, 2024

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend in September 2024 as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic flooding and wind damage across the southeastern U.S. Its path of destruction extended from Florida to North Carolina, with severe flash flooding in mountainous areas resulting in over 230 deaths. In Asheville, North Carolina, record-breaking floods submerged parts of the city, leaving residents cut off from communication for days. Damage estimates have reached approximately $200 billion, although it could be years before the extend of the damage has been accurately assessed.

The worst hurricanes in U.S. history stand as reminders of the immense destructive power of nature, and how being prepared is pivotal for rebuilding. Over the years, how insurance companies handle coverage for hurricanes has changed dramatically and it’s important to make sure you are properly covered and fully understand your policy.

Making sure you are protected with homeowners insurance through AAA is not only essential, it gives you the peace of mind you need in the event of an unexpected natural disaster. Learn more about AAA Insurance.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

Getting into an accident can be unsettling, as in the case of a minor fender bender, or downright devastating in a worse scenario. The impact of personal injuries and expensive car repairs scare most of us, even though we have car insurance.

When a claim is made, one of the key factors that insurance companies look to determine is who is to blame. Amid the police report, adjuster investigations and overall confusion, throw in the concept of no-fault insurance. What does that even mean?

What Is No-Fault Insurance?

Insurance terms can be perplexing. Some drivers mistakenly think that “no-fault” means that no party will be blamed for an accident, but this is not the case.

In states with no-fault laws, each driver is required to file a claim with their own insurance company after an accident if they are injured. This way, each insurance company compensates its own policyholders for the costs of minor injuries, regardless of who was at fault.

The Purpose of No-Fault Insurance

While insurance companies work to determine which party caused an accident, there are often medical expenses that need to be paid.

No-fault insurance is designed to help policyholders get paid quicker and ultimately reduce the cost of auto insurance by taking small claims out of the courts, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

No-Fault Auto Insurance Is Only Available in Certain States

Not every state has a no-fault system. In the Northeast, laws have been enacted in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

All drivers in these states are required to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) as part of their auto insurance policies, which is what helps to pay your covered medical expenses after an accident.

Even if you do not live in a no-fault state, you may be required to purchase this type of coverage. During the process of securing a quote, your insurance agent will explain the laws that apply to you.

Limited Right to Sue

Beyond the ability to apply to their own insurance provider for personal injury benefits, residents of no-fault states have a limited right to sue after an accident. While the specifics vary based on where you live, in general this means that there are restrictions on when you can sue the other party if they are determined to be at-fault.

In limiting the right to sue, states aim to reduce the number of lawsuits related to car accidents by making the threshold higher. Parties can sue if injuries are severe or if an accident results in death. Each state sets its own threshold, which can be set in monetary terms (bills that equal a certain amount) or verbal terms (a description of the type of injury).

No-Fault Insurance Does Not Cover Repairs to Your Vehicle

Since no-fault insurance is limited to personal injury, property damages that result from an accident are handled in accordance with the traditional insurance process. Your collision insurance will pay claims for the damages incurred to your own vehicle if you opted for it. If your car is leased or financed, you would have been required by your financial institution to purchase this type of coverage.

Property Damage Liability Still Applies

No-fault insurance pertains to the personal injury component of damages after an accident. If you were responsible for the situation that occurred, you are still liable for the expenses related to property damage. This means that if you hit another vehicle (or other physical property type) and damaged it, your property damage liability coverage is what will cover the damage. It’s important to be aware that state minimum coverages are often not enough to cover all damages incurred due to today’s cost of claims and to consult with your agent to be sure you are adequately covered.

Optional No-Fault Coverage

What is no-fault insurance in the context of policy options? If you live in a state that does not have a no-fault system (Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire in the Northeast), you may still have the option of purchasing this type of coverage. Since there are benefits and disadvantages to no-fault policies, spend time thinking about what will be best in your individual circumstances or consult with an insurance agent. Those who opt for no-fault coverage often do so because it is easier to receive payment for medical expenses should they be injured in an accident.

Ongoing Debate

There is an ongoing debate as experts, lawmakers, insurance companies and drivers weigh in on the impact of a no-fault insurance system. Some argue that the ease with which drivers can file claims with their own insurer increases fraud. Others counter with the necessity of providing drivers with a swifter way to handle injuries after an accident. Even among the states that have a no-fault system, there are varying litigation thresholds rather than one standard.

Whether you live in a no-fault state or not, the topic of no-fault insurance is one that may prompt you to review your policy, which is always beneficial. You might spend some time considering the potential financial impact of an accident or the ease with which personal injury claims will be paid. As you evaluate your own coverage to make sure it is sufficient for your needs, it is advisable to speak with an agent who can provide you with expert advice and give you clarification on policy terms and confusing phrases that complicate auto insurance discussions.

Still have a question about how no-fault insurance works? Ask us in the comments below.

To learn more about AAA insurance, get a quote or contact an agent, visit AAA.com/Insurance. 

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

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IN THIS EPISODE

Seeing the world (or exploring another state) with family and friends is amazing, but traveling solo is a freedom unlike any other. You get to do exactly what you want, when you want.

Is it weird to travel alone? Not at all. In fact, there are many benefits of traveling by yourself. It’s an opportunity for self-discovery and building confidence, pushing you out of your comfort zone and into new and exciting experiences.

In this episode, avid solo traveler Kim Rodrigues leads the way with her best tips for solo travelers, including how to stay safe when traveling alone. On the logistics side, Jillian Young of AAA Northeast’s Public Affairs team shares insight on the best times to travel and how to beat the crowds.

This is your essential guide to traveling solo.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[6:32] – How to plan your solo trips
[9:49] – Tips and tricks for staying safe when traveling solo
[13:31] – The best times to travel by plane and by car

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:05]
Amanda Greene: Hey, welcome home.

[00:00:06]
Amanda’s Husband: Thanks. I have bad news. You’re not going to like this. Listen, I have to work this weekend. I cannot go away like we had planned.

[00:00:14]
Amanda Greene: Oh no. Are you serious?

[00:00:16]
Amanda’s Husband: Why don’t you go? I will take the kids. It’ll be okay.

[00:00:19]
Amanda Greene: I think I’d feel weird going alone, and with you and the kids at home.

[00:00:23]
Amanda’s Husband: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

READ MORE

[00:00:26]
Amanda Greene: I mean, I guess I could bring a book and catch up on sleep a little bit. You’re sure it’s okay if I go by myself?

[00:00:34]
Amanda’s Husband: Of course. We’ll be fine. Have a good time.

[00:00:41]
Amanda Greene: Welcome to Merging Into Life where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast. I’m your host, Amanda Green. Today we’re going to talk about solo traveling.

Isn’t a change of scenery nice once in a while? Whether that means a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to a far-flung locale, or a quick trip to the next spot on the map, seeing new sights and meeting new people is one of life’s true joys. Traveling with family and friends can be wonderful, but similar to herding cats, it can also be a little frustrating. There’s something to be said for deciding to go and just going. Forget a consensus or comparing schedules, traveling alone means you can do what you want, when you want. Maybe that’s why more people are doing it. Searches on Pinterest for solo traveling increased by 145% in 2024.

We’re going to talk with Jillian Young about timing your trip to make it as smooth as possible. She’s a member of AAA Northeast’s public affairs team. But first, let’s talk to Kim Rodrigues. She’s an avid solo traveler who blogs about her adventures in hopes of inspiring others to take the leap and see the world on their own terms.

[00:01:57]
Kim Rodrigues: I started solo traveling, 10, 11, maybe, almost 12 years ago, and I did it because I was tired of waiting on other people to see the world. I had this long bucket list and all these places that I wanted to see, and I was tired of waiting on friends and family, so I just took the leap and did it myself.

[00:02:16]
Amanda Greene: I know what you mean about having to wait for other people when you’re trying to plan a trip with others. Two people are in, but they haven’t actually totally committed and everyone’s dragging their feet.

[00:02:25]
Kim Rodrigues: Yes, exactly. And I think I saw a meme somewhere once that was saying something like, ‘The travel group chat is all good until it’s time for payment,’ or something like that, and then everyone just drops off.

[00:02:37]
Amanda Greene: What was one of your favorite solo trips that you’ve done?

[00:02:41]
Kim Rodrigues: I once took a solo trip to Granada, which is in the south of Spain, and that was so much fun. I had so many things that I wanted to see and I spent a lot of time walking and just had a really good time just taking in the sun and all of the amazing attractions. So that was a good one.

[00:02:58]
Amanda Greene: Did you find yourself talking to the people around you more often than maybe you would’ve if you were traveling with friends?

[00:03:05]
Kim Rodrigues: Yes. I feel like that happens for me. I’m also an extrovert as well, which is surprising because I feel like sometimes a lot of people think that it’s more for introverts, but I’m an extrovert and I solo travel. And for me, it’s almost like I feel like I am more open when I’m traveling by myself because I am looking to connect with other people. So I do find myself, especially when I go to restaurants and when I do tours and things like that, I tend to just start chatting with the people around me. And then you have a friend.

[00:03:34]
Amanda Greene: Would you say that’s one of the things you love most about traveling by yourself?

[00:03:37]
Kim Rodrigues: That is one thing I really like. I feel like I get to connect with people that I otherwise wouldn’t. I also love that I can do what I want. I love the freedom of it because I think that sometimes, especially when you have a location and a destination that’s really high on your list and you have a lot of attractions that you want to see within that, it can be a little challenging when you’re traveling with friends or you’re traveling in a group because you have to compromise to some extent. When you’re traveling on your own, you get to see everything. You get to do everything at your pace, and you get to cram in as much as you want or take it easy. But I think that probably one of my favorite things is the freedom.

[00:04:18]
Amanda Greene: So you have named a lot of very positive things that glamorize solo traveling, but what are some of the challenges you might face traveling solo?

[00:04:29]
Kim Rodrigues: Yeah. I think for me, one thing that is a challenge that might be a little surprising is loneliness. I think that there are times that I have been lonely on a trip or I go to an incredible attraction or an amazing destination or viewpoint, and sometimes I think, “Oh man, this would be so nice if there was someone else here to share this experience with me.” Or maybe sometimes you’ll try to relay the message with friends, but it’s almost like looking at a photo and sometimes a photo doesn’t do it justice and you’re like, “You just had to be there.”

[00:05:03]
Amanda Greene: Absolutely.

[00:05:05]
Kim Rodrigues: So much more beautiful in person.

[00:05:06]
Amanda Greene: Do you keep a journal or anything?

[00:05:08]
Kim Rodrigues: I definitely have a travel journal. I take a lot of pictures and videos. I have so many pictures and videos that haven’t even seen the light of day. I’m also a big notes person, you know the little notes app in the phone, and I just take notes. I write whatever city, what date, and then I’ll jot down what I did, my favorite parts, things I didn’t like. So I just am constantly taking notes and sometimes I’ll go back and read journals or in the moment I’ll carry it with me and I’ll just sit and have a moment and reflect.

[00:05:42]
Amanda Greene: I imagine traveling solo, that feeling of wanting to share it with someone, journaling would be a nice way to channel all of that.

[00:05:48]
Kim Rodrigues: Exactly. I know that it happens to me where we’re so wrapped up in our day-to-day life, and we’re so wrapped up in the next trip and the next adventure that sometimes I take these really amazing trips and I forget elements of it, but then when I go back and read my journal. I’m like, ‘Oh, I forgot about that lookout point in Vancouver and the old man that I was talking to and the glass of wine that I had.’ It’s almost like you get to relive the experience and all the memories at the same time.

[00:06:15]
Amanda Greene: In a way that photos really don’t give you.

[00:06:18]
Kim Rodrigues: Yes, exactly.

[00:06:19]
Amanda Greene: Those little details.

[00:06:20]
Kim Rodrigues: Exactly. Yeah.

[00:06:22]
Amanda Greene: Sounds very glamorous, honestly.

[00:06:25]
Kim Rodrigues: It’s nice.

[00:06:28]
Amanda Greene: Let’s talk logistics. How do you like to plan your solo trips?

[00:06:32]
Kim Rodrigues: I’m very type A, so I like to have a lot of things planned out. I think one of the first things I take into consideration is safety. So I try to look at the things that are going to keep me safe. So, for example, I think about if I’m flying to a destination, how am I going to get from the airport to my hotel or to the city center? And then I think about how I’m going to stay in touch with family and friends. I like to use different apps and things like that. I like to share my location with certain people. I think about those things first. I try to plan those things out, and then after that I do an extensive deep dive on attractions for a solo female traveler and food, restaurants, things to do and see. And I will have all of those things mapped out, like a light itinerary. And then when I get to my destination, then I say, ‘Okay, I have this list and I can do all these things, but if I just want to walk around the city for four hours and soak it in, I can do that too.’

