Allison Bates

The fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina isn't yet a member of the European Union should be filed under "things I already know" when I pull into the desolate Mostar bus station at 2 a.m. But it isn't, so I'm cursing my EU-specific digital SIM card for failing to deliver directions to my hostel as I emerge into the humid August night.

If I told you that some of the freshest seafood in the country can be found in central Kentucky, you’d probably think I was delusional. But it’s true, and it’s not the only surprising thing I discovered during my long weekend in Lexington.

“The biggest misconception about West Virginia is that there’s nothing to do here,” says Lindsey Funk, lifelong resident and Public Relations Assistant at the West Virginia Department of Tourism. After spending four action-packed days in just three of the state’s 55 counties, I can declare that myth officially busted.

Ernest Hemingway said, “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.” You’ll no doubt agree, as locally sourced coffee, tea, and pre-breakfast vitafunio awaken your senses and the orange glow of dawn over the vast savannah awakens your soul.