We attended a Christmas party/luncheon yesterday at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel in nearby Ashland (home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival). I’ll admit that, because my husband and I really didn’t know anyone except our hosts, Stephanie and Jim, I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would be sitting at a table making small talk with strangers. I am pleased to report that we had a delightful time, in large part due to the fact that in no time at all our table mates were all exchanging travel stories. I overheard Jim and Sheri, a vigorous couple in their late sixties, mention a house in Italy, and I soon learned that they spend a total of about five months each year there. Located in a rural village about 60 kilometers north of Rome, the home makes for a great central hub from which they can explore the country. Sheri says she’s discovered a fascination with history that her high school and college classes never stirred, and Jim enjoys being surrounded by the subjects of long-ago art history courses. Realizing a maturing retirement fund was earning nearly negligible interest, they’ve decided to invest in a second house in Italy so that friends and family have a place to stay when they come to visit. Now that’s the kind of retirement I’d like to have! On my other hand at the table, and closer to the other side of a lifespan, sat beautiful and poised Sienna, a high school junior who has already discovered the joys and excitement of travel. When she was 12, her mother accepted a teaching assignment at an International School in Istanbul, and Sienna quickly learned to negotiate international airports and long-haul flights on her own as she divided time between Europe and the United States. She is now fluent in French and Turkish and is currently studying Mandarin in school, pondering a career as a translator some day. When I asked her about favorite travel spots, she enthused about visiting extended family in the lakes region of Northern Italy. But, as a true traveler unable to single out just one favorite, she also admitted to loving a special three-week immersion study in Casablanca. More and more I discover that, when in a group of people who don’t know each other, a common denominator and springboard for great conversation is travel. I’ll never dread being in such a situation again! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor