After reading Morissa’s blog yesterday, I started to think of all the things I have seen that I would recommend to fellow travelers. Honestly, I have not been that many places or seen that many things, but a few things have stood out in my mind. I think what I remember most from my trips are the “Ahh” moments I experience when traveling.

 In my opinion, there is something incredibly awe-inspiring about being in an old city, Rome comes to my mind first, and walking around and seeing the sites, and then just happening about something like the Colosseum. It is just simply unbelievable to see something years older than anything you will ever see in your country, standing in the middle of a modern day city. This experience can be had in many foreign cities.

And in a city like Paris, you have another experience that inspires you to step back and take a breath. All your life you hear about The Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe and you see pictures everywhere. But to actually see it and know what it looks like with your own two eyes is another unrivaled moment. I have felt this way seeing Big Ben in London, the Trivoli Fountain in Rome, the streets of Venice and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. I can imagine certain US monuments feel the same for foreigners who spend their childhoods seeing pictures and dreaming of seeing things like the Statue of Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial or the Hollywood sign in person.

And there is something so exciting about first driving through a city. I remember on my bus ride from the airport to my hotel in India, I could not take my eyes from the window. You can imagine what India will look like all you want, but to actually be there and see it is a whole different story. Honestly, I never imagined I would be in India and to really be there was amazing. They really do have cows in the streets!

And, the travel does not have to be international to be awesome. I remember seeing Mount Rushmore as a child and being so in awe of the monument. It was like my schoolbooks were coming to life right before my eyes. I don’t think I would ever turn down a chance to go somewhere. After all, I would never want to miss the potential moments!

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and public relations executive

There are a lot of places in the world that should be on every traveler’s list of things to see. Some are more famous than others, and some are more off the beaten track as well. Some of my personal favorites can be classified in all of these categories.

The Iguazu Falls, from the Argentina and Brazil sides, are one of the top places on any list. I am a sucker for natural wonders so I could have spent more time there than the couple of days that I did, but they are truly spectacular. Since I am on the natural wonders track, I would also not miss the Grand Canyon. Although I have been there on dozens of occasions I still stand in awe every time. Now, from canyons to mountains, the sight of the Himalayas with the naked eye gives me shivers and not from the cold. However, I must admit that I prefer them from a bit of a distance and am not about to do any climbing! I am adventurous, not suicidal.

The next two are combined natural and man-made wonders. On this part of my list are the amazing Nile and Yangtze rivers in Egypt and China respectively. It may sound corny and touristy, but taking a cruise up or down both of these rivers is absolutely memorable. The natural aspect is breathtaking, but to combine that with the historical structures in the banks of both rivers just can’t be beat if you are trying to add a little culture to your trip. Despite never having been a major fan of cruising, this is the best way to experience Egypt from Aswan to Luxor and everything in between.

The last on my list for this edition is going to be my absolute favorite - a safari anywhere in Africa. There is just something so special about being close to creatures in their natural habitats that we spend our childhoods dreaming about, and yes, hyenas do really laugh. I always say the best way to get me out of bed before dawn is to put me in a safari camp, which if you knew me well would really be a testament to the excitement of being on safari.

There you have it. More to come next time.

-Morissa Pawl, vice president western region

This past Monday was the 112th running of the Boston Marathon. It seems like just yesterday, but 10 years ago, I was one of the runners in the 102nd Boston Marathon.

First, let me state that I am not your typical marathon runner. I am more of a plodder. Still, I have attempted about 18, finishing about 12 (in somewhat respectable times). After completing my hometown Chicago Marathon a few times, I decided I needed to run in the granddaddy of them all, the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is the most prestigious of all marathons. It is also one of the most difficult, mainly due to the numerous hills. The noon start time (instead of the usual early-morning starts) and the April race date (limiting my outdoor training) were also unfavorable factors.

I took all of this into consideration and decided to train like never before. I did the Cleveland Marathon in May. I ran the New York Marathon in November. The one in New York was a rain-soaked 26.2 miles of pure gut-check. I continued training throughout the winter (although mostly on indoor tracks). By April, I was as ready as I could be.

