• There have been 18 live-action TV shows and movies in the “Star Wars” universe.
• They have ranged in quality, from almost unwatchable to masterpieces.
• Later this month, the first “Star Wars” film in seven years hits theaters.

Happy May the Fourth! We’ve been watching stories set in a galaxy far, far away for almost 50 years.

Since the first “Star Wars” film was released in 1977, there have been 10 more movies and seven TV series (not including the animated ones) in this universe. It’s generated billions of dollars in revenue, not just at the box office or on Disney+, but with theme parks, toys, comics, video games, and more.

Of course, not everything can be as great as the original “Star Wars” (now titled “A New Hope”), but a fair few have risen to classic status. Others are probably best forgotten.

Using critics’ scores on Rotten Tomatoes, we’ve ranked all 18 live-action “Star Wars” properties from worst to best. Here’s how each stacks up, from “A New Hope” to “Andor.”

18. “The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

Critics and fans agree that the most recent (for now) “Star Wars” film is also the worst in the decadeslong franchise. In attempting to wrap up a story that’s been going since the ’70s and please fans who hated the previous installment (more on that one later), the powers that be had an unenviable task.

Unfortunately, they did not prove to be up to the challenge. “Rise of Skywalker,” in the seven years since its release, has become shorthand for a disappointing finale — just look at the first responses to the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie.

If you don’t remember, “The Rise of Skywalker” made the questionable decision to make Rey the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, dragging this new trilogy back to an enemy fans thought they’d finally left in the past. It also killed off Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, failed to kill off Chewbacca in an insulting fake-out, and added a bunch of new, useless characters instead of focusing on existing ones that audiences had grown fond of over the last two films.

“J.J. Abrams’s mechanical, nonsensical ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ contains so many resurrections it’s a wonder Disney and Lucasfilm didn’t push back the release date from Christmas to Easter,” wrote Michael Sragow for Film Comment Magazine.

17. “The Phantom Menace” (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

“The Phantom Menace” came to theaters in 1999, 16 years after we had last spent time in a galaxy far, far away. Needless to say, expectations were extremely high.

This movie, which certainly has its defenders, is, to put it plainly, boring. Even if its plot about a trade war has new significance today, that doesn’t mean we wanted a “Star Wars” movie to focus on the economy of the galaxy.

It was also an unfortunate choice to introduce Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, as a 10-year-old child, especially when his future wife, Padmé, was played by 18-year-old Natalie Portman.

“Sure, there’s a great NASCAR-like pod race and a cool, horn-studded professional wrestler type… But the only person who gets body-slammed here is the viewer looking for a trace of the magic that carried us away in the original trilogy,” wrote Rick Holter for the Dallas Morning News.

16. “Attack of the Clones” (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 62%

Ruled a slight improvement upon its predecessor, “Attack of the Clones” continues the story of Anakin Skywalker, now played by a 21-year-old Hayden Christensen. It follows him as he falls in love with Padmé (a big no-no for a Jedi), while the rest of the Jedi try to uncover a conspiracy regarding a secret army and the return of their ancient enemies, the Sith.

“‘Attack of the Clones’ wasn’t as outrightly horrid as ‘Phantom Menace,’ but it offended in a different way: it was boring,” wrote Collider’s Allison Keene.

15. “The Book of Boba Fett” (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

Boba Fett, as a character, was one of the coolest and most mysterious people in the Star Wars universe. He was introduced as a faceless assassin with a sick jetpack in “The Empire Strikes Back,” and he captivated fans for decades after.

It’s a tough ask to create a story worthy of someone that cool — and “Book of Boba Fett” proved that we probably should know less about Boba, not more.

It follows the assassin after his escape from the Sarlacc Pit in “Return of the Jedi,” when he became part of the Tusken Raiders, through to his takeover of Tatooine’s underworld. If none of that meant anything to you, it’s best you skip this one.

The most damning thing about “Boba Fett” though, is that the best episode of the season was the one that was more like a bridge between the second and third seasons of “The Mandalorian.”

“‘The Book of Boba Fett’ was a series of compounding mistakes. Its best feature was to deliver a ‘Mandalorian’ sequel that could have been a self-contained film,” wrote Craig Mathieson for The Age.

14. “Solo” (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%

It was never going to be easy to fill the gargantuan shoes of Harrison Ford as Han Solo, who is perhaps the coolest and most beloved character in movie history? (There’s a case to be made.)

