Florida Culture for the Week of November 13, 2016 By Josh Garrick 

Ready for another road trip? This time, it's an eating tour of Austria. Let’s be honest and say that you could actually stay in Vienna and eat to your heart’s delight. There’s that much there! But it would also be a disservice to the glorious cuisine that is found all around Austria to just stay in Vienna. Here's why: local versions of a variety of soups, beef, geese, pork, chicken, noodles, cheese, smoked meats, game, and desserts will all make your tastebuds sing.

It’s the smell that hits you first: a ureic stench so thick it feels like something solid is foraging up your nostrils. Tourists are given sprigs of mint or rosemary, like the nosegays carried by Renaissance gentlefolk. But if you want to be accepted by the tanners, you have to go unprotected. I’m turning up for my first day as an apprentice tanner, in the old city of Fez, with nothing to filter out the odours. 

It can be a bit confusing figuring out what is and isn’t ‘supposed’ to be a wonder of the world. It seems there’s a new list all the time, detailing the ancient wonders, the new wonders, the natural wonders, the underwater wonders…there’s even a list for the 7 wonders of the solar system!

Whether you visit Kuşadası as part of a trip to history-rich Ephesus (Efes), take the ferry in from Samos, Greece, from visiting the house of the Virgin Mary, from exploring Sirince, or as a destination in itself, there’s much to see and do. Kuşadası is located on Turkey’s Aegean coast, on a bay. There is a large marina, and the peninsula of Güvercin Adasi (Pigeon Island) is a visual highlight, sporting an ancient fortress.

Quite possibly, volunteering while traveling is the most rewarding way to experience a destination. It’s an immersion into the local culture with a lasting social impact. For students, it opens their minds and their hearts, introduces them to privilege and empathy, and can ignite a new passion. Hostelling International USA (HI USA) recognizes this potential and doesn’t believe cost should get in the way.

Florida Culture for the Week of November 6, 2016 By Josh Garrick 

Whether you love the beach, history, cruises, or are a thrill seeker, Egypt hasa little bit of something for you. Here are 8 reasons you should include Egypt on your travel bucket list.