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Travel can increase longevity by helping people establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle, says Dr. David Lipschitz, director of the Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and an author and syndicated columnist on aging.
Travel for Long Life
According to Lipschitz, the two most important factors for longevity are health and happiness, and travel helps to foster both. Planning a trip helps seniors in these ways:
Travel keeps their minds sharp.
Increased opportunities for walking and other exercise help older adults stay fit.
Making new friends will increase longevity.
Connection Increases Longevity
Traveling with a spouse or significant other is a great way for couples to reconnect through shared experiences, rekindle romance and increase intimacy. Researchers have found that having an intimate relationship as we grow older is a critical factor for health and longevity. Married men live an average of 10 years longer than those who aren’t married, and married women live approximately three years longer.
"Love is one thing that is needed for long life, and traveling will fuel it," Lipschitz told the Dallas Morning News. “Traveling to spend time alone together will not only broaden your horizons, but make you a healthier person."
Senior Travel is Changing
But the way older adults travel is changing dramatically, and it will change even further as more baby boomers reach their senior years with more energy, better health, and more disposable income than previous generations.
"What characterizes our generation is that we're very, very individualistic, and that's going to affect the way we will be traveling," Lipschitz told Knight Ridder Newspapers. "We are a well-traveled generation. Where haven't we been? Now I want to go to Antarctica, to the Galapagos Islands, to Mongolia. I want travel that makes me feel there's nothing in life I cannot do."
Seniors are Changing the Travel Industry
The global population is aging so rapidly that the travel industry will be forced to accommodate their needs and preferences -- from more healthful dining choices to a wider range of group and independent travel options tailored to seniors.
Some of these changes are already taking place. For example, Elderhostel, the world’s largest educational travel organization for adults 55 and over, has introduced more intergenerational travel and a Road Scholar program that offers more active and independent travel without the usual age restriction.
"For a number of years, we've been preparing for this next wave, this next generation aging into retirement years," said James Moses, Elderhostel's president. "We have some very specific differences between Road Scholar and Elderhostel."
The new travel program is more active and tailored to self-exploration than the traditional Elderhostel Road Scholar trips, which include comfortable accommodations, morning lectures, and afternoon field trips, always in a group that explores themes together.
Increased Longevity Brings Travel At Any Age
But it’s not only baby boomers who are starting to hit the road in record numbers. As more seniors enjoy healthy and active longevity, they make plans to get around -- the world. Lipschitz notes that 50 percent of America’s 85-year-olds now live independently and have more lifestyle options than ever before.
"They can do anything they want,” he says. “I don't think major bus tours are the wave of the future."
The Similan Islands National Park
Please note: The Similan National Park is closed from May 1st until November 1st of each year. This means there are NO emergency services, phones do not work and it is ILLEGAL to visit. Do not risk your life by going on tours during these months. There are several nefarious dive and snorkel companies that will offer tours during these months - you are risking your life by joining their tours.
The Similan Islands National Park is known for white coral sand beaches, crystal blue waters, warm tropical nights and cooling breezes coming off the Andaman Sea. Nine Unihabited islands with some of the best scenery in Thailand.
The Similan Islands are very easy to visit. Located only 50 Kilometers from Khao Lak - The Similan Islands may be visited for one day, overnight or on tours. There are no resorts or stores on the Similans - only a couple of ranger stations and a few bungalows available for rent.
Home to the best diving and snorkeling in Thailand, The Similan Islands are home to a huge variety of marine life and incredible opportunities to see rare and endangered species. Often referred to as one of the best dive spots in the world - you will probably agree after visiting. While the underwater world may attract some people - there are also many varieties of birds and animals on the Similan islands. And of course - the long beaches!
1.Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them -- that is why you pay them.
2.Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3.Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4.Enjoy the simple things.
5.Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6.The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7.Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8.Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9.Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county. Travel to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
And Always Remember...
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
World Tourism Day
27 September 2011
The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day, “Tourism – linking cultures”, highlights the powerful role of tourism in building international understanding and mutual respect.
There is no better way to learn about a new culture than to experience it first-hand. Tourism offers a wonderful connecting thread between visitor and host community. It promotes dialogue and interaction. Such contact between people of different backgrounds is the very foundation for tolerance. In a world struggling for peaceful coexistence, tourism can build bridges and contribute to peace.
Tourism’s contributions to development also advance the cause of global solidarity. At a time of profound global economic uncertainty, tourism’s ability to generate socio-economic opportunities and help reduce the gap between rich and poor, is more important than ever.
I encourage all involved in tourism to embrace the ten principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. These guidelines for sustainable and responsible tourism development, approved by the UN General Assembly in 2001, are based on the proven interaction between tourism and peace, human rights and understanding.
