It's almost a cliche, those photos of cemeteries and crosses in Ireland. I didn't know, until I  was there, how powerful these spaces are. And, it's like your camera has a mind of its own, and you end up with 500 photos from a single hour spent there, and still have time for quiet reflection and solitude.

Machu Picchu had been on my Travel Bucket List for a few months. When I finally got the news that I would be studying abroad in Chile (a country that shares a border with Peru), I immediately asked to work extra shifts to pay for the trip there! (I am glad I did because it was not cheap.) The first week of orientation, while we had some time to discuss and plan future trips, everyone in our group unanimously wanted to go to MP. The following weeks were pages in a photo album.

I’ll never forget my first visit to a night market in Taiwan. It was a total affront on all senses. Too many people jostling for space; too many unrecognizable odors drifting through the air; too many animal organs skewered and on display for growling bellies.

Every year, I make it a point to take my sons on a mother-son trip. I have found this is a great way to bond with each child individually, as well as cater to their individual likes and dislikes. I’m sure my kids are a lot like yours. While they certainly have common interests, they also are very different. By creating two different trips, it accomplishes several things; it’s cheaper to travel with just one child, I’m able to plan things that I know that child will enjoy, we’re able to spend time one on one.