So, we can’t really lay the blame on Alden Ehrenreich for the failure of this movie, an origin story for pre-“A New Hope” Han. It was just never going to work. There’s also the nonsensical plot, unimportant fan service — did we really need to know how Han got his dice or his last name? — and a lackluster villain.

“‘Solo’ is at its best when it’s uncoupled from all that heavy lifting, just crammed in a cockpit with its likeable cast and shooting for the stars,” wrote Time Out’s Philip de Semlyen.

12 (tie). “The Acolyte” (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

There’s a lot to love about “The Acolyte,” chief among them Manny Jacinto’s performance as The Stranger, one of the creepiest villains a “Star Wars” property has ever given us.

This show, which took place in a heretofore unexplored era of the “Star Wars” universe (roughly 100 years before “The Phantom Menace”), also had an interesting question at its center: Are the Jedi actually good?

Alas, we’ll never know what happens to twins Osha and Mae, and the Stranger, because Disney canceled the show after one season.

“Set hundreds of years before the events of the Star Wars saga we know best, this show gets to tell its own story — making it better than most of the series Disney+ has pumped out,” wrote Dylan Roth for Observer.

12 (tie). “Revenge of the Sith” (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

Don’t underestimate the power of the prequels, even if, on average, they have the lowest scores of the three film trilogies. When “Revenge of the Sith” returned to theaters for a weeklong stint to celebrate its 20th anniversary last year, it was the No. 2 movie at the box office, only behind “Sinners.“

“Revenge of the Sith” is easily the best prequel film. It has the very real stakes of Anakin slowly descending into evil and becoming the most iconic movie villain of all time, Darth Vader. It also depicts the Jedi finally realizing that they’ve been blind to the hatred and fascism festering right under their noses, and Obi-Wan’s decision to dedicate his life to protecting his best friend-turned-enemy’s son, Luke.

It puts all the pieces into place for anyone who chooses to watch the “Star Wars” films in chronological order without missing a beat.

“The saddest and sincerest of all the ‘Star Wars’ epics, the mad work of a man desperately trying to understand his own creation,” wrote Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri.

11. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

For many years, fans theorized about what, exactly, Obi-Wan was doing in the Tatooine desert during the 20 or so years between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.”

This miniseries answered that question, for at least a few weeks. It turns out Obi-Wan met a young Princess Leia, saved her from the Empire, battled with Darth Vader multiple times, and reconnected with the Force. It was a productive time!

The high point of this series was Obi-Wan and Vader’s final fight, where Obi-Wan heartbreakingly glimpsed Anakin for a few moments, underneath all the hatred, before giving up on his old friend.

“The latest ‘Star Wars’ spin-off from Disney+ sees the Scot [Ewan McGregor] put in his best performance as the legendary Jedi in a John Wick-esque caper with marvelous action sequences,” wrote Stuart Heritage for The Guardian.

10. “Return of the Jedi” (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

It’s hard to end a series in a satisfying way, and back in 1983, George Lucas and Co. didn’t know for sure that another six movies would be released. This could’ve been the last people saw of Luke, Han, Leia, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

Even though, of course, we know it wasn’t, “Return of the Jedi” does a pretty good job of tying up loose ends. Luke fulfills his destiny to bring balance to the Force, Han and Leia declare their love, Anakin finds the light once again, and Ewoks are there. What else could you want?

“One may carp, gripe, quibble with ‘Jedi,’ but Lucasfilm’s special effects subsidiary, Industrial Light and Magic, is in a class by itself as creator of screen magic. And when it is good, ‘Jedi’ is peerless escapist fantasy,” wrote Joseph Gelmis for Newsday.

9. “Rogue One” (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

George Lucas has repeatedly reiterated that “Star Wars” is meant for kids. Rogue One, a prequel story that goes right up to the seconds before “A New Hope” starts, puts that statement to the test.

It’s easily the darkest and most morally gray film in the “Star Wars” canon and shows Darth Vader at his most terrifying, finally pushing beyond what was technologically possible during the original trilogy.

Based on a throwaway line in the opening crawl of “A New Hope,” “Rogue One” proved that a “Star Wars” movie about something other than Luke Skywalker and the Force could be successful.

Chris Klimek of NPR called the film a “tense, well-made spacefaring war movie about a desperate and demoralized band of insurgents standing up against a rising authoritarian regime.”

