Discover Your Bliss

Volunteer Vacations

I know I've written about volunteer vacations before, yet I don't want to leave anything out when it comes to "do good" travel. 

If you'd like to do the searching yourself, then visit charityguide.org or globalvolunters.org

Charity Guide is really cool - you get to choose how much time you have to make a difference - 15 minutes, a few hours or a volunteer vacation. 

If you'd like to do something specific, then check out the following places for vacations that make a difference:

• Washington Trails Association - maintain backcountry trails throughout Washington state.
• Earthwatch Institute - volunteers assist scientists in sustainability-related field research.
• Hands Up Holidays - repair orphanages, build houses or plant trees around the world (in between sight-seeing)
• The Tandana Foundation - support indigenous communities through volunteer activities like teaching, providing medical care at health centers and constructing grain storage facilities

How does the idea of volunteering while traveling feel in your body?  How can you take a local volunteer vacation? 

I'd love to hear your comments and insights.

Got luggage insurance?

If you'd like more "insurance" with your luggage then you might want to check out the latest and greatest in luggage tracking tags:

• I-Track- nine tags, one year service $20 
• Imhonest.com - six stickers, one year service $15
• Trace Me - two tags, lifetime service $30

 

Budget Travel did an experiment by "losing" three bags in various places (overhead bin, baggage carousels at an airport and the backseat of a New York taxi. 

All three trackers were able to return the luggage left in the baggage claim area, yet only Imhonest and Trace Me returned the bags from the overhead compartment.  All three failed to get the taxi cab bag back. 

Budget Travel named Trace Me the winner since they were on top of their communication. 

Who knows - luggage tracking might be the missing puzzle piece when it comes to travel. 

What are you willing to lose or give up?  How do you feel when you lose something in contrast to making a choice?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Travel Where Your Dollar Goes the Furthest

As airfare and hotel prices continue to drop, the importance of selecting a destination can be key in finding affordable travel. 

To peruse where your dollar will buy the most, open aoprals.state.gov and click on the Foreign Per Diem Rates link. 

Here you can browse by location the average cost of lodging, meals and incidentals in more than 1,000 locations around the world.  It's a good way to estimate how much it might cost to visit a particular country.

I looked through a few countries that I've visited and found the rates to be a bit on the high side, yet I know that when I travel - I always find the bargain.  Remember, this is the average rate - not the cheapest or most expensive.

Where might you travel this year?  What's your dream trip and what trip can you make into a dream trip?  How does travel support you?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

3 Travel Packing Tips

I've been experimenting with my travel packing for some time now.  My goal - create a system for my travel packing that cuts my time and increases my productivity. 

After years of travel packing, I'm finding more tricks and time-savers that I'd love to share - anything that will support another person in speedy and effective travel packing.

3 Travel Packing Tips:

• create a packing list as you go or save several different travel packing lists on your computer for easy access - I have 2 different versions - one for visiting my parents (which doesn't include a lot of toiletries, etc. that I have at home) and a non-home packing list; you can bullet point each item (or if you want to get fancy change the bullet point to a box so you can check it off as you go) and create blank lines with a heading:  "Outfit #1" and under that have "top," "bottom," "shoes," etc. with lines next to each one so you can write in which top and what jewelry, etc. 
• set out your bag/suitcase and throw in items as you think of them the week leading up to you leaving - this tip may save you from forgetting something
• set up your "day of" outfit, food, etc. no later than the night before - and make sure you decide everything - from socks, underwear, jewelry, etc.  

And a bonus tip - look at the clothes/items you are taking and figure out what you can do without or wear again - the less stuff you take, the better.

How important is preparation for you?  What does "being prepared" do for you mentally, physically and emotionally?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Save Money on Southwest Airlines

I know I've talked about this before - yet I want to mention it again because it's such a money-saving practice - save money with Southwest Airlines.

One of the coolest features that Southwest offers is the "if the ticket goes on sale after you've purchased it, just log and we'll credit you the difference" feature. 

I usually log in and purchase the days and times I need to travel, then check back periodically to see if the rate has dropped, then log in and re-purchase the ticket at the lower price and the difference goes into my Southwest Airlines account to put toward future travel.

On an OKC to DEN flight I recently purchased, I applied my $44 credit from a previous purchase and only had to pay $50 for my ticket to Denver in June.  Pretty cool, huh? 

You can also install the "Ding" feature to your computer for added hidden deals on certain destinations (according to which airports you select). 

Southwest is also having a sale right now so many regular deals are at rock bottom prices.  Sweet.

How does finding a deal support you?  What would it look like if you could save money on all of your purchases?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

Facebook + Craigslist + Travel = GeckoGo.com

One of my secret travel "weapons" is craigslist.  I log onto the travel message board and let everyone know where I'm going, when I'm going and what I want to know. 

I might say - hey I will be in New York's Hell's Kitchen area between August 8-12 - any good and inexpensive Mexican restaurants?  Or where's a good internet cafe?  The people on craigslist have always given me top notch information and I've used it when traveling all over the world.

