Empty Mess

Empty Mess

HOLIDAY EXPLORER

And finding my Christmas spirit.

Stephanie Mason-Teague's avatar
Stephanie Mason-Teague
Dec 13, 2025
∙ Paid

As I jumped into my daughter’s car at the airport curbside pickup, she gestured to the bag I had slung over my shoulder and said, “What’s with the Dora the Explorer backpack?”

She was comparing my bag to the backpack worn by the plucky cartoon character that traveled through episodes of fantastical trips disguised as educational programming. As you know,…

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