[00:07:28]
Amanda Greene: Okay. So you’re planning your solo travel. Do you stay in hotels or somewhere else?

[00:07:32]
Kim Rodrigues: I stay in hotels. I mean, I will switch it up depending on where I’m going. For example, if I have a really good friend in a destination, I might stay with them for a little while if they’re inviting me or sometimes I’ll do a vacation rental or something like that. But for the most part, I like to stay in hotels.

[00:07:51]
Amanda Greene: Do you have any hotel booking tips?

[00:07:53]
Kim Rodrigues: I would say book it as far in advance as you can because you can get really good deals and rates that way. Also, I find with hotels too, you never know until you ask. I have gotten a lot of things like free room upgrades, early check-in, free breakfast – all of these things simply because I asked. I didn’t do anything special, I just said, ‘Hey, can I check in early? I know it’s 11 o’clock and check-in is at three, but if my room is available, is it okay if I go ahead and check in?’ And a lot of the time they say yes. I have had a few no’s, but sometimes they’re like, ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’ AAA is actually a really great way for solo travelers to get deals and discounts on hotels and rental cars.

[00:08:36]
Amanda Greene: What about getting around a new place?

[00:08:39]
Kim Rodrigues: Look into public transportation, if it’s reliable and if people use it. In certain cities they have train maps and things that you can use to help you navigate. It depends because a city like London has really easy public transportation, but then where I’m from in Atlanta, it’s really hard to get around with our public transportation if you aren’t already familiar with it. And then you want to look into ride-share programs, if they have them, because there are some cities that ban them. How walkable is it as well? Is it safe to walk, especially as a solo female? And then sometimes I’ll also look into renting a car if it’s an option for you because I know sometimes they can be a little pricey, but that’s always a good option too because I think you have a lot more freedom when you have a car.

[00:09:23]
Amanda Greene: You have mentioned staying safe quite a few times and I want to dive a little deeper into that. What are some mistakes people might make that make them more vulnerable than they may realize?

[00:09:35]
Kim Rodrigues: I know there’s so many of us on social media and we love sharing our trips on Instagram and other platforms, but I would resist the urge to post in real time or geo-tag anything in real time. So, I would wait until you moved on to a new city or you’re back home and then you can start sharing because you just never know who’s watching. Another thing is sharing everything with friends and family. If I’m going on a trip, I will share my whole itinerary with them and I’ll say, ‘Okay, here’s the hotel I’m staying at. Here’s my flight, here are my flight numbers. This is what time I’m expected to be at the hotel. I’m doing this city for three days and then this city for another three days,’ so they have an idea of what I’m doing and I check in with them as well. So I will send them photos, I’ll send them text videos to be like, ‘Hey, look, I just did this today,’ and so I know they know that if they don’t hear from me, then they can look at my itinerary and see what’s going on. And another thing is don’t tell people that you’re traveling alone. I’m waiting for friends, I’m meeting my husband. I will make up all sorts of different things before I tell someone I’m traveling alone.

[00:10:45]
Amanda Greene: Do you have anything that you like to bring on trips to help make it safer?

[00:10:48]
Kim Rodrigues: I have a personal alarm that I always carry with me. I also like to carry crossbody bags, so things are close to my body when I’m traveling, especially in cities that have really high pickpockets. I also have a door stop that I like to use at the hotel that has an alarm on it. So if someone comes into my room, it’s immediately stopped by the door stopper and I can hear the alarm so I know what’s going on and it might scare them away. And I also try to be aware of my surroundings because there are a lot of cities where you’re walking down one street and it’s totally fine, you cross one street parallel and it’s a different world. So just try to be aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk with headphones in, stay alert because a lot of the times when people are looking to do harm, they’re looking for people that are vulnerable and they’re looking for people that are not paying attention, that are really distracted. So you want to get rid of distractions and make sure you’re staying focused, you’re aware. That’s a huge one.

[00:11:47]
Amanda Greene: How important is it to read reviews when you’re doing your research and you’re checking out the places you want to visit? How important is it to read all the reviews online?

[00:11:56]
Kim Rodrigues: I think the more research you do, the better prepared you’re going to be. So reading reviews is also a big part of it, even if it’s just reading reviews for hotels to figure out what area it’s in, reading reviews for different tours, reading reviews for restaurants. I mean, reviews can really give you an insight into what’s going on because they’re written by the people, so it’s a good indicator.

[00:12:19]
Amanda Greene: Researching the trip is half the fun. I find that’s where all the dreaming comes in and you get to decide what you really want to do. Kim’s coming back soon, but I want to bring Jillian Young in to talk about timing your trip. She’s with AAA and knows who’s going where, when. So let’s get the insider info on the best times to travel. Jillian, what kind of travel trends are we seeing right now?

[00:12:43]
Jillian Young: When you look at what has happened this summer, we’ve seen travel trends exceed the numbers we saw last year. So the anticipation is that we will see those numbers be higher this year-end, which means you’re going to have a lot of company if you’re traveling this fall for Thanksgiving or as we look to the end of the year for holiday, New Year’s, getaway travel.

[00:13:05]
Amanda Greene: What do all of the stats that you have at AAA tell us about when the best time to fly is?

[00:13:12]
Jillian Young: Great question. We actually analyzed some data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and what we found was that morning flights, early morning specifically, are significantly less likely to be delayed or canceled than flights later in the day. Once something starts to get delayed, it impacts everything else later in the day. We actually looked at the busy summer travel season when we do see just so many flights between June, July and August in particular and at the 30 largest US airports, the percentage of on-time flights peaked during the 6:00 a.m. hour, and then it dropped every hour until 7:00 p.m., which had the worst percentage of on-time flight departures. So the numbers are right there for you. If you can get out in the morning, do it.

[00:14:01]
Amanda Greene: What about if you’re traveling by car? What are the stats saying about the best and worst time to hit the road if you’re driving?

[00:14:07]
Jillian Young: Yeah, so what you want to do when you’re taking a road trip is make sure that you’re not mixing with typical commute times. When we look at a lot of holidays, whether it’s a long weekend like a Memorial Day or a Labor Day or a Thanksgiving where that Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a notoriously tough traffic day, what you see is people who were doing their vacation drive or their holiday drive are mixed with people who are doing their regular commute, and that is when things start to get really congested on the roads. And so if you can, avoid those commute times, that’s really going to help you out. And looking at a travel forecast like ours, you’ll be able to see, ‘Oh, this is when the roads are going to be the worst time, and if I early in the morning or late at night or just before this peak window of travel is going to start.’ It’s just going to get you there hopefully a little bit faster and keep you out of some of that worst traffic.

[00:15:02]
Amanda Greene: Totally guilty of what you just described, because we drive that Wednesday before Thanksgiving to Rhode Island, we get stuck in Hartford at 5:30 p.m. and it’s like we don’t learn. We do it every single year.

[00:15:14]
Jillian Young: That is one of the toughest days. I mean, I remember when I was in college, that Wednesday afternoon, it’s like there aren’t any classes then and it’s just a mass exodus and we’re talking cars, but trains are also really, really packed that day as well. So I mean, that’s something also to consider when it comes to buying tickets in advance for any train or bus you might need for some peak travel times, but again, if you can go off- peak, it’s going to help you out.

[00:15:47]
Amanda Greene: So what can we do to help get ahead of any of those unplanned snags?

[00:15:53]
Jillian Young: Having a backup plan is really your best bet, knowing what some of those other options are. I like to have the app for not just the airline I’m flying, but for another airline that flies into that destination on my phone ready to go. If there’s a delay or cancellation, that’s going to be a really easy way to see what your other options are and rebook if you need to. And just knowing are there driving possibilities? Are there train possibilities? Just having some of those things in the back of your mind make it much less stressful to really start from square one if you do need to adjust your plans.

[00:16:29]
Amanda Greene: We’ve talked too about really getting to know the map of where you’re going to even know about public transportation and have those backup plans, maybe not planned, but a general idea of how might I get around if plan A doesn’t work out?

[00:16:43]
Jillian Young: 100%. Less about having a fully baked plan B and more just a general awareness of what your options are if you need to start crafting that other plan.

[00:16:53]
Amanda Greene: How about when it comes to solo travel? What are some of the pros and cons of being by yourself when things come up?

[00:17:00]
Jillian Young: One of the biggest advantages is that you can just be more flexible. You’re not relying on anyone else in terms of what time they might want to leave to get somewhere. It’s always tough when you are an early arriver to the airport and you’re traveling with someone who is a late arriver to the airport. That can make things tough if you need to adjust your plans. I was just talking about this with someone yesterday, actually. He was traveling with a group of eight people and their flight got canceled, and it’s not easy to make arrangements for a group of eight people when something like that happens. But I was traveling solo just a few weeks ago and my flight got delayed, and I immediately started looking at what are my other options? Are there other airports in my area that flights are still going into where I could snag just a single seat? And because it was just me, that was a really easy thing to start thinking about and to do it really quickly without even checking with anybody else, ‘Hey, does this sound good?’ I just started searching, and so that makes it a lot easier.

[00:18:01]
Amanda Greene: So true. Thanks, Jillian. This year could be one for the books as far as the number of travelers go. So keep in mind what Jillian said. The earlier in the day you fly, the less likely you are to have your flight delayed. Book your train and bus tickets as early as possible, especially if you’re traveling near a holiday and if you’re driving at a peak travel time, don’t leave your house just in time to get caught in rush hour traffic in another city like Hartford. Let’s bring Kim back for the final word on solo travel.

[00:18:36]
Kim Rodrigues: I think that what people may not recognize is that solo travel is for everyone. So you could be married, you could have kids, you can be single. It’s for everyone. There are just so many things in our daily life with work and responsibilities and family that sometimes it is nice to just have – even if it’s two days – to yourself to do whatever you want and just prioritize yourself. It’s so special. Just take the leap. I know it seems a lot scarier than it is. Just know that there’s so many hard things that we all do in life, and if you can do those hard things, you can solo travel. Just make sure you do your research and go have fun.

[00:19:11]
Amanda Greene: It really does sound special. Before we let you go, let’s do some rapid fire questions. Are you ready?

[00:19:19]
Kim Rodrigues: I am. These are fun. I’m ready.

[00:19:21]
Amanda Greene: Where are you going next?

[00:19:23]
Kim Rodrigues: I’m going to Dallas, Texas, in a couple of months. I also plan on going to Japan with my mom later this year, so that’s really exciting.

[00:19:32]
Amanda Greene: And special to do it with your mother.

[00:19:34]
Kim Rodrigues: Yeah, I do a lot of trips with my mom. She’s such an amazing travel partner.

[00:19:39]
Amanda Greene: Amazing. What is the most spontaneous trip you’ve ever gone on?

[00:19:43]
Kim Rodrigues: I would say the most spontaneous trip that I’ve ever gone on is to a tree house that I found on Instagram. I saw a couple of days open, I booked it and I just drove and stayed at this really beautiful tree house for a couple of days, just unplanned.

[00:19:57]
Amanda Greene: Actually, a house up in a tree, like you had to climb a ladder?

[00:20:00]
Kim Rodrigues: Yeah.

[00:20:01]
Amanda Greene: Stop it.

[00:20:01]
Kim Rodrigues: Yeah, it was amazing.

[00:20:03]
Amanda Greene: That sounds literally magical.

[00:20:04]
Kim Rodrigues: It was. It was. It was so nice.

[00:20:07]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so when you’re flying, are you checking a bag or trying to squish everything into a carry on?

[00:20:13]
Kim Rodrigues: I only check bags if I’m going to a place for a really long period of time, and I know I want to bring a lot of stuff back, but I am definitely team carry on. I try to squash everything into my bag as best as possible.

[00:20:26]
Amanda Greene: What is the craziest food you’ve ever tried while traveling?

[00:20:31]
Kim Rodrigues: Oh, I don’t know how crazy this one is, but I have tried alligator.

[00:20:35]
Amanda Greene: Yes.

[00:20:36]
Kim Rodrigues: In Florida. I don’t know.

[00:20:37]
Amanda Greene: Same. That might be the most adventurous thing I’ve tried too.

[00:20:40]
Kim Rodrigues: Yeah. I don’t know. Yeah, I’m like, I don’t know how out there that is, but it’s pretty good. I didn’t mind it.

[00:20:45]
Amanda Greene: You are so interesting, and I can imagine that your trips are really memorable and fulfilling and adventurous, and we appreciate you coming on and sharing your experiences with us.

[00:20:57]
Kim Rodrigues: Thank you so much.

[00:20:58]
Amanda Greene: Safe travels.

