Me, being one of those people with a champagne taste and a decidedly beer budget, take my pleasures whenever I can get them. Traveling to far away places is something I dream of; a big part of my bucket list. So when NBC announced the popular “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” series was back this year, I waited with giddy anticipation to see just “Where in the World” Matt would show up. I was not disappointed, this year’s offerings were spectacular, fun-filled and very much a lesson in history and geography. The countries visited were breathtaking. The culture angles (my favorite) taught us all about the people, languages and dialects spoken, the music, customs and traditions, traditional dress and of course–the food, there must always be food.

I’ve followed this series over the years and always take something away from it; each place visited offers an opportunity to see how the rest of the world lives. Fascinating. For example the Swiss Alps, looked beautiful and inviting, but all I could think of was “it must be cold out there”. I lived through twenty years of winter weather in New York City, and even though I love this city, winter is not the time I would chose to visit.

I come from a warm, tropical weather country, Panama, but still prefer temperatures that fluctuate somewhere between 50 and 85 degrees. Not always attainable, but preferred nonetheless. Case in point? We currently live in SW Florida, enough said.

 With that in mind, my two favorite of the featured countries this year were Madrid and Barbados; with Kuala Lumpur following right behind; they have all now been added to my bucket list. I constantly barrage the hubby with travel ideas “torture” as he calls it, but my travel dreams include visits to Greece and Rome too. A few years ago I managed to land a 3-week trip that took me to London and Paris; it was part of a global perspective class I took at Eckerd College, where I completed an undergraduate degree. It was a glorious experience, one I will never forget, and the best part of it? It was a “real” credit class with lots of writing required to document the experience.

 We spent two weeks in London, where we visited the essential sights: Westminster Abbey, the Globe Theater, Buckingham Palace, the National Portrait Museum, and many more. In Paris, where we only stayed five days, the most memorable sites include The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musee’ D’ Orsay and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Of course; in both places we experienced fabulous and delicious cuisine as well as enjoyed daily tours that informed the mind. Charles Dickens‘ home comes to mind.

This trip took place five years ago but I will forever relish the memories. The mind is a powerful tool, it serves to keep snapshots of points and places in time. Taking lots of photos, helps too.

 If you missed “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” last week, here is a link: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/45285715#45254966