8. “Ahsoka” (2023-present)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

It’s time to discuss the animated properties in the “Star Wars” universe. If you skipped out on “The Clone Wars” or “Rebels,” you most likely don’t even know who Ahsoka is.

A quick crash course: Between the events of “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” the Clone Wars ravage the galaxy, and Anakin is promoted from padawan (or apprentice) to Jedi master. In turn, he takes a padawan himself: Ahsoka. Don’t worry about why she’s never mentioned in the movies; it’s (somewhat) convincingly retconned in “Clone Wars.”

She’s one of the most beloved characters in the animated “Star Wars” canon, and her live-action debut was highly anticipated.

So, when it was announced that Rosario Dawson would play Ahsoka first in “The Mandalorian,” and then in her own series, people were hyped.

And, for the most part, the series lived up to expectations. The one issue is that this show barely makes any sense if you don’t have, at the very least, basic knowledge of the characters from “Rebels,” including Sabine, Hera, Ezra, and Thrawn.

Season two is set to be released later in 2026.

“No lightsabers can match the fierce glow of Rosario Dawson as the ex-Jedi with the funky headgear who leads her sisterhood — glory to Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo — against the Empire’s fading patriarchy. Now that’s worth celebrating,” wrote Peter Travers of ABC News.

7. “The Mandalorian” (2019-present)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Two words: Baby Yoda.

The first-ever “Star Wars” live-action TV show started on a high note, thanks to the cutest puppet of all time (who would later be named Grogu, but started out as simply “Baby Yoda”).

Besides this unbelievably adorable baby, “The Mandalorian” has another thing going for it: Pedro Pascal’s vocal performance as Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter just trying to find his way in the universe. When he meets (and then refuses to kill) Grogu in the first episode, it starts him on a quest that’s still going — get ready for “The Mandalorian & Grogu” coming to theaters in a couple of weeks.

As “The Mandalorian” has progressed, it’s become a bit bogged down in connecting to the larger “Star Wars” canon, but we’ll always have that perfect first season.

“For all its sci-fi stiltedness, ‘The Mandalorian’ founded a compelling myth, a world of paranoia, ethical dilemmas and, aah, tiny space kitten things. Just don’t take it too seriously,” wrote The Times‘ Victoria Segal.

6. “The Last Jedi” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

“The Last Jedi” is the most divisive “Star Wars” movie of the bunch. Those who love it, love it, and those who don’t? Well, just look at the 41% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

We’re of the opinion that it rocks. It has breathtaking cinematography, intense fights, and a genuinely beautiful message: That anyone, even if their last name isn’t Skywalker, can stand up to evil in the universe, whether they’re a small boy with a broom, a former Stormtrooper, or a young woman from a junk planet in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t matter where you came from, just where you intend to go.

“[Director Rian] Johnson is easily the most skilled filmmaker to helm one of these (it’s not even close) and it’s not just that the film has a surface beauty of its own. He’s aware of what we expect narratively from a ‘Star Wars’ movie, and delights in subverting it,” wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire.

5. “Skeleton Crew” (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

“Skeleton Crew” is best described as “The Goonies” in space. It follows a group of ragtag kids who accidentally get trapped on an old spaceship and get lost in space. They must work together, along with a new friend Jod (played by the always-charming Jude Law), to get home to their planet, which is more important and mysterious than these kids ever could have guessed.

It’s fun — something that “Star Wars” has been sorely lacking recently — and definitely worth the watch.

“For anyone who says the House That [George] Lucas Built is out of ideas and has been picked clean, ‘Skeleton Crew’ proves there’s still meat left on those bones,” wrote The San Francisco Chronicle’s Zaki Hasan.

3 (tie). “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

“The Empire Strikes Back” has one of the most iconic plot twists in movie history. Do the words “No, I am your father” mean anything to you?

It’s also widely considered one of the best sequels of all time, and has been used as a shorthand to describe any sequel that some could call better than the original, and it’s certainly darker than its predecessor.

“The Empire Strikes Back,” for all its fun (and there is fun!), ends on a huge downer. Han has been captured and frozen in carbonite in front of the woman he loves and has been betrayed by an old friend; Luke has found out his nemesis is actually his dad; and the Empire is stronger than ever. Woof.

“The appeal of visiting Oz is that it is a magical place over the rainbow. The appeal of ‘Star Wars’ and, now, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ is that it also takes us to a magical place — the childhood of our mind,” wrote Gene Siskel for the Chicago Tribune.

