She thought her wedding was a mistake. But then a new friend changed her life – CNN

By wazup on February 13, 2023 Comments Closed / 125 views

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In our latest weekly roundup, CNN Travel celebrates love stories: The gal pals who bonded over marriage misgivings, the 22-year-olds who found their life partner by buying cheapskate standby tickets and the gibbon who mystified zookeepers by having a baby when she lived alone in her cage.

Love, sweet love

Life’s turning points happen on the journey, not at the destination.

Maggie Musgrave was flying back from her bachelorette party, crying because she thought the wedding was a mistake, when she found comfort by talking with fellow traveler Cindy Jarrin at a Miami airport. Maggie’s marriage didn’t work out, but her decade-long friendship with Cindy is a love story for the ages.

And 22-year-old Vickie Moretz had never left the southern United States when she and her friend booked standby flights to London in 1982 – without understanding what standby meant. After pleading with airline staff, Vickie got the very last seat on the plane and was seated next to a 22-year-old Englishman named Graham. They married before the end of the year and, four decades on, theirs is a whirlwind romance that never stopped.

Destination Europe

No, you’re not just imagining it. European destinations really are booking up fast, even in off-season.

Online booking platforms, tour operators and hotel companies confirm that US travelers are busy packing their bags for transatlantic adventures before spring leaves are even in bud. The increased demand is pushing up prices, too. Here’s our report so you can start working on your 2023 vacation strategy.

Oversubscribed destinations are being increasingly selective about the types of tourists they want to attract. The latest move in Amsterdam’s “stay away” campaign to discourage party-hungry travelers is to ban marijuana use on the streets of its red light district.

And late last year, a French ski resort became the first in Europe to ban tobacco smoking in all its communal areas.

Wildlife protection

<strong>People’s Choice Award winner:</strong> "World of the snow leopard" was taken by German photographer Sascha Fonseca. Fonseca carefully positioned a camera trap in the Indian Himalayas. ” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Highly commended:</strong> "Fox affection" by Brittany Crossman of Canada captures a friendly moment on Prince Edward Island.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Highly commended:</strong> "Portrait of Olobor" by Spain’s Marina Cano is a striking image of one of five male lions in the Black Rock pride in Kenya’s Maasai Mara Nature Reserve.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Highly commended:</strong> In "Holding on" by Igor Altuna from Spain, a baby monkey clings to its dead parent as it is carried off by a leopard in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Highly commended:</strong> "Among the flowers" by Martin Gregus captures a polar bear cub playing in a mass of fireweed on the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada. ” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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Top photos from Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award

Snow leopards made the news twice this week: Once as the winning image in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award and once as one of the creatures targeted in the recent Dallas Zoo animal thefts. The 24-year-old suspect charged with the spree reportedly told police that if he gets out of jail, he would do it again.

Mexico has banned shark-related tourism activities on Guadalupe Island off the coast of Baja California, a popular spot for pursuits including cage diving and sport fishing. The wildlife protection decision effectively ends the island’s once-busy tourism economy.

Finally, federal authorities opened an unattended bag at a Detroit airport and discovered a young dolphin’s skull. It’s been handed over to US Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors for investigation.

‘Ghost ships’ of the Baltic

<strong>"Ghost ships": </strong>In the icy waters surrounding Scandinavia, divers Jonas Dahm and Carl Douglas explore and photograph wrecks long lost to the ocean, the so-called "ghost ships” of the Baltic Sea. This picture is of an unidentified shipwreck dating possibly from the 17th or 18th centuries.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Underwater photography: </strong>On dives, Dahm captures haunting photographs, including this one of an unidentified Russian submarine from the First World War. Dahm and Douglas also extensively research the wrecks they explore.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Photos and reflections: </strong>A selection of Dahm’s photographs, paired with Douglas’ written reflections, feature in the book "Ghost Ships of the Baltic Sea," published by Swedish publisher Bokförlaget Max Ström. This chronometer, a type of clock, was photographed on the German steamer Otto Cords which sunk in the Second World War.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>"History coming to life": </strong>This photograph is of Svärdet, a Swedish navy war ship which sank in 1676. Bronze cannons can still be seen on and around the wreck. "Diving around Svärdet was one of the greatest underwater experiences of my life," writes Douglas in the book. "I had an overwhelming sense of history coming to life."” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Interior shot:</strong> Dahm took this picture of the interior of what was once a passenger cabin on board the Aachen, a 19th century steam ship that sank in the First World War after becoming a German navy vessel.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Light and dark:</strong> Dahm says there are many challenges associated with photographing wrecks — from lighting to visibility. Plus, many of the ships are some 100 meters under the sea. Pictured here: remnants of the steam ship Rumina.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Capturing atmosphere:</strong> Dahm and Douglas and their team of divers use flashlights to illuminate details for the photos. They also try to capture the atmosphere of the murky waters. Pictured here: the SMS Prinz Adalbert, another German ship that sank during the First World War. The ship was broken in two, and this picture depicts what remains of the ship’s stern.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Capturing details:</strong> The 19th century steamer Astrid is in "poor condition," writes Douglas, but its figurehead remains intact.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Marine life: </strong>This photograph shows a cod swimming past the wreck of SMS Undine, a German cruiser that became a naval ship during the First World War.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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<strong>Unknown stories: </strong>The ship Liro was built in 1876, and sank in 1931. Why Liro sunk remains unknown. For Dahm and Douglas, such mysteries are always intriguing. "I will probably never know the answers to all these questions, but it’s okay, most shipwrecks will never reveal their secrets anyway," Dahm tells CNN Travel.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image_gallery-image__dam-img–loading’)” height=”900″ width=”1600″></picture> </div>
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Photographs reveal ‘ghost ships’ of Baltic Sea

Divers Jonas Dahm and Carl Douglas have devoted 25 years to wreck-hunting. A book now gathers together their eerie photographs of the barnacle-clad vessels they’ve discovered in the icy waters of the Baltic Sea.

Luggage tracking

Passengers are getting increasingly proactive when it comes to lost luggage, with many using GPS trackers to locate their missing bags – such as professional poker player Steve O’Dwyer, who went on an epic campaign, including a live TV broadcast, to retrieve his bag from London Heathrow.

Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have put together nine AirTag tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Apple tracker.