Have you ever been asked, “Which do you prefer, the beach or the mountains?” My answer is, “Neither. I love the desert.” I don’t know what it is about sand, cactus, tumbleweeds, intense heat, and hills of brown and red rocks. I absolutely love the desert. Some of my favorite escapes in the United States are Arizona, northern New Mexico, and southern Utah. The chilly nights and blazing hot days just warm my soul, and I can’t get enough.

I’m often asked what my favorite country is to visit. I usually fumble my words trying to think of the most exotic places I’ve been so I don’t give the stereotypical answer, Italy. I mean, everyone loves Italy. I’ve been there nearly twenty times, and yes, it’s my favorite country. Rome is my favorite city in the world. But, it wasn’t always my favorite.

I had looked forward to visiting Argentina for a very long time. It would be my 46th country, and I had done my research for the perfect place to stay in the Mendoza wine region, followed by a visit to the capital city of Buenos Aires.

There is no place like New York City. The first time I visited the Big Apple was when I was in my 20s making custom clothing and draperies. I went with my business partner to shop in the Garment District for fabrics, buttons, and trims. I saw my first Broadway show, Sunset Boulevard, and I still love the famous line, “I’m ready for my close-up”. Since that visit, I’ve been back to New York at least 30 times, some for business and many times for pleasure. Now when I go I feel very familiar, but I try to visit new places nearly every time. I’ve never written about my experiences in New York, but after so many visits, I thought it was time to share some of my favorite things to do there.

There's nothing quite like having a friend who shares a love for travel and food. For me, that friend is Rachael. We met on a cooking tour in Goa, India which was led by our mutual friend, Diane Seed who lives in Rome and leads gourmet tours. Rachael and I both happened to be traveling alone—this being her first solo trip—along with a group of 6 other strangers who were there to learn more about Indian cuisine. Rachael and I may have begun as two strangers in India, but we soon found that we were kindred spirits and have not stopped having adventures together, meeting up all around the world.

Portugal had never been a destination I had a huge desire to visit. I assumed Portugal was like the step-sister to Spain, but with trolley cars that take tourists up and down the hills of Lisbon. Was I ever wrong! I met my British bestie, Rachael at the Lisbon airport where we were driven by car three hours north to the quaint and colorful city of Porto.

India is a massive country full of wealth, poverty, endless colors, spicy aromas, marvelous architecture, and beautiful people. I had already visited several areas in southern India, but I felt a deep urge to return to the majestic country to see a few of the places I had not yet experienced. This time I would be traveling alone with the intention of cooking in private homes, eating the food of different classes of people, and seeing the palatial buildings of ancient emperors, including the Taj Mahal.

While Russia may not have been on the top of my list for travel destinations, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit the world’s largest country after spending two weeks in Scandinavia with my husband and friends, Mitch and Shannon. Although the process of obtaining the travel visa to enter Russia was time-consuming, and at times a bit frustrating, it was completely worth it.

There's nothing like traveling with a good friend. Traveling alone is fun enough, but going to exciting new places with someone dear to you is another experience entirely. That's how, when I took my friend Anne Marie to Seattle, I remembered what an amazing time I have with friends who enjoy traveling as much as I do.

John Travolta once said when visiting Queenstown, “This must be where God lives!” I thought the same when I arrived there.

This beautiful town on New Zealand's southern island is something out of my wildest dreams. My husband, Phil, and I decided to spend three days there before heading to Australia, and I'm so glad we did.

I admit I'm not one to always travel on a strict budget, so when my husband and I decided to travel to South America and visit Machu Picchu in Peru, we planned it with little frugality. I admire those folks who can live off the contents of a backpack for weeks and sleep in one of the hostels common in most cities. Frankly, my body is a wreck from past injuries, lack of flexibility, and the fact that I'm getting old. I just happen to also enjoy comfy beds in hotels, room service, and my big suitcase.

Ten years ago, I made what I thought would be my last trip to Israel. I'd experienced the country's amazing sights on two different occasions and didn't really want to go back. However, this year an opportunity to return presented itself. I decided to go, although I wanted to make this trip more about the food than about the Biblical sites (seen them!). My friend Miranda tracked down a guide with the knowledge and expertise to give me the experience I was looking for.

It was six years ago this month I met my English friend, Rachael. We were both traveling alone on a cooking tour in South India, which was pretty cool to begin with. It took all of ten minutes to learn we had so much in common, and would get along great. Since then, we’ve met somewhere in the world at least once a year, and every time the trip is centered around food.

It was never a big dream of mine to travel to Australia, but my husband had been there before, and assured me I would love the place. I have to admit it didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting to convince me. They say, if you survive the 18-plus hours on a plane to get there, you may as well stay a while.

Well, it didn’t take long to fall in love with this colorful country and its people!

The Golden Triangle of India is one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. It is a circuit that includes the three cities of New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. Three years ago, I visited New Delhi and Agra (home of the Taj Mahal). I knew it was time to complete the triangle and visit the state of Rajasthan, where Jaipur is the capital.

Bologna, Italy is known as the gastronomical capital of Italy, and it has become quite popular as a tourist destination, but when I first visited Bologna there were very few tourists and I got to see the city through the eyes of an Italian family who had lived in the Emilia Romana region for generations.

Of all the times I traveled to various Caribbean islands, my two visits to Dominican Republic were the most memorable and rewarding. For many years my former husband and I have supported micro-finance organizations around the world.

Rwanda, Africa is known as the land of a thousand hills. But perhaps it is most known for the terrible genocide in 1994 when over 800,000 people were murdered by their friends and neighbors after being convinced by the corrupt government (through propaganda), that one tribe was superior to another. One cannot visit Rwanda without hearing the stories from survivors of how they lost entire families, their businesses, and their dignity.

If you’ve ever longed to visit a place where the the beauty is endless, both in the landscapes and people who live there, you must visit Bali.

The cuisine in southern Italy differs greatly from the food found in northern Italy. But even among the regions of southern Italy itself, you’ll find dozens of variations on one dish.