World Tourism Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of tourism to global well-being. As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity. On this observance, let us recognize tourism as a force for a more tolerant, open and united world.
Healthy Eating on the Road
Typical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache.
With a little bit of effort and willpower, you can navigate your way around the junk food and maintain your healthy diet while on a long road trip. You'll feel healthier, more alert, and have more fun.
Healthy Eating on the Road
Typical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache.
With a little bit of effort and willpower, you can navigate your way around the junk food and maintain your healthy diet while on a long road trip. You'll feel healthier, more alert, and have more fun.
Health Planning
Take Note: The most common problem to foreign travelers is "over medicating." We've provided this detailed information to stimulate thought, not provide evidence or rationale for a traveling pharmacy. In most cases, your body's normal defenses, common sense and plenty of rest will provide faster relief.
When you're setting off on your own for an extended period of time, it's important to take a few basic precautions to insure your health.
Here's a predeparture checklist from Robert Kohls' book, Survival Kit for Overseas Living:
Here's a predeparture checklist from Robert Kohls' book, Survival Kit for Overseas Living:
- Make an appointment to see your doctor at least three months ahead of departure for a physical and required or recommended immunizations. If you have a health condition which requires routine attention, prepare to deal with the condition overseas. Bring a doctor's statement with you describing your medical problem, prescriptions for drugs you may require, other treatment information regarding your problem, and a very clear explanation about any drugs or medical paraphernalia that you are carrying with you.
- Find out from your public health service if gamma globulin shots, a preventative measure against hepatitis, are recommended for the country or region where you plan to travel. Request copies of medical records that would be important to the treatment of problems you might encounter overseas: X-rays, EKGs, a record of your blood type, prescriptions written in a generic form, dental records, and a letter describing any special health problems. Make a duplicate copy of this information and keep (whatever is practical) in two places, one on your person and one in your luggage.
- Remember that U.S. prescriptions cannot be honored overseas. Take additional prescribed drugs with you and be sure that you have a doctor's letter describing, in generic trade and dosage terms, what these drugs are and how they are used. Sometimes prescription drugs in the U.S. can be bought over the counter in other countries. Beware, however, of buying potent drugs over the counter. Always ask careful questions about what you're purchasing.
- Bring eyeglass prescriptions and extra glasses or contact lenses. If you are using an electric cleaner for your contact lenses, make sure that you have appropriate transformers or find other methods of cleaning.
- Bring a medical kit. Standard items which may be useful include adhesive tape, cotton swabs, gauze, Band-Aids, sterile cleaners, and antibacterial ointment. Depending upon the country, it might be useful to have water purification tablets, salt tablets, skin lotion and moisturizer, insect repellent, antihistamines, painkillers, disinfectant, small scissors, tweezers, thermometer and something for insect bite reactions.
- Learn how to find a doctor overseas. If you are with a health insurance program, a Member Services department might be able to help. The school or center you're attending (administrators, teachers) and family or hotel you're staying at will have favored physicians. Large international hotels refer English speaking doctors, or you can check with the U.S. consulate or embassy. IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers, provides a list of English speaking doctors all over the world. There is no fee, but donations to this nonprofit organization are welcomed.
- Keep all medications in your hand luggage. Checked baggage can be subject to extreme temperature variations and may be lost.
- Eating Safe Foods... When abroad, consider food safe to eat if it is served steaming hot and is thoroughly cooked (not cooked, cooled, and moderately reheated). Other things considered safe include that which you can peel (oranges, avocados, etc.); processed beverages which you pop open (bottled water, carbonated soda, beer, etc.); piping hot coffee and tea. Exercise your judgment on other foods: those sitting at room temperature, and/or uncovered, foods requiring refrigeration, foods sitting out in the open sun (such as items in an open air market).The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control publishes Health Information for International Travelers, a yearly update on health vaccinations and other health issues. Other pamphlets are Before you Travel, Health Concerns for International Travel, and Self-Care.
