It may have been a long time since you’ve traveled with a newborn, or perhaps you never have at all.  I hope these tips from today’s guest blogger will give you the tools to need to take on this travel opportunity.

1. Bring your own formula and diapers.

You shouldn’t rely on being able to buy what you need when you get there, particularly if traveling outside of the U.S. By now you probably have your own preferred diaper, and your baby has become accustomed to the formula you have at home. Traveling is stressful enough without a hungry baby and blowout diapers. Also, do the math to calculate how much you’ll need (formula and diapers) and add 20% to it. Strangers and unfamiliar places make babies uncomfortable, and when they’re uncomfortable, the metabolism can speed up.

2. Pack and carry on a diaper bag with an extra day’s supply of everything you’ll need or might need to keep your baby happy.

At a minimum, this should include:

• Diapers and wipes (of course).
• Extra outfits and pajamas. You never know when you’ll need those.
• Pacifiers in easy-to-reach pockets. On a crowded plane or taxicab, you’ll want these within reach.
• Pre-mixed liquid formula, or pre-measured formula and a bottle of water. These you might have to skip if you’re flying from a U.S. airport.
• Bottles, nipples, and bottle caps.
• Ziplocs or plastic bags for stashing dirty diapers.
• Burp cloths and a small receiving blanket.
• Diaper rash cream, baby Tylenol, Orajel, and saline drops.

3. Pacifiers with pacifier clips.

You’ll pack extra pacifiers, of course, but nothing saves a trip as much as a good pacifier clip. This keeps the pacifier from falling onto counters, floors, and other potentially unsanitary surfaces out there in the world. I put one pacifier in every suitcase and carry-on, one in my wife’s purse, and one in my own pocket. By the end of the trip, I’ve usually needed every one of them!

4. Bring something portable your baby can sleep in.

A Pack-N-Play is the safest option, but also one of the bulkiest. Small, portable swings might also be an option. One of the best choices, however, is a stroller. Airlines and other transportation providers are usually friendly towards stowing these, though you might have to check them. A stroller is multi-functional in that it lets you push your baby around, offers some protection from sunlight and strangers, and can be a soft, comfy place to sleep.

5. Remember car seat safety.

Lots of hotels and travel companies offer you a free shuttle to or from the airport. However, a car seat might not be available there, and it certainly won’t be if you don’t request it with plenty of advance notice. Call the company at least a week ahead of time to find out.  Worst case scenario, you’ll need to pack your own so that you can travel, legally and safely, in any vehicle.

6. Leave small, easy-to-lose items at home.

On the top of my list are socks and shoes for babies who can’t crawl or walk. These are most likely to be kicked off at the most inconvenient time possible. You’re better off dressing him in a one-piece, button-up onesie with footies to keep his feet warm. Small toys and  favorite stuffed animals, if you must bring them, should stay in the suitcase as long as possible. Bring extras of small things that often get left behind, like bottle caps and nipples.

7. It’s a germ-filled world out there.

Your baby will be in small, enclosed spaces with lots of strangers, not all of whom are as germ-conscious as new parents. There are also counter tops, hand rails, door handles, and other places where many, many hands have been. You touch one, then you touch your baby, and it’s like a hundred people touching your baby. Speaking of which, beware of the effect that cute babies have on ordinary people. Complete strangers will come up and want to touch your baby’s face or toes. Some people just don’t realize it. Try to prevent this when you can (I like to tell people that my baby is “just getting over a cold”) and have hand sanitizer within easy reach. Nothing will ruin your trip as quickly or completely as a sick baby!

8. Plan for safety and comfort for your baby.

You’ll be in a different environment, away from your nicely child-proofed home. Traveling with babies is stressful. You can mitigate that by planning things in advance: who’s going to carry the baby? What happens if one parent gets separated? Will there be cold or hot weather that we should plan for? Think about these things in advance, and be ready. Talk to your traveling companions (family or friends) ahead of time, too, and ask them for help.

If this is your first trip with your baby, it might be rough. Even so, the first time you take your baby into the wider world will be a priceless memory. Make sure you bring the camera!

About the Author:  Dan Koboldt is a father of three and the author of Get Your Baby to Sleep, a blog about establishing good sleep habits, soothing techniques, and teaching babies to sleep through the night.

