The Lo’ Down: Note from the Editor

My motto for the year is this gem from Michael Altshuler: “The bad news is time ies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” And 2022 is the year for us all to soar—for the Soulsby family, that is both figurative and literal, as there is quite a lot of travel planned for the next 12 months. My son is graduating high school, and his biggest wish is a trip to Hawaii with a stop in California—an experience he has passed on many of senior year’s smaller pleasures to save for. My husband is hitting a milestone birthday and wants to spend it in New Orleans. And he and I are hitting our silver anniversary, but are still weighing our travel options— by land, Charleston, SC? By sea, a Bahamian cruise? By air, Boston, MA? The sky is quite literally the limit.

But my family isn’t the only one with a big year brewing. Check out our cover story, where we introduce you to various locals that have poured their hearts into their respective beer, tea, and coffee endeavors. After a drink, we catch up with Jeremy and Katie Neufeld, who are entering 2022 with a young fitness business and a young son to raise. We also sit down with the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation’s Jim Crescitelli, to reminisce about our past for a while before we start soaring into the future. The rest of this issue is jam-packed with local stories to ring in the new year: What is Santa Claus up to now that he has hung up his hat? What makes dancing such good exercise—and can you really learn to dance? Is 2022 the year I finally learn to make the perfect cocktail? Can barbecue really be vegan? We answer all these questions and more in just 48 beautiful pages.

If you like what you see or have something to add, I’d love to hear from you! Until then, the search for the perfect anniversary trip continues (and we are open to suggestions. Shoot me an email if you have a good one). No matter the occasion, regardless of the celebration, we are ready to steer into the winds of 2022. Happy New Year!