ingvi asked: what's the coolest place you've ever visited?

The coolest place I’ve ever been. Wow, that’s a real challenge for me to answer. I’ve been to lots of incredible places that were cool for various different reasons. Here’s just a few:

• Tanzania: I spent 2 weeks in Tanzania a couple summers ago with one of my best friends, Shaheen. Shaheen was born and raised in Dar es Salaam and it was incredibly cool to explore her hometown with her as my personal guide. Bonus points for the weekend excursion to a local animal park in the family car.
  
  
• British Virgin Islands: I think sailing may be the perfect getaway and the British Virgin Islands are gorgeous. Our days were filled with exploring new islands, playing cards, cooking, dancing on the deck, reading, drinking Presidente and sunning. It’s impossible to get bored.
  
  
• Portugal: I road tripped around the entire country last summer and was surprised by the variety of terrains and climates. Highlights were the tiered vineyards of the Douro, the wild peaks of Serra de Estrela and the nearly deserted beaches of the south . We encountered very few tourists during our trip so it really felt like we had the country to ourselves.
  
  
• Israel: This makes the list because it completely defied my expectations. I had imagined it to be very cloistered but it was Mediterranean, sexy and magical. Plus, I ate some of the best food I’ve had all year. It’s an incredibly fragile place but I only felt that for brief moments during my stay.
  
  
• India: I went to Delhi for work and I have never felt so far from home. I was both incredibly overwhelmed and incredibly amazed at various points during the trip. I’d definitely like to go back and explore more of India.

Oh, but there’s also Croatia and China and Colombia and Austria and New Mexico and Grenada and so many more! I think the bottom line is that being lucky enough to travel is the coolest.