For the longest time I hated the smell of cigarettes—probably almost as much as most people hate Valentine’s Day. But then I went backpacking through Europe and stayed with a handful of wonderful people—all who smoked cigarettes. And almost overnight cigarette smoke became synonymous with good times and great people. I’ve found that you can change your relationship with just about anything—and anyone—by a simple shift in perspective. I, for one, have always been a sucker for Valentine’s Day. . . .
How to Maintain a Travel Mentality When You’re NOT on the Road
I have a cousin and an aunt and uncle who live like Europeans and eat dinner around 10:00pm most nights. The other week I was over at their house on a Sunday. It was 11:30pm and we were just finishing up dinner. My uncle sat back in his chair, savored his final sip of Chianti wine, and then said, “It’s the perfect time for a boat ride, don’t you think?” I was thinking it was the perfect time to go to sleep…about three hours ago, when I showed up and the ingredients for the carbonara pasta . . .