Facts on Obtaining Academic CreditThe best option is to start at the university, government agency, school, or business which you anticipate accepting your foreign course work for credit. Hundreds of academic institutions routinely accept course work done at various schools for credit or equivalency clock hours. Check with your director of international programs, study abroad advisor, department chair, employee relations supervisor, academic dean, or registrar. If you're working with a state agency, see the director of license renewal, crediting department, or in service coordinator. A relationship may already be set up between your school, business, or agency and the foreign school.If a relationship is not pre-established, you may find that coursework/credit transfer can be accomplished provided you bring back a complete portfolio of your foreign course materials (copies of homework assignments, course exercises, quizzes, tests, foreign instructor progress reviews/evaluations, etc.) - or take an equivalency test upon your return. Your institution may have provisions for guided reading courses, independent study, or work experience courses which award credit even if the program is taken overseas. Plan ahead and do some research into possible alternatives.If you're coordinating an international credit transfer, get a written policy statement before you travel abroad. lt's imperative that there be no misunderstanding as to your academic and credit objectives. Most institutions will not accept credit transfer unless defined and agreed upon in advance.In theUnited States , if your university or employer does not accept credit transfer from a foreign school, it may accept credit transfer from anotherU.S. university. Some North American universities may have a credit transfer agreement with the foreign institution you plan to attend. This entails registering with that university in theU.S. while (actually) studying abroad. This type of credit transfer can be costly, because you pay tuition both abroad and at theU.S. university issuing the credits.An additional option is to get a transcript or certificate of attendance from the foreign school. Be aware, credit issued does not imply credit accepted. Translated this means that earning the credit does not mean that it will be accepted by an institution in your country. Each country has its own unique system of educating and measuring levels of education.Foreign schools will NOT be familiar with your credit transfer requirements, so it is your responsibility to advise the administration when you arrive at the foreign center as to what you will need and when. Make sure you have all the necessary documentation before leaving the foreign center, so things won't get "lost in the mail." Be prepared to pay an administrative service fee for your transcript and possible photocopies of papers, tests, etc.The key to a successful credit transfer is research and planning ahead.Culture Shock & The Problem Of Adjustment To New Cultural Environments
(An editorial by Dr. Lalervo Oberg; Anthropologist; Health, Welfare and Housing Division;United States OperationsMission toBrazil I would like to make a few remarks about culture shock, a malady which afflicts most of us to some degree. We might almost call culture shock an occupational disease of many people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad.Customs, Cues, NormsCulture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to give orders to servants, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not.These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which are unconsciously learned.When an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of good will he may be, a series of props have been knocked from under him. This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety. People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort: "the ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad."For example Americans who are in a strange land get together to grouse about the host country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.Another phase of culture shock is regression. The home environment suddenly assumes a tremendous importance, everything becomes irrationally glorified. All difficulties and problems are forgotten and only the good things back home are remembered. It usually takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.SymptomsSome of the symptoms of culture shock are: excessive concern over cleanliness and the feeling that what is new and strange is "dirty." This could be in relation to drinking water, food, dishes, and bedding; fear of physical contact with attendants or servants; a feeling of helplessness and a desire for dependence on long-term residents of one's own nationality; irritation over delays and other minor frustrations out of proportion to their causes; delay and outright refusal to learn the language of the host country; excessive fear of being cheated, robbed, or injured; great concern over minor pains and irruptions of the skin; and finally, that terrible longing to be back home, to be in familiar surroundings, to visit one's relatives, and, in general, to talk to people who really "make sense."Individuals differ greatly in the degree in which culture shock affects them. Although not common, there are individuals who cannot live in foreign countries. Those who have seen people go through a serious case of culture shock and on to a satisfactory adjustment can discern steps in the process.The Honeymoon StageDuring the first few weeks most individuals are fascinated by the new. They stay in hotels and associate with nationals who speak their language and are polite and gracious to foreigners. This honeymoon stage may last from a few days or weeks to six months depending on circumstances. If one is a very important person he or she will be taken to the show places, pampered and petted, and in a press interview will speak glowingly about progress, goodwill, and international amity. If he returns home may well write a book about his pleasant if superficial experience abroad.But this "Cook's tour" type of mentality does not normally last if the foreign visitor remains abroad and has to seriously cope with real conditions of life. It is then that the second stage begins, characterized by a hostile and aggressive attitude towards the host country. This hostility evidently grows out of the genuine difficulty which the visitor experiences in the process of adjustment. There is maid trouble, school trouble, language trouble, house trouble, transportation trouble, shopping trouble, and the fact that people in the host country are largely indifferent to all these troubles. They help but they just don't understand your great concern over these difficulties. Therefore, they must be insensitive and unsympathetic to you and your worries. The result, "I just don't like them." You become aggressive, you band together with your fellow countrymen and criticize the host country, its ways and its people.This criticism is not an objective appraisal but a derogatory one. Instead of trying to account for conditions as they are through an honest analysis of the actual conditions and the historical circumstances which have created them, you talk as if the difficulties you experience are more or less created by the people of the host country for your special discomfort. You take refuge in the company of your countrymen and this cocktail circuit becomes the fountainhead of emotionally charged labels knows as stereotypes. This is a peculiar kind of shorthand which caricatures the host country and its people in a negative manner.StereotypesThe "dollar grasping American" and the "indolent Latin American" are samples of mild forms of stereotypes. The use of stereotypes may salve the ego of someone with a severe case of culture shock but it certainly does not lead to any genuine understanding of the host country and its people. This second stage of culture shock is in a sense a crisis in the disease. If you overcome it you stay, if not, you leave before you reach the stage of a nervous breakdown.Culture shock is lessened as the visitor succeeds in getting some knowledge of the language and begins to get around by himself. This is the beginning of his adjustment to the new cultural environment. The visitor still has difficulties but he takes a "this is my cross and I have to bear it" attitude. Usually in this stage the visitor takes a superior attitude toward people of the host country. His sense of humor begins to exert itself. Instead of criticizing he makes jokes about the people and even cracks jokes about his or her own difficulties. He or she is now on the way to recovery. And there is still the poor devil who is worse off than yourself whom you can help, which in turn gives you confidence in your ability to speak and get around.Final adjustmentIn the final stage of adjustment the visitor accepts the customs of the country as just another way of living. He can operate within the new milieu without a feeling of anxiety although there are moments of strain. Only with a complete grasp of all the cues of social intercourse will this strain disappear.For a long time the individual will understand what the national is saying, but he is not always sure what the national means. With a complete adjustment you not only accept the foods, drinks, habits, and customs but actually begin to enjoy them. When you go back home on leave you may even take things back with you and if you leave for good you generally miss the country and the people to whom you have become accustomed.It might be well to point out that the difficulties which the newcomer experiences are very real. If individuals come to a tropical area from a temperate one they quite often suffer from intestinal disturbances. Strange foods sometimes upset people. InRio , for instance, water and power shortages are very real. When these physical difficulties are added to those arising from not knowing how to communicate and the uncertainties presented by customs the consequent frustrations and anxieties are understandable.In the course of time, an individual makes this adjustment. You do what is essential about water, food, and the other minutiae of daily life. You adapt yourself to water and power shortages and to traffic problems. In short, the environment does not change. What has changed is your attitude towards it. Somehow it no longer troubles you, you no longer project your discomforts onto the people of the host country and their ways. You get along under a new set of living conditions.Your attitudeAnother important point worth considering is the attitude of others to a person suffering from culture shock. If you are frustrated and have an aggressive attitude to the people of the host country, they will sense this hostility and in many cases respond in either a hostile manner or try to avoid you. In other words, their response moves from a preliminary phase of ingratiation to aggressive ridicule and on to avoidance.To your own countrymen who are well adjusted you become somewhat of a problem. As you feel weak in the face of the host country people you tend to wish to increase your dependence on your fellow countrymen much more than is normal. Some will try to help you, others will try to avoid you.The better your fellow countryman understands your condition the better he is able to help you. But the difficulty is that culture shock has not been studied carefully enough for people to help you in an organized manner and you continue to be considered a bit queer - until you adjust yourself to the new situation.Although I am not certain, I think culture shock affects wives more than husbands. The husband has his professional duties to occupy him and his activities may not differ too much from what he has been accustomed to. The wife, on the other hand, has to operate in an environment which differs much more from the milieu in which she grew up.A product of historyIn an effort to get over culture shock, I think there is value in knowing something about the nature of culture and its relationship to the individual. In addition to living in a physical environment, an individual lives in a cultural environment consisting of manmade physical objects, social institutions, and ideas and beliefs.An individual is not born with culture but only with the capacity to learn it and use it. There is nothing in a new born child which dictates that it should eventually speak Portuguese, English, or French, nor that he eat with a fork in his left hand rather than in the right, or use chop sticks. All these things the child has to learn. Nor are the parents responsible for the culture which they transmit to their young. The culture of any people is the product of history and is built up over time largely through processes which are, as far as the individual is concerned, beyond his awareness. It is by means of culture that the young