Whistles blow, the station master, starched and spotless in white, nods at the guard, who waves a green flag, and off we go, rolling out of Hatton station in Sri Lanka’s tea-covered hills, where I had spent three glorious days. For $12, I got an AFC ticket — air-conditioned first class, which isn’t really first class, or even second for that matter. But, my reserved seat is comfortable, although the air-conditioning means the windows are sealed shut and foggy, obscuring the gorgeous views.

Dracula. Dracula. Dracula. Dracula. Now that’s out of the way, we can get to the real reasons why this central Romanian region, where the Carpathian Mountains dissolve into forested valleys, meadows, and medieval settlements, is a great place to visit.

As a recent graduate, I landed in Houston in July with the promise of a job, knowing little about the city beyond its unforgiving climate. But, as the months passed and the weather grew more pleasant, it revealed itself to be beguilingly alive.

It’s hard to talk about Valencia without comparing it to Barcelona. While the Catalan capital gets well-deserved love, the overwhelming crowds I experienced there last year were not something to love. A far more satisfying stay was two weeks in Valencia, an eastern Mediterranean port city that also features a stunning mix of Gothic and modern architecture, wide beaches, and an exciting food scene. Yet, Valencia has a vibe all its own: laid-back and less traveled, you quickly feel like a part of this vibrant city, not just a tourist.