Few things say "fall" to me like college soccer.

Michelle and I went down to Bloomington a few weeks ago for the IU game against UCLA. (Like Notre Dame two days before, IU knocked off the then #1 Bruins.)

I remember going to my first IU soccer game my junior year of high school. The Bloomington campus is great, but what appealed to me just as much was the thought of going to school somewhere where I could watch one of the top men's soccer teams in the nation week in and week out.

It's official. I've just gotten two days off to visit my friend in Boston this October.

Maybe a lot of you have been to Boston, but if you haven't it's a great city to visit. Just beware of the traffic! Seriously. It's home of the I'm-turning-out-of-the-middle-lane driver.

How do I think of Boston? History galore. I could literally spend days exploring all the city's historical sites; there's enough trails, museums and cultural activities to make your head spin.

It's that time of year: College Football is in the air.

And it's Austin that I think of around the start of September. (Bloomington, too, but that will wait for another day.)

At this point I've got to confess that both my parents went to the University of Texas, so I grew up rooting for the Longhorns. Most of my family lives down there and I get down to visit them once or twice a year.

I've lived in Austin and several other areas of Texas over the years, but there's something special about Austin (even if my wife struggles to see it -- she prefers San Antonio).

Sometimes I'm reminded that you don't always have to drive very far to have a great time at an event. We've got plenty of great ones in our own backyard. The Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard come to mind.

Last week I got that same reminder while attending the Indianapolis Air Show for the first time. (For some reason, going up with the Red Baron Pizza Squadron -- as fantastic as that was -- wasn't enough to convince me to go last year.)

This year, Michelle and I volunteered at the air show in the afternoon.

Staying in a hostel can be a good option for the budget-conscious traveler.
When you think of hostels, you may imagine no frills accommodations where people get lumped together in large rooms without much regard for privacy. Toilets down the hall.
Historically, that’s the image of hostels many people have – if they have any concept of hostels at all.
I’ve stayed in a variety of lodgings over the years – from four-star hotels to inexpensive accommodations like hostels.

The Czech Republic probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind for many Americans when they think of traveling in Europe.
But the country has much to offer visitors.
Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital city, was certainly one of the highlights for my wife, Michelle, and I when we toured Eastern Europe last fall.
Many European cities can fascinate you in the touristy areas, but in Prague even the side streets hold plenty of interest; that is, the side streets aren’t dirty or drab, but colorful and full of life.

Until I began high school, I’d never lived more than three years in one place.
My father was in the Air Force and so every few years my family would move from one military base to the next.
By the time I moved to Indiana at age 15, I’d lived in California, Texas and Louisiana – not to mention Japan and England.
So I guess it’s not surprising that I love to travel. I’m fascinated by history and cultural differences.
In this blog I'll share personal travel experiences: both cool things I've seen on the road and mistakes I've made along the way.