One of the biggest holidays in the U.S. and Canada is quietly being exported around the world. Here's how some IL staff celebrate this family day overseas…

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Scotland is a land with a rich, turbulent history and tradition; of sheep in lush green glens, misty crags, and lochs (lakes); of bagpipes, kilts, castles, and kings; and a land of honest, practical, welcoming people. A circular trip through the highlands, beginning and ending in Edinburgh, brings visitors to what I consider to be the best of “bonnie” Scotland.

Van Gogh was right about Mediterranean light. As my husband Jim and I dined under a pizzeria’s royal-blue awning, everything seemed to glow—the terracotta buildings along the promenade, the sable palms, the bougainvillea... Even the sandy cobblestone streets had an impressionistic radiance. Our senses were on pleasure overload, but our happiness came from deeper within. We had just signed a contract to make our dreams of living in the south of France a reality.

Every few months I log onto www.7knots.com to sample who, in the wide wonderful world of warm waters, needs yacht crew. This year my ad of choice read: “Crew Wanted: 47-foot sloop Karni in the Philippines.” Seeing as I was flying to the Philippines in a month, I e-mailed the contact, fishing for the exotic in a distinctly different flavor of international travel.

While Ecuador may sound exotic to some, I have found it surprisingly approachable since moving to Quito, the nation’s capital, two years ago. My husband, Luca, had been working for the United Nations Development Program in New York, and this was our first overseas posting.