Here is the first review in what I call the Hand-Crafted Series that I’ll be doing through December: a look at products and gifts made by real people with a real heartbeat (hint hint – they make great gifts!). Long live handcrafting, whether it’s a candle, a book, or an opera. This one looks at the new travel e-book by Shelley Seale and Keith Hajovsky, How To Travel For Free (or pretty damn near it!). And pay close attention to the site over the next couple of weeks, because giveaways of some of the products are definitely a part of the deal. You just gotta sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Twitter and you’re eligible.

What we think is going to be paradise doesn’t always turn out that way. What happens when we can’t escape?

The warmth of the lights at only 5:45pm signals the time of year I, unlike many others who enjoy basking in summer’s glow, come alive. Memories flow of wine glasses clinking quickly and sharply with the exuberance of holidays starting early.

It’s only November 13th, and yet I smile at the darkness outside, feeling the cozy energy of candles, bulbs covered by glass holders that probably came from IKEA but nonetheless feel a bit like Italy…no Spain. I sip a glass of Chardonnay, one I debated on whether or not to order, though I easily went for the Angus burger made from natural Carolina beef with a side of incredibly thin shoestring fries.

I sat there reading, at a loss. Wanting to give her the right words, the right tone, the right feeling. ‘I should know some answers by now,’ I thought. ‘I should have the perfect tools ready.’ Instead, all I could give was some mustered-up love. It’s hard, when what you do for a living is guide people on living a healthy, balanced life, to not have the answers. It’s funny, or ironic, or something, that I received my friend’s email, filled with the pain of loss permeating every world, just as I was editing the first chapter of an e-book I’m working on about how to live holistically.

Matador launches a print mag; Amar launches a world gifts site; Bhaskar launches a Burning Man book, and Health Designs…well, they sell supplements.

Millions of questions abound when we tackle something new. Where the hell to start? Does it make sense to do a lot of comparisons, talk to people who have done said-thing before, spend every-waking moment outlining the details and marking off the lists? What’s first? What’s last? How you gonna get where you are trying to go?

Get your wisdom on.