Scariest airline flown? TAP Portugal. My short flight from Madrid to Lisbon was uneventful until the landing, when the plane literally made a 90 degree turn and nose-dived straight onto the runway. It was an unorthodox way to land a plane, I'll give them that. It took me a few minutes to get my heart out of my mouth once we got to our gate.

Favorite city? Barcelona. My favorite city in my favorite country. Barcelona positively explodes with creative energy. They can't just have a "bench" in Barcelona. It has to be a bench covered in brightly colored mosaic tiles and inlays of stone lizards. Throw in a world class culinary scene, thriving art galleries and party-till-dawn nightlife and you've got a one-of-a-kind city and my favorite place.

Most remote corner of the globe visited? Montevideo, Uruguay. I can't really claim to have been to the "ends of the earth," but Montevideo felt a long way from home.

Favorite guidebook series? TimeOut. I find it has a nice blend of the more touristy stuff you need alongside well-researched reviews of good places to eat, drink and soak up the local culture.

How did you get started traveling? As a teenager, I spent a few weeks living with a family in Costa Rica. It opened my eyes to the possibility of strange far-away places. After that I was pretty much hooked.

Favorite foreign dish? The taco stands in Mexico City. They shave the meat off one of those huge metal skewers and serve it to you sizzling-hot on a plate, with fresh tortillas on the side. Add in your chosen mix of cheese, freshly sliced avocados, limes, and one of several kinds of mouth-burning salsa. Top it off with the pungent scent of diesel fumes from taxis whizzing by your face as you eat it alfresco. Delicious.

Next trip? I'm headed to Japan for the first time in May. It's the first of what I hope will be many more trips to Asia.

Favorite foreign film? Cidade de Deus (City of God). A highly-stylized drama about the citizens in Rio de Janeiro's poorest neighborhoods during the 1960's. It really gave me a renewed appreciation for the culture and history of Brazil.

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