learn to adapt themselves to the physical environment and to the people with whom they associate.As we know, children and adolescents often experience difficulties in this process of learning and adjustment. But once learned, culture becomes a way of life, the sure, familiar, largely automatic way of getting what you want from your environment and as such it also becomes a value.People have a way of accepting their culture as both the best and the only way of doing things. This is perfectly normal and understandable. To this attitude we give the name ethnocentrism, a belief that not only the culture but the race and nation form the center of the world.Individuals identify themselves with their own group and its ways to the extent that any critical comment is taken as an affront to the individual as well as to the group. If you criticize my country, you are criticizing me. If you criticize me, you are criticizing my country.Along with this attitude goes the tendency to attribute all individual peculiarities as national characteristics. For instance, if an American does something odd or antisocial in a foreign country which back home would be considered a purely individual act, it is now considered a national trait.Instead of being censured as an individual, his country is censured. It is best to recognize that ethnocentrism is a characteristic of national groups. If a national criticizes some aspect of his own culture, the foreigner should listen but not enter into the criticism.The study of cultureSpecific cultures are products of historical development.Brazil and theUnited States , for instance, have different cultural origins and different culture histories which account for present day differences.In this case, however, the differences are not great, both cultures being parts of Western civilization. It might be useful to recognize here that the study of culture per se is not the study of individuals. Psychology is the study of individual personality. Sociology is the study of groups and group behaviors.The student of culture studies not human individuals but the interrelationships of culture forms like technologies, institutions, idea and belief systems. Hi is interested not so much in the study of culture as such, but its impact upon the individual under special conditions.Common elementsAny modern nation is a complex society with corresponding variations in culture. In composition it is made up of different ethnic groups, it is stratified into classes, it is differentiated into regions, it is separated into rural and urban settlements, each having its own distinctive cultural characteristics. Yet superimposed upon these differences are the common elements of official language, institutions, and customs which knit it together to form a nation.These facts indicate that it is not a simple matter to acquaint oneself with the culture of a nation. Similarly the culture of one's own nation is complex. It too, differs by region and class.Americans, for instance, who go abroad in various governmental and business capacities, are usually members of the middle class and carry the values and aspirations of this class, some of which are an accent on the practical or utilitarian - work as a means to personal success, and suspicion of personal authority.Accustomed to working in large hierarchical institutions like business corporations, governmental agencies, or scientific foundations which have a life of their own and persist in time, Americans tend to become impersonal. Individuals no matter how able are replaceable parts in these large institutions.A lack of understandingAn objective treatment of your cultural background and that of your new environment is important in understanding culture shock. There is a great difference in knowing what is the cause of your disturbance and not knowing.Once you realize that your trouble is due to your own lack of understanding of other people's cultural background and your own lack of the means of communication rather than the hostility of an alien environment, you also realize that you yourself can gain this understanding and these means of communication. And the sooner you do this, the sooner culture shock will disappear.The question now arises, what can you do to get over culture shock as quickly as possible? The answer is to get to know the people of that host country. But this you cannot do with any success without knowing the language, for language is the principal symbol system of communication.We all know that learning a new language is difficult, particularly to adults. This task alone is quite enough to cause frustration and anxiety, no matter how skillful the language teacher.But once you begin to be able to carry on a friendly conversation with your maid, your neighbor, or to go on shopping trips alone, you not only gain confidence and a feeling of power but a whole new world of cultural meanings open up for you. You begin to find out not only what and how people do things but also what their interests are.These interests people usually express by what they habitually talk about and how they allocate their time and money. Once you know this value or interest pattern it will be quite easy to get people to talk and to be interested in you. When we say people have no interests we usually admit the fact that we have not bothered to find out.At times it is helpful to be a participant observer by joining the activities of the people. This could be a carnival, a religious rite, or some economic activity. Yet the visitor should never forget that he or she is an outsider and will be treated as such. He should view this participation as role playing.Understanding the ways of the people is essential but this does not mean that you have to give up on your own. What happens is that you have developed two patterns of behavior.The source of painFinally a word on what your fellow countrymen can do to help you get over culture shock. Persons suffering from culture shock feel weak in the face of conditions which appear insufferable and it is natural for them to try to lean heavily on their compatriots.This may be irritating to the long-term resident, but he should be patient, sympathetic, and understanding. Although talking does not remove pain, a great deal is gained by having the source explained.Some of the steps toward a cure have been indicated. With patience and understanding, we can be reasonably sure that time, the great healer, will soon set things right.Information