3 (tie). “The Force Awakens” (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

It had been 32 years since Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher had graced our screens as Luke, Han, and Leia (and for Hamill, at least, it’d be another couple of years until we saw him again).

Audiences had three decades to become attached to these original characters, but when “The Force Awakens” introduces us to Finn (John Boyega), a disillusioned stormtrooper, Poe (Oscar Isaac), a brash Resistance pilot, Rey (Daisy Ridley), a junk trader desperate for something more, and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), our new terrifying villain, audiences knew they were in good hands.

And then, after all that, we got to see (almost) all of our old friends together again, too.

“As a nostalgia trip that knows exactly what die-hard ‘Star Wars’ fans want and then layers in some memorable new characters, ‘The Force Awakens’ is exactly what it needs to be: an old-school Saturday afternoon sci-fi matinee writ big,” wrote The Austin Chronicle’s Marc Savlov.

2. “Star Wars: A New Hope” (1977)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Originally titled “Star Wars,” this is the film that started it all.

There’s a reason we’re still watching “Star Wars” movies and shows five decades later. The world that George Lucas introduced us to in “Star Wars” is filled with lovable characters, a villain that continues to scare audiences, a magical Force that connects all living things, and a brand-new alien to catch your attention whichever way you look. In many ways, it’s the closest thing we have to American mythology.

It also affected Hollywood forever. The special effects company created for this film, Industrial Light and Magic, completely changed the game for special effects and is still working today. It’s the fourth-highest-grossing film ever, adjusted for inflation. It was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including best picture, and won six, including a special achievement award for its sound designer, Ben Burtt.

Critics knew it then; fans still know it now. To put it simply: “A New Hope” is great.

“George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’ is not a film that readily lends itself to comparisons, so it may as well begin with the superlatives. This captivating science fantasy is the finest pure entertainment to reach the screen in ages,” wrote Desmond Ryan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

1. “Andor” (2022-2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

“Andor,” according to critics, is the best live-action “Star Wars” property, and it’s hard to argue with them.

The series, which ran for two seasons, follows the beginning seeds of the Rebellion, which, by the time we see it in “A New Hope,” is a high-functioning operation. Of course, it didn’t start out that way.

Even though we know how this story ends, with Cassian Andor and many of his friends sacrificing their lives in “Rogue One” and beyond, the stakes are high, and the series can be unbearably tense.

Another high point: the writing. Many have clowned on George Lucas’ stilted dialogue in the prequels. There’s none of that to be found in creator Tony Gilroy’s prose, which has provided some of the most beautiful lines in “Star Wars” history. It is sorely missed.

“The show deserves to be seen as great TV, in the same league as shows like ‘The Wire’ and ‘The Sopranos,'” wrote David Klion for The New Republic.

• Capital needs of AI and infrastructure are so great that Wall Street giants are fighting less.
• James Zelter, Apollo’s president, said it isn’t as “brutal” to compete for deals.
• PE giants, including Blackstone, came together to form a joint venture with AI darling Anthropic on Monday.

Everyone plays nicer on the conference stage than in the boardroom, but it was a remarkably chummy start to the Milken conference in Los Angeles on Monday.

The reason, according to those onstage, is that elbows don’t have to be nearly as sharp when the investment needed to see the AI boom through is so massive.

The funding of artificial intelligence and the broader infrastructure to support the technology, including data centers, energy grid improvements, and more, has become the story of capital markets since OpenAI’s public release of its chatbot in late 2022.

Now, as James Zelter, the president of Apollo, said, “We all do a tremendous amount of work with each other,” talking about both his fellow panelists, including Blackstone’s Jon Gray, as well as the audience full of private-market investors.

Compared to the financial crisis, when “we were all very brutal competitors,” Zelter said the current “big ocean” of opportunities is ripe for partnerships, and capital is in high demand.

Investment-grade debt markets have been flooded with new issuances, he said, proving strong companies need capital. Monday morning kicked off with the announcement of a $1.5 billion joint venture between Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic, along with other investors, including Goldman Sachs.

Any pessimism around private credit, how AI could disrupt the workforce, or the US economy in light of the Iran conflict was nowhere to be found on the panel, which also included Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, BNY CEO Robin Vince, and Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, the deputy CEO of the $375 billion Emirati sovereign wealth fund, Mudabala.

