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It’s sad, but you never know when these 15 special moments will happen for the last time

"One day you will pick up your little boy/girl and carry them l for the very last time."

via Canva

A father picking up his child.

As the old saying goes, there is a first and last time for everything. The sad thing is that while we often recognize when we are doing something for the first time, we usually don’t know we’re doing something for the final time until much later.

You can only move forward in life, and sometimes, when you look back, you remember people, places, and things you will never experience again.

It can be depressing to realize that you will never have specific experiences again or didn’t fully appreciate them when they happened. But it’s also an invitation to embrace everything you have in your life right now that one day will end.

A Redditor named OK-Reporter-8728 posed a question to the AskOldPeople subforum that got many people thinking about the last times in their lives. “What’s something most people don’t realize they will never experience again in life?” the Redditor asked. The responses were a mix of bittersweet memories people shared about the last time they enjoyed the joys of childhood or spent time with a loved one.

They also discussed that they never fully appreciated it when their bodies were young, strong, and beautiful or when they were parents of young children.



Here are 15 things people didn’t realize they will never experience again.

1. Last time that you played with your friends

"Like when they live across the street and you go over to knock on the door and her mom comes to answer and you ask, can ______ come out to play? Sure you can text and call people and drive over and pick them up and go do something, but it’s not the same as asking their mom if they can come out to play."

"I don't remember my last time playing with friends, but this one makes my heart ache. Whenever I watch 'Stand by Me,' the last scene when Gordie is watching all his friends walk away as you hear how their lives turned out makes me tear up every time."

2. Last call from a parent

"Mine was a voicemail, so I still have it since 5 years ago, and I will never delete it. Mom called to say she thought she was having a stroke."

"I was the last family member to speak to my dad before he passed from cancer. Spoke to him on the phone for 20 minutes one night and he was gone the next morning."

3. Pain-free movement

"Enjoy your healthy young bodies while you can, because they do not last forever, no matter how well you take care of yourself."



4. When time is unlimted

"The feeling that time is unlimited. You reach a certain age and you realize that though you don’t know what’s left, a lot of the sand in the hourglass must be gone."

"I'm 70. My dad died when he was 84, same with his father, so I'm anticipating my last year on earth will be 2038. And yes, when I was young I felt eternal and invincible. No longer. The clock is ticking and every morning I wake up, I'm grateful for another day."

5. Last time you pick up your child

"One day you will pick up your little boy/girl and carry them l for the very last time. Broke my heart when I heard it cause I realized it was true and I couldn't remember the last time I picked up and carried my now 24 yr old son. The night of my daughter's 13th bday, I decided I would pick her up and carry her to bed for the last time in my life. That way I would always remember it. Afterwards, I ran to my room and cried in the bathroom. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"They say by the time your kid goes away to college, you will have spent 90% of the time in your life you will ever spend with them. Even typing that makes me cry - the two people I love more than anything in this world and my time with them on this earth is basically over. And I am only 50 years old. Makes carpool days of long ago seem so much more important than it seemed at the time."



6. Picking up kids from school

"Dropping off and picking up my kids from school. When the last time happens, you don't realize it,and that's sad."

"They will never be as young as they are today. Your body and experiences will change you. Innocence will be lost and you will realize that sometimes ignorance really is bliss."

7. Last time you hugged your parents

"I will never get to hug my mom or my dad again. Even tho it’s something I realize, it’s still a little hard to believe."

8. Making out with someone new

"I was just thinking about this the other day.'Honeymoon period/new relationship energy hormones are extremely unique and as far as we know, impossible to truly replicate in a long term relationship, even a happy one with great sexual chemistry. The drug addicted feeling that makes teenagers cry and artists create is very specific. And best case scenario, in a happy death-till-us-part marriage, it’ll never come again."



9. The beauty of your 20s

"When I see old photos of myself, I think of what I could’ve done better if I’d had the confidence that I have now. I have no regrets, life is what it is, but to have had the confidence and be handsome and fit… My partner says I’m more handsome now though so I don’t dwell on it."

10. Going to the park

"The last time you take your kids to the park to play. I loved seeing them so happy and making friends at the park. Then one day they just don't want to go anymore."

