David Durham

I was listening to an interview yesterday with founding executive editor of Wired Magazine, Kevin Kelly. While many of his thoughts are way above my level of intellect, I find it inspiring to listen to big-picture, forward thinkers like him. What struck me about this 70-year-old is his insistence on staying astonished.

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.

As I write this, my wife and I are at Dallas Love Field on a layover, headed back home to Nashville from our adventure to the Northwest. (I wrote about our first ever Amtrak trip here.) We feel full, sated -- and yet wanting more. The trip was so full of discovery, of learning about a part of the country where we had never spent any time to speak of, and of reconnecting with friends that are now dearer than ever.

My wife and I are in the midst of an adventure we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Unable to show people some of our favorite spots in Europe this summer with World to the Wise Cultural Tours, we are taking advantage of an opportunity to see a part of the US we’ve been wanting to visit: the Northwest.

If you're in the US, this is Super Bowl weekend. But if you're in New Zealand, it's Waitangi Day, the national holiday.

If you've traveled in Italy at all, this saying by Italian writer Italo Calvino will ring true:

"To know a territory, you need to eat it."

World to the Wise Cultural Tours presents an unforgettable trek through three of the most enchanting countries in Europe!

You might be familiar with World to the Wise Cultural Tours, which my wife Becky and I lead every summer to Europe. A new aspect of this adventure opened up in 2016…