“We’re still probably the best dirty shirt in the laundry,” Johnson said about investing in the US. Mudabala has 44% of its portfolio in the country, and Gray believes there’ll be an explosion of blue-collar job growth in the coming years.

“You have to be quite negative if you don’t think it’ll be a tailwind,” Vince said about the amount of capital pledged and raised by companies to invest in their businesses.

And for investment managers, the current pressure from retail investors, institutions, and insurers alike is inconsequential if they can eventually generate returns.

“If we deliver that premium, it’s a good trade,” Gray said.

“This still has a long way to go.”

• Jessica Stanton had round-trip tickets from Myrtle Beach to Boston for her undergraduate graduation.
• She stayed up all night trying to find another direct flight after her Spirit flight was canceled.
• She found a one-way flight with American Airlines for $399 a ticket.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jessica Stanton. It has been edited for length and clarity.

On Saturday morning at 2:28 a.m., I had an email from Spirit Airlines informing me that my flight back to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had been canceled.

I had booked round trip tickets for my mom and I with Spirit Airlines in February, from Myrtle Beach to Boston, for my college graduation.

I had booked with Spirit because they were the only airline offering the direct flight we needed that day. At Myrtle Beach’s airport, Spirit Airlines was the largest carrier with the most direct flights to Boston.

Each ticket cost me $215

My mom and I got to Boston without any problems. I had my graduation on Friday, May 1, and afterward, had a great celebration with friends.

That evening, back at the hotel, my mom had a text from my stepdad asking if we were stranded.

“What are you talking about?” she asked him. We hadn’t heard anything about a change to our flight, which was booked for around noon on Saturday. I checked my email and texts — nothing. The Spirit Airlines app showed that my plane was on time.

While my mom was sleeping, I decided to stay up a while to see if anything came of the worries my stepdad had. Just in case, I started looking at options for other flights we could get back to Myrtle Beach.

At 2:28 a.m., I received an email informing me that all Spirit Airlines flights had been canceled and that we would be refunded automatically.

I started looking for other flights out

As my mom is older and has mobility issues, getting a direct flight was a priority.

Frontier was advertising reduced-price tickets for those stranded due to Spirit cancellations, but they only had flights to Orlando. Southwest had a flight, but it wasn’t direct. Delta didn’t have any good options.

I called American Airlines after seeing online that they had a direct flight from Boston to Myrtle Beach on Saturday afternoon for $399, and asked whether they would offer a reduced fare for Spirit customers. They told me they couldn’t.

Without another option, I had to bite the bullet and buy the tickets. I couldn’t believe I had already paid for tickets and was having to spend an extra $800 to get home.

Although I thought about looking for other tickets, I knew that once everyone started waking up (it was still early hours of the morning on Saturday), it would be even harder and more expensive to get tickets.

I worked out that it would probably be cheaper to just get the tickets, instead of paying for another night in a hotel plus extra food if I couldn’t secure tickets for Saturday.

We arrived at an empty airport

When my mom woke up, I told her about what had happened, but assured her I had dealt with it and found a solution.

We arrived back in Myrtle Beach to an empty airport because most of the gates there are Spirit Airlines gates. As we walked through the airport, I thought of all the jobs that have been lost. It feels like every six months, thousands of workers at these big companies are losing their jobs. It’s really sad.

After getting home and finally getting some sleep, I’ve noticed that flight prices have gone up and there are fewer flights available. I’m hoping I do get the refund I was promised, but I haven’t heard anything yet.

I’m so glad I booked when I did, and feel really grateful I got myself and my mom home.

[Editor’s note: American Airlines’ website says they are “doing everything we can to support Spirit Airlines customers” and that they have put in place rescue fares on non-stop routes that overlapped with Spirit Airlines.]

• I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years.
• Empathy is at the center of what I do, so I’m not worried about AI taking my job away.
• Technology and people can work well together, but one cannot always replace the other.

Right after college, I was like most graduates — broke and desperate for money.

In the early aughts, there was no social media, no algorithms, and certainly no online job postings like there are today. The only way to get leads was through newspaper ads or those physical job boards at career fairs and public places. To get noticed, I printed out a stack of resumes, made a list of the companies I wanted to work for, put on my best professional outfit, and dropped a copy off — in person.

It’s almost hard to believe today. Over the last 24 years, I’ve worked a variety of jobs in the hospitality industry, and while a lot has changed in the world, the personal connection to people, which I believe is needed to excel in this industry, has not.

That’s why, while others seem panicked about AI replacing them at work, I’m not nearly as concerned.

