Conde Nast Traveler Magazine

My parents decided to cash in their frequent flyer miles for magazines. They emailed me several times, asking me to pick a magazine they could subscribe me to.

I was feeling a little bit magazine-d out...but at their third request, I finally picked Conde Nast Traveler, because, well, I love to travel.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this magazine rocks! Yes, it definitely caters to lifestyles of the rich and famous. When I travel, I take a backpack, a Lonely Planet guidebook, and pretty much wing it. So while I won't be staying at any of the luxury resorts the magazine recommends, I'm getting tons of ideas for cool places to travel--Dubai, Bhutan, Rwanda. Definitely off the beaten path. And this is a thick magazine, packed with info.

The August edition was my first, and I found the articles and writing top notch. I was immediately won over by an article on chocolate that had me salivating for more--the author travels to Guatemala in search of the tastiest cocoa bean. Si, por favor!