Worth Noting Before You PackFashion vs Comfort:Jewelry:Footwear:Laundry:General:If you'll be traveling to a country that has altitude fluctuations or temperature extremes, plan on layering clothes (i.e. turtleneck, flannel shirt, nylon wind breaker, light t-shirt, shirt/blouse, sweater combinations). You can peel off layer-by-layer as the day warms - replacing each layer in the evening. Most countries do not have central air/heat, so you'll feel the temperature changes more.Items the streamlined traveler often does without include pajamas and nightgowns (a t-shirt will do); bathrobe (a raincoat will serve just fine); fancy clothes and expensive jewelry.The ideal raincoat is crushable, dark in color so that it never shows dirt and looks great on you at any given time. Raincoats that can be folded, rolled and stuffed into your suitcase or carry-on are ideal.Bring a hat. A beret or wool hat for cold weather, a crushable hat with a visor or baseball cap for sunny climates.The black rubber galoshes people wear over their shoes are perfect for traveling because they take up little room in your suitcase, will save you from wet, uncomfortable shoes, and are easy to tote around daily in case of a sudden rain storm.Traveling Clothes:Knits are also ideal. A jogging suit is also comfortable on the plane (but carry a change of clothing in your carry-on).Planning Your Air TravelTraveling by air offers you a multitude of choices. With a little research and by asking the right questions when you have the airline on the phone, you should be able to find a reasonable airfare that meets with your travel schedule and study plans.There may be many different prices for the exact same seat on an airplane. Each airfare is identified by a different code letter, i.e.: Q, L, V, B, Y, etc. Each letter code has different prices and different rules attached to it. For example, a Q fare may be a 30 days advanced purchase ticket which requires you fly Monday through Thursday, and stay a Saturday night. The guiding principle of all airfares is that the lower the fare, the more restrictions there will be, including high cancellation penalties.Charter flights may be less expensive than regularly scheduled fares, but they can be risky, too. If you book a charter flight, make sure the company you book with has an escrow account where your money stays until your trip is completed. This will offer you some protection if the charter company goes belly up before you've returned home.Excursion fares toEurope might be an answer for you, but these are loaded with restrictions, one being you must purchase your ticket anywhere from 21 to 30 days prior to departure. You must usually stay a minimum of 7 days, and no more than 60 to 90 days. Plus, a safe bet is that you'll be penalized for changes made before and during your trip.You should telephone at least three, maybe more airlines to shop around for a good fare. The best time to call an airline is usually early morning or late at night.Write everything down - the airline, the name of the clerk, the date and time you called, the flight numbers, times and the cost. Find out if the flight is nonstop, direct, or requires a connection. If you cannot find a nonstop or direct flight, try to make your connecting flights with the same airline.Make sure you allow yourself enough time between flights if you need to change planes. It is not advisable to book a flight with less than 45 minutes for you to disembark and find the new gate. Airport security measures can bog you down when changing planes.Airfares are subject to change without notice, but once you pay for your ticket the airline cannot make you pay more if there is a fare increase. If the price of your ticket in the same letter class goes down you may be eligible for a refund. Changing your flights and rearranging your schedule for a slightly less airfare may be more trouble than you think, considering that change penalties may apply.There are many good reasons to purchase your ticket with a credit card, one being that it will be easier to get a refund if your flight is canceled. American Express offers free flight and baggage insurance when you use the card to charge your airline ticket.Many airlines allow you to get your seat assignment, boarding pass, and meal request ahead of time, some up to 90 days in advance. If you are traveling at holiday time, or at peak vacation times, having your seat assignment and boarding pass early will help save you time in checking in at the airline counter.If you've purchased your ticket through a travel agency, try to pick up your ticket at least two weeks prior to departure. Have the travel agent secure your seat assignment and boarding pass when booking your flight.Travel DocumentsPassports: For most nationalities, a valid passport is required to travel abroad or for European countries outside of the EU.If you don't have a passport, inquire at your main post office or courthouse for requirements on how to obtain one. Allow two months for processing. In an emergency, you may be able to get a passport within days, directly from a Passport Office (call the U.S. Government information operator for a location nearest you), or through a passport service. Visa and passport expediting agencies charge a fee. Ask your travel agent for local services.Make several copies of your passport ID page and other travel documents and leave one copy with a relative at home and bring two copies along with you, keeping them in separate places. Once you arrive at your destination, you may want to pack your passport in a safe place and carry one of the copies along with you.You can register your passport at your country's embassy office upon your arrival in a foreign country if you chose to do so. This greatly expedites the process if your passport is lost or stolen.Visas: Some countries (Taiwan ,Brazil Health Inoculations: You may want to check with your local public health office or physician. Even though they are not required, they may be "recommended," especially if you are planning on traveling to remote areas.Other Documents may be needed if:- You are a minor (under age 18) traveling alone. For example, minors traveling to
Mexico - Your passport has a different (maiden) name.
- You are taking children other than your own.
- You will be visiting countries other than the country in which you're studying; etc. Most countries require "evidence of sufficient funds for your length of stay" and a return or continuing ticket.
