“As a dabbler in herbal medicine and self-diagnosed “Beverage Goblin” who’s often sipping three libations at a time, I wanted to find the best mood-altering, yet nonalcoholic (NA) beverages to help me either energize or chill, depending on the time of day. (There’s just something about drinkable remedies, right? They feel more holistic than popping a pill.) For a full week, I made my body a science experiment for different beverages that promised to alter my mood in various ways.”

“A solemn, sentimental celebration, Wigilia lasts hours and includes twelve meatless courses, featuring mushroom soup, carp, herring, rye bread, pierogi, sauerkraut, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), honey vodka, and desserts like kołaczki.

“Springfielders will insist you partake of a “horseshoe” sandwich, a bizarre local tradition involving an open-faced sandwich on toasted sourdough bread with a hamburger patty or ham, topped with french fries and cheese sauce. The superior version is at D’arcys Pint (661 W Stanford Ave, 217-492-8800)—buy it alongside some Pepto-Bismol. As one Springfield local put it, “Ideally, one would go straight from the horseshoe to the [Presidential] museum. The moment you’re looking for is when you’re feeling nauseous from a horseshoe and find yourself contemplating Lincoln’s childhood—that’s truly Springfield.”