[00:20:59]
Kim Rodrigues: Thank you.

[00:21:04]
Amanda Greene: I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired. Kim has such great tips for traveling alone. Do lots of research, figure out where you want to go and when. Share your itinerary with friends and family, but save the social media posts for later. You only want the right people knowing exactly where you are. Stay alert, pay attention, keep your valuables safe and bring a personal alarm and a doorstop, but most importantly, have fun. There’s a whole world out there.

You’ve been listening to Merging Into Life where we navigate life’s milestones, one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast with assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. If you’re learning as much as I am, follow us wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review. We’d love to know what you think. Email us at podcast@AAAnortheast.com. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

AAA Travel

Cruising Solo? You’re Not Alone!

Dive Deeper on a Small Group Tour

Rent a Car

K-Rod Collective

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Want to Learn More? Drop Us a Note

*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

Glistening snow-covered lanes, dreams by the fire and plenty of plans to be made — experience all the landmarks of a winter wonderland fit for a song, just 30 miles from Manhattan in Westchester County, New York. Hop in the car for a drive or take Metro-North or Amtrak.

Here are a few highlights of the 2025-2026 winter season to inspire your trip.

Outdoor Activities and History

Explore Westchester’s collection of thematic trails. Walk the American Revolutionary Trail to retrace key moments from America’s founding and follow the African American Heritage Trail to honor powerful stories of perseverance and victory. You can also (responsibly) sip your way through the Westchester Craft Beverage Trail, a self-guided tasting tour of standout breweries, cideries and distilleries across the County.

For more fun in the fresh air, lace up your skates and soak up the beautiful winter landscapes at Westchester’s parks. When lakes and ponds freeze over, ice skating is allowed at Blue Mountain Reservation (Peekskill), Mountain Lakes Park (North Salem), Tibbetts Brook Park (Yonkers), Twin Lakes Park (New Rochelle), Wampus Pond (Armonk) and Wilsons Woods (Mount Vernon).

Cross-country skiers and snowshoers can enjoy Croton-on-Hudson’s Croton Point Park, featuring 508 acres along the Hudson River, and the serene 208-acre Kitchawan Preserve in Ossining. For hikers, Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining is open from dawn until dusk and offers special programming like “Snow Stories” and the “Full Moon Hike” series.

Indoor Family Fun

On days when the indoors beckon, there’s something to keep everyone in the family entertained.

Walk-ins are welcome at The Pottery Factory in Mount Kisco, where you can tap into your creative side with pottery, candle making and more. For date night, join one of the instructor-led paint and sip party sessions.

Imagine spring at Five Iron Golf in Port Chester. Outfitted with state-of-the-art simulators, visitors can tee up at champion-level courses or challenge each other to a game.

Families with kids can spend hours at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers. It’s the ultimate indoor LEGO® playground with endless building adventures and interactive experiences. In Rye, the Westchester Children’s Museum is another place where little imaginations can soar, providing hands-on spaces for kids to design, create and discover together.

Cozy Stays

Overnighting? Consider the scenic Abbey Inn & Spa in Peekskill. Overlooking the Hudson River in a restored convent and chapel, here you can enhance your stay with dinner at the farm-to-table Apropos Restaurant or a spa treatment.

Tucked along a peaceful, tree-lined road, the Kittle House Inn in Chappaqua, formerly known as Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant & Inn, plans to reopen guestrooms in early 2026. This luxurious escape combines the elegance of Old New York with historic charm and also includes a fine-dining restaurant.

The Bedford Post Inn is a quaint historic property, filled with charm. Dating back to the 1860s, it is home to an eight-room luxury inn, yoga studio and two distinct restaurants. Its heated bathroom floors and freestanding soaking tubs are exactly what you need on a cold winter day.

From indoor escapes to outdoor adventures, there’s plenty to keep you entertained in Westchester — and plenty of dining options to satisfy your cravings, wherever you go.

Start planning your Westchester getaway.

Featured image: Philipsburg Manor is a Historic Hudson Valley property on the African American Heritage Trail.

Heading on a trip soon? You might want to rent a car. Car rentals offer a convenient way to get around your destination after your plane lands. For long road trips, a rental can provide extra space for passengers or cargo, and it can save your own car from the wear and tear.

Of course, you always want to drive safely, but getting into an unfamiliar car requires some extra preparation and precautions. From ensuring a secure place for pick up and drop off to taking time to learn about the vehicle’s features, here are some car rental safety tips to keep in mind before hitting the road.

Book Early and Prepare Ahead

Hertz recommends booking a car in advance so it will be waiting for you when you arrive at your destination. You should also try to decide ahead of time if you are going to buy rental car insurance.

Drivers are usually covered by their personal insurance or through a credit card when renting a car, but it’s smart to review your coverage with your insurance agent or credit card company first to see if you need to fill any gaps. Also, double check if your car insurance will cover you if you are traveling for business.

If you are taking an extended vacation and have a lot of personal items in the car such as electronics and jewelry, consider buying personal effects coverage. You also may have coverage for your belongings through your homeowners policy, so it is best to confirm that. 

If renting from Hertz, consider purchasing a loss damage waiver policy for an extra layer of protection to cover any damage to the rental car.

Before you go, take pictures of the interior and exterior of the car so you have a record of its condition.

Check Your Surroundings

Airports are the most common places to pick up and return rental cars and finding them is usually as simple as following the signs to the car rental counter. Company’s like Hertz also often have neighborhood locations that may be closer to you.

Depending on where you are picking up or dropping off your rental, there can be many people around or hardly any – both situations require some level of vigilance.

Keep your luggage and personal belongings with you at all times and do not engage with strangers that may be trying to distract you; while one person is trying to get your attention, another person could be trying to lift your bags. Similarly, don’t allow strangers to help you load and unload your bags or take the keys. Hertz employees wear badges, so they can be easily identified.

Check the Car

Familiarize yourself with the car; check to make sure you know how to turn on the lights, wipers, defroster, cruise control and parking brake and get a feel for the brakes.

Practice the same safety measures you do while driving your own car, such as wearing your seatbelt and staying off your phone.

Always lock the car and avoid parking on the street. Try to use hotel parking when you can. Don’t leave your personal items in the car, but if for some reason you must, keep them out of sight. Be aware of anyone approaching the car.

In Case of a Crash

No matter how cautious you are, car crashes can happen, which requires extra work on your end, no matter who is at fault. First, stay calm. Follow the same steps you would take if a crash occurred while driving your personal car: Check to see if anyone is injured and call 911.

If the car is operational, pull off the road to a safe place and exit cautiously, then exchange insurance information with the other driver if there is one. Make sure you get the case number when the police come to file a report.

As soon as possible, call the emergency number for the rental car agency, which should be on the rental agreement paperwork. Ask them where they want you to take the car, depending on whether it can be driven or needs a tow truck. Then of course, contact your own insurance company.

The rental company also will require you to complete an accident report, and forms usually are on the agency website.

One Final Look

At the end of your road trip, follow the rental company’s instructions for drop off. Just make sure that the gas tank is full, or if it is an EV, the battery is completely charged. Before handing over the key, clean up and scour the car to ensure you don’t leave any personal belongings behind.

AAA members can enjoy exclusive discounts and benefits when renting from Hertz.

Flying elicits a lot of emotions – from sheer excitement for some to downright dread for others. Those who experience the latter aren’t alone; about 25 million people report having a fear of flying, and whether that’s because of turbulence, lack of control or something else, combatting it is easier said than done.

While deep breathing exercises and mental preparation are common techniques to manage flying anxiety, there’s a growing interest in how certain types of food can help lessen nervousness during a flight. “Serotonin regulates digestion at multiple levels within the human GI system,” according to the National Library of Medicine. Because of this connection between our gastrointestinal system and the “feel good” hormone, it’s theorized that what we eat has a significant influence on our mood – but not all kinds of food are created equal when it comes to dispelling flight anxiety.

Foods That Could Help Ease Flight Anxiety

Magnesium-Rich Foods

Magnesium is a mineral that’s been linked to reducing anxiety and improving your mood as it regulates neurotransmitters that help balance emotions. A deficiency in magnesium can actually contribute to stress and anxiety, so eating magnesium-rich foods before a flight may help alleviate feelings of unease.

Meals that feature a good amount of dark, leafy greens, like spinach and kale, are a great source of magnesium as are nuts and seeds, like almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Commonly found in fish, omega-3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce symptoms of anxiety by supporting brain health and regulating mood. Some studies even suggest that omega-3s may lower the production of stress hormones like cortisol.

Types of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines are your best bet, but pre-flight snacks like chia seed pudding or a handful of walnuts contain a good amount of omega-3s, as well.

Complex Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential for producing serotonin. Before you reach for that bagel, though, it’s important to note that the type of carb matters. Complex carbohydrates provide a slow and steady release of energy and avoid the blood sugar spikes and crashes associated with simple carbs like baked goods, pasta and fruit.

Good sources of complex carbohydrates include oats, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread and quinoa.

Herbal Tea

Certain herbal teas are well known for their calming properties, making them a great addition to your preflight prep. Besides helping to keep you hydrated, tea also contains compounds that can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.  

When choosing which tea to drink before or during your flight, look for chamomile, peppermint or green tea. Chamomile tea contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to receptors in your brain that may decrease anxiety. Peppermint tea, on the other hand, has a cooling effect that can help calm the mind. Green tea, although usually caffeinated, has an amino acid called L-theanine which promotes relaxation without drowsiness.

Probiotics

Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is important for your immune health as well as breaking down your food to adequately extract essential vitamins and nutrients from the food you eat. Probiotic foods that support gut health may have an impact on anxiety levels as healthy gut bacteria can improve mood and reduce anxiety by producing neurotransmitters that regulate stress.

Probiotic foods to consider include yogurt with live cultures, kefir and fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.  

Foods to Avoid

Just as certain foods can help calm your nerves, others can trigger or exacerbate it. For those with plane anxiety or fear of flying, it’s best to stay clear of the following.

Caffeine

Drinking coffee may be how you usually begin your day, but consuming caffeine before a flight can increase your heart rate and make you feel more jittery and anxious.

Sugary Snacks

As previously mentioned, simple sugars or carbohydrates can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which might leave you feeling tired and irritable.

Alcohol

Although having a drink may seem like a way to “numb” anxiety, it can actually disrupt your sleep, cause dehydration and make anxiety worse in the long run.

Do you have flight anxiety? What’s your hack for keeping it at bay? Let us know in the comments.

Find balance and tranquility at one of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ spa retreats, situated in picturesque locations around the world. Unwind with forget-the-world treatments, from therapeutic massages and nourishing facials to organic body wraps and services in ultramodern salons. Many properties are also home to wellness facilities like revitalizing saunas, state-of-the-art fitness centers and sparkling pools.

Lose yourself in a rejuvenating spa package, available at many of the spa hotels and resorts. Packages include, but are not limited to, luxurious massages, facials, body wraps and salon services.

Here are three of our favorite spa destinations. Explore even more.

Grand Palladium Jamaica, All-Inclusive Resort Spa

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Nestled between Montego Bay and Lucea on Jamaica’s northeast coast, the AAA Four Diamond designated Grand Palladium caters to singles, couples, families and anyone looking for a relaxing stay full of pampering. Check out the 6,000-square-meter super spa equipped with 18 treatment rooms, head for the indoor pool for leisurely laps or get in some yoga or fitness classes. Prefer the outdoors? Guests have access to four beaches, where they can stretch out in the sun and have a beverage.

Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa

Tucson, Arizona

If you are looking for an oasis in the Sonoran Desert with stunning desert landscapes, this 80-acre, AAA Four Diamond resort is the spot. Enjoy all the luxury treatments offered at the Sonoran Spa, such as massage, energizing scrubs and restorative facials using natural desert botanicals and therapeutic herbs grown from their Wellness Garden. Swim in three different pools, soak in a hot tub, explore desert trails on horseback and dine at world-class restaurants onsite. Step outside the resort to visit Sabino Canyon, Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mall.

Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive Resort & Villas

Cancun, Mexico

The perfect retreat for families, couples or anyone, this AAA Three Diamond property is steps away from the Caribbean’s turquoise waters. Take a dip in any of the resort’s three pools, unwind with a massage or rejuvenating facial at the spa and enjoy manicures, pedicures and blow-dry services at the salon. Plus, there’s golf, unlimited cocktails and sumptuous food. Shopping and entertainment are nearby.

Explore Wyndham’s locations worldwide. AAA members save 10% or more* on hotel stays. Book now by calling 800-789-4103 and mention you are a AAA member, or visit WyndhamHotels.com/AAA.

*Restrictions Apply.

