I thought about writing a poem on my graduation day, but I procrastinated. Here, though, I am finally able to galvanize all my attention and emotion to this farewell letter the night before I leave Pittsburgh. 

Teaching English to students in Mexico was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and though it may sound cliché, I truly feel as though I learned as much -- or more -- from my students and my experience as my students learned from me during my time teaching ESL. The expatriate lifestyle in Mexico was absolutely wonderful, and I was consistently impressed by how passionate my students were throughout each and every class session. 

In 1997, writer Andrei Codrescu visited Cuba - and his book, Ay, Cuba!, is a fascinating tale of the journey. While I'd of course read Codrescu's work, and listened to him on NPR, I hadn't heard of this book. How can this be? For although it is almost two decades old, it is still fresh, extremely interesting, and full of cultural insights. And with the recent opening of travel to Cuba, even more important for us to read. 

A place of peace, serenity, and hope. I felt all of these – and a gentle wash of kindness – as I ventured up the path toward the House of the Virgin Mary, or Mother Mary (Meryem Ana), located just a few miles away from the busyness of the ruins at Ephesus, Turkey. 

It was a hot day in spring, and we had a very important stop before exploring Ephesus. We were visiting a place of pilgrimage for many global religions – that of the House of Mother Mary. 

Guatemala is not as popular as Mexico among tourists headed into Central America, but it’s slowly gaining fame for its vibrant cultural opportunities, interesting historical significance, and breathtaking scenery. Many who visit take the opportunity to use local transportation - hopping on the Guatemalan buses and wandering the countryside adventurously, or booking a tour through the numerous companies that can be found in Guatemala City and Antigua. But there is another way to get around Guatemala on your own terms.

Florida Culture for the Week of June 15, 2015 by Josh Garrick

Now to June 29 – Revue Salutes Rogers and Hammerstein

Traveling has always been a passion of Laura Victorelli’s, a senior political science major at the University of Pittsburgh. She credits that traveling has guided many aspects of her life. Originally born in Roanoke, Virginia but moved to Pittsburgh when she was four years old, Laura has always known that she wanted to learn about the world around her as much as possible. She’s traveled to southern Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, and Jordan. In addition, she studied abroad in Cyprus, Greece.

I've got the coolest book to share with you. It's the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016, and it's full of awesomeness.