BLOG: Where in the World Are You Going Next?

The world of travel has opened up to us in ways my grandparents couldn't have imagined.

The U.N.'s World Trade Organization says that 1 billion people will cross international borders as tourists in 2012, marking the first time this milestone number has been reached. This number includes anyone who stays at least one night and does not include cruise passengers. The top three destination countries this year are France, the U.S. and China.

I grew up in tiny Rhode Island, where driving more than an hour took you out of the state. This, of course, required extensive planning and lunch packing. Listening to baseball games on an oval Phillips radio with my grandfather, I thought Fenway Park was a world away. I was amazed to discover as a teen that it was less than an hour by train! 

I first crossed a border when I jumped the pond to Ireland – when I landed I swear my DNA were dancing.  I'm going back for my third visit this fall, and I'm taking a group with me this time!

Let's take a poll.  What's your favorite international destination?