Tailgating out of your EV or “frunkgating” brings the classic tailgate party to a whole new level. Front trunks – known as frunks on EVs – and the added power they can supply, bring all new possibilities to the parking lot.

So Cool

While frunks vary in size – the largest is approximately 14 cubic feet, equivalent to a medium upright freezer – all provide convenient storage space. Some are even watertight and have drains, which makes them handy coolers. For those who want to keep their frunks safe from spills and messes, frunk liners are available.

Bring the Power

Some EVs come equipped with plugs for bidirectional charging, meaning you can use the car’s battery as a power source, basically turning it into a generator on four wheels. Since EV batteries are powerful enough to light up a house for several days, plugging in grills and TVs is not a problem. Some frunks also include USB and 120-volt chargers, which can be used for Bluetooth devices, lights and even power tools.

The additional power also means more cooking options than a generator could support, so tailgaters can plug in a slow cooker, blender, popcorn maker, fans, heaters and even a microwave.

For an internet connection, owners can use their vehicle’s power port to access a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot.

The Party Doesn’t Stop

No tickets to the big game? No problem. Truck owners can mount their big-screen TVs in the back of the vehicle and enjoy food and drinks while watching the game. Or sit and chill until the crowd thins after the final whistle blows.

Ready to kick off your frunkgate extravaganza? Try these game day snacks to get the party started. When it’s time for the main event, check out Southern Living’s 60 tasty tailgate recipes.

Have you used your EV for tailgating? What did you like about the experience?

To learn more, visit AAA’s EV website.

In an effort to best serve our members, AAA DMV services are available at all branches in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York and at three branches in Connecticut: Norwalk, Fairfield and Danbury. Not all services are offered in all states. You can locate your nearest branch here.

Find more information about AAA DMV services near you, how to make a reservation and what you need to know before you arrive.

AAA DMV Services in Connecticut

What DMV services does AAA offer? 

• License and ID services
• License renewals
• License upgrades (including REAL ID)
• Duplicate licenses
• Driving records for employment

AAA DMV Services in Rhode Island

What DMV services does AAA offer? 

• License renewals
• Duplicate licenses
• Renewal of existing state ID
• Renewal of expired state ID
• REAL ID license upgrade
• State ID duplicates
• Registration renewals
• Late renewals
• Duplicate registrations
• Registration address change
• Cancellation of registration
• License plate remake
• Vanity plate orders
• Motorcycle endorsement

What DMV services does AAA NOT offer? 

• New licenses or state ID’s to include out of state conversions of license or ID
• Conversion of a driver’s license to state ID
• All CDL license transactions
• Name change on license, ID or registrations. Exception: AAA can change a middle name only with legal documents for Real ID endorsement on License or state ID transactions only
• Non-Citizen License/ID transactions
• Reinstate suspended licenses, ID’s or registrations
• Any title services
• New vehicle registrations or new license plates for a new or used vehicle you have purchased
• Converting an out of state registration to Rhode Island
• Registration transfer of existing plates
• Drivers permits, either new or duplicates/replacements

AAA DMV Services in New York

What DMV services does AAA offer? 

• Registration renewals
• Registration amendments (Acceptable changes: address change, vehicle color change.)
• Duplicate registrations
• Registration transfers
• License renewals
• Commercial Driver License (CDL) renewals, duplicates and amendments, including downgrading or upgrading change of class, an upgrade to Real ID or Enhanced. 
• Duplicate licenses (Duplicates can be issued if a license is lost or stolen, if you are changing an address, if you want to change your photo or if you want to add or remove organ donor status.)
• License amendments (Only the following amendments can be performed: changing name, address, sex, height, eye color, date of birth; adding veteran status.)
• License upgrades (REAL ID, Enhanced Driver License)
• Non-driver ID renewals, duplicates and upgrades
• Plate surrenders
• Lease buyouts
• Vision tests

What DMV services are NOT offered?

• New licenses or state ID’s to include out of state conversions of license or ID
• Conversion of a driver’s license to state ID
• Reinstate suspended licenses, ID’s or registrations
• Late registration renewals expired beyond one year​
• Any title services
• New vehicle registrations or new license plates for a new or used vehicle you have purchased
• Converting an out of state registration to a New York registration
• Remove, clear or accept payment for income tax blocks, parking violations, E-ZPass violations or tickets

AAA RMV Services in Massachusetts

What RMV services does AAA offer? 

• License renewals
• Massachusetts has started the Free Real ID upgrade for those who renewed their standard license/state ID through the RMV online system between June 12, 2020, and April 30, 2021. If you qualify, make a reservation for “Real ID” at the MA AAA office of your choice, record the application form and BRING ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR REAL ID TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.
• Duplicate licenses (Duplicates can be issued if a license is lost or stolen, if you are changing an address, if you want to change your photo or if you want to add or remove organ donor status.)
• REAL ID license upgrade
• Renewal of existing state ID
• State ID duplicates
• Registration renewals
• Duplicate registrations
• Registration amendments (Acceptable changes: address change, vehicle color change.)
• Registration transfers
• Duplicate titles
• Replacement license plate sticker

What RMV services does AAA NOT offer? 

• New licenses or state ID’s to include out of state conversions of license or ID
• Conversion of a driver’s license to state ID
• All CDL license transactions
• Name change on standard license, standard state ID or registrations. Exception: AAA can do a name change only with legal documents for Real ID endorsement on license or state ID transaction only
• Reinstate suspended licenses, ID’s or registrations
• New vehicle registrations or new license plates for a new or used vehicle you have purchased
• Converting an out of state registration to Massachusetts
• Duplicate plate requests
• License plate cancelations
• License plate swaps (Moving plates between two vehicles you own)
• Name swaps on registrations and titles

Important Information

DMV transactions require paperwork and proof of ID. Real ID and Enhanced endorsements for a non-driver ID and drivers’ license have additional requirements. To successfully complete a DMV transaction, you must prepare yourself with acceptable documents. We recommend you fill out these forms before your reservation. These forms may include:

MV-82 – Vehicle registration/title application

Required for registration renewals, amendments and duplicates.

MV-44 – Application for permit, driver’s license or non-driver ID

Required for license renewals, amendments and duplicates.

Other requirements

Valid AAA membership and proof of identification.

FAQs

How do I make a reservation for a AAA DMV service?

Before visiting a branch, you can make an online reservation for branches in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.

What do I need to know about making a reservation?

• One person cannot make a reservation for multiple people. Each individual in need of service must have his or her own reservation.
• Currently, AAA branches can only service one transaction type per visit.
• AAA is only able to provide DMV services to active AAA members at this time. You will need to bring your current AAA membership card to your reservation.

Is there a fee for AAA DMV services?

In Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, DMV/RMV services are free for all AAA members. In Connecticut, AAA members from outside AAA Northeast territory pay $6 for DMV services and non-members pay $8.

For more information and a complete list of all required documents and forms needed to complete AAA DMV services, visit AAA.com.

Pictured above: The staff at AAA Northeast’s Farmingdale, N.Y., branch.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

A few years ago, I was getting married, buying a fixer-upper, and preparing to have our first baby. Adult things, right? If you’re entering the world of parenthood, you may be adding items to the baby registry or finding yourself sleep-deprived from the late-night feedings. With this new life unfolding before you, the thought of losing your own never crosses your mind.

As parents, it was crucial to avoid leaving our loved ones with financial stress when faced with an unexpected loss. Although uncomfortable to think about, during such an exciting time in life, there really isn’t a more relevant time to need life insurance.

Here are four reasons I decided to purchase life insurance:

1. My Kids and Spouse Depend on Me

If you just had a baby, congrats on your new bundle of joy and financial responsibility for the next eighteen years – and beyond! Not many of us are thinking about life insurance after having a baby, but this is precisely when you should. Life insurance was created for that exact reason, to cover the expenses of your loved ones that depend on you when you’re gone.

As a parent, I had to consider how much I would leave my surviving spouse to cover on their own financially. It’s no secret how pricey it is to raise children. It’s daunting to consider paying for your mortgage, childcare, diapers, and even college tuition with a sudden loss of income. A life insurance policy would ensure my family wouldn’t suffer more than they would by merely shifting the financial burden to an insurance company. Another thing we considered was getting life insurance for both of us. We both work from home and take care of our kids simultaneously. If I were to pass, my husband wouldn’t be able to take care of all three kids while working from home, resulting in childcare expenses moving forward. Both of us bring in a monetary contribution, whether a second income or significant savings with childcare.

2. The Cost Was Lower Since We’re Healthy

We are talking about a significant financial advantage to buying it as soon as possible. Life insurance policy costs increase as you age, so it’s crucial to lock in a rate when you’re healthy. You may even benefit from getting life insurance before you have kids, as pregnancy can cause health issues that could factor into your monthly premium. Having back-to-back pregnancies, one being very complicated, left me in bad shape. We needed a physical for a larger life insurance policy, and although our rates were decent, I can’t imagine how much better they would have been if we locked it in before the babies.

3. I’m Carrying Student Loans With Co-Signers

If you’re like me, you didn’t graduate college too long ago, so you’re likely carrying some debt. It’s probably safe to also assume the majority of those loans had a co-signer. As a student with no credit history or income, the banks would not lend to me without my parents’ co-sign. So, what do you think would happen to those loans if you were to pass away unexpectedly? Those debts fall into the laps of the co-signer, aka my parents. They will be expected to take over or pay back in full immediately. It’s a great idea to protect your co-signers from having to pay your debt or ruin their credit attempting to do so.

4. Funeral Costs Would Be Covered

If you have kids, you’ve been introduced to the new and very expensive costs of raising a child. Between the diapers and childcare expenses, it’s not likely you have a large chunk of money laying around for an unexpected funeral. During the birth of our second child, I experienced a very rare and unexpected complication. We exhausted nearly all our savings for an extended NICU stay at the hospital. If something had happened to me, I wouldn’t have wanted my family to have gone through the grieving process while also dealing with the financial burden of a funeral.

Life insurance for yourself and your spouse is not only ensuring coverage for your family’s financial future, but it’s also providing peace of mind. As a parent, you’re not just living for yourself anymore, but for the family you’ve created. With so many to-dos on your mind, don’t let the fear of providing for your family when you’re gone keep you up at night; just leave that to the baby.

I’m no stranger to emergency rooms or ambulances. Heck, as I write this, my dad is actively being admitted to a hospital in hopes of getting a kidney donation. Growing up, my grandma lived with us, which meant I became familiar with the occasional ambulance call. And during college, I worked as a volunteer EMT, meaning I spent an exorbitant amount of time riding in ambulances and even driving them. But it wasn’t until recently that I’ve ever been the reason to call one.

Without any warning, I went from sipping an iced coffee in a New York City Starbucks, getting ready for another day in the office, to being the patient. This time, I was the one who was at the mercy of my body, paramedics, and traffic (and potholes), as I was transported across the city.

Being in this new position – buckled into the stretcher instead of leaning over it – didn’t just give me a new perspective on what the ambulance ceiling looks like or a reminder that a quick IV in a moving vehicle can hurt. It also made me realize that not all the “adult” things I’d put off should have waited. The first being life insurance.

My realization was reinforced as I was seemingly reminded on repeat that day: “31-year-old female …” as if the doctors and nurses needed to reiterate that I was no longer a child. And although the extent of my life insurance knowledge was, at the time, thanks to true crime documentaries, as the mature, responsible, newlywed that I am now, that was no longer enough.

I used to joke with my husband that my mom was still my go-to emergency contact for all things because she’s the only phone number I had memorized. (Yes, we’ve been together almost eight years. And no, I couldn’t recite past his area code). But that was also no longer enough.

And sure, I was going to get around to buying life insurance after we got married and purchased a house, but COVID pushed that plan back years. But then, in addition to a crazy housing market, things became even more difficult for first-time home buyers with the turn in interest rates … so it hadn’t happened yet. And honestly, with my long list of things to do constantly growing, I’m sure I could’ve kept making excuses for putting it off.

As I waited in the ER for news, I did realize one thing as my loving husband rushed towards me: I’m no longer that invincible teen or young new graduate. I’m the adult in the room, and it’s time to make sure that my family is protected in the event of something unpredictable.

This wasn’t coming from a place of dramatic fear that I was dying on the stretcher, but rather I had a pragmatic realization of just how much I love my husband and want to do everything in my power to protect him (and our future family). Because if there’s anything that being a 31-year-old female living through a pandemic has taught me, it’s this: be prepared to expect the unexpected.

And that means taking the steps now to purchase a life insurance policy while we’re still “young and healthy” instead of assuming that we are still too “young and healthy” for a policy to apply to us yet. If something were to happen to me, the most important thing would be that I did everything in my power to leave my loved ones in the best position possible.