I've discovered a new travel site that combines aspects of Facebook, craigslist and travel knowledge all in one place - GeckoGo.com. 

What's so nifty about this site is its features.  Want to know if you can ski in Chili in July?  What about hiking in Indonesia? 

The site combines the knowledge of its users from around the world in a Facebook-like format/profile, encourages them to give travel tips from the areas they've traveled and offers you the ability to connect directly with those that are currently "online."

If you set up a profile, be sure to create a few tips or articles for others to enjoy - that's the whole point of the site.  If you don't, your profile will read - have the knowledge but haven't shared it. 

There's also a have a question/give an answer section where you can either post a question or answer someone's question - just another give and take feature.

There's a lot to explore on this site which might support you in your next travel adventure.  Just remember to create an energy exchange.  When you read a little, then share a little. 

How does the honor system support your bliss?  How does it feel to share your knowledge to support others? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.   

Social Networking Insight to Travel

Love social networking like Facebook?  Love to travel?  Why not combine the two for a double-dip of blissfulness. 

The following three takes combine travel via the Internet (aka social networking) and physical travel:

• Matador - love to travel, write and take pictures?  Then this is the place for you.  On this site, you can become an "expert" on an area and advise others.  Best of all, you can get paid for your writing if you pick up an assignment on the site's Bounty Board.  The pay won't buy you a house, yet it can buy you a meal. 
• Geckogo - this site has some interesting features.  Want to know when the best time to ski in Sweden?  Or camp in Brazil?  Geckogo is a goldmine when it comes to matching interests to a supportive environment for those interests.  Maybe you prefer great nightlife - that, too, can be found on this site.  This site also offers visuals with maps to support its users and travelers.
• Tripit - if you want to get organized when you travel, then Tripit is the place to be.  Besides creating an organized schedule of your trip (as a result of forwarded emails from confirmations) , TripIt also provides supplementary information (like weather, maps and restaurant suggestions).  This site is also big on sharing - arranging airport carpools or volunteering to be someone's personal guide while in a location. 

Besides offering travel support, there's also the opportunity to meet others and widen your social circle.  What bliss.

How does the idea of widening your social circle feel?  Overwhelming?  Exciting?  Unsure?  What's the benefit to keeping your social circle small?  What's the benefit of expanding your social circle?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Sleeping with Scientists

Like to travel?  Want to rub elbows with scientists all over the world?  Then you might want to explore where you can sleep with scientists. 

I came across an interesting article in my Budget Travel magazine - click here for details. 

The feature - volunteer your time to work with scientists and in return you will learn and have hands on access that you might otherwise never have the opportunity to experience. 

Each destination has a different program and the focus and price does vary, yet many places will allow you to exchange your volunteer time with a place to stay (or for a small fee).

If you're near Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), then up to six people can stay for free at the remote Churchill Northern Studies Centre - if you volunteer to plant trees and collect data. 

Remember that anything is possible and travel doesn't have to be expensive and out-of-reach.  Plus - helping another person and connecting can be downright blissful. 

How does helping another appeal to you?  What other opportunities do you see when traveling to connect and help others? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and discoveries. 

Insider Information For Flying

Would it be of value to you to know the true value of your airline experience? 

We sometimes base our flight value based solely on price, yet it is important to include all factors that can add up to a positive flying experience. 

For example, there are certain airlines that I will not fly due to their "lost luggage record" (coupled with my own experience of the airline losing my luggage as well).  Other airlines are not of interest to me because my knees rub the seat in front of me (and I'm only 5'4"). 

On the flip side, there are are several airlines that I will fly because of the positive flying experience.  I love Southwest for numerous reasons - price, service, reliability, comfort, customer service, etc. 

When flying outside of the United States, I'm first in line for Singapore Airlines, Delta & SAS.  Comfort is a major factor when I'm going to be on a plane for five or more hours. 

Enter Inside Trip, which compiles statistics on nearly every factor that makes for a good flying experience - from on-time ratings to legroom in the cabins - and gives each flight a score from 1 to 100. 

When you search for a flight on Inside Trip, each flight has its own score - which you can control in your results by checking  or unchecking boxes that let you decide what factors are important to you when you fly. 

I thought it would supportive to share this information in time for the holiday travel season. 

How does being able to choose your priorities when flying support you?  How will you recognize your flying priority preferences? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

I wish everyone a safe holiday travel season. 

Want More Social Travel Info.? Try TripWolf

If you're looking for a more social way to get travel information, then TripWolf might be your golden ticket. 

If you were to combine Facebook and TripAdvisor, then you'd get TripWolf. 

You can create a profile, add friends as well as get great travel information.  You can click and drag reviews to a "scrapbook" and make your own personalized travel guide - then just print and travel.

If you currently don't have the funds to travel, you might use TripWolf to plan and gather information for a dream vacation and start a "travel fund" to pay for the trip.  Even if you saved $10/month, that's ten more dollars twoard your trip you didn't have last month. 

Get adventurous.  It doesn't cost anything to dream.

How can creating a "dream vacation" and travel fund support you?  What does saving for what might feel "impossible" look like and how do you feel as a result? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.