I have traveled to Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and many states in the U.S, and I plan to travel a whole lot more! I have experience getting around in China where I lived for five months, but didn't speak the language. Consequently, I became proficient in hand signals and overly-loud English speaking in an attempt to get people to understand me. I also, through experience, learned not to trust every travel guide who offered to take my money. My husband and I I have traveled to Ecuador with four children (under the age of 8) in tow. Twice. We have also road-tripped to Mexico with children three times (and I made the trip AS the child or adolescent about 20 times between 1982 and 2003). As a result, I know a thing or two about how to make "traveling with kids" a survivable (and even repeatable) event. I lived in Brazil for a year and a half and learned the ins and outs of bus travel, haggling in outdoor markets, and appreciating (and even dancing) samba. The best part of any place that I have been is meeting the people, learning who they are and how they live. The people are the element that makes the experience unforgettable.