So, when we finally left the hospital, our banter wasn’t just about how hungry we were and debating where to pick up food on the way home, I also slipped in the mention of wanting to get the ball rolling on life insurance policies after I took an epic nap.

It turned out I didn’t need to sell my husband on the benefits or importance of doing this, even though we hopefully won’t need to file a claim for decades. He also didn’t brush it off as me being emotional or having a crisis on the heels of a hospital scare.

That’s because he had already purchased a policy for himself. In fact, he did it years ago, with me listed as the beneficiary, because he would also do anything in his power to keep me, and our future family, protected instead of procrastinating or gambling on the unknown. And that is just another reason why I married him – and why I’m also the proud new owner of a life insurance policy of my very own, at the youthful age of 31.

Working full-time as a graduate student packed my schedule with deadlines and obligations – I never had a free weekend! After I finished my degree, I realized I needed to prioritize the experiences I’d been longing for, especially the exciting, off-the-beaten-path museums, embassy events, and neighborhood festivals around my home in Washington, D.C.

Making It Happen

My first step in taking control of my post-grad adventure was hopping on my phone, opening my Notes app, and building a hometown bucket list, stacked with activities like “take the gargoyle tour at the National Cathedral,” “visit the Mansion on O Street,” and “attend the Congressional Baseball Game.” 

The thought of “What should I do this weekend?” was quickly followed by a scan down my activities list rather than trying to come up with something on the spot or settling on the next Netflix episode. I had a lineup of experiences ready to choose from that genuinely excited me.

When visitors came to town, I had many ideas for their stay. As a tour guide, I was able to give my friends and family a local perspective of the city and, as a bonus, check off places on my bucket list.

When making plans with local friends, I always had fun ways to spend time together beyond the monotony of going to the same bar or restaurant (though there is undoubtedly a place for that, too.)

Connecting With Community

After a few months of using place-based bucket lists, I wanted to document my experiences, provide recommendations, and inspire others to explore the world around them. I created an Instagram account, connecting me with the kindest community of like-minded creators who have since become friends.

It’s pushed me to explore corners of my community I never knew existed. I became more adventurous on my walks. Instead of sticking to the same old routes, I turned down new streets to see what was there. I thought I loved my home before, but after getting to know it better, I realized I had only scratched the surface.

Thinking critically about what I wanted out of my free time pushed me to reevaluate my life goals. I felt empowered to listen to the voice in my head asking, “What if you tried something new today?” 

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Expanding My Horizons

One positive aspect of post-grad life was the ability to pick up and move somewhere new. For some, this came as moving to the suburbs for more space. But for me, after finding adventure locally, I knew I was ready to take on an even bigger one–moving to New York City.

Some days, as I sit in my little Brooklyn apartment, I envy those who moved to the suburbs. But most days, moving to New York City to fulfill my bucket list is a dream come true.

Once I was no longer restricted by time and budget, I had a newfound appreciation for my adventures. I’m no longer waiting for the right circumstances or someone to go with me to try new things. Some of my fondest memories and most significant growth have been when I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone.

I now spend much of my free time checking off experiences and adding to my list. Since it’s still my first year as a New Yorker, my list includes “ice skate in Central Park” and “attend a Yankees game,” along with more local things I’ve learned about since moving here, like “see the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens during peak bloom.”

Finding Your Adventure

You don’t have to fill your bucket list with marvelous activities for it to be worth making. It can be as simple as making reservations at a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try or visiting a new part of town that you wouldn’t otherwise go to. Writing down your ideas and sharing them with friends or family will help hold you accountable, and, in my experience, the people you share your list with will want to join you.

It’s easy to become complacent in our daily lives, to assume that our circumstances will remain the same and our current opportunities will continue to exist. But I know that whatever tomorrow, the next month, or the next year brings, I want to spend each day making memories I won’t forget.

So, tell me, what’s on your bucket list?

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Small towns are often romanticized in movies and literature, and for a good reason – they’re typically surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes, exude an authenticity that’s difficult to find in bigger cities, and they are oh so charming. But despite their pervasive charm and ubiquitous presence across the East Coast, we used to overlook these towns when choosing a travel destination.

Like so many other Americans, we began prioritizing both outdoor adventure travel and local road trips significantly more over the last two years. Our weeknights are spent researching where to find the most epic hiking trails in the Mid-Atlantic, and we fill our weekends with camping, hiking, and exploring the small towns that are home to our area’s natural wonders and beautiful views.

As local getaways continue to trend among travelers, small towns will undoubtedly begin to gain popularity. So, to help you prioritize your bucket list, we’re highlighting three of the quaintest and most idyllic in the Mid-Atlantic region. You could spend weeks exploring these towns, but read on for how to spend one adventure-packed day in Luray, Virginia; Thurmont, Maryland; and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania – three of our favorite towns in the region!

Luray, Virginia

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest is Luray, Virginia. This town is a haven for nature-lovers as it boasts spectacular views, historic caverns, and easy access to some of the region’s most popular hikes.

If you’re up for an early wake-up call, start your morning with a sunrise hike along one of Shenandoah National Park’s 500+ miles of trails. The views from the summit of Stony Man, one of the park’s most popular trails, are breathtaking.

Before exploring Luray Caverns, grab a quick lunch in town (we recommend West Main Market Beer and Wine Garden). This cave site is over four million centuries old, the
largest in the eastern United States, and home to the world’s largest musical instrument, the Great Stalacpipe Organ.

If time allows, pay a visit to the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum and the Shenandoah Heritage Village. Both are found in the three-acre museum complex adjacent to Luray Caverns and highlight Shenandoah’s historical homes, vehicles, and industries as they transport visitors back in time.

End your night with dinner and cocktails at The Speakeasy at Mimslyn Inn or with some local craft beers at Hawksbill Brewing Company.

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Situated on the southern edge of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains within the Lehigh Gorge lies Jim Thorpe, a town where old-world storybook charm meets the adventurous nature of modern mountain towns and creates an oasis for outdoorsy travelers.

Start your morning with a to-go coffee from Muggles’ Mug, which is (you guessed it) the town’s Harry Potter-themed café, and then bop around the unique shops on West
Broadway. This part of town has maintained its old-timey, somewhat Victorian charm of years past.

After caffeinating, visit Lehigh Gorge State Park, where you can walk, hike, or bike to the waterfalls that call the park home. If the weather is favorable, spend your afternoon
kayaking or rafting along the Lehigh River. Or explore the boulder field in the northeastern corner of Hickory Run State Park. Located just thirty minutes from downtown Jim Thorpe, this park is home to waterfalls, trout streams, and over 40 miles of hiking trails.

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When you return to town, take a train ride through the mountains on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway that runs parallel to the Lehigh River. Looking for a more active
experience? Ride the train 25 miles north to White Haven, Pa., and return to Downtown Jim Thorpe by bike on a trail that runs slightly downhill. If time allows, peruse the Old Jail Museum. It dates back to 1871 and holds some haunting history.

Then, make your way to Stone Row Pub and Eatery. We recommend making an after-dark reservation and dining on the upper deck beside the old stables in the woods. It makes for quite a romantic experience – complete with fairy lights!

Thurmont, Maryland

Known for its covered bridges, beautiful waterfalls, hiking trails, and being the site of the Presidential Retreat, Camp David, this Maryland town is not to be missed.

If you’re visiting on a Saturday between June and September, starting your day with a visit to Thurmont Main Street Farmers Market is a must. Here, local vendors sell produce, handmade goods, and prepared foods on the grounds of Thurmont Park.

After fueling up, explore Catoctin Mountain Park. This National Park site is home to Camp David and offers miles of beautiful hiking trails. If you’re up for a challenge, head to Chimney Rock/Wolf Rock Trail – a 3.4-mile loop that boasts breathtaking views of the local landscape. Alternatively, spend the afternoon chasing waterfalls at Cunningham Falls State Park. These falls are the tallest in the state and hold a special place in our
hearts because we got engaged at their base.

Then, treat yourself to post-hike ice cream at Gateway Market and Candyland. If you’re in the mood for an adult treat, grab some meat and cheese from The Farmhouse Exchange (connected to Gateway Market) and head to Catoctin Breeze Vineyard for wine and live music. This winery has been named Fredrick County’s best winery.

Before heading home, take a scenic drive through Loys Station and Roddy Road Covered Bridge. Both are impressive as they were built in the mid-1800s and are still in operation. After spending the last few years road-tripping the East Coast, we’ve found that we enjoy the small towns hidden within just as much as (if not more than) their natural landscapes. We particularly love Luray, Thurmont, and Jim Thorpe as they provide something for every visitor. With elevated dining options, quaint main streets, speakeasies, wineries, and ample opportunities for outdoor adventure, these towns hold some of the Mid-Atlantic’s best-kept secrets. They are destinations that deserve a spot on the bucket list of every avid day tripper, adventure traveler, and road trip enthusiast alike.

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Your twenties are notoriously intimidating – take it from me. With new learnings thrown at you from every angle, like taxes, 401Ks, and bills, many people (including myself) are beginning their careers with little guidance on how to set up their finances. The best thing I did at this stage was learn about my finances, which made me more confident about my future and less stressed about the present.

Let’s break down some of my best tips to take control of your finances in your twenties and how the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card can help you get there.

Create an Emergency Fund

Life is unpredictable; many of my twenty-something friends have abruptly lost their jobs or switched living situations. I want to protect myself in the case of a sudden change, so I’ve dedicated the last few years to building up four to six months’ worth of money in an emergency fund for an added sense of security.

I recommend setting up monthly automatic transfers to a savings account and using your cash back rewards as another savings method. The AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card earns you 5% Cash Back on grocery purchases, which you can redeem and transfer into your emergency savings account.

Build Your Credit

With my parents’ guidance, I opened my first credit card at 18 but still didn’t understand what credit was and how to build it. I always paid my balance on time and built up my credit score, but after graduation, I decided to close that card and open a new card with better benefits. Soon after, I realized my mistake – I lost all that credit history and tanked my credit score! If I’d spent more time learning about credit history, I could’ve saved myself from losing years of progress.

I recommend building your credit early with a no annual-fee, cash-back rewards credit card and keeping it open for as long as possible! One excellent option is the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card. This card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and high cash-back rewards on frequent spending categories like groceries and gas. For people in their twenties looking to build credit and get rewarded for everyday spending, this card is a great option.

Open a Roth IRA

At 20, I started investing in my Roth IRA. Today, my money has returned over 14%. The money you save in a Roth IRA can earn you interest on the interest it earns in your account, a concept commonly referred to as compound interest.

It might sound strange to think about retirement in your twenties, but when it comes to investing, time is your best friend. Even if you only put a tiny amount of money in your retirement account, it can grow exponentially and set you up for future financial success!

Track Your Spending

When I first moved to New York City after college, my finances overwhelmed me – I even started to doubt my decision to move to one of the most expensive cities in the world. I wasn’t making a lot of money, and it felt like the only way to meet people and have fun was to go out with friends, buy clothes, and dine at expensive restaurants. I was overspending every month until I ultimately decided to track every dollar I spent.

I started tracking my spending with a simple Excel sheet where I summarized all my expenses. Soon, it gave me insights into my spending patterns and allowed me to identify where I overspend. After a few months of diligent tracking, I stopped going over budget and created a clear path for reaching my financial goals. It only takes me 10 minutes per week to track, so there are no excuses for me not to do it!

Your twenties are a time of change and self-discovery; there’s no better time to set yourself up for future success. You’ll never meet anyone who says they wished they waited longer to take control of their financial life. The time to start is now, and with these four simple steps, you’ll be well on your way.

Learn from my credit mistakes – I had one credit card for years, barely used it, and swiped my debit card instead. I figured earning credit card rewards couldn’t make that much of a difference, so why bother?

My world changed when I watched a creator break down how she redeemed her credit card rewards to cover an entire vacation. Since implementing a few key steps, I’ve earned thousands of dollars in credit card rewards, covering over $1,000 in travel this year alone. Most recently, I redeemed credit card rewards for roundtrip flights from Boston to Aruba, saving me over $400. With so much financial advice online, especially about travel hacking, I wanted simple, no-fuss tips and tricks to maximize my rewards. Here are three key steps I take to travel more for less.

Picking the Right Credit Card

While 82% of American adults have a credit card, logging into a credit card rewards portal can sometimes be disappointing – $8 in your account doesn’t feel like a “big win.” I recommend picking a credit card with rewards categories that align with your everyday spending to earn the best rewards possible. Take the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card, which earns you 5% cash back on grocery store purchases and up to 3% on other common spending categories. With these high percentages on everyday spending, you can generate an impressive amount of rewards with simple necessities and purchases, which you can redeem and use for flight tickets, vacation activities, and hotels.

