Introducing Mark Melrose: Emergency Physician and Passionate Traveler

Hometown: New York, NY

Occupation: Emergency physician.

Favorite destinations: Anywhere tropical with uncrowded waves.

Dying to visit: The Solomon Islands on a boat trip.

Bizarre travel rituals: I always bring a first aid kit/mini-dispensary. Everyone always has some kind of emergency, and I hate not being able to help.

In-flight relaxation regime: Ambien.

Always in carry-on: Two cameras: an SLR and a point-and-shoot.

Concierge or DIY? DIY.

See it all or take it easy? On alternate days.

Drive or be driven? Drive out of town.

Travel hero: The Endless Summer, directed by Bruce Brown, starring Robert August and Michael Hynson.

Weirdest thing seen on travels: An elephant walking down the street in Bangkok.

Best hotel amenity: Extra pillows.

I dream about my meal at the bar at Babbo during white truffle season. This has nothing to do with surfing. There is no better restaurant in NYC.

Everywhere I go, I check out the ocean.

When I arrive in a new place, I learn the lay of the land by going to a high place and looking around.

I always bring home local maps, in case I go back again.

If I never return to the Dominican Republic, it'll be too soon because I still remember the look on the face of the motorcycle driver just before he slammed into our car. We had to bribe the police, pay for his hospital visit, and fix the damage to the car.

I travel for the stoke!