Photo credit:  SXC

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This is one of the travel tips that’s worth repeating with some regularity.  Especially, perhaps, during the holiday season when so many people are traveling away from home.  And there are folks among us, more unscrupulous than most of us, who are watching closely to see just which ones of us are away and leaving our homes vacant.  Because a vacant home can be easy pickings for a criminal mind.

A vacant home can be a magnet for burglars. Whether it’s to ransack your home and steal your stuff or to find information to steal your identity, you need to take steps to protect yourself while you’re traveling.

One easy way to do that is to have the postal service hold your mail while you’re traveling.  If it’s just a day or two, this probably isn’t a big deal, but if you’ll be away from home longer than that you don’t want mail stacking up and waving a flag telling people you’re not around.  This is critical if your mail is delivered to your home and either left in an unsecure mail box or slipped through a mails lot on your door, but it’s still important if your mail is delivered to a locked mailbox.

Your mail can usually be held for as few as three days and for as long as 30.  A form is available through your local post office, or use the online hold service.  The online service is not available in all locations, but it works works where I live and I use it all the time.

How about you?  Do you stop your mail?

Photo credit:  SXC

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If your idea of the perfect vacation includes fresh powder, crisp mountain air, and long days on the slopes, it’s time to book your holiday ski vacation. Skiing holidays are the perfect option for any group, large or small: Families, work and corporate retreats, and singles groups can bond on and off the slopes and trails, while accommodating all skill levels. Couples will find everything they are looking for when they book an invigorating, romantic ski vacation, too; put in a long day on the slopes or trails, and then enjoy spa treatments, romantic dinners, and a nightcap next to a roaring fire in the afternoon and evenings.

To help you plan and prepare your skiing holiday we have prepared a list of tips to make the process go more smoothly – all you will have left to do is wax your skis.

Packing: Be Prepared

If you are going to spend long days outside, engaging in active sports – downhill or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing – packing the right undergarments and outerwear is essential. If your ski holiday spans more than a few days, pack 2-3 sets of long underwear so that you always have a set of dry ones to wear under your clothes. For extended outdoor activity polypropelyne or merino wool are the most comfortable options; silk long johns are great for an added layer of warmth inside, but they don’t dry as quickly and are less suitable for outdoor activities. Make sure you bring hats, scarves, balaclavas, and warm socks for layering. Last but not least, don’t forget the sunscreen; sun reflecting off of snow can cause severe, painful sunburns.

If you are flying, choose a carry-on piece that will double as a large bag for day excursions once you reach your destination; a backpack or a large shoulder bag that will carry purchases, outerwear (hats, gloves, scarves), as well as wallets and keys.

Ski Passes and Equipment Rental

Package deals often include your ski passes and equipment rentals, but double check before booking. Arranging these details ahead of time can save you money.

Off-Slope Activities

No matter where you book your skiing holiday excursion, there will most likely be off-slope activities for tourists: Shopping, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling excursions, even ice-climbing. Look into what is available for members of your group who may be looking for a break from skiing. Do you need après-ski nightlife options like restaurants and clubs, or more family-friendly options like boutique shopping and museums? Asking the other members of your group or party what off-slope activities interest them can help you choose a destination for your skiing holiday.

Transportation

Booking your flight is just one part of your transportation considerations. How will you get from the airport to your resort or chalet? Do they offer shuttle service from the airport, or do you need to rent a car? Once you have arrived at your resort, how will you get around to other areas of interest? Some ski areas are pedestrian-friendly, and even cross-country ski-friendly, giving you the freedom to walk or ski short distances to other attractions.

Photo credits: SXC (1), (2)

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For many people, cruise holidays represent the best of travel – it’s as much about the journey (your time at sea) as it is the destination (your ports of call).  Deciding to take a cruise is just the first of many decisions you’ll need to make, and like all travel decisions, this is where research, personal preferences, and budget come into play.

One of the decisions you’ll need to make for your cruise is deciding on the category of cabin you want.  If money is no object just opt for the best available.  But most of us are on a budget, even if it’s a generous one, so think about how you want to spend your time on the journey and then try to match up your preferences and budget with the best cabin category choice.

