So many things we take for granted today weren’t even part of our daily lives as recently as a decade ago. That notion struck me as I was reading Diana Rowe’s article about cellphones. The tiny computers — and let’s face it, they are computers, certainly more powerful than the room-sized mammoths of the mid-20th century — we call smartphones allow us to make phone calls, check email, text messages, find step-by-step directions, listen to our favorite music. We can source apps for language translation, currency conversion, flight schedules and weather information. We can find a restaurant and make dinner reservations, check in for a flight or into a hotel. Even in the world’s most remote locations, smartphones make it possible to play games, take pictures and record videos.

I can take a photo of the peonies in my backyard and post it on Facebook for a friend in France to see. If I want to reminisce about the day we spent strolling through the flower market in Aix, I can ring her via Facetime and we can take a virtual stroll through the same market.

From Riyadh to Warsaw, world-class golf to top-notch spas, family travel to business meetings, our well-traveled journalists describe the sights, sounds and experiences of discovering destinations around the globe. We’d love to hear about your adventures. Wherever you are in the world, pull out your smartphone and take a quick pic. Send it to me via email (lisa.matte@globaltravelerusa.com). The next time you open an issue of Global Traveler or sign on to our website (globaltravelerusa.com), you may see a photo of yourself staring right back at you.