Please Note: Some countries require that your passport be valid at least 6 months beyond the date of your visit to that country.It is your responsibility to have the proper documents. Verify that there has been no "document change" when you call the airlines to confirm your flight at least 72 hours before your departure.Lodging - General InformationThere are a variety of lodging options offered by schools around the world. University residences of a rather high standard are the norm inBritain yet seldom available elsewhere. Student residences are available in some cities. Most are converted houses or hotels with a broad range of amenities. Apartments are scarce and generally quite expensive. Most schools also offer the option of tuition only whereby you get the lodging of your choice.Joining In: Most foreign schools provide a brief homestay orientation when you check in at the school and/or are transferred to your homestay. If not, talk to your host directly and ask what's expected of you. Courtesy and common sense should be your guide. Always ask your host when you have a question.Meals: Food and meal times will be different. Some research on your part will help you get better acquainted. If your homestay includes meals, you should expect a range of possibilities from regional specialties to family recipes to sampling local treats. It's important to be flexible, as each host may have meals scheduled around many people. Breakfast may be very early, the main meal may be at midday with a very light dinner or an earlier evening meal (akin to a continental breakfast). Adjust and enjoy. Generally, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are not served with meals.Your Room: You should attempt to keep your room clean and tidy. Make sure you dust off all including tables, dessers. Ask your host for supplies you may need. Wash cloths are seldom used abroad are frequently thin. (If that's an issue, consider bringing your own). Your host may come in and do some basic straightening up, or just weekly to change sheets. Don't leave valuables or money lying around where it can be a temptation to younger children. Items left locked in a suitcase or out-of-sight should not be a concern.Laundry: Laundry service is rarely included. If hosts offer to do it for you, assume there is an additional cost. Sometimes it's easier to use a commercial laundry or laundromat. At commercial laundries, check costs first and ask if they separate clothes or wash everything in the bag together.Keys: Most families will provide you with a front door key. This means you should be able to come and go as you please, within reason. You will be responsible for your key and if you lose it you will be charged for changing the locks and making extra keys. Always lock (avoid slamming) doors when leaving.Telephone Service: Please do not ask to make long distance calls from your host's home. Check with your host to see if you may give their number to your family and friends, but they should only call you in an emergency. In some foreign countries, local calls are "time charged," which means that charges could be incurred even on incoming calls. Ask before making outgoing calls. Be brief and (if applicable) be prepared to reimburse metering charges. In some areas, there is a surcharge on collect calls and a hefty tax on long distance calls, sometimes exceeding 100%!Guests: Please do not bring guests to your foreign home unless first checking with your host, as it infringes on the family's privacy. Never plan on taking guests of the opposite sex to your room.Absences: If you will not be home for a meal, are planning on staying out late, or are going away on a day-trip with an overnight, please let your hosts know. Your family is concerned about your well-being and may worry about you.Friendship: As each family is different, each student undergoes a different homestay experience. Usually friendly, enthusiastic students tend to create a friendly, positive atmosphere. In these cases, families often include students in social activities, family outings, etc.Gifts: A small gift such as chocolate, ice cream, or a dessert to share at dinner always makes a nice gesture towards your family. If you have a good relationship, you might volunteer to wash dishes or cook a special meal. Some past participants suggest bringing a small present from home - hard candy, music cassettes, unusual local spices, lighters, etc. with logos of sports teams, pictures of your home, hometown, etc. (pictures make good conversation openers). Fresh flowers from the local market, or inviting your family to a movie or cafe can also be a welcome "thank you."Generalities are problematic, especially when discussing homes which are all unique. However, to generalize... Homestays in smaller towns, less wealthy countries, and for longer stays tend to foster more personal relationships (tend to feel less commercial). Approaching homestays in a friendly, cooperative spirit significantly improves their outcome (like most things in life!). The more traditional the society, the greater likelihood of having extended family members and children in the household (and within countries traditional values tend to be stronger in towns than cities).Arrival Times: Try to arrive at the host home during daylight - and definitely plan on being there before 9:00 P.M. Either before departure, enroute, or upon arrival at the destination airport, telephone the home to make sure someone will be there when you arrive (not at the store, on an errand, or out for the evening). If you're delayed enroute, contact them (or the emergency number for the school, if applicable) and advise your family of your new estimated time of arrival.Payments: It is best to avoid discussing financing with hosts. For virtually all programs, your housing payment goes to the school and from there to the family. If there are misunderstandings, talk to the housing coordinator at the school.Do not loan money or make investments. Families do not refund missed meals or weekends out of town. Appreciate that food and utilities generally cost more abroad than at home and foreign hosts are paid relatively little. Most participants recognize this and are prepared to accept local norms, conserve on utilities, and eat what the hosts eat. Be prepared to buy a few things on your own (some participants comment on getting different brands of soap, toilet paper, or a higher watt light bulb).Conserving energy is high priority in most countries. Lights don't burn in rooms that aren't being used, air conditioning and central heating are rare (most rooms have individual heaters), and quick showers are the norm (not long, hot baths). Many areas are subject to water shortages. Some sewage systems are antiquated (resulting in toilet paper going in a dispenser, not down the bowl). Electric rates