Cruise lines give a variety of names to the cabin categories, some are specialty names while others merely letters, but basically the types fall into one of these general cruise cabin categories:

• Deluxe Suites – Often called presidential or owner’s suites, these are top of the line all the way, and have the premium locations on the ship. They’re large and spacious, have private balconies, private butlers/room stewards, and often a private club room and dining room.  You’ll get preferential treatment for shore excursions, spa appointments, well let’s face it – for pretty much anything you want!  This is luxury like you’ve rarely seen it, and I hope one day that I do get to see it!
• Suites –  Although disappointingly named, these still offer many of the amenities of the deluxe suites and often have a private bar and dining room.  Plenty of preferential treatment to go around at this cabin category as well.
• Junior Suites – Not all ships offer this category of cabin, many offer a lower category of suites and call in something else, but a junior suite can be a perfect choice for cruising families as they often have an adjoining cabin.  It will give you a little more room for everyone to spread out, yet never be too far away, and it allows parents privacy while still having the ability to keep an eye on everyone.  It’s also a nice choice if you just want a little extra room, but not all the luxury of the higher graded suites.
• Outside cabins with a balcony – A nicely sized cabin with a walk out balcony, this is probably my personal preference as it usually fits within my budget.  Not all balconies are created equal, though; some have room to sit and relax while others offer standing room only.  Check to see if the balcony offers a clear railing – otherwise you won’t be able to see the world go by while seated.
• Deluxe outside cabins – Just like with a balcony, only without one.  Instead, there’s usually a large window to bring light into the cabin and for you to peek out at the world.
• Outside cabin with obstructed view – It’s an outside cabin all right, but you’ll likely only realized by looking up at the sky.  The obstruction is usually a lifeboat or some other emergency gear, and you probably won’t be able to see around it.  I’ve never understood the attraction of these cabins, but usually they attractive a cruiser for whom price is the bottom line.  These cabins may have a porthole rather than a window.
• Outside cabin with partial obstruction – You know that fully obstructed view I mentioned?  Well, chances are that lifeboat is going to extend a bit into the view space of the cabin right next door, too.  You’ll get half a window free and clear, or maybe there’s a post right down the middle.  It’s not without a few drawbacks, but if you can put up with it, there’s good value to be had.  These cabins may also have a porthole rather than a full window as well.
• Inside cabin – Walls surround you.  There’s nothing glamorous or glorious about these cabins, but if you believe that you won’t be in your cabin long enough to care, then go ahead.  I’ve been in an inside cabin once, when I was on a standby for best of ship and it sold out.  I didn’t get a better cabin.  But I was on the ship headed toward a destination that interested me and that was all that mattered at that point.  I’m willing to pay more for a better cabin, BUT – if this is all your budget can stretch for, find a way to make it work by spending time on the rest of the ship and minimal time in your cabin.

Pricing, of course, depends on the type of cabin and its location on your cruise ship.  I’ve been in all of the cabins, except for those beautiful suites that I lust over, and while I have my personal preferences, I wouldn’t stay home just because my first cabin choice wasn’t available.

If a cruise vacation is something that you’ve been wanting to try, check out the deck plans and your ship and start planning your getaway at sea.  Then sit back and relax and enjoy the journey AND the destination.

Photo credit:  SXC

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Museum admission can be expensive.  Sure, you can try to time it so you go on that one free day of the month or evening of the week.  But if that’s your work day, or the timing doesn’t otherwise match up, you’re left with missing out on some great exhibits or digging deep into your food budget to pay the entrance fee.  And if you’re traveling, adding these costs onto your cost for airfare and a hotel room, and some tough choices are going to have to be made.  Science, culture, history and art don’t come cheap – and while it is often worth every single penny, in tight economic times, these discretionary museum admissions may be some of the first to be reduced or eliminated.

So file this tip away in the saving money department – it’s a good one for locals or for travelers – and it gives you admission to some of the finest museums in the country.

Pick up Smart Destinations new Museum Pass for saving on admissions fees at popular museums in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and San Diego.  The Museum Pass comes in adult and child themed passes offering a substantial discount over regular admission prices.  The Museum Pass is valid for 60 days from date of first use.

Take a look.

New York City Museums

• For adults:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art.  $49.50 (27% savings).
• For families:  Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, American Museum of Natural History and Madame Tussauds.  $65 adults, $49 kids (18% savings).

Boston Museums

• For adults:  Museum of Fine Arts, Institute of Contemporary Art and John F. Kennedy Museum & Library.  $39 adults, $7.50 kids (20% savings).
• For families:  Museum of Science, Boston Children’s Museum and Harvard Museum of Natural History.  $34 adults, $29 kids (19% savings).

