Cool Places to See as You Travel the International Highway

I’m not one to make New Year’s Resolutions. I prefer to set goals as appropriate throughout the year since nothing’s special about January (unless you count that it’s my birthday month) and so the coincidence of my promise to keep up a weekly blog with the new year is just that — a happy coincidence.
One of my passions is traveling — not just working and living abroad, but exploring the world and what it is has to offer. Since the primaries have started, and I admit to being a political junkie, I have to search for non-political periodicals to read and since The New Yorker has taken yet another funky turn, I picked up the Smithsonian and chuckled when I read the cover lead story”28 Places to See Before You Die” for two reasons: One, my husband, Mike, is a travel writer and had the idea for the 1000 places to see before you die about 10+ years ago. Great idea that someone else had and took home the gold (or serious royalty checks with extensions into calendars etc). Let this be a lesson to all of us: Act now. Two, I was glad Smithsonian was cheeky enough to do a spin on the theme in the broad way only a Smithsonian or National Geographic could.
In reading the piece I found that I’ve been to 22 of them — that’s pretty good for being 40. Most of these I’d put on such a list and recommend people to visit — if they can do it slowly and immerse themselves in not only the site, but the local culture as well.  What is seeing the Taj Mahal if you don’t spend time being jostled on the streets of India? A zen garden visit in Kyoto wouldn’t be complete without a basic understanding of zen buddhism and its importance within Japanese culture. To be understood, the Grand Canyon takes time and attention during hikes as you travel along a changing botanical trail as diverse as North America itself.
I am asked at almost every speech I give and most media interviews….What’s your favorite place?  It’s hard to put a finger on and, I’d like to say that although the list of 28 is terrific, I would have added Hong Kong for its brilliant skyline, bustling crowded streets, never-ending pulsating beat and confluence of East-meets-West to create one of the most colorful places I’ve ever been. I’m glad to say I’ll be returning in April for a combination vacation/book tour and can’t wait to show my 7-year-old daughters my favorite city.
I’ve posted on our web site’s travel page a new story on Kaikoura, New Zealand. Check it and….let me know your favorite place to visit.

One Comment on “Cool Places to See as You Travel the International Highway

  1. Pingback: International Travel: One of the Benefits of a Global Career — Stacie Berdan