Ciao,

I hope to spark conversation among African-American women who love (or WANT) to travel abroad, who are never happier than when we’re in new and challenging foreign environments. I want to hear your comments about my trips – and I want to hear about yours. Wondering whether it’s cool to travel solo to Paris, or how you’d be received as a black woman in Rome?  Put it out here and we UrbanTravelGirls will jump in and give you the scoop. Looking for some fab, locals-only restaurants and boutiques in Florence, Barcelona or Buenos Aires? I’ll dish about it and hope other chicas visiting here will also share.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, hit the road, discover your own global bliss — and let’s chat about it!

Inspired partly by fabulous vacations to Italy, former American expat Kelly Carter (and her famous long-haired Chihuahua Lucy) moved to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. Kelly's now writing about her two-year Italian adventure in "Bellini for One."

Life as an expat wouldn't be so bad in lovely Mendoza, Argentina. Here I am trying it out during my recent trip, sipping a Gancia Batido (a classic Argentine cocktail) on the terrace of the Park Hyatt Mendoza.

British expat author Peter Mayle introduced millions to the "good life" in Provence through his best-selling books.

We’ve all read books and watched films about folks (often single women, it seems) who travel to some exotic locale in search of self-discovery, fall in love with this new place, and decide to trade in their not-quite-right lives at home for a new one overseas. You UrbanTravelGirls know the 2003 film “Under the Tuscan Sun” motivated me to move to storybook-perfect Florence, Italy. The Frances Mayes book that inspired the film, Under the Tuscan Sun, has been translated into dozens of languages and prompted countless reader pilgrimages to Mayes’ adopted Tuscan hometown of Cortona.

 Author Peter Mayle jump-started the modern expat-exchanges-hectic-urban-life-for-adventure-abroad trend with A Year in Provence, a book that when became an international best-seller when first published in 1989. In it, Mayle chronicled his life as a British expatriate in Ménerbes, a town in this gorgeous part of southern France. This former London ad executive and his wife traveled to Provence on vacation but eventually took the plunge, relocating completely from the UK to France. And once his books caught fire and made him rich—no doubt inspiring legions of folks with visions of living abroad—Mayle became the patron saint of reinventing oneself in a foreign land.

But when does an UrbanTravelGirl decide that a mere vacation doesn’t do it, that she’d rather pull up stakes and actually MOVE to another country and build a life for herself there instead of here (wherever that happens to be)?

My family and friends always laugh at me because whenever I return from a particularly good vacation (as mine generally tend to be), I share the same refrain: “I think I could live there!” Those of you who’ve listened to me wax poetic about Buenos Aires know I’ve thought it and said it, as I tend to travel to places that fascinate me and hold some special allure. And because I tend to rent apartments when I go abroad, I purposely immerse myself in the culture to get a real sense of daily life.

And, if the place grows on me—as Montreal (where I’d planned to move if the 2008 U.S. presidential election had turned out differently), Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, and Buenos Aires did—then I entertain myself with visions of, “What if I actually MOVED here someday?” We all know it’s only a matter of time before I pull up stakes and seek an exciting new life—AGAIN!—outside the United States.

I’m not just inspired by books written by now-wealthy authors. I get it from real-life sistagirls, such as my good friend and fellow freelance journalist Kelly Carter, whose travels to Italy prompted HER move to Florence and Positano—AND who’s writing about it in an upcoming memoir appropriately named Bellini for One. And just yesterday, my Italophile friend Sharon Sanders who knows how I love Argentina sent me a Wall Street Journal article about a California couple who, after visiting the lovely wine-producing province of Mendoza, decided to buy a vineyard, building both a business and a fascinating new life.

But at the end of the day, visions of life in some fabulous villa (accompanied of course by some gorgeous local man with a heart-melting foreign accent) meet reality. Most of us aren’t independently wealthy (and if you are, most countries want you to PROVE it before they let you stay), so we need to figure out how we’ll make a living. But that doesn’t mean we can’t turn a great trip into a real life abroad.

For example, when I visited Montreal back in October 2008 with serious thoughts about moving there, I picked up brochures on immigrating to Canada (which actually seemed to be welcoming foreigners, as opposed to its neighbor to the south). Eventually, I might have looked into obtaining a working vacation visa that would let me “try out” my new country while still (legally) earning money. And if I’d decided to stay permanently, I might have sought out a Canadian immigration lawyer who specialized in helping Americans seeking a new life in their nation. Of course, there’s no ONE way to make such a life-changing move—and if you’re motivated enough to go, the Universe will meet you more than halfway.

So tell us, ladies—if YOU’RE one of those who moved abroad because you fell in love with your current home on your travels, what made you take the plunge?

Or if you’re one of us dreamers, what foreign country tugs at your heartstrings and why?

Nothing like a little fantasy to make life sweeter, yes?

Driving up to the gorgeous Club Tapiz in the Mendoza province is a lovely experience in itself. And staying at this working vineyard is a treat beyond words.

