World's Best Places to Visit

When it came time to take my first vacation in the last two years, I wanted to do something I’ve dreamed of for years — sailing the islands off the coast of Croatia. Dave and I joined up with my frequent and much-loved partner Busabout on their One-Way Croatia Sail. And the result? THIS. TRIP. WAS. AMAZING. Cruising Croatia with Busabout was the perfect combination of relaxation and exploration, a new and interesting but not difficult destination, with tons of new friends.  And Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! Each day had a comfy routine.  We would set sail early in the morning, and stop for a swim en route to our destination.  Sometimes it was jumping off the boat into the middle of the Adriatic; sometimes we’d stop at an unfathomably gorgeous beach. We’d have lunch on the boat, and then we’d pull into our destination for the day: piratey Omiš, low-key Makarska, party-happy Hvar, gorgeous K...

It takes a lot for me to lose my cool. I’ve managed 34-hour bus rides with locals lying in the aisles and smoking cigarettes.  I’ve managed beds full of ants and squat toilets covered with cockroaches.  I’ve managed scams, strep throat, and sleep deprivation. So when I finally lost my cool and freaked out, what was it about? Durian. Durian is a popular fruit in Southeast Asia.  The fruit itself is sweet, but the skin smells horrible – like rotting flesh mixed with Windex .  It’s an unmistakable odor that you will recognize anywhere. But most importantly, durian is banned from hotels and public transportation in several Asian countries .  That’s how you know I’m not freaking out over something inconsequential! My hate affair with this fruit started on my first day of the trip. I was visiting Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew, and in a moment of insanity – probably due to the fact that I hadn’t slept a wink the night before – I decided to try a durian popsicle. I took a lick and nearly ...

Every year, The Second Glass puts on a wine tasting event called Wine Riot.  Wine Riot is geared toward young, hip Bostonians who want to learn more about wine — but in a fun atmosphere!  Most of the wines featured are very affordable as well. I love wine, but I don’t know as much about as I wish I did.  This was a perfect way to learn more. This was my first time at the Wine Riot.  My sister, Sarah, has been a few times and works as a volunteer each year, so she showed me the best of the room. There were dozens of vendors from around the world, each with several different wines for us to taste.  We even sampled some delicious wines from Massachusetts!  Who knew that the New Bedford area was such a hot wine region? There were “crash courses” throughout the night as well — Sars and I went to a course on “Roadkill” wines.  They smelled strange but were absolutely delicious — particularly the South African Kanonkop Kadette, easily one o...