11. Kissing dad

"Kissing your father if you’re a boy. I don’t remember the last time I kissed him, but I vividly remember the last time I almost did. I was leaving the house one day when I was around 13. I kissed my Mom as I usually did. I then turned to my Dad and started to kiss him. He prepared to receive my kiss. But then I caught myself. I smiled sheepishly, patted his face, and turned and left the house. I never kissed him again after that day."

12. Seeing without glasses

"Yes. The time I could read the smallest of print by simply focusing my eyes on the subject."



13. Summer anticipation

"Joy of summer vacation with nothing to do but hang out with friends all day and have other people feed you every meal and pay for nothing. That sweet last day of school. Few joys in the world compare to the exhilaration and possibilities of the upcoming summer."

14. Feeling close to someone

"At this stage in my life, after losing my wife to small cell lung cancer two years ago, I realize that I may never feel intimacy with a partner again. I know it’s possible to meet someone new after 70, but I can’t see that happening again for me. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I guess that’s just life. You get old and things of your youth are long gone."

15. The last time seeing a friend

"The last time you see an old friend that becomes an acquaintance once girls enter the picture. That even though they moved to another country, you assumed that you would see them again. And you hear that they died, and you're not 100% sure that was the last time you saw them."

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Europeans asked Americans about life in the US and here's what they said

Americans explain tipping, political media, public transit and more.

Photo credit: Canva

A side-by-side photo of the European flag and the American flag.

Over on Reddit, Europeans asked Americans different questions about American life, covering every topic from tipping culture to favorite landmarks to football fascination (not to be confused with soccer, of course).

It’s clear from the candid conversation that there are both many wonderful, awe-inspiring things Americans take for granted, and things that, well…aren’t exactly superior, despite USA pride.

Still, it’s interesting to see what mundane aspects of living in the US, both good and bad, might be a source of fascination to someone living outside the country. It can, after all, be easy to forget that the world contains a vast number of lifestyles, and one of the biggest benefits of existing in the modern age is being able to explore those different ways of life. Hopefully physically, but sometimes a good old fashioned internet thread does a pretty good job at giving us insight.

Check out what Europeans wanted to know about America below:

1. "Americans, do you think that political extremism is rising as drastically as it's portrayed in media?” -Jo-Gama

“Unfortunately, yes. The media likely makes it out to be worse than it is, but by doing so, they continue to push people in that direction.” -Fat_Feline

“I think the media makes it sound worse than it is. We’re mostly aware it’s a problem, but we have so many other things to worry about. Rising prices of food, housing and gas affect us way more on a daily basis than racial/political issues. That being said, I also think that the fact we have protests and people speaking out means there’s a large part of this country that is actively working towards change. It’ll just take a while because many current politicians have been alive since polio was a legitimate concern to Americans.” -carminie
america vs europe, reddit, politics, media, fake news

"The media certainly amplifies extreme voices, but the day-to-day reality is that those voices are all around us.”

Photo credit: Canva

“I've seen it in person…Discourse is growing further and further from center and no one wants to talk about it anymore. My parents would often hold parties where their friends would talk politics and sure, maybe get a little heated - now politics is a no-go zone because no one can get along. Conversations evolve into arguments and fights and it's just not worth it. And it's leading a lot of people with differing views to refuse to mingle together, which makes things worse. The media certainly amplifies extreme voices, but the day-to-day reality is that those voices are all around us.”uarterRobot

2. "Do you acknowledge your heritage from European countries?”Mitchelljvb

“Yes, Americans love learning about their ancestry, we have DNA test and tv shows where people will learn about their families past. Most people with European ancestry are able to track their family to the original country they came from.”Nimzay98

3." How can y’all call football (soccer) a boring sport but like American football, which has like a billion interruptions, and baseball, which has close to zero action?” -TheCatInTheHatThings

“I think people dislike football (soccer) because of the lack of scoring, a team can make 10 attempts at goal and end up not scoring but the other team can make 1 attempt and make it in. And that one goal may be the only goal for the whole game. American football, on the other hand, with its yard system, means that any progress by either team ultimately counts towards the end result. There is also more scoring.As an American, I do not understand why anybody watches baseball. That still eludes me.” -rand0m-nerd

“Which city in the US has the best public transit system in your opinion?”RoboGen123

“New York City, hands down.” -kmobnyc

“Chicago over NYC imo.” -Uhhsoka
america vs europe, reddit, subway near me, public transit near me

A photo of people riding the subway.

