Since 1872, readers have been enthralled by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days. Modern adventurer Franci Neely may be taking a bit longer, but her goal is even loftier — to visit every country on the planet. Only about 250 people have accomplished this lofty…

Franci Neely has found friends on the island of Bolama off the mainland of Guinea-Bissau, and she’s stood where the sand dunes meet the sea in southern Morocco. Her days have been filled with meaningful conversations and adventure, and she’s taken countless snapshots along the way, documenting every detail like…

Have you ever heard the phrase “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way”? We can all find ourselves getting stuck in a comfort zone — and while that’s fine for a while, you don’t want to stay there forever. Life is meant to be lived and there is so…

When you’ve traveled to as many places as I have, you learn to appreciate the journey and not sweat the small stuff. I have had the good fortune to visit many countries, and wherever I go, I cherish the connections I made with the locals. Nothing is quite as rewarding…

Travel is food for the soul. If everyone had the opportunity to wander more, imagine how culturally rich and empathetic the world could be. I realize I have been blessed to have the chance to visit nearly every country on the planet and it’s something I’ve never taken for granted. …

It seems like just yesterday when former Mayor Bill White asked me to put together a task force to boost the film industry in Houston. We officially formed the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) in 2008 to meet that need. HCAS does an outstanding job of celebrating film in one…

I want to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s something I feel I was born to do. I have been very blessed in my life and I enjoy sharing that with others. I believe making a difference begins in our communities. It starts on the local level…

Ernest Hemingway once said there is no friend as loyal as a book. Since I’ve been a child, I have always looked at reading as a gift. When I was assigned books to read in school, it never felt like a chore. Instead, it felt like something magical I got…

A little over a year after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, I hosted a shopping spree at Target for families who had been heavily affected by the tempest. That catastrophic Category 4 storm caused $125 billion of damage and left more than 8,000 people displaced and staying in hotels…