Familiarize Yourself with Your Rewards

Credit card rewards are an avid traveler’s dream. I prefer cash-back rewards because you can redeem rewards for various expenses, like flights, ride shares, hotels, vacation activities, and rental cars. While rewards might not cover every vacation expense, you can use the cash back to subsidize the cost of some expenses. You can travel more without compromising your dream itinerary or destination.

During my recent trip to Aruba, I had the flexibility to splurge on a $130 ticket to a private island to feed flamingos and treat my friends to a lavish dinner. Thanks to the $400 I saved on my flights through credit card rewards, I was able to build these expenses into my travel budget.

Mindful Redeeming, More Rewards

Redeeming your rewards is just as important as earning them! For cash back credit cards like the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card, redeeming your rewards within the credit card portal is the best option to keep organized.

Stay Practical While Travel Hacking

While rewards are one of the best perks of holding a credit card, I recommend paying off your card monthly and avoiding carrying a balance. You can take advantage of the power of credit by picking the right card, understanding the scope of your rewards, and mindfully redeeming. Cash back from cards like the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card can open up a world of possibilities, especially if you’re ready to elevate your travel game for a fraction of the cost.

If you’ve ever found yourself confronted with a dashboard light you didn’t recognize, you’re not alone. There’s a certain sinking feeling that comes with the sight of an unintelligible wingding glowing beyond the steering wheel that can fill a driver with dread. Is your car overheating? Is there something wrong with the headlights? Does the appearance of the check engine light mean you need to visit a mechanic right away?

But there’s no reason to be anxious about dashboard lights. They are just the way your car communicates. Though many of the lights are merely notifications, warning lights in particular can deliver important information about vehicle maintenance. Understanding the meaning of your dashboard lights and symbols can determine what action to take. Paying attention to these alerts and knowing what they mean can help you get more good years out of your car.

Different Types of Dashboard Lights

There are basically three grades of dash indicator lights: Green or Blue, Yellow or Orange and Red.

• Green or blue dashboard lights are notification lights, telling you that a feature of your car is active. They do not signal a fault or problem. Rather, they are an indication that these parts of your car are functioning exactly how you want them to function.
• Yellow or orange dashboard lights are low-grade warning lights. There is a problem in your car that you should address in the very near future. Your car can usually still be driven a few miles, or the fix is a simple one, like closing your car door or pulling up to a gas station to fill your fuel tank.
• Red dashboard lights are serious warning lights. You should stop immediately, or risk damage to the car (or worse, yourself). If you are out driving when you see a red warning light, pull over and deal with the problem. If your car requires immediate attention from a professional, don’t drive it to the shop, contact AAA Roadside Assistance for a tow. The exception to the red warning rule is of course the hazard light symbol, which simply reminds the driver that they have engaged the hazard lights and is not an issue in itself.

Dashboard Lights Decoded

The infographic above highlights some of the most common – and sometimes most confusing – dashboard lights and symbols. One of the difficulties with deciphering dashboard lights is that the symbols vary between different makes and models of cars. Though the variation is often very slight, it is important to keep in mind that the symbols in your own car might look a little different than the ones seen here.

Many dashboard symbols use a sort of pictograph-style code to help the driver decipher them. The head lamp symbol, for example, is usually illustrated as an illuminated light bulb. While most of the images are pretty straightforward, like the low fuel symbol or the battery symbol, some can be confusing. The tire pressure symbol is ostensibly supposed to be a cross-section of a car tire with an exclamation point in the middle, and treads on the bottom; however, it looks more like an exclamation point in parenthesis, floating over a stout fence. The brake system dashboard light isn’t representative at all, deviating profoundly from the style of the other more illustrative symbols. The only way to instantly be able to recognize this symbol is simply by memorizing what it looks like. Some dash indicator lights blink when the driver’s attention is especially urgent, though this is not the case for all vehicles.

If you’re still unsure about what certain dashboard lights or symbols mean, you can always check your owner’s manual. If you have an iPhone running with iOS 17, you can also use the Visual Look Up feature, which has a “Look Up Auto Symbol” button.

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If your dashboard lights are telling you that your car needs maintenance, be sure to use a shop you can trust. Search for a AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility near you.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

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IN THIS EPISODE

If “catfishing” and “pig butchering” sound like life on a farm — listen up! These days any one of us could be reeled in or led to slaughter when it comes to identity theft, particularly online. So, what is identity theft? It’s a serious and widespread threat where criminals aim to steal your savings and your identity, often through cleverly named online schemes. These are some of the common identity theft scams to avoid.

In this episode, we explore the critical topic of identity theft protection. We talk to Robert Siciliano, CEO of cyber security training company Protect Now, and Mike Breummer, vice president of consumer protection for Experian. They reveal the modern tactics thieves use and provide expert advice on how to prevent identity theft and protect your personal information online, so you don’t take the bait.

AAA members get exclusive access to identity theft protections services with ProtectMyID by Experian. Learn more.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[5:27] – How can I protect myself from identity theft?
[12:58] – Are young people at risk?
[14:09] – How to protect your personal information online
[19:37] – Tips for good password hygiene

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00]
Amanda Greene: So the other day I saw the cutest pair of shoes online. I clicked the ad and ordered right away because they were so cheap. And then as soon as I completed the transaction, I felt instant dread. Why was it so cheap? Was it too good to be true? As I’m running through everything in my head, wondering if I just got scammed, my phone rings. It’s the bank. Or at least he says he’s the bank.

[00:00:26]
Scammer: Hi, this is the bank. Is this Amanda Green?

[00:00:28]
Amanda Greene: Yeah.

[00:00:29]
Scammer: We’re going to need you to answer a few questions to confirm your identity. What’s your address?

[00:00:33]
Amanda Greene: I’m not comfortable giving that information out over the phone.

[00:00:37]
Scammer: Well, I need to confirm that you’re really Amanda Green.

[00:00:39]
Amanda Greene: How do I even know you’re really my bank?

[00:00:41]
Scammer: Ma’am, it’s the bank’s policy to confirm our client’s identity with just a few questions.

[00:00:45]
Amanda Greene: But you called me. You have to understand I need to know that you are actually who you say you are.

[00:00:52]
Scammer: How about just your PIN number?

READ MORE

[00:00:56]
Amanda Greene: Welcome to Merging Into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time. Brought to you by AAA Northeast. I’m your host, Amanda Green. Today we’re going to talk about protecting your identity. We live in a complicated digital world. Data breaches, scams, identity theft. I try to be careful. We all do, but scammers are always developing new and better ways to trick us out of information and money. It takes constant vigilance and skepticism to always be on the lookout for someone, somewhere trying to get something from you that you don’t want to give.

So today we’ve got two guests here to tell you everything you need to know about protecting yourself online from identity theft to scams. We’ll hear from Robert Siciliano, CEO of Protect Now, but first, Mike Bruemmer, Vice President of Consumer Protection for Experian. Mike works with clients who have suffered data breaches and consumers who have fallen prey to online scams. What are some of the more common types of scams that you think people should look out for?

[00:02:04]
Mike Bruemmer: Sure, I’ve got a laundry list. So, romance scams. They’re big anytime of the year, but there’s something beyond a romance scam called pig butchering scam that’s happening right now. Now it sounds a lot worse than it is, but basically you would fatten up a hog before you’d take it to slaughter. It’s the same thing that’s done with the lead in a romantic relationship to get someone to invest. It’s generally cryptocurrency, it might be other assets. And then they get you to transfer those assets to someplace where they can control them and you’ve fallen for it because you think you’re following love, not following fraud.

[00:02:44]
Amanda Greene: So catfishing has now turned into pig butchering?

[00:02:48]
Mike Bruemmer: Yes, it’s another name. And who comes up with these? I don’t know, but that’s the one because of cryptocurrency in particular, it’s making a big headline. You let down your guard when you get in a romantic relationship. But just like having one too many drinks at the bar, your inhibitions go out of the way and you make some decisions that may not be good for financial health, let alone other things.

[00:03:12]
Amanda Greene: And it seems like these scams just come across very believable.

[00:03:16]
Mike Bruemmer: Yes. And then a couple more. Event scams, tickets that are 50% below the market.

[00:03:24]
Amanda Greene: Too good to be true.

[00:03:25]
Mike Bruemmer: Too good to be true. Just to round it out – this is a year- round thing with all the natural disasters that are happening – there are what we call charity scams. So you’ve had a forest fire, you’ve had a hurricane, you’ve had a power outage, and people are in need. They’ll send you a link to donate, even using different language and alphabets to spoof that site, then you’ve clicked on the link and it’s too late at that point because it may already be downloading malware in your system.

And then finally, when you talk about any type of retail, the scams that are involved, you should never use a debit card. You should always have a throwaway, low value credit card that you can use that limits your exposure if you’re shopping online.

[00:04:08]
Amanda Greene: I think everyone wants to believe or think that they would never fall for something like that, and yet it still happens all the time. Who do you think is most vulnerable of falling for a scam?

[00:04:21]
Mike Bruemmer: We’ve seen the most vulnerable classes of folks are young people under the age of 30 because they don’t understand cybersecurity and they have big social media footprints. They’re not aware of some of the cyber hygiene and they’re very trusting. At the same time, the senior citizen class, because they are not as confident with their devices, they also are trusting and they also don’t maybe have the faculties there. But I think what’s important is that even in the middle, everybody – because we’re human – can make a mistake. A determined hacker is going to figure out what your weakness is.

Let’s say you’re into model airplanes or you’re into cars or you’re looking for romance. They will do the work individually to find your weak spot. And so the center of it, we also say that 90% of all the data breaches occur not because of software, not because of hardware, not because the hackers are so smart. It’s because humans are vulnerable and they make mistakes.

[00:05:27]
Amanda Greene: What can people do to recognize these scams as they’re happening and protect themselves from scammers?

[00:05:34]
Mike Bruemmer: Don’t answer unknown numbers. If you hear that space at the beginning of the sentence, it’s generally an auto- dialer.

[00:05:40]
Amanda Greene: So we really shouldn’t be answering inbound calls that we don’t recognize.

[00:05:45]
Mike Bruemmer: Same thing with text. I don’t respond to text unless I’m expecting that text from the person. Because if someone gets into your active directory on your phone and steals any of your contact information, they can go ahead and pose as a good friend of mine sending me an email: ‘Hey, I happen to be in town. I’d like to go ahead and get a seats for the basketball game. Will you Venmo me $ 500 and I’ll buy them for us?’

[00:06:10]
Amanda Greene: I didn’t know someone could log in and get your contact information. Didn’t realize that was even a possibility.

[00:06:16]
Mike Bruemmer: That’s why you should always lock your phone. There was a scam that went around a local airport recently where there were people on the other side, they’d already gone through screening, they were waiting for you, but they were watching for you to have an unlocked phone. So you were on a phone call going up security and how some of us do say, ‘hold on, let me put the phone in the bin and I’ll pick up the call on the other side.’ So ,the phone is unlocked. The person on the other side creates a diversion, gets your phone, takes it off into the bathroom around the corner and within a couple of minutes they can download everything on your open phone. Then they come back to security, you’ve gone through and you go, ‘Oh my gosh, where’s my phone?’ And all of a sudden the phone appears at the end of the line, and you think, ‘Oh hey, I got my phone back.’ You don’t report it, you don’t say you lost it to your company if it was a company phone. And then all of a sudden you have identity theft occurring because someone’s downloaded all your contacts, particularly with personal identity information.

[00:07:14]
Amanda Greene: Wowie, how else can we protect ourselves?

[00:07:18]
Mike Bruemmer: I would say that things that most people don’t do that are really simple and easy and they’re in most cases free. One, make sure that you have a password manager and there’s two reasons for that. One, it’ll store all your passwords without remembering one thing except a master password. Second thing is it will auto- generate complex and long passwords so that you can have them securely on the site.

[00:07:43]
Amanda Greene: All right, what else are we doing to protect ourselves?

[00:07:45]
Mike Bruemmer: Well, the other thing that I think is very available and people don’t think about it is having multi- factor authentication on your account. So banks, insurance companies, anything associated with your financial history. This is a username and a password, but then they’ll put on there that they have to call your phone or they have to text you to authenticate you to a third piece of equipment so that your identity can’t be just spoofed if somebody gets your username and password.

[00:08:18]
Amanda Greene: What is your opinion on using face ID to unlock information on your phone to open up apps like your banking app? Does that open you up to additional risk or is that safe to use?