are often indexed (a little increase produces a whopping bill). Observe the different realities and adjust accordingly. Exercising conservation and consideration of these amenities abroad will be appreciated by your foreign host family.Express an interest in the family and culture, and the family will extend themselves as much as possible to make you a member of the household. Making yourself familiar with the foreign customs and adapting yourself to their lifestyle and culture will help bridge the cultural gap between you and your hosts.Occasionally students have complained that they had little contact with their family. Most foreign cultures have a great deal of respect for the liberties of all persons, and some families may be unsure if they are "bothering" students by trying to converse with them.It is not reasonable that your hosts be expected to change their lifestyle or their daily routine during your visit.Financial PlanningWhen preparing a budget for your learning vacation abroad, use your budget at home as a guide - and then prepare for things to cost even more than you expect. Do some research on costs and seek out someone who has knowledge of day-to-day costs in the country you'll be visiting. Remember that at least for the first few weeks you may not know where to find the "best" value and you shouldn't let this stress you out.Start with the trip costs you know, i.e., airfare, tuition, housing, etc. Then make a list of things you know you'll need additional money for. Include estimates for local and regional transportation (bus fare to/from school, plus just getting around), meals outside of the home, books and materials (required or optional) at the school, sightseeing and entertainment, laundry and clothing purchases, souvenirs, phone calls, snacks, tips, newspapers, beverages, airport taxes, medical expenses, and emergency money.Finally, list the costs of items you may need to purchase before you leave. This category is the easiest to budget, because making sensible purchases prior to departure may leave you more money to spend on things you want abroad.Don't buy a new travel wardrobe or new luggage (unless you need it). You're not going on vacation . . . you're going to a foreign country to live and learn with the people, so you'll want to dress appropriately and blend in. Fancy clothes and expensive luggage may target you for crime. Only buy things that will add to your comfort.Your "Emergency" budgetary amount should be substantial and flexible. If all goes well and you don't dip into it, you can either spend it lavishly on yourself, or save it for next time. It should be based on the fact that something can go wrong and you should be prepared for it. This could mean you need it for an emergency night's lodging, a medical bill, something to wear if your luggage gets lost, or anything else that could and might happen.Sitting down with your personal banker and discussing your plans to travel abroad may be smartest thing you do. By planning ahead, both for enjoyment and emergencies, you'll travel with a lighter conscience and have a great trip. Your personal banker should be able to answer almost every financial question you may have, covering a wide spectrum of topics: conversion and exchange rates, traveler's checks, using your ATM card abroad, credit card use, wiring funds, amenities provided by credit cards and various traveler's checks, and much more. They may even be able to set up a plan of action for a financial emergency. If something does happen, a long distance phone call to your banker could set the plan in motion for you and you'll be better off.Find us on every trip to ATTN: Travel on I thought to ATTN: Travel.Is one drink a day really healthier?There’s a real buzz in the air at the moment, don’t you think? I love how the Rugby World Cup has created a party atmosphere all over the country.I was at the opening ceremony and first game, and am really looking forward to getting along to some more of the games. I hope the All Blacks are eating for tip-top condition and performance right now, so they can once again take away that trophy!One way, we all know, to be at our best is to moderate the amount of alcohol we consume. You may have caught the news last week that women who drink ‘one drink a day’ are healthier than women who don’t drink at all. US researchers studied over 121,000 nurses enrolled in the US Nurses' Health Study which started in 1976. They compared the drinking habits of women when middle-aged with their later health status. The research suggests that women who had one standard drink of alcohol a day may be healthier when they are older, than their peers who did not drink at all, who consume more than two drinks a day, or who consume four drinks or more at the one time.The temptation for the media when research like this is done is often to jump on the headline – “drinking is good for you” – and not worry too much about the detail. As consumers, the message we get from this is that a tipple every day is ‘healthy’. Of course the truth is never quite that simple. Experts here point out that there are some issues with the way this study was done, including the fact that it involves self-reporting on the part of the participants (and don’t most of us under-estimate how much we have of things that aren’t so good for us?) and the fact that ‘confounding factors’ may exist that the researchers didn’t look for. Confounding factors are often a problem in research. What it means is that the differences in health may be due to other differences in lifestyle. In other words, women who have one drink a day may also be more likely to do other things in their diet and lifestyle which could account for their better health.All that aside, what does this research tell us? First of all, if you’re a woman and you don’t drink at all, it’s probably not worth starting just to get a health benefit. If you are a woman and you do drink, the take home message is that regular small amounts of alcohol in middle age might be good for you. By small, they do mean small: under 15g of alcohol a day, which is just above one ‘standard’ drink: a 150ml glass of wine (measure this out yourself; you might be surprised at how small it is) or one-and-a-half cans of beer. Any more than that, and you undo any potential benefit.Don’t forget alcohol still packs a hefty kilojoule count, too, so if you drink you need to be aware of the energy it’s adding to your day and compensate elsewhere. Our nutritionists still advise for everyone - men and women – to have at least two alcohol-free days each week, and don’t ‘save up’ and have all your drinks for the week in one night. Binge drinking, even if you don’t drink on any other days, is the least healthy way to drink. - You are a minor (under age 18) traveling alone. For example, minors traveling to