Getting my first job took perseverance

To land my first hotel job as a concierge, I kept showing up in person every Monday after lunch for six weeks straight, because that’s when the security guard told me the new job postings went up. I figured I’d keep trying until a job opened or they told me never to return.

During my first interview, the human resources manager enthusiastically said, “Your persistence made you stand out. It says a lot about your character and drive.” I got the job and learned a valuable lesson that has stuck with me

Training season is never over

My hotel training lasted a month and was split into two parts. During the first two weeks, I dove into the rabbit hole of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, which is a software that helps a business keep track of its customers and interactions with them all in one place. Think of it like a smart digital address book, notebook, reminder system all in one. The second half was all about etiquette, understanding the underlying reasons behind any complaints. That whole experience taught me that technology and the human touch must work together in the hospitality industry.

My training and years of work since then have taught me that it’s not enough to just acknowledge a guest — it’s about making them feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood. That’s something that only a real person can do, and I’m confident that it will be much better than an auto-generated, generic email or voicemail that pretends to mimic human concern.

It always turns physical

My career in the hospitality industry has always been a bit like riding an exhilarating, white-knuckling rollercoaster. From the dizzying heights of working as a concierge to the exhausting lows of being an events planner, each day brought new challenges that I worked hard to overcome.

Over the years, I’ve dealt with the high-pressure demands of catering to ultra-high-net-worth clients and ensured celebrities felt truly cared for as a VIP attendant. I’ve planned unforgettable events for corporate clients and everyday folks.

There are always the unexpected issues that required me to think and act fast: diving into dumpsters to retrieve lost jewelry, shipping urgent packages, tracking down deliveries that were lost, printing last-minute presentations, sewing clothes in a pinch, and many more. These aren’t tasks AI can handle; they require a person’s presence, resourcefulness, and above all, empathy.

I have received letters from guests and companies, thanking me for saving their day — or sometimes, their job. These moments are proof that, with technology as a tool and a person at the heart, we make a powerful team, but the human is always the lead operator.

Tech can’t replicate everything

For a time I was hosting curated dinner parties. I wone awards, which was personally reward, especially since some of the recipes I used were from my late grandmother.

Her recipe book is not something AI has access to. Sure, AI can generate multiple fantastic recipes, but could it duplicate the seasoning she taught me to make with my hands from scratch for empanadas? No, I don’t think so.

An opportunity to impact, not take over

Managing expectations in hospitality isn’t just about following a checklist; it’s about listening closely, thinking through challenges, and making choices that are guided by empathy for how guests will feel because of your actions.

Empathy is the key, and so far, technology can’t replicate that. Sure, tech can streamline processes and provide valuable information, but it can’t replicate the genuine human connection that comes from understanding and responding to someone’s needs in person.

The real magic happens when people and technology work together, forming a partnership that elevates the guest experience to something truly special.

• Kat Moore is a 38-year-old teacher living in San Clemente, California.
• Moore and her husband visited Sicily and decided to buy and renovate an apartment.
• Kat says the “adventure” has connected her to her mother, who moved from Cuba to start a new life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kat Moore. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2022, my husband and I visited Sicily for the first time. I fell in love with the island and told my husband I wanted to buy a house there to live in one day. He thought I was insane, but I was adamant.

People in Sicily tend to lead a slower pace of life. In the US, there’s a huge emphasis on work as your identity. It’s stressful and overwhelming, and I craved a different way of life. A different pace.

Three years later, in March 2025, we were in Sicily for spring break, and I viewed 50 houses to get an idea of what was on offer and how much we’d be spending.

When we saw one of the last places we viewed, an apartment in Ortigia, the historic heart of Sicily, with a balcony overlooking the sea, I just knew — this was the house we’d buy.

I was ready to sell the house I grew up in

I wanted to put in an offer right away, but my husband questioned whether it was a financially sound move. I told him I was ready to sell my mom’s house in Miami — the family home I’d grown up in.

I was connected to my mom’s house, having held onto it even though my mom had died 14 years prior. She was Cuban and moved to the US during political unrest in Cuba in the 1950s and 1960s. She risked everything to find a better life in the United States, uprooting herself and starting fresh in a place and culture she didn’t know.

If there was any reason to sell her house in Miami, buying the apartment in Sicily would be a reason my mom would have approved of. I knew it was the right thing to do.

