FROM ROB: Passion Is Where You Find It

Our travel issue presents a great opportunity to think about the journeys we take — both those past and those still ahead of us. This is always one of my favorite issues, because travel has been a lifelong passion of mine: discovering new places, new cultures and — most importantly — new people.

At Metrosource, we have always striven to give you information, resources and tips that you’re not going to find in a Fodor’s guide. We aim to help you immerse yourself in a place — setting aside the kind of attractions where tourists flock and instead seeking out one-of-a-kind experiences worth the time it takes to get there.

In this issue, we look ahead to WorldPride 2017 in Madrid with a writer who has seen the city’s gay community blossom into a place that draws gay travelers from all over the world. Personally, I am a huge fan of Spain, its food and its people’s lust for life. I am sure that those of you who will be able to attend the WorldPride festivities this summer will find them to be spectacular.

I’m also pleased to share with you our story on Salzburg, Austria. So many of us have grown up loving The Sound of Music, and I thought it was a great celebration of nostalgia to see our editor embark on a journey to experience the places where its most memorable moments were filmed.

But I should also say that — though we would not likely recommend visiting Paris’ Eiffel Tower or London’s Big Ben in our pages — it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. I actually think the Eiffel Tower is quite beautiful (but I was alarmed when I recently heard that they would be forced to erect new glass walls at its base to protect it from potential terror attacks).

So when we recommend adventurous new ways you can experience Hawaii, don’t rule out learning to hula or any of the traditional activities that have been drawing people to these beautiful islands for centuries. Cover girl Lisa Edelstein recounts in our feature interview how impressed she was to be standing at the foot of a volcano — watching earth created and destroyed.

Our passion for travel — and many of the other topics we love to cover in the pages of Metrosource — is what has kept me and our wonderful staff constantly in search of exciting new things to share with you over the years. I am so proud of their work and of the fact that finding ways to bring together our community has been such an important part of our journey as a team. I hope you are excited to discover your next great destination as I am.