New countries don’t necessarily crop up all the time, but, believe it or not, there have been 34 countries added to the map since 1990. A host of these, including the likes of Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, became independent once more and were thus “new” again when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Several other new countries came into being during the ‘90s as well, but there have only been five nations newly created in the 21st century.
Read MoreWhen winter comes around, there’s one question that never fails to pop into my head: why do people enjoy traveling (or living, for that matter) in places where the cold regularly punishes their faces? Plenty of people who live in the Midwest, as I do, deal with the snow and the cold for maybe four to five months out of the year, but why, oh why, would anyone choose to live in a state of perpetual winter?
Read MoreI don’t know about you, but it seems like my travel bucket list grows by the day. With more destinations than I could possibly count on that list already, I better live another hundred years if I plan to get to them all. A boatload of money sure wouldn’t hurt either — especially in terms of my latest travel infatuation: Australia’s Gold Coast.
Read MoreAll it took was two weeks. Two weeks back in Michigan, fresh off a seven-week backpacking trip across Europe, and there it was again: the travel bug nipping at my heels. And even though the Great Lakes State makes a compelling case, it was powerless to keep me grounded. I needed a new adventure and moving to Seville, Spain, for three months would be just the thing.
Read MoreThe calendar has flipped to 2019, and only nine days into the new year the good folks over at The New York Times have gifted us with their annual list of 52 destinations that travelers the world over might like to consider hitting up over the next 12 months. With more than 15 locations across Europe, a dozen or so in North America, and a smattering of other choices from Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and the Middle East, the “52 Places to Go in 2019” list contains options for just about everyone.
Read MoreOftentimes, cities have one or two or a handful of places that deserve your attention more than others. In the city of St. Louis, Missouri’s second-largest urban hub, one of those places happens to be the Delmar Loop, a vibrant entertainment, dining, and music destination that’s home to more than its fair share of local landmarks.
Read MoreI could not have imagined, even a week ago, that I would be sitting here, in a Starbucks across the street from Chicago Union Station, finishing up the final post of the year as I wait to board a train headed for St. Louis this evening. But that’s how life goes, things can change in an instant.
Read MoreAs long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to visit Greece. When I finally got the chance to go earlier this year, it was more than a dream come true. From the extraordinary culture to the wonderful people I met, from the gorgeous views to the amazing food that I had a chance to cook myself, it was as if I’d stepped onto the set of every Greek movie I’d ever seen.
Read MoreIt’s probably safe to assume that most travelers fall into one of two categories — they either like to plan every little detail of their trip or they prefer throwing caution to the wind and surprising themselves along the way. You may fall into one camp or the other, but here’s a little secret: both are good options. And that’s why it’s perfectly okay to do a little of each, to approach your trip with plans of the half-baked variety.
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