We put the house in Miami on the market, and it sold within a month. We used the money from the sale of the house to buy the apartment in Sicily at just under $600,000, in June 2025.

It needed a lot of work

The apartment needed a lot of work — a kitchen, new plumbing, electrics, and floors, and decorating throughout. The work alone (without any supplies) would cost about $96,000.

As I spoke Italian, I was able to find local contractors to carry out the work while we returned to California for our jobs. All the work was finished in about six months, with me going back and forth to Sicily at any chance I could to oversee the work done.

As my husband is in the military, he can retire in four years, and our plan would be to move into the apartment full-time then.

Even after he retires, I’d want to keep working. Perhaps I could teach English to locals, Italian to English-speakers, or work alongside local contractors as an interior decorator.

Until we relocate, we are going to rent the apartment out and visit as often as we can.

We also bought an orchard

In December 2025, on one of our trips to Sicily, my husband and I viewed an olive tree orchard. It had always been a dream to own land, and the 16 acres, full of olive, citrus, and nut trees, a small farmhouse, and within view of the apartment, would be the fulfillment of this dream. It came at a relatively low price — only $288,000. We bought it.

Both the apartment and the orchard are investments in our future. We’ll live in Sicily soon, and use the land and the apartment to supplement our income.

I get quite emotional when imagining what my mom would think of all this. I haven’t lost everything as she did, but I am leaving everything I know to live in a new place, as my mom and the rest of my family did.

I’m chasing my dream, seeing the potential of risk. I know that if my mom were still here, she’d be moving with me — she’d love the adventure. I feel connected to her more than ever as I dream, plan, and commence this adventure. If she could build a life from the foundation up, so can I.

• I’ve struggled to maintain long-term friendships as people drift away.
• My grandmother has kept the same close friends for over 60 years.
• Her approach taught me to prioritize time, loyalty, and showing up.

Today, loyalty seems hard to find. From people moving away to straight-up ghosting me, I don’t have as many long-term friends as I’d hoped to have.

I’ve read books on friendship, apologized when I’m at fault, and done my best to work things out, but I’m still always left craving community.

My grandmother, on the other hand, is an expert in long-standing friendships. At 91, she has had the same best friends for more than 60 years. All teachers at the same school, they started their careers together and stayed close, even long after they retired.

Loyalty has always been important to me, but as people have faded out of my life or abruptly left without a word, the longevity of her friendships has become increasingly impressive. How many people can say they’ve been friends with someone for six decades? It’s an accomplishment worthy of celebration. We celebrate marriage anniversaries — why not friendship ones?

A while back, I asked my grandmother what the secret to maintaining these relationships is. And while her generation didn’t prioritize self-preservation over community as we do now, some solid lessons still stand true.

Make time for each other

Throughout my life, I’ve seen my grandma invest in her friendships.

She’d host the group at her home for special birthday celebrations or a monthly lunch, or they’d spend hours talking on the phone. They had set appointments with each other, rather than our current tendency to make vague promises to “get together sometime” that we rarely follow through on.

For my grandma’s group of friends, these appointments weren’t seen as a burden or something to check off a list; instead, they were cherished moments they looked forward to spending together.

Don’t put yourself first always

Today, we’re so focused on ourselves that we rarely slow down to even assess what someone close to us might need.

My grandma’s friends showed that relationships flourish when people are willing to meet each other’s needs. Today’s culture is very set on putting ourselves first. But only doing what “serves” you often ends up serving no one. This was my grandma’s first and foremost advice when I asked why she thinks her friendships have lasted so long. “We put each other first,” she said.

When it comes to lasting friendships, sometimes what the other person needs matters more than what we want.

Value each other

My grandma’s friendships are strong in part because they truly appreciate each other. When I asked why her friend Clarice stood out to her, she said she simply acted with qualities she finds especially important: honesty and integrity. “It’s an honor just to know her,” she said.

My friendship goal is to surround myself with people I feel this way about, and to value them so they can say the same of me.

There’s a lot we could learn from older generations about friendship. People didn’t cut each other off over nothing, and the term “ghosting” was still a blessedly nonexistent concept. But more than anything, people just made time for what matters. No matter what phase of life you’re in, friendships require time, effort, and sometimes sacrifice.

I don’t know anyone else who has had the same friends for six decades, but I can do my best to strive toward lasting loyalty in my friendships — and maybe one day, I’ll be able to look back and see the same people with me now standing by my side in 60 years.