Vineyards like these that supply Tapiz and Zolo wines (the latter are sold in the United States) re seemingly everywhere in the lovely province of Mendoza.

Ahhh... the good life, Mendoza style. The outdoor pool at Club Tapiz features a backdrop of lush vineyards. Who'd want to go home after this?

I’ve already declared my blind love for Buenos Aires, but there’s another fabulous part of Argentina that’s a must-see: the gorgeous wine-producing province of Mendoza. Located in the north-western part of this massive South American country, Mendoza’s most famous export is Malbec, a medium-to-full-bodied red wine that’s a perfect complement to Argentina’s legendary beef. And while the Malbec grape originated in southern France, it’s certainly got strong Argentine roots today.

While in Mendoza earlier this month, I was the guest of Club Tapiz, an incredibly gorgeous vineyard/winery/restaurant/hotel in the town of Maipú. With seven gorgeous rooms—many of which look out onto the property’s back garden and swimming pool—Club Tapiz is the perfect destination for oenophiles, or anyone else interested in the art of living and dining well. Its award-winning, 19^th century restored estate is surrounded by 22 acres of vineyards—making its Tapiz and Zolo wines taste that much better with artful cuisine from its Terruños Restaurant. Housed right on the property, this elegant dining space provided me with one of the most succulent steaks I’ve ever had. And with trees right on the property, the restaurant served Tapiz olive oil alongside it—TRUE nectar of the gods, an extra-virgin oil so deliciously fruity I almost wanted to pour it into a wine glass and drink it.

But while I was off galavanting in the Argentine wine country, I realized that I missed a November event that’s become a personal favorite of mine: the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, a wonderfully light and fruity red wine which comes from a region of France just north of gastronomically blessed Lyon. This isn’t an expensive wine (most bottles are under $20), or one that’s given much love by connoisseurs—but that doesn’t keep Beaujolais from being beloved by wine drinkers all over the world. Under mandate of French law, Beaujolais Nouveau cannot officially be released until the third Thursday of November. And if I’d been home in Chicago, I would have celebrated with the French-American Chamber of Commerce of Chicago at its annual “Passport to France” event celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau’s uncorking.

Since I’d love to check out as many wine-producing regions of the world as possible, perhaps next year I’ll plan to travel to the Beaujolais region myself. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous, perhaps I’ll check out car rentals in France. Otherwise, I’d better hook up with a wine tour that specializes in the region—or pre-arrange transportation from one vineyard to another, as I was fortunate enough to have provided by my hosts in Mendoza.

Two and a half days weren’t NEARLY enough to sample the joys of this gorgeous wine region. On my next trip to Buenos Aires—and we all know there WILL be a next one, and hopefully by next spring—you can believe I’ll be booking longer reservations in Mendoza. And if I’m lucky, I’ll time my trip perfectly enough to help with the harvest at Club Tapiz or another nearby vineyard. Now THAT’S work I won’t mind doing!

But being a journalist who’s always searching for the sociological meaning and truth behind current events—and goodness knows this is the biggest global one since Barack Obama was elected president of the United States—I see Michael far beyond the off-the-charts performances, fantastically creative music and videos, and even the eccentricities that defined his later years.

Over the past few days, I’ve heard it stated by everyone from the Rev. Al Sharpton to former “CBS Evening News” anchor Dan Rather that Michael Jackson’s most lasting legacy to the world won’t be the impressive fact that he “desegregated” MTV back in the early 1980s. Not that he revolutionized the music video medium as we knew it. But the fact that he was the first African-American artist to achieve true global superstardom without constantly reminding folks he was black. These social critics—and I concur—changed the world by paving the way for global audiences to embrace and accept Chicago Bulls basketball phenom Michael Jordan. Multimedia mogul Oprah Winfrey, another black star who found her fame in my hometown Windy City. Golf genius Tiger Woods, who while still early in his career has permanently redefined his sport. And the third member of the Chicago trifecta, President Obama, who has ignited the world’s imagination in a way unlike any politician in my 40-year-old lifetime.

Now you say, what does this have to do with international travel? I say it has EVERYTHING to do with it.

Those of us who live in America often forget that what this country exports better than anything is its popular culture. Folks from Dublin to Dubai, from Buenos Aires to Beijing, form their impressions of America—and most certainly of AFRICAN-AMERICANS—from the musicians, actors, and more recently politicians we set upon pedestals. So when those of us African-Americans who DO travel go abroad, much of how we’re greeted has been shaped by the cultural forces that came before us. As I’ve written before in this blog, foreign nationals on cruise ships, regular folks in France, Italy, Turkey and Greece seem to feel an affinity for us (and perhaps these days for Americans of all colors) because of President Obama, a black American man of whom we can all be proud.

And long before any of us had ever heard Obama’s name, there was a performing sensation named Michael Jackson who made it “cool” to be black in countries where they’d probably never seen an African-American up close-and-personal. So beyond the music and the Moonwalk, those of us who consider ourselves citizens of the world can thank MJ for breaking down barriers long before we and our passports made it overseas.