I recently returned from a trip to Southeast Asia -- and I learned and saw so many things. Some made me happy. Some made me sad. And some... were kind of amusing.

For example, the observation that about 1 in 7 white guys had his arm in a sling...

Kids these days -- amirite? 

​No, but actually. For real. Kids these days are more sensitive and fragile than kids of the past. Even according to the president of an elite university that I spoke with recently, “Today’s college students are not like you.”

Yesterday, while sipping a honey-lavender latte at Bliss Cafe, I got to talking with the most gorgeous woman. And I don't just mean her face -- her whole soul was radiant with joy. When the topic shifted to one that is dear to me, travel, she said something fascinating:

"One week of travel produces a year's worth of memories."

Look, I get it. Travel is your thing​. It's what you talk about at parties. It's what you post about on social media. And your travel stories are way better than everyone else's.

​But here's the thing: if you "travel shame" people who don't travel the way you do, all it tells me is that you probably aren't that good of traveler.

Novels are great! They stir the soul. They share emotional journeys we can all relate to. It's great to read novels – which is probably why Stanford provides a list of three books -- usually novels -- for its incoming freshmen to read each summer.

My freshman year, the Three Books were M Butterfly, Annie John, and Old School, which was actually pretty spectacular -- especially since I'd just graduated from a New England boarding school.

But let's be honest. Did any of these books change my life? Prepare me for college? Change the way I think? Improve my cognitive skills?

No. But this one will:

There's a common myth in popular psychology that money doesn't buy happiness. 

​It totally does.

If you love scuba diving and you haven't been to Bonaire yet, you are missing out. 

​I was fortunate enough to be there over the 4th of July this year, and I got to try something I've never done before... Underwater fireworks!

Want to know how I know there is magic in the world?

Because I just returned from Bonaire, where there is magic everywhere. 

Three weeks ago, I had never heard of a place called Bonaire. But then, one day, I decided to Google "world's best shore diving," and Bonaire kept showing up -- usually in the number one spot -- on every list.

So I did an image search for Bonaire, fell in love, and booked a flight.

As my departure rapidly approached, I checked the CDC website to read their recommendations for water and food safety in Bonaire.

​Like many things, the government got it all wrong. 

Bon bini! 
​
I have spent the last two weeks diving, dancing and exploring the beautiful Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire. A few weeks before that, I spent several weeks traveling in Costa Rica – so clearly I love travel and all the quirky (and even inconvenient) things that happen abroad.
 
I love the way your brain changes when you travel. I love the way your vocabulary changes, and I love the way your diet changes. And one thing I also come to love and appreciate more each time I leave the US… is the US.