Travel is

Travel is...

Often quite wonderful.

Sometimes it is a serendipitous mix of learning about another culture and history as well as meeting with friends.

I just returned from Guadalajara, Mexico and the convention of Society of American Travel Writers. I visited with colleagues from Denver and Toronto, from New York and Sacramento, from Fort Worth and northern Michigan. It was a learning experience and an opportunity for a business meeting, professional development and those enjoyable visits with friends.

Sessions on using social media sources professionally and improving writing skills and more brought many delegates as did tours of nearby towns, religious sites - a group even went to a sweat lodge to explore native medical treatments. A city tours drew large numbers.

One of my trips was a tour of the city (town) of Tequila where the popular liquor is produced from the blue agave plant. The tour of the distillery explored every aspect of the drink and offered a look at the many varieties. Consider lime and orange flavored tequila, chocolate and coffee flavored tequila and dozens more.

The food and drink, mariachi music and gracious people made the trip memorable.

Next year's convention is set for Dresden and Leipzig, Germany. In 2011 we head to New Zealand and are in the process of soliciting bids for 2012.

I look forward to all of them.