I’M ALWAYS INSPIRED and intrigued each month as I read our various articles, but I was particularly taken by this month’s feature on UNESCO World Heritage sites. Admittedly, I’ve seen several in my travels and always knew to appreciate the experience and what the UNESCO designation meant. Beyond that, though, I never knew what it took for a site to receive the acknowledgment, how the landmarks were selected, how many there are, what the criteria are and so on. I read with voracity Karin Leperi’s report, on page 48, and I think you will, too.

It started me on a trip down memory lane, recalling my favorites of the UNESCO World Heritage sites I’ve been fortunate enough to see. I spent New Year’s Day sailing through Austria’s Wachau Cultural Landscape before arriving in Budapest and strolling the banks of the Danube. I’ve marveled at the wonders of the Acropolis in Athens and the archaeological site of Delphi in Greece. In Israel I was captivated by the Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and explored my heritage with my father in the historic center of Warsaw. Sukhothai, Thailand, fascinated, and who wouldn’t stand in awe at the rock sites of Cappadocia, Turkey? Here at home there’s the Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone National Park. That is only a handful; my list of sites yet to see still remains long. What’s left on your bucket list? Tell me at [email protected], or share with me on Instagram @kimk928.

Just a couple of weeks ago I overnighted at a hotel steps from another: the Tower of London. One of my favorite cities, I crossed several UNESCO sites off my list as a college student studying abroad in the U.K. capital. While my recent visit was short and didn’t include any of the city’s more famous institutions, it was a worthwhile visit to help the oneworld alliance celebrate its 20th anniversary! There are exciting times ahead for the alliance, and you can catch a glimpse of its fun, uplifting new branding in this month’s picture. For more on the alliance’s future, turn to page 20 for an exclusive interview with CEO Rob Gurney.

What else awaits? Join the party on page 34 as we recap our 15th annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards, then jet off to Auckland; Muscat; Hartford, Connecticut; Paris; Montevideo; Belfast; Lisbon; the Moab desert; and Tahiti. Next month we unveil our third annual Green Issue and take a look at animal conservation efforts around the globe. Bon voyage!