OBVIOUSLY, THE BEST PART of my job is the opportunity to travel and see the globe, but it’s also always fun when I get to relive the trips and experiences again, sometimes weeks or months later, when I actually sit down to write about them for the pages of Global Traveler. This month’s After 5 column afforded me that very opportunity; as I began to write about my day in Bratislava, Slovakia, I was transported back to my holiday river cruise upon U by Uniworld. I relived the exceptional overall experience on board The A while writing the article. I also dug into my photo gallery for a fitting picture of me in front of the ship while it was docked in the Eastern European city. This month’s Cruising column offers an in-depth look at river cruising, too. Turn to page 38.

What’s not fitting about my photo, however, is the weather. On Jan. 1, I was bundled up to ward off the cold temperatures, but now, as I finish up work on our May issue, I’m tempted to gaze out my office window to take in the sunshine and 70-degree spring temperatures. That turnover from winter to spring is what made me fall in love with this month’s cover image. It screamed spring to me and felt so appropriate to this often too-short season.

Speaking of spring, two GT events that always feel like spring to me are on the horizon this month. On May 6 we’ll host our annual Wines on the Wing airline wine survey, and on May 16 we will celebrate the winners of this year’s Leisure Lifestyle Awards in Los Angeles. We hope you can join us for one or both, and don’t forget to pick up your issue of this year’s Leisure Lifestyle Edition, available now.

We cover a lot of ground in this issue, so let’s not delay any further. On the following pages, find reports on up-and-coming meeting and incentive destinations; an inside look at American Airlines; and more from Chiang Mai, São Paulo, Baton Rouge, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Seoul, Egypt and Lake Tahoe. Next month, we unveil our third-annual Wellness Issue.