re: Favorite countries to visit that you've explored more than 3 cities in?

Austria

In the late 90's, my brother and I were invited to cook jambalaya for a festival in Fieberbrunn, Austria. All of our expenses were paid by the festival. Flights, hotels, meals, everything. This trip was the first time I traveled out of the USA and sitting on a balcony of a brewery with the backdrop of the Alps in St. Johann, Austria before arriving to Fieberbrunn was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Drinking beer and eating fresh baked bread and pretzels was one of the greatest experiences I have had up to that point in my life. Being this was at the height of my professional drinking career, this trip was heaven.

While there I met several people and stayed in touch via email until 2009 when I decided that I would return for the festival. Since 2009, I have made 10 trips back to Fieberbrunn either as a destination or part of a trip to Europe. I have made some good friends there and feel very much welcome in that little village.

Sometimes it is hard to explain exactly how you feel towards someone that has impacted your life and this is one of those times. That trip did a lot to influence what direction my life would take and for that I am ever grateful to the people of Fieberbrunn.

I wasn't able to visit this year and I will try to make it the last time that I don't visit there at least once a year.