Hitchhiking has become an anachronism in many parts of the world, along with the trust of strangers that makes it possible, but in The Road Less Traveled, Lita Wong hitches her way through rural Cuba and finds herself relying in unexpected ways on the kindness and decency of the people she meets on the road. (Wong’s personal essay is a companion piece to Alone in the Forest, previously published in the magazine.)

Also check out Havel: An Authentic Life, Jan Vihan‘s essay on the plays of Vaclav Havel, the Czech statesman, revolutionary, and writer who died at the end of last year. Havel’s legacy lies not just in his life’s work to overthrow communism and foster democracy, Vihan writes, but also in his many plays and writings, which have much to say — to readers of any language — about the meaning and challenge of living a life of truth and love.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen