50 posts and still going!

Greeting readers.
I hope this post finds you warm and safe. To all the people effected by the blizzards in the North East, I hope that you are being smart and staying in your homes. It's been a rough year for them and my heart goes out to them!
I wanted this, my fiftieth, to be a "good news" sort of post; so here it goes "Good News, Everyone!"
Despite all the bad publicity, air travel safety has never been higher. Today is the 4 year anniversary of the last fatal aviator crash! And it's been more than a decade since the last accident involving a big domestic carrier.Globally, air travel has also been remarkably safe. "Overall, it was the certainly the safest year ever," Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend, told the Wall Street Journal. Last year "was almost twice as safe as 2011, which itself had previously" attained the distinction of being twice as safe as the year before, Hayes said. The safer skies for travelers can be attributed to more reliable planes, better navigation technology and improved sharing of flight information and hazards among regulators and airlines, and YOU. 
Travelers are wiser than ever!  We've finally stop fighting all the security measures and embraced the fact that you can take no more than 4 oz of shampoo in your carry-on case. Of course, that being said I just dealt with a guest at my front desk the other day whose bags were delayed and she had placed her medications in her checked luggage... DON'T DO THAT! So it's still not 100%, but we are getting so much better.
So OFFICIALLY, I would like to thank you, fellow travelers. You are helping keep the skies safer!
Happy Travels,
~Greet

Political Unrest and breaking down the barriers of sterotypes.

Political turmoil is part of life these days, and security in Europe has never been tighter. Countries from Britain to Italy continue to deal with internal discord, from separatists to religious extremists. An awareness of current social and political problems is as important to smart travel as a listing of top sights. As some popular destinations are entertaining tourists with "sound and light" shows in the old town, they're quelling angry demonstrations in the new.
Travel broadens our perspective, enabling us to rise above the 24-hour advertiser-driven entertainment we call news — and see things as citizens of our world. By plugging directly into the present and getting the European take on things, a traveler gets beyond traditional sightseeing and learns "today's history."
There are many peoples fighting the same thrilling battles for political rights we Americans won more than 200 years ago. Racial, religious, and linguistic groups rarely color within the lines, so don't just assume that an area is safe.
Understand a country's linguistic divisions. It's next to impossible to keep everyone happy in a multilingual country. Switzerland has four languages, but everyone speaks some German. In Belgium, there's tension between the Dutch- and French-speaking halves. And Hungarians living in Slovakia had to rely on European Court intervention to get road signs in their native language. Europe's linguistic underdogs will tell you their language receives equal treatment only on cornflakes boxes, and many are working toward change.
Look beyond the pretty pictures in your tourist brochures for background on how your destination's demographic makeup may be ­causing problems today or tomorrow. Start following newspaper articles and surfing the Web a few months in advance to gather political news on what's happening.
With this foundation and awareness, you can get the most out of the nearly unavoidable opportunities to talk with involved locals about complex current situations. At any pub on the Emerald Isle, you'll get an earful of someone's passionate feelings about "the Troubles." In Russia and Eastern Europe, whenever you want some political or economic gossip, sit alone in a cafe. After a few minutes and some eye contact, you'll have company and a fascinating chat. Young, well-dressed people are most likely to speak (and want to practice) English.
In the wake of the global economic crisis, European governments and businesses are struggling to continue providing the generous cradle-to-grave benefits that their citizens expect. As these items are trimmed from the budget, new waves of protests sweep across the already strike-happy Continent. While American tourists are at virtually zero risk from these demonstrations, it's smart to be aware of them so that you can avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time...and to better understand one more facet of the European experience.
Wherever you travel, be prepared for a challenge when the topic shifts to American foreign policy. Among deaf people, the international sign-language symbol for "American" is the "fat cat" — holding your arms around an imaginary big belly. Like it or not, people around the world look at America as the kingpin of a global and ruthless game of Monopoly. As a person who loves his country, I see travel as a patriotic exercise in promoting people-to-people diplomacy and global understanding. 