Photo credit: Canva

4. "Do you ever get tired of how big your country is? Like getting from state to state could take much time as getting to France from England.” -pasta_and_lobster

“Not at all. It’s actually one of the things I love most about the states. If you’re into outdoorsy activities, you’ll never run out of new places to explore.It’s also nice to be able to travel so far without the need for a passport.” -anonandlit333

“Yep. Only problem is gas money lol.” -SouthernMuadib

5." Do you believe the US educational system needs a reform?" -lotlotov

"Which US education system? It has like 3000 different education systems.” -Due_Satisfaction2167

“It’s a very real and scary problem that our government is choosing to ignore.” -wildflowersandroses

“Yes. It’s inequitable. Our taxes fund education, so rich towns have great school systems while those with lesser means get a lesser educational experience." -Username_goes_here_0
america vs europe, reddit, education

"Our taxes fund education, so rich towns have great school systems while those with lesser means get a lesser educational experience."

Photo credit: Canva

6. "How tf does the imperial system work?” -Small_Cock_Jonny

“It's mostly based around units that are intuitive and useful for daily tasks rather than scientifically rigorous. An inch is about the…the length of your top thumb joint…A foot is 12 inches because 12 is easily divisible by a lot of things, you can break it into quarters, halves, thirds, sixths or twelfths…The temperature scale goes from 0 degrees, which is about as cold as it naturally gets most places and also corresponds to the coldest temperature that saltwater can be before freezing, up to 100 degrees which is about as hot as it gets most places and also is close to the temperature of the human body. Overall there is a lot more emphasis on being able to cleanly divide things into halves and quarters, which doesn't exist in metric. A pound is 16 ounces so it can be divided in half four times. A gallon is 16 cups, for the same reason. A cup is 8 ounces. All powers of two.” -Cryptizard

7. "Your favourite place in the us? (city, landscape, landmark, whatever)" -Ovreko

“This is kind of a cop out but National and State parks, Teddy Roosevelt did us good by protecting our natural resources for recreation.” -RosePrecision

“I'm probably biased but southern California is a great place to visit. There's a lot of climate diversity thanks to the mountains and deserts. There's also the beaches, although I do think Hawaii has better beaches. New Mexico and Arizona are good to visit if you like indigenous culture.” -FantasyBeach

“North Carolina…. Such a slept on state, I miss that place. Mountains, beaches, food, major colleges, and nice cities all within 3hrs.”-Piff370z
america vs europe, reddit, american landmarks

"Teddy Roosevelt did us good by protecting our natural resources for recreation.”

Photo credit: Canva

8. "What’s with you guys and tipping, don’t get me wrong it’s great to tip but the way you guys make it seem bothers me.” -Armysars

“Companies don’t pay their workers. It’s not entitlement but survival, especially if you’re on a tipped wage. You make around $2 per hour if you are under this wage. Keep in mind that you would need at least double minimum wage to afford an apartment.” -Alarmed_Inflation_68

“It annoys us too. It gets worse year over year as well. I would rather we pay people a liveable wage from the outset than have them survive on tips. Tipping culture won't go anywhere though, it gives business owners an excuse to pay their employees as little as possible.” -Fat_Feline

9. "What do you learn in ‘science class’? Don’t you have separate classes of like physics, chemistry, biology etc.?”-Gilbert_Grauschwanz

“Usually the early years are clumped together as 'science class.' When you get to middle/high school, the classes are separated. I remember taking earth science/geology, biology, physics, and chemistry.” -Arumidden

“The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”-Alexandria-Rhodes
america vs europe, reddit

“The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”

Photo credit: Canva


10. "Since WW2 the US has been at the forefront of innovation and has been responsible for many of humanity's great accomplishments during this period…Does this give you a sense of pride or is it not that important from your perspectives?”Torridesttube69

“Honestly my national pride depends solely on who's criticizing my country. A fellow American criticizing our economy? "yeah dude this country's a shithole" A Brit*sh tourist criticizing our economy? "🇺🇸America🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅greatest🦅🦅 nation 🔫💪💪💪 on earth 🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸" -overcork

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Living on a cruise ship just became a real option thanks to a new 'residential' cruise line

Some of the leases could be as cheap as $25,000 per year.

Photo by Adam Gonzales on Unsplash

A seafaring lifestyle from the comfort of home.

