Sophie in Switzerland
Switzerland is the little country that could. The tiny, alpine nation is an economic powerhouse with the world’s 20th largest economy. Not bad for a country with the same population as New York City. It always scores in the top 10 in quality-of-life surveys, and it has a wealth of geographical features, from staggering mountains to bucolic valleys. Its cities all seem to be the proper size, and everything in the country runs like clockwork, which it should since the Swiss watch industry is one of its largest business sectors. Switzerland is an incredibly diverse and well-educated nation. However, it also can be quite confusing. It borders France, Italy, Germany, and Lichtenstein. While Swiss-German is the official language, French, Italian,...
Sophie Goes To Greece
After visiting the U.S., where she saw how Donald Trump and others are trying to replace democracy with a right-wing dictatorship, Sophie, with her LUC8K handmade leather bags, is now flying to Athens, Greece. Why Athens? The Greek capital is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities with a recorded history that dates back to 1400 BC. It is known as the cradle of Western civilization. This is due to its progress in the fields of literature and architecture. Athens really excelled in philosophy, were pioneers in this new field of learning—such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates—first shared their theories that are still being studied today. Athens is also known as the birthplace of democracy. Athens’ politics evolved into...
Sophie Searches for the Essence of America
Sophie’s latest LUC8K adventure takes her back to the United States, with her first stop being Washington D.C. Once off the plane, she headed, with her leather tote and canvas bag, straight for the center of world power, the White House. It is said the president of the United States is the leader of the free world. Because of an archaic system of electing U.S. presidents and proven Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the free world leader is now a deranged, narcissist, sadist. Donald Trump’s immigration record consists of placing the poorest of the poor in cages (where children have died) and deporting people without regard to their family situation or whether they are even U.S. citizens....
Sophie Experiences Yellowstone National Park Breakdown
Those who live in the developed world take so many things for granted without regard for how quickly it could all disappear. These were some of Sophie’s thoughts as she walked through Yellowstone National Park during the United States government shutdown. This wasn’t the trip Sophie envisioned when she took her handcrafted LUC8K leather handbags and belt to Yellowstone, but it was eye-opening nevertheless. To double the damage already caused by the shutdown, the former Department of Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, decided to keep the park open with only a skeleton crew to maintain it and handle tourists. The results were easy to predict as toilets and trashcans were overflowing with human waste. Snowmobiles tore through the park as they...
Sophie Experiences the Nightlife of Hong Kong
Sophie travels the world as the LUC8K ambassador and visits some places of great beauty and demanding challenges. When it comes to urban areas, Sophie’s favorite city is Hong Kong, and for plenty of reasons. So for one day, Sophie gets to visit her favorite places in this dynamic city. It’s a world center of business and commerce. Its scenic harbor serves as one of the world’s busiest deep water ports. Its skyline can rival any in the world. It’s a truly 24-hour city. And it’s a meeting place for people around the world where they come to work hard and play even harder. Sophie lands at Hong Kong International Airport and takes the Airport Express Train, and in minutes,...
Sophie Goes To Mexico City
This time, Sophie returned to North America, skipping the United States in favor of Mexico City, the capital, business center, and most important city in Mexico. The country in recent years has been under attack by U.S. President Donald Trump for bringing crime to America and for feeding off the country’s welfare system, among other things he fabricates for applause. Of course, like most of what Trump says, the opposite is true. Sophie discovered that Mexico City is a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis that is culturally sophisticated and filled with charming, friendly people. Art is everywhere and takes shape in every form throughout this vast city. With the agreeable exchange rates, shopping in the large department stores and small boutiques is...
Sophie Goes Off The Beaten Path in San Francisco
The story of San Francisco isn’t written in the history books of academia. Its character, history, color, and mystery are instead recorded in novels, spoken words, and songs. It is in this colorful city of steep hills, cable cars, and clouds of mist where Sophie decided to visit next, taking her handcrafted LUC8K Weekender canvas bag, leather tote, and her lucky reversible leather belt. San Francisco is a city whose history consists of booze, drugs, and brothels. It’s where gay Americans first congregated openly en masse. It was always a place with counterculture instincts and a strong creative bent. Of course, today’s biggest influence is from 20-something-year-olds who turn the world around (for better or worse) with disruptive innovation. It...
Sophie Goes To Argentina and Peru
Sophie likes to move quickly when traveling, and nothing says fast, sleek, and stylish like the new Weekender duffle bag and the colorful new handmade leather belt. These items will come in handy with her new adventure, a trip to Argentina and Peru, two countries known for their rugged beauty, diverse cultures, and fine cuisine. Landed In Buenos Aires Sophie’s flight landed in Buenos Aires, the largest city in Argentina and one of the most important in South America. It’s a place known for its street art, contemporary design, and preserved Spanish architecture. It is a melting pot with residents and visitors from all over the world. Sophie is hungry, and she headed straight for Cucina Paradiso, one of the...
Opposites Attract
Ever since Sophie was in London and saw a BBC movie about meerkats narrated by Paul Newman, she’s been obsessed with these tiny animals. Their long thin furry bodies just over a foot tall are designed for speed above ground and burrowing underground. They inhabit some of the most difficult, barren and dangerous places on earth yet they appear to live happily in their large families. When they stand tall on their hind legs and peer out with their binocular-like eyes, it’s as if they scan entire swaths of the African deserts where they live. Meerkats are about as different from giraffes as any creature can be, yet Sophie is intoxicated with them. They live so close to her childhood...
Sophie Tries To Disappear In The Paradise of Tonga
Tonga, the name and its far-flung location conjures exotic images of tropical flora and fauna, beautiful beaches and solitude. This reputation is well earned. The country of 169 islands is scattered liked pebbles over 700,000 square kilometers of the deep blue Pacific Ocean among thousands of other pebble-like islands. From the air at sunset they can look as remote as stars in the night sky. Only 36 of the islands are inhabited so like many of these Pacific islands, it’s a place you can disappear if you choose. Of course, Sophie the great explorer has no plans to disappear. She wants to engage and visit even more island nations (Fiji and Bora Bora are on her itinerary). It’s a relatively...