Uh-Oh

So you're strolling along the picturesque St Charles Bridge in Prague or the crowded stalls of La Rambla in Barcelona, taking in the sights while an amazing limber thief is taking in your wallet!  Pickpockets are rampant in large cities and can lift a wallet in under 20 seconds if their target is distracted. So here are some tips for your wallets long... or short-term attachment to your person.

1. Never carry all your important documents together. This is asking for trouble. Now I'll admit that I have a beautiful leather passport carrier which also acts as a wallet, but I never keep my driver's license in it. Try to keep your government issues ids separate.
2. Most credit cards have an international toll-free number to call in the event of theft or fraud. I keep a list of them in my suitcase. That way if the wallet is lifted, I can call right away.
• here are the U.S. emergency numbers:
• Visa: 800-847-2911
• MasterCard:800-622-7748
• American Express: 800-333-2649
3.  Flying with an ID is possible, but difficult. If you're forced to do this, you'll need to contact the airline to find out what exactly they'll need from you. Prepare for the worst from the start by keeping photocopies of our Driver's License and Passport. Also keep a back up id, like student's card or work id.

 

To get travel insurance or not?

People buy travel insurance mainly to protect their investment if they have to cancel a trip or get medical coverage when they're traveling abroad. Once you're outside U.S. borders, most private health insurance companies and Medicare don't provide any coverage, even in an emergency- a fact travelers tend to learn about only after their claims from foreign hospitals are rejected.
3 Main Types of Policies:

• Package travel policies that offer multiple benefits, including coverage for trip cancellation, lost baggage, and emergency medical expenses.
• Policies that cover only emergency medical care, either for a single trip or multiple trips within a year.
• Medical evacuation policies, which cover primarily the cost of transportation to a decent hospital if you're injured or get sick.

If you're considering buying travel insurance, it's important to understand that it covers only precisely defined circumstances or events- and there are a lot of exceptions lurking in the fine print.
Travel insurance prices are based on a combination of factors: Age, amount of coverage, and cost/ length of trip. A general guideline is that package travel policies cost 4 to 7 of a trips price and medical policies cost roughly $20 to $50 for $50,000-$100,000 worth of coverage.

Travel Insurance Sellers:
Here are some of the main travel insurances providers in the United States. All sell insurance direct, but you can also purchase their policies through third parties, such as InsureMyTrip.com.

1. Access America
2. CSA Travel Protection
3. International Medical Group
4. Medjet Assist
5. Travel Guard
6. Travelex

In the end, weather you travel insured or not is entirely up to you. My suggestion, ask yourself some key questions, like are you willing to cancel this trip for an emergency? And decide if the price of the trip warrants the additional cost of the insurance. The more expensive the trip, the more likely you NEED insurance. Finally, where are you traveling? If you're headed off to some place with less than reliable health care, like Honduras or Columbia then you may want the coverage.
Safe Travels!
~Greet

Never risk it!

Your health is something that you should take serious, no matter where you travel. I was surprised by how much I didn't know! Make sure you know better than I do! http://healthsource.baylorhealth.com/RelatedItems/40,TravelQuiz

Traveling Alone

Solo journeys are something I true love. I embrace the excitement in knowing that this trip might change me and only me in some profound way. As a solo traveler I am more likely to stray from a path and just follow where my wondering heart leads... often I get lost, but the places I find are well worth the taxi ride back.
However, as a solo traveler I am reckless. I rarely think about my safety, which would make my family shiver. A 26yr old woman in a foreign place alone is a very easy target. Budget Travel post this article recently and I couldn't agree more. So what can we do to stay safe when traveling alone?
Dress: Be appropriate. What you are wearing says a lot to the public and in certain countries can seem as an invitation. Modesty is always the best policy.
Communication: I try to let my friends and family know points of contact on any trip I am taking. It usually includes my itinerary, housing information, and a schedule of times they should expect an email from me. I also have photocopies of all of my travel documents (passports, visas, birth certificate) with my next of kin.
Day Travel: Do most of your sightseeing during the day. If you want to visit something at night, be cautious. Stay in well-lit areas with lots of people.

Most importantly, use common sense. This is your safety! After all, we don't want this trip to be your last.