Definitely Playa Negra. It is a small surf village on the Pacific coast. It has amazing waves, beautiful beaches, delicious food and the nicest people I’ve ever met. It has the most relaxed vibe of anyplace I’ve ever been.
place you’d most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Venice. I really thought it was the craziest place, all those water “streets” are very magical. Plus, if it does actually sink… you wouldn’t want to miss it.

I have recently gotten over my fear of flying so I actually prefer that now. I have been looking at it as a very expensive amusement park ride that I must enjoy.place you’ve never been but dying to go:
Oh I have a whole series of those! Right now we are talking about planning a trip for India next year. For the PIHNB collection I researched Pondicherry, Kanyakumari and Jaipur so those are on the top of my list, but I just feel that India has so many amazing places – I don’t know how we’ll ever pick.

Orlando, FL. My family loved Disney growing up and I’ve been there about 6 times. I’m done.

At 20, crying in a phone booth, totally lost and alone in Geneva, Switzerland in the rain while carrying a gigantic backpack. Ended up finding a laundromat and having a nice Egyptian man teach me how to use the dryer and then found a local hostel.
how do you prepare for a trip?
I read a lot. Books (I like novels/travel memoirs set in the place I’m about to visit), blogs, Chowhound, and Tripadvisor. I’m also curing an overpacking problem, thanks to those airline fees , I’m now trying to always carry on my luggage.

how do you record your travels when you’re traveling?
I usually write lists of what I’ve done. I take photos of what we’ve eaten (I love food an love recounting past meals). Also do lots of tiny sketches.
what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Not surprisingly patterns, whether I find them in nature of in architecture. Those things are always inspiration for new patterns.

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
A few hundred, I’m a big on the go editor. We just received a new Canon videocamera, so this will add another aspect to the photo documentation of our travels.

what’s in your “designer travel kit” ?
Moleskine sketchbook, smooth black pens, Canon Rebel XTI with a few lenses, Canon video camera, small Macbook.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
Blog, sometimes that happens right after, sometimes longer. Upload photos for friends and family to see, I also plan fantastic scrapbooks in my head that never really materialize.