Some of my favorite moments as a tour leader are watching the expressions of our travelers as they first encounter some of these wonders. There is a particular corner where I like to skip ahead just a little so I can savor the expressions as the group rounds the corner and sees the magnificent Eiffel Tower towering above them in all its glory.
It's back to school time, and my wife and I are looking forward to welcoming a new group of Global Studies students. One of the requirements of this course, which we designed ourselves a few years ago, is a certain number of what we call field hours. Field hours are local experiences that take them not only outside their normal routine, but more importantly, outside their zone of familiarity.
On this Labor Day weekend in the US, I won't lie -- I wish I were traveling. But then again, when do I not wish that? Fortunately, I have an entire library of travel memories to savor at any given moment, and lately I've been thinking about the way travel can be such a bonding experience with fellow travelers.
