I love staying in shape. Why? I exercise and stay in shape so I can wake up early and efficiently hike, bike and stroll through my international destinations. Shortness of breath and leg cramps have no room on my excursions.

Total body conditioning is also needed for transporting your luggage. Yes, your luggage. A great smile and a flip of the hair will often heed your need for assistance, but every now and again, there is not a knight in sight. A woman needs great upper body strength in order to lift those suitcases into the carryon compartments on airplanes and trains. Oh, and let us not forget the stairs at the train stations. I just had a flash back to the train depot stairs in Orleans, France! Ouch.

Exercising also speeds up your metabolism so that you burn more calories while your body is resting. A high metabolism comes in handy after you have made the third trip to the buffet in Brazil and you still need to fit into your little black dress for the p.m. activities.

 I love trying the local cuisine when I travel. A cultures’ food exposes their soul. Whether the food is spicy, bland, sweet or savory; you can make a connection to the people, that is almost like a soul tie that can last a lifetime. There is nothing more reminiscent than eating that piece of chocolate that transports you back to Belgium or that Pisco sour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_sour  that floats you back to Lima.