Located in the Downtown KC River Market, Breakout KC is the perfect activity to do with your friends and family this winter break. The concept of Breakout KC is simple, but the success rate speaks volume about the difficulty of each room. There are 4 different rooms for people to choose from, each having a specific theme. A group of 2-8 people are locked in 1 of the 4 rooms, and they must solve a series of puzzles to unlock the door within an hour. Each group is granted 3 free clues, but can be given more clues if they choose to take time off the clock. This activity costs $28 per person.

After a year of hearing how great Breakout KC is, my friends and I put the escape room to the test. We choose Room 13, simply because it has the highest success rate out of the other 3 rooms. Even though I am not the type of person to sit in my room reading riddles online, or figuring out 2,000-piece puzzles, I enjoyed Breakout KC tremendously. While there was definitely a fair share of moments where we wanted to punch each other in the throats, it was an overall bonding experience. Even though we did not successfully break out of the room, it was worth spending our money and time on a Friday night.

Westport is one of Kansas City’s true gems. Located between downtown Kansas City, MO and the Country Club Plaza, its funky aesthetic draws me into the district like a bear to honey.

I am generally not a huge thrift shopper. I’ve gone to Goodwill a few times over the last year for spirit week clothes, but I would not call myself a big thrifter. However, when my mom introduced me to Westport’s magical array of thrift shops I was blown away. My favorite Westport thrift stores are Wonderland (309 Westport Road) and Re-runs (4041 Broadway Street).In these stores you will find a variety of clothes and jewelry from various decades; all in good condition. I am guilty of purchasing a couple of my flannels and t-shirts from these stores. These stores are also perfect for Christmas sweaters, as there are a ton of festive and quirky sweaters. Even though I would not wear the majority of the clothes in these stores, it’s still a lot of fun to poke through and make fun of what our parents and grandparents wore years ago.
There are also a ton of interesting restaurants to try out in Westport. I highly recommend eating at Jerusalem cafe, a Middle Eastern restaurant. When I go there I am always treated with kind employees and delicious food. I am a huge fan of their falafel and hummus. It’s nice to venture out from the typical JoCo food scene and experience something I have little knowledge of.

When thinking about Dwayne ‘the Rock” Johnson, the words “singing” or “Disney” do not pop in my mind. However, the Rock’s smooth vocals and loveable charm proved me wrong in the latest Disney princess movie, Moana, as I did not not expect any form of musical talent from him. The creators of the film addressed Hollywood’s current dilemma; diversity. Set in Polynesia, Moana brings to the table many admirable traits that other Disney princess movies simply do not possess. I do not know much about Polynesian culture, so it was very refreshing to see just a glimpse into the culture that I know virtually nothing about.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer of Hamilton, crafted Moana’s soundtrack into a timeless, beautiful gem. He didn’t disappoint when it came to the same witty lyrics that characterized Hamilton. The songs in Moana are a perfect balance of stunning vocals, wit, and catchiness. While the movie has been out for a little while now, it is still relevant to watch in theaters.