This week has been quite busy, after a bit of traveling with my colleague and GT‘s editor in chief, Kim Krol. We spent two days in Miami and one day in Dallas.

Let’s just say we had the AC on blast while driving to our back-to-back meetings in both cities. Hello, heat! While I envied those in South Beach who could relax and recline by the pool, we were strictly in town for business. Lucky for us, we work in the travel industry and have the luxury of meeting with many interesting brands. From destinations and hotel properties to airlines and airports, we learn the ins and outs of “what’s hot” and “what’s not” in travel. Most of the “what’s hot” items end up making their way to my very long bucket list of places or things to experience.

After this business trip, my bucket list extended with the addition of experiencing the coffee culture in Colombia. We learned from our friends at ProColombia, that you can truly immerse yourself in the coffee culture of this South American country. There are farmhouses and mansions located on the coffee bean plantations, where you can experience the first steps of the coffee process, from farming and harvesting beans to ending with your fresh cup of java in hand.

As a coffee lover, this sounds amazing to me. Plus, it makes you really understand the hard work which allows us to enjoy that hot mug every morning. I think this sounds like a very unique opportunity to not only travel to a beautiful country, but to dive into the culture as well! As my business meetings increase, so does my bucket list.

— Olivia Falcione, sales and marketing manager