An excerpt from You’re the Best: A Celebration of Friendship

Twenty years ago, my friend Sarah sent out an email to her college buddies to get together for a women’s weekend. Newly single with two young children, she wanted time with her friends. A smallish group showed up for support, and we’ve been meeting ever since. I couldn’t make that first meeting and missed a few others while living abroad, but my friends have always saved me a place.

Land of castles, fairytales, bratwurst, and beer, Germany is a destination hotspot for many travelers. While roaming the German countryside by train with nothing but a pair of boots and a backpack is an adventure that draws a growing number of high school graduates from overseas, not many consider taking a road trip instead. Why not? Germany is near legendary for its wonderful road systems, and taking a car allows you to enjoy an ease of exploration you won’t be able to experience by train. 

In the past 11 months, Orlando has twice announced to the world that the city the world will always know as the vacation land home of DisneyWorld is ready to stand up and say, “We are MORE than a place to stay while you visit a theme park.” The first miracle event happened last November when, led by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, philanthropist Jim Pugh, and Executive Director Kathy Ramsberger, we opened the magnificently world-class Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.  

If you’ve ever wanted to know about volunteering when you travel but weren’t sure where to start, I have THE BOOK for you.  Author Amy E. Robertson has penned the best volunteering guide I’ve ever read: Moon Volunteer Vacations in Latin America. And while it focuses on Latin America, this book should be the first thing you pick up if you’re ready to learn about volunteer travel.

Jessica Pelland is a senior biology and psychology major at the University of Pittsburgh. Jessica is very involved on campus serving as the President of Pitt’s Animal Lovers Club, a Laboratory Assistant in a neuroscience and psychology lab, a Peer Leader for the Academic Resource Center, and a Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Biology 2. She intends to complete her PhD in the future and do research and teach in veterinary medicine for a career.

As a Massachusetts native who relocated to Pittsburgh in 2013, Deb Hopkins spent more than two decades in New England focusing on leveraging the energy and passion of dedicated volunteers to create meaningful change in the community. She served as the Executive Director of three organizations that relied heavily upon volunteer resources to improve the quality of life for at-risk children – CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children), Junior Achievement, and Girls Inc.