[00:08:30]
Mike Bruemmer: I think anything with biometrics, whether it’s a retinal scan, a face ID, a fingerprint or a voice print, is much harder to spoof than a password that’s been out there. And in many cases, unfortunately, a lot of people reuse their passwords. That’s another reason why you have a password manager so you don’t reuse that. Biometrics in general, let alone face ID, are a good thing.

[00:08:54]
Amanda Greene: Mike will be back with more. But right now I’d like to get into another online risk, identity theft. Here to guide the way is Robert Siciliano.

[00:09:03]
Robert Siciliano: I am CEO of my company, ProtectNowLLC. com. We provide security awareness training, so I speak on how to avoid and remove yourself from dangerous situations in the virtual world.

[00:09:17]
Amanda Greene: Let’s start here. What is identity theft?

[00:09:21]
Robert Siciliano: Identity theft is when somebody takes your personal identifying information, which generally includes, first and foremost, your name, your social security number, and then your date of birth, and in some cases your physical address. And they use that information to open up new lines of credit, get a loan for a home, a car, a boat, a utility, and so forth.

When they use your PII, personal identifying information, including your social, that is pure identity theft and that can lead to bad credit because when the bad guys open up new lines of credit under your name, they’re not going to pay the bill, they’re going to max you out and they wreak havoc.

[00:10:02]
Amanda Greene: How big of a problem is this?

[00:10:04]
Robert Siciliano: Well, certain studies show that there are billions and billions of our records exposed. And what that means is your name, your address, your phone number, your social security number, your email address, and in many cases your passcodes are out there on the dark web being bought and sold, traded and being used to access existing lines of credit or opening new lines of credit.

They may not have got to you yet, meaning they may not have used your social security number yet to open up new lines of credit. They may not have used your usernames and passcodes to access your accounts, but it’s just a matter of time until they do.

[00:10:41]
Amanda Greene: Do you have any real stories of how someone was affected long- term consequences of identity theft?

[00:10:49]
Robert Siciliano: Oh, man. I get calls and emails from victims of various crimes weekly, and it’s heartbreaking. For example, years back I was involved in a construction project in my own property. There was this one particular job revolving around installing concrete on the property, and there was this one kid that was on the job. I was like, “So what are you doing here, man? How’d you get involved in concrete?” He’s like, “Yeah, I’m really not supposed to be here.” I go, “Well, what does that really mean?” He’s like, “Well, I applied for college out of high school. I was an honor roll student and I just couldn’t get in because I couldn’t get any loans.

Somebody stole my identity and I didn’t know about it. And when I applied for loans to get into college, I was denied. I’m doing this job until I get that straightened out.” So here’s a kid just starting off in the world. His identity’s stolen and he’s in a job that he’s not good at. He doesn’t want to be in. His future is already stunted because he can’t go to college to pursue his dreams because his identity’s stolen. He can’t get the loans to go to school. It happens all the time simply because people don’t know what their options are ahead of time.

[00:12:00]
Amanda Greene: I guess I’m surprised to hear that an 18- year-old could already have their life sidetracked because of identity theft. How did that happen so young?

[00:12:08]
Robert Siciliano: So we live in a society, in a culture, in a system where we identify people based on their social security number. And so when you apply for a loan, when you apply for credit, the very first thing they ask for is your social security number. And that is used to access and check your credit. Now, the US government and the IRS has required that parents provide the social security number of their baby in order to claim that child on their taxes for refunds and rebates and so forth.

So, what that means is babies can have credit because we use the social security number as the primary identifier. The very first application for credit that’s signed up for a child at the age of one and the identity thief lies and says that they are 19 opposed to one. The credit bureau is taking it at face value and establish credit on that baby’s identity, and that’s likely what happened to this kid and it can happen to anybody.

[00:13:18]
Amanda Greene: Zooming out a little, can you speak about why having your identity stolen in a modern society is so devastating?

[00:13:26]
Robert Siciliano: We are a credit-driven society, plain and simple. If you have a credit anything less than 500, you are considered irresponsible and you’re just not going to get along in a credit-driven society. So if you are not doing what’s necessary right now to reduce the risk of identity theft, to mitigate identity theft now and something bad happens in the future, you in your twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, or even sixties for that matter, who have been paying your bills all along are now all of a sudden looked at as being irresponsible and you have to do something today proactively to reduce that risk.

[00:14:05]
Amanda Greene: What do you suggest people do to avoid this happening to them?

[00:14:10]
Robert Siciliano: As far as your identity is concerned, the way you make the social security number relatively useless to the thief is by engaging in either or both identity theft protection services, which are certainly an option. A paid service that you pay for monthly or annually where it monitors your credit, it monitors new applications that are being filed in real time using your social security number to determine if you are credit- worthy. And that identity theft protection, that credit monitoring lets you know in real time whether or not somebody’s out there using your personal identifying information to apply for credit and you can react and respond in real time to say, ‘No, that wasn’t me,’ or ‘Yeah, that is me actually, I’m applying for an American Express card.’ It’s fine, it’s all good. Go for it.

Credit monitoring by itself, which often can be procured for free, lets you know generally after the fact that your credit has been accessed and a line of credit has been opened, that’s a little late to the game. Cat out of the bag, horse out of the barn so to speak. But really the best thing that consumers could engage in or should engage in is credit freezes. Today you can apply for credit freeze online or over the phone through the three major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax and essentially lock down or freeze your credit in such a way where going forward you have an access to all three credit bureaus. You have an account at each one, username and passcode, and you can go in anytime and temporarily thaw your credit. So for example, if I’m going to get a new credit card, if I’m going to refinance my house, I’ve got to go to my credit freezes to each of the three credit bureaus and temporarily thaw my credit so that that lender can check my credit and over the course of a week, give them that little window to check my credit over the course of five to seven days, and then it automatically refreezes after a period of time. So between credit monitoring, identity theft protection and credit freezes, all three. You have full control of whether or not somebody can open up new lines of credit under your name with or without your authorization.

[00:16:29]
Amanda Greene: So a credit freeze means no one, including yourself, can take out new lines of credit, but you can thaw your credit when you need to. Does this affect your credit score like a applying for a credit card would?

[00:16:42]
Robert Siciliano: No, not at all. So a credit freeze does one thing and one thing only. It provides you the opportunity, the ability, the resources to freeze and then unfreeze and then refreeze, then unfreeze your credit, and that is all it does. That is the only effect it has is really whether your credit’s frozen or not.

[00:17:04]
Amanda Greene: You have given us a lot of information to go and take and apply, and I would hate to find out what happens if you don’t follow all of these steps because this is some real scary stuff and all of the work to undo it sounds more complicated than the work to try and avoid it.

[00:17:22]
Robert Siciliano: Agreed. This is Adulting 101. This is stuff that you should be doing at 18 years old and following through for the rest of your lives. It’s not complicated, it’s not difficult, it’s easy. It’s like baking a cake. You may have never baked a cake before, but once you pull up a good recipe and get the right ingredients, you follow the instructions. Bang, you got a cake.

[00:17:45]
Amanda Greene: I’m going to add some of those ingredients to my shopping list. So get a trusted password manager, use multifactor authentication when offered, don’t click on unsolicited links and don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t know. It’s a good idea to use a low- limit credit card for online shopping. And above all, assume your information will be stolen. With so many data breaches happening, make your information as useless as possible, freeze your credit and use identity protection services. The ProtectMyID Essential plan is free with your AAA membership. Here’s Mike.

[00:18:20]
Mike Bruemmer: Well, with AAA, they have a firm belief in safety, security and peace of mind. And we have our ProtectMyID product that’s actually both free as well as paid- for versions of that. And identity theft protection is a great thing, not only to monitor your accounts, not only to have insurance to cover any funds lost or paid back for time spent on doing it, but the secret sauce with identity theft protection is you have access to a dedicated fraud resolution agent and they can solve any issues. They can answer any questions, and you have the peace of mind. So it’s a great thing.

It also has ability to monitor your minors in your family as well as it gives you real- time alerts as monitoring your credit file. If something changes on your credit report, you’re going to get an alert and you don’t have to worry about it. Giving you the peace of mind you need.

[00:19:15]
Amanda Greene: Before we let Mike go, it’s time for a little rapid- fire quiz section. Here we go. What is the best action to take if you receive a suspicious link in a text message?

[00:19:26]
Mike Bruemmer: Don’t click on it.

[00:19:27]
Amanda Greene: What is one thing you should never share on social media?

[00:19:31]
Mike Bruemmer: Your social security number.

[00:19:32]
Amanda Greene: What is your number one tip for a strong password?

[00:19:37]
Mike Bruemmer: Make it a long phrase. Length trumps complexity every time, so make it as long as you possibly can.

[00:19:45]
Amanda Greene: And how often should you change your passwords?

[00:19:48]
Mike Bruemmer: I suggest changing your passwords at least twice a year.

[00:19:51]
Amanda Greene: And what’s something you should look out for when you’re downloading a new app?

[00:19:56]
Mike Bruemmer: Don’t download any apps from an email. Go to the app store and make sure that that app has been rated. It’s certified and download only from a reputable store.

[00:20:09]
Amanda Greene: Last one. Has anyone in your circle ever fallen for a scam? And what kind was it?

[00:20:16]
Mike Bruemmer: Whether it has been family or friends, I think I’ve had probably two or three dozen people fall prey to scams that I have known and have come to me. Romance scams. Travel scams. They downloaded some malware onto their computer that was key logging software so that the hacker on the other side could see all your keystrokes. And this was years ago. But then they figured out they could act as the person because they knew what kind of typing convention that they had and who they were sending stuff to. And this person actually copied information to be able to have a wire transfer done out of their brokerage account because of key logging software.

So I’ve seen quite a few, and unfortunately everybody’s susceptible. Even with really good hygiene, you might be better protected than the person that doesn’t do the things that I’ve talked about on the podcast, but everybody, because we’re humans, you’ll make a mistake once in a while.

[00:21:13]
Amanda Greene: Thanks so much to my guests, Mike Bruemmer, Vice President of Consumer Protection, and before that, Robert Siciliano from ProtectNowLLC.com. You’ve been listening to Merging Into Life where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time. Brought to you by AAA Northeast with assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. If you’re learning as much as I am, follow us wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review. We’d love to know what you think. Email us at podcast@AAANortheast.com.

Whose number is this? ‘Greetings, Amanda. It’s been quite a while. Want to go to a game this weekend maybe? I will buy tickets if you send money now.’

And a link that looks very sus. Not falling for that one.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

Experian ID Theft Protection for AAA Members

Identity Theft Scams to Keep an Eye On

Tips for Understanding Your Credit Report

Pig Butchering Scams Are on the Rise

Protect Now

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Want to Learn More? Drop Us a Note

*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

Once a year it’s cool to love ghouls, so plan a fall road trip to check out some spooky spots. Here are a few of our favorite creepy places that guarantee a haunting experience.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Philadelphia, Pa.

Brave souls who are looking to be spooked can experience Halloween Nights, featuring five haunted houses and other hair-raising attractions inside the crumbling cell blocks of this fortress-like penitentiary that once housed legendary criminals like mobster Al Capone. It’s visited by more than 60 paranormal investigators annually, but the Halloween mayhem goes on select nights from the end of September through early November.

Fort Delaware Paranormal Adventure

Delaware City, Del.

Fancy yourself an amateur ghost hunter? If so, join Diamond State Ghost Investigators and Fort Delaware State Park staff on a three-hour Paranormal Adventure at this abandoned fort located on an island and dating to before the Civil War. Available on Friday and Saturday nights throughout October, the tour uses actual electromagnetic field recorders, data recorders and temperature sensors in an effort to capture the footsteps and apparitions of one-time prisoners.

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Would you stay here overnight? Tell us in the comments. ⬇️ 🪓 👻 #ghosttok #ghosttours #hauntedtiktok #hauntedhouse #lizzieborden #lizziebordenhouse #newengland #hauntednewengland #halloweenactivities #aaanortheast #spookyseason #usghostadventures

♬ A somewhat creepy and sad atmosphere music box – MoppySound

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum

Fall River, Mass.

Talk about a creepy place. You may not feel the infamous whacks that Lizzie Borden allegedly gave her parents here (she was tried and acquitted, and the murders remain unsolved), but book a room at this museum/bed-and-breakfast and you’ll certainly feel spooked. A tour offering bloodcurdling details of the 1892 ax rampage is given to every guest – getting more than a wink of sleep, however, isn’t guaranteed. Too timid to turn in? You can take a daytime tour.

For more local tours that will give you the creeps, click here. Remember, AAA members can save on select ghost tours with AAA Tickets.

Mark Twain House and Museum

Hartford, Conn.