Imagine spending every day exploring wondrous locations, eating expertly crafted meals, enjoying year-round indulgence … could there be anything better?

Taking a lifelong cruise might sound like something out of a dream, and an unrealistic one at that. But leaving the land behind and adopting a seafaring lifestyle is now more attainable than ever.

By 2024, cruise line Storylines will launch a 741-foot ship dubbed the MV Narrative, a huge vessel containing 547 fully furnished rooms available for purchase or lease.

The cruise will definitely be the stuff of luxury, with its high-end spas, movie theater, yoga sun deck, state-of-the-art fitness center, art studio … it even has a bowling alley, for crying out loud. But being a “residential community at sea,” there will also be things like a library, post office, school and bank.

Perhaps the funnest part—in addition to extended stays in exotic locations—residents will have a say in where the vessel goes. "What a typical cruise line might do in one month or three weeks, we will take three to four months to do," Storylines founder and CEO Alister Punton told CNN Travel, adding that the residents “have opportunities to have input into where the ship goes next." These "residents choice" days allow those on board to choose the ports of call.

Is MV Narrative the only residential ship to sail the seven seas? No. The World has offered residential living since 2002, according to The Real Deal. Other lines, like Utopia and Victoria Cruises, also offer an all-inclusive lifestyle.

However, it could be the most eco-friendly. Travel and Leisure noted that the ship will run on clean-burning liquid gas and have a zero-waste farmers market selling local products. "We will definitely be the greenest cruise ship out there," Punton shared with CNN Travel.

Travel and Leisure states the MV Narrative's current listing price range from $1 million to $8 million to own, with a small number of 24-year leases available from $600,000, which works out to around $25,000 per year.

Of course, if you were to forgo any homeownership and chose instead to live the life of a nomad, a lifelong cruise could be an even cheaper and more accessible option. Earlier this year, retired couple Angelyn and Richard Burk made headlines by fulfilling their travel dreams of hopping from ship to ship … all for around $36,000. Yep, less than an average mortgage. It’s no wonder why this is such a popular trend for adventurous folks of retirement age.

This might be because people are attracted to having both adventure and the comfort of home, which Storylines provides. "At the end of a long day discovering a new exotic location, they can come home to friends and familiar surroundings and sleep in their own bed," Storylines co-founder, Shannon Lee, wrote in an email to Travel and Leisure.

What a time to be alive, when you can travel the world and never leave home.


This article originally appeared on 08.18.22

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The secret but definitive reason dark towels might be 'superior' to white towels

White towels might give spa vibes, but dark towels could be a better buy. Here's why.

Representative Image from Canva

Something to think about next time you're perusing the bathroom aisle.

Those soft, fluffy white hotel towels might seem irresistible—so irresistible that we slip a couple into our suitcase from time to time. But when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, darker hues might be the way to go.

At this point, you might be expecting the more obvious reason: stains. White towels certainly show signs of dirt easier than their colorful counterparts. Everyone knows that.

But actually, according to a quick and informative video posted by product researcher “The Shopping Expert,” dark towels are also “technically superior” for another reason.

As the Shopping Expert explains, towels are manufactured with softeners and a silicone finish before hitting the shelves at stores to make them “feel fluffier and lusher.”


This coating might make you more compelled to make a purchase, but it also affects the towel’s only job—drying you off—since it reduces the towel’s absorbency. This is also why it is recommended to avoid using fabric softeners on towels or any fabric meant to absorb liquid.

Darker and bolder colored towels, however, are less affected by these softeners due to their dye, and therefore what you feel in the store is much closer to what you're going to feel after a few washes.

However, that might not be enough to make dark towels truly superior, at least according to other sources.

Some argue that white towels are neutral enough to withstand any changes in bathroom color scheme, and aren’t going to lose their luster due to fading.

Others point out that white might be the more hygienic choice if bleach is used to wash them, plus it’s hard to go too long without washing white towels, because, again, the dirt is easy to spot.

Others still swear that textured towels are the way to go, noting that they instantly add some pizazz and show less wear over time.

In the end, we might not be able to unanimously get on board with team dark towels. Seems to be more of a personal preference situation. But we can all agree that when it comes to actually getting dry when you hop out of the shower, rough beats soft, hands down.

And one viewer quipped, "the closer to sandpaper the better!"

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