The city of Boston treats the Marathon as something really special. It is a citywide celebration. From the moment I arrived in Boston, I was amazed at how well the entire city treated every runner, not just the elite or professional ones. It seemed everyone went out of the way to make the experience easy, pleasurable and memorable.

The actual race start is in Hopkinton, MA, about 26 miles outside of Boston. I got there early and hung out in Athletes’ Village. Again, the treatment there was wonderful. Special meals and a huge auditorium for relaxation were just two of the perks. Fans mingled with runners. I even had the odd experience of signing an autograph for a couple of star-stuck children (I tried explaining I was nobody, but they wanted a signature anyway, so I obliged).

The run started and I felt great, perhaps a bit too good. I probably let adrenaline get the best of me, because I was running ahead of my usual pace. By the two-hour mark, I had completed 14 miles. Then things started to unravel. I didn’t quite realize it (and it would have been too late anyway), but I had started to suffer from dehydration.

Somewhere around the 18.5 mile mark (around 3.5 hours into the race), my vision blurred. I went to one knee as everything sort of went spinning. The medics were on me quickly. They pumped me full of some liquids, but my race was over.

I was disappointed that I could not finish. I was upset that I did not take the necessary precautions, like drinking more water. Still, it was one of my greatest experiences.

Everything about the Boston Marathon was first class. The 500,000 people who lined the streets cheering on runners were just incredible. The race volunteers were as helpful as I have ever seen. The long, storied history of this event made it prestigious, but the continual effort by all involved continues to make it that way.

Thank you Boston, for everything. Congratulations to the 30,000 or so who ran on Monday!

-John Wroblewski, distibution specialist

I have never been a person who can stay put. I have moved a total of 21 times in my life. I’ve lived in seven major metropolises and I have managed to spend the majority of my life as a nomad. It has now been four years since I was a real nomad, i.e. no job, no apartment and nothing but the open road. I’m starting to go crazy. Maybe that’s why I chose to work at a travel magazine? At least I can travel to distant places in my head.

I wonder when this bug will leave me; even though I have just relocated yet again, not having left the country in almost a year is driving me a bit batty. I yearn for the responsibility-free days of college where I packed up my sweats, took my entire bank account and bought a one-way ticket to London and just let the chips fall where they would. Although, now that I’m a little older, I generally want the chips to fall in a hotel without cockroaches and a place where I don’t have to share a room with 17 other people. Some might call that getting older; I just call it getting wiser.

No matter the outcome, I still can’t seem to stay put. What is wrong with me? I suppose there is just too much to see and too many people to meet for me to stay in one place.

– Carla Guzzetti, account executive

** Carla is new to Global Traveler and we welcome her aboard!**

On Thursday, April 17th, AeroSvit celebrated five years of non-stop service between New York and Kyiv. The Ukraine national carrier first expanded its premier Kyiv nonstop flight to New York’s JFK airport in March 2003. Since then, AeroSvit has seen an increase in the number of flights and passengers traveling from Kyiv to New York by 150%. That is 350,000 passengers that have flown the non-stop route in the five year period.

Alex Young and I joined friends and business partners in toasting AeroSvit’s accomplishments on an outside terrace overlooking South Central Park and 59th Street. The weather was great, the food was delicious and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Pictures taken by photographer Nikolai Komissarov can be viewed here.

It seems that AeroSvit is focusing on comfort and customer satisfaction while improving their services. It was brought to my attention by Sergiy Kutsy, AeroSvit’s Press Secretary, that as the start of 2008 AeroSvit has been providing and will continue to provide complimentary limousine services to their business class passengers traveling through JFK at the passenger’s final destination within the five New York boroughs. The number to call for this service is 212-661-1620.

In addition to the Kyiv-New York non-stop flight, AerSvit also flies to international cities such as Baku, Beijing, Cairo, Delhi, Dubai, Salonika, Sofia, St. Petersberg and Tel Aviv.

-Courtney Centeno, account executive