Tropical water, warm breezes, sun and screech! Paradise lay on the other side of a treacherous flight schedule. We’d reserved our tickets months earlier in order to join friends for an engagement party and use frequent flier miles. Procrastination led to taking what we could get and initially we were relieved to finally secure reservations. Once we got underway, the reality of our flight schedule hit hard. First Leg – Leave home after dinner on Friday. Check in two hours before a 9:30pm flight which was luckily on time (late day flights often suffer from schedule squeeze due to series  [ Read More ]

Do you have a dream of traveling for months or living overseas? When we’re just starting out in the world after high school or college, many expect to travel before ‘settling down’. These days dealing with huge tuition debts or struggling to find work, can make that dream feel distant. If you’re at a transition point in your life – newly widowed, divorced, between jobs, empty-nester – there may be no better time to travel. One of the best things I ever did was to take some of my savings after my divorce and venture to Peru with a group  [ Read More ]

It’s time for a Spring Break. The fresh energy of the season makes travel more tempting. Even if a school vacation schedule is long in the past, you may be day dreaming of zipping down mountains of powder or feeling warm sand between your toes on a tropical beach. There are reams of reports extolling how to travel but what are some of the easiest and most natural ways to ensure that you arrive ready to play? Start out well: Leave time for a little pampering. The stress of getting work, family and home settled before scooting out of town  [ Read More ]

The city looms large in my imagination – from the ancient architecture and the swirling designs of Antonio Gaudi to gastronomic delights and the mashup of modern taste and Catalan sensibilities. I’d love to spend late nights with friends over tasty tapas and wake up cleansed with sleep to church bells calling me out into the day. But that marvel of a city remains out of my grasp at the moment. So, I’m sharing my Barcelona wishlist and hope that perhaps next fall, you can join me virtually as I continue writing from there and 3 other major European cities  [ Read More ]

If you’re on the road and your travel buddy gets sick, things can get complicated. Sadly, I’ve often discovered that the little arsenal of herbs and remedies in my carry on were missing a vital supplement that could kick the bug. When I’m at home, strategically taking Wellness Formula capsules or tincture usually sidetracks most infections. Away from home, it’s not as easy to fend off sickness. When out for the day and away from lodging and luggage, it can be hours before there’s a chance to take supplements. Carrying bottles of liquids or pills can be messy and make  [ Read More ]

As a traveler who loves the great outdoors, I’ve often had a chill of concern about being bitten by strange bugs when in new environments or countries. Fortunately most of the natural world is benign. The worst I’ve encountered are my share of irritating mosquito bites and a few enduring colds. A traveler’s health is one of the top priorities wherever you may wander. I’ve taken precautions to avoid Malaria, Hepetitus and Polio if venturing into areas where those diseases are prevalent. (check the CDC site for Infectious Diseases and take action). Below is an article about a more insidious  [ Read More ]

On the remote island of Koh Tao, I sat perched over the warm blue bay listening to Didgeridoos echoing from our neighbors’ bamboo hut. Warm water lapped at the boulders we were perched on. Small fishing boats dotted the bay as the sun slunk low. In the moist heat it felt like I was floating in an expansive womb, cuddled by sound and sensation. I’d traveled to Thailand with my fiancee for a three week trek. We were thrown into the congestion and crowds of Bangkok after an series of flights from Portland, Oregon, a few days earlier. As he  [ Read More ]

I was running late, driving swiftly down the interstate to my office. Suddenly the car ahead of me swerved to avoid a large piece of metal in the lane. I wasn’t so lucky. Two bumps later all seemed well. Two exits later it wasn’t. My right front tire was wobbling and I pulled over to a narrow median as the rim hit the pavement. I crawled over and out to confirm the worse – the tire was flat. Crawling back into the drivers seat and facing into the afternoon sun, the temperature in the car rose. If I opened the  [ Read More ]

Elizabeth Hansen discovered that the Third World and the Four Seasons Hotels are not mutually exclusive. The writer, photographer and consultant helps luxury travelers plan custom itineraries that are off the beaten path without sacrificing comfort and convenience. I spoke with Elizabeth about becoming a professional scribe, ‘glamping’ in Zambia, exploring an exclusive New Zealand farm and more. This is a transcript of the interview first aired on The Gathering Road podcast on the Womens Radio Network. You can also listen here: How did you become a traveler? My first job out of college was teaching school and I had  [ Read More ]

When you venture out of your time zone, the one thing every traveler encounters is a disruption in sleep patterns. Only an hour difference may make it a touch harder to get to sleep or to wake up. Leaping across time zones and shaking up your structured day can lead to sleep deprivation. It can straddle your brain and reduce your ability to deal with stress, especially if you upend your routine with a time zone change of several hours, or flip day for night. The effects of jet lag have been dogging travelers forever but new studies show that  [ Read More ]