Check out the elaborate, 25-room, circa-1873 home where one of America’s most gifted writers – and a big believer in the supernatural – lived and wrote until financial hardship and tragic loss (his daughter Susy died here in 1896) forced its sale.

Mount Hope Cemetery

Bangor, Maine

Stephen King fans will recognize this spooky place as the film location for the movie adaptation of his seriously scary “Pet Sematary,” and Bangor as the fright writer’s place of residence. You can also take a self-guided daytime tour of America’s second-oldest garden cemetery – if you dare!

Mutter Museum

Philadelphia, Pa.

This scholarly yet icky homage to medical oddities is also pretty darn creepy. Run by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mutter Museum’s collection includes 139 human skulls, plaster death casts of conjoined Thai twins Chang and Eng Bunker, slices of Albert Einstein’s brain and other bizarre keepsakes that will make you go “Ewww!”

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Salem, Mass.

Salem’s dark history definitely adds to its appeal during spooky season. The Witch City embraces its reputation every October during the extremely popular Haunted Happenings Festival, but the creepy vibes linger on throughout the year. Explore Salem’s macabre past with a trip to the historic Witch House, Charter Street Cemetery, one of its many museums or a guided tour, like the Salem Witch Walk, led by well-known witch and owner, Lorelei.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Some Halloween-themed tours are more captivating than spooky, but cemeteries? They’re certifiably creepy places. Lantern-lit night tours happen every weekend September-November at the burial ground made famous by the Washington Irving character Ichabod Crane. Learn about more haunts in the area.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Weston, W. Va.

Are you brave enough walk the halls of a 19th-century psychiatric hospital that once housed 2,400 patients – and an unknown number who are said to haunt its rooms and hallways? If so, this National Historic Landmark is open for walk-in historic and paranormal tours from early spring through November.

Featured image: Lizzie Borden Museum and Bed and Breakfast. (Photo: Flickr / Stewart Robotham / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

Have you visited any of these creepy places in the Northeast? Are there any others that we missed? Tell us in the comments below.

Take a game break! Solve this spooky mini crossword.

Judging by her tombstone, underneath an evergreen tree in a sun-dappled historic cemetery, there’s nothing at all amiss about the final resting place of Mercy Brown. “Mercy L,” the stone reads, “Daughter of George L. and Mary E. Brown. Died Jan. 17, 1892. Aged 19 years.”

For an old grave in the small town of Exeter, R.I., it gets a lot of attention, the kind usually reserved for notable or historic figures. On any given day, a visitor could easily find several bouquets of flowers and small gifts, and rocks placed on top of the headstone.

But upon closer inspection, the stone does have an unusual feature. A metal band secures it to the ground, ensuring no one with larcenous intent can steal it away. Mercy Brown might not be a celebrity, but she lives on in history as Rhode Island’s most infamous “real” vampire.

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As far as moral panics go (and this being New England, we have a lot of them), the vampire craze that swept Rhode Island in the late 1800s was relatively minor. Unlike the Salem witch trials, which saw 25 people executed or dead from harsh prison conditions, the fervor focused on people who had already died and were suspected of siphoning the vitality of their living relatives from beyond the grave.

The idea was borne from desperation. Tuberculosis (then referred to as consumption) was killing a huge portion of the population, and there was no reliably effective treatment or medicinal remedy. People resorted to the “vampirism” cure, a folk remedy that “required exhuming the bodies of deceased relatives and checking them for ‘unnatural’ signs, such as ‘fresh’ blood in the heart,” Michael Bell wrote in “Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England’s Vampires.”

 “The implicit belief was that one of the relatives was not completely dead and was maintaining some semblance of a life by draining the vital force from living relatives,” Bell explained. By ingesting the parts of the departed that still appeared to be alive, the living hoped to reclaim their lost health.

In a way, it makes sense. If someone is dying from a disease called consumption, a logical question to ask is exactly who – or what – is consuming them?

The Brown family had already faced devastating losses from consumption – the deaths of mother Mary Eliza and eldest daughter Mary Olive in the mid-1880s – when siblings Edwin and Mercy fell ill with the disease in 1891. Edwin went to Colorado for treatment and recovered, but Mercy died at home and was buried in the family plot in Chestnut Hill Cemetery off Ten Rod Road (which visitors can still easily see today). When he returned home, Edwin once again fell ill. In a last attempt to save his life, father George Brown allowed a group, including the local doctor, to exhume the bodies of his deceased loved ones in March 1892 under the suspicion that one was a vampire draining Edwin’s life force.

Mary Eliza and Mary Olive were appropriately decomposed, but Mercy’s body showed little decay, and she still had blood in her heart. (Details are hazy on this. Reports say she was exhumed, but since she died when the ground was frozen, it’s more likely her body would have been stored in the cemetery’s crypt until the spring thaw. The cold winter weather, and her above-ground storage, could easily explain the state of her corpse.)

There were many ways of “fighting” the vampirism suspected of making families ill, some of which revolved around the heart of the deceased person. Some people would exhume the dead relative and burn their heart, either inhaling the smoke, or eating the ashes.

That’s what happened to Mercy. When the locals saw that she seemed unnaturally vital, they cut out her heart, burned it and created a tonic with the ashes. Edwin drank it, but he still died two months later.

Even at the time, Mercy’s posthumous treatment was a scandal. An 1892 article in the Providence Journal, which Bell included in his book, said that locals were “testing a horrible superstition” when they exhumed her remains. “Bodies of dead relatives taken from their graves,” it continued, “they had all died of consumption, and the belief was that live flesh and blood would be found that fed upon the bodies of the living.”

Mercy is far from the only person suspected of being a vampire in Rhode Island, or who got caught up in the frenzy. Simon Whipple Aldrich, who died in 1841 in North Smithfield, is memorialized on his gravestone with an inscription mentioning “consumption’s vampire grasp.” But according to Bell’s book, Mercy is likely the last person exhumed under that suspicion in America.

Mercy’s memory and her legend live on. H.P Lovecraft wrote about her in “The Shunned House,” and Smithsonian Magazine suggested that even Bram Stoker knew her story and referenced it while writing “Dracula,” which debuted in 1897. In modern media, she’s been featured on the podcast “Lore” and its Amazon Prime show of the same name, and in many songs and novels.

Have you ever heard of the Mercy Brown vampire incident? Tell us in the comments.

Featured image: Chestnut Hill Cemetery

While battling a life-changing disease like breast cancer, it helps to have a support system in place. It’s especially helpful when someone who has survived breast cancer is in your corner, helping you navigate through the journey, from the initial diagnosis to undergoing treatment and beyond.

Someone like Dianne Fonseca, a AAA member and resident of Lincoln, R.I., and Palm Aire, Fla., who has been cancer-free for 25 years. The retired teacher recently celebrated her milestone with a Silver Soiree at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Fonseca hosts an annual breast cancer fundraiser in Rhode Island, but this year was extra special. She is an all-star when it comes to supporting the cause.

She is more than halfway to her ambitious goal of raising $1 million for the American Cancer Society. “If you raise $1 million, you become a legacy team,” Fonseca said. “I want to be a legacy team.”

Fonseca plans to participate in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Oct. 20 in Providence with her team, Keeping the Pace With Dianne.

Her friends in Florida have also helped by knitting pink hats and trading them for $100 donations, raising $1,100.

How it Started

Fonseca was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. After finding a lump herself, she scheduled an appointment with her doctor, who immediately sent her for a sonogram.

“The hardest part at that time was waiting an entire week for the results,” she said. “I will never forget coming home from teaching that day and finding my husband and older son waiting for me. My husband informed me that my doctor had called him to tell him I had breast cancer. The doctor said the cancer was ugly and aggressive, and there was no cure for me.” 

But Fonseca is a fighter and was not going to let her diagnosis get in the way of her life. She and her husband were determined to keep living their lives as they did before. The road ahead wasn’t easy. One of her greatest challenges was losing her hair, which had begun to fall out a week after her first chemotherapy treatment. Fonseca quickly recognized that her diagnosis was strongly affecting her loved ones.

“I was somewhat taken aback at first by the reaction of my husband, our sons and my mom at the news of my breast cancer,” she said. “Our oldest son didn’t want to finish his senior year at Notre Dame, and our youngest didn’t want to go to Loyola University (in Maryland) for his freshman year. I realized that I needed to be strong, not only for myself, but also for my family.”

Fortunately, Fonseca qualified for an experimental drug during her treatment, which put her cancer in remission. “Here I am, 25 years later, due to an experimental drug,” she said. New treatments and protocols have raised the five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients to 91%.

Fonseca found that some of the best medicine was continuing to live her life as she did before her diagnosis. It gave her a purpose and took her mind off her disease.

“It was also better for my family,” she said. “My mom insisted on coming to stay with us when I first came home, but within a couple of days I was up and about, hanging clothes on the line! Always look ahead, and never look back!”

Giving Back

Also critical to Fonseca’s healing was support from volunteers with the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program. Volunteers who are breast cancer survivors connect with people living with breast cancer. Through in-person visits or by phone, the volunteers provide understanding, comfort and hope by answering questions and addressing concerns that may come up during the experience.

Though they don’t give medical advice, the volunteers offer guidance that only someone who has been through the same experience can. While dealing with her own diagnosis, Fonseca was introduced to a Reach to Recovery volunteer by a friend. Her experience spurred her to help others.

“I knew that as soon as I was able, I would volunteer for the program myself,” Fonseca said.

In 2005, she started providing support to women in southern New England who were facing issues much like those she had during her cancer journey. Many were Spanish-speaking women who understood little English. Fonseca – a former language teacher – speaks Spanish fluently, as well as Italian. She still is registered as a Reach to Recovery volunteer, although she is not as active.

Every year, Fonseca continues to push herself and works to raise more money than the year before. She’s motivated by gratitude for her life and being able to spend time with her husband, two sons, daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

“In raising these funds, I feel that I am helping the American Cancer Society to continue with their research and programs to help others,” she said. “Volunteering has been the most rewarding for me, helping others who are going through what I went through.”

Another AAA Survivor’s Story

For Mary Maguire, vice president of public and government affairs at AAA Northeast, the cancer story began on Veterans’ Day 2014. Her doctor called while she was driving and told her she had breast cancer. Maguire pulled over and began to cry, because she felt like she had been given a death sentence.

“I’ll never forget what my longtime physician – who had delivered my youngest son – said to me that day. He said, ‘Mary, do you know how many patients I have living with cancer?’ That stuck with me, and today I’m cancer-free and 10 years in remission. And I know many others who are living well, living with cancer or have beaten cancer, like me.”

“My cancer was detected very early and knowing that helped immensely,” she continued. “My doctors were amazing, and my family and friends were incredibly supportive. My colleagues at AAA were concerned and encouraging and provided me with the time I needed to recover.” After six weeks of radiation treatments, Maguire got a clean bill of health.

“My annual mammogram led to my diagnosis,” she added.  “Don’t skip or put off your yearly screening – it could save your life!” 

Tips for Early Detection

Here are the American Cancer Society’s recommendations for detecting breast cancer early. One of the most important:

Get a Mammogram

Early detection is critical to saving lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women between the ages of 40 and 44 have the option to begin annual mammograms. Those between ages 45 and 54 should have mammograms yearly and women 55 and older every two years.

Men can also develop breast cancer, although they represent only about 1% of all cases. Since men are not routinely screened for breast cancer, males, especially those between the ages of 60 and 70, are advised to check for lumps. If they feel anything unusual, they should immediately call their doctor.

Self-Care for Cancer Patients

Fonseca offers her advice and encouragement for those fighting cancer.

Rest Often

“You’re going to be tired. It’s normal,” Fonseca said about having cancer.

People can experience fatigue before, during and after cancer treatment. “Your loved ones will understand if you need to let your body rest. When the opportunity presents itself, take it.”

Look Ahead

“Having a positive outlook changes everything,” according to Fonseca. “Look ahead instead of behind.”

Focusing on the past can dredge up negative emotions, she added. Focus on the future – recovery – and try your best to remain positive. Fonseca said a positive attitude made all the difference during her own experience with cancer.

Take Advantage of Help

Fonseca encourages people with breast cancer to take advantage of all the resources the American Cancer Society offers. In addition to the Reach for Recovery program, the Road to Recovery program provides transportation to cancer-related medical appointments for those who can’t drive. The Look Good, Feel Better program provides group workshops and one-on-one consultations based on skin care, makeup application, hair-loss products and more.

Visit www.cancer.org to learn more.

Do you have any experience volunteering or raising money for a cause that’s important to you? Share your story in the comments below.

Featured image: Knead Donuts of Providence created a doughnut in honor of Dianne Fonseca, and proceeds from the sales went to her making Strides Against Breast Cancer team.