Chicago Museums

• For adults:  Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum.  $70 adults, $41 kids (24% savings).
• For families:  Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium.  $65 adults, $45 kids (20% savings).

San Diego Museums

• For adults:  Fleet Science Center, Air and Space Museum and Museum of Natural History.  $40 adults, $22 kids (20% savings).
• For families:  San Diego Zoo, Fleet Science Center and Museum of Natural History.  $59 adults, $43 kids (19% savings).

Photo credit:  Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi. View of 53rd Street The Ronald S. and Jo Carole Lauder Building. Photo © 2011 Timothy Hursley

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Travel and fashion can often be a difficult combination, especially when that travel is a 24 hour journey to one of the most fashionable countries in the world.  At home it’s easy to throw on a pair of shorts and flip flops for bumming around during the day, and when you need to class it up a bit, you’ve got your whole closet right there waiting for you.  But packing smart for an extended vacation means packing light, so it’s easy to let fashion fall by the wayside.  While certain concessions need to be made for practicality’s sake, with a little bit of effort can help you blend in and look like a local and not a tourist.

Here are a few of the fashion trends that I noticed in Italy this year, and which can easily be incorporated into a travel wardrobe, and will help you blend in with the locals rather than stand out.

1. Jeans are always in fashion.  Especially if you’re young and willowy.  If that’s you’re body type you can get away with skinny jeans, but if not just make sure they’re not covered with stains, patches, or worn hanging down around your knees.  I think jeans take up too much room to pack, and are much too uncomfortable to wear in near 100 degree weather, but if you’re going to pack them, make sure they’re neat and tidy.
2. Ditch the trashy t-shirts.  Logo wear is all over the place, although those logos tend toward Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie and Fitch rather than your neighborhood bar or college fraternity.  You’ll see t-shirts worn beneath suit jackets, with sweaters tied around the neck preppy-style, and under other types of shirt.  Pack classy not tacky and you’ll fit right in.  My recommendation is a few practical colors that can be worn with everything.  These can be rolled up when you pack and shouldn’t take up much room.
3. Shorts are for daytime.  Shorts were worn all over the place, although your experience will likely be different if you’re in Rome or Milan.  They were typically a longer length, usually to the knee, for both men and women.  A looser fit (although not baggy) was worn by the more youthful, while those of a more “mature” age wore a more tailored fit.  Shorts were seen paired with t-shirts, loose fitting shirts (not tucked in), and floaty tops.  White was probably the most popular color, although that’s a difficult color for travel, and I saw lots of various colors of plaid as well.  My suggestion would be to pack at least one pair of shorts in a solid dark color, and if there’s room throw in a second pair of that same color or brighten things up with a fun plaid.  Remember, though, shorts are for day time.
4. Capris are for men and women.  Shorts were rarely worn by locals in the evening and as the sun was setting out came the capris.  This has been a European trend for a number of years now, but since capris for men still hasn’t migrated its way to the U.S., I doubt many will be packing them.  White was again the most popular color, but if you choose to pack them, I’d again recommend a dark color that would coordinate with the rest your clothes.
5. Sundresses for day and evening.  Whether it was walking around town, shopping, or grabbing dinner and drinks, sundresses were a popular fashion choice for women of all ages.  Hem length seemed to depend on age, but was always age appropriate among the Italians.  Think cottons, simple lines, and a variety of prints.  These are lightweight and comfortable, easy to pack, and if you shop carefully can be picked up inexpensively.
6. Shoes are important.  Athletic shoes were worn by runners and people playing tennis. Or Americans. This is a tough issue for travelers, and since shoes take up a lot of room in your luggage you need to pare it down to what’s practical.  If you’ll be doing a lot of hiking, cycling, or even just walking, you’re going to need to pack something that is kind on your feet.  My recommendation is to wear one pair, pack another, and toss in a pair of flip flops (which should be worn for the pool or beach only, and not for walking around town) or simple flat sandals (which are cute, but provide no support if you’re going to be doing a lot of walking).  Unless you’re logging miles of running, leave the athletic shoes at home.
7. Accessories make the outfit.  Scarves and jewelry were seen both day and night, with evening wear becoming a bit more flashy.  This is good news for travelers as accessories take up minimal room in your luggage and can turn a basic wardrobe into something chic.  I packed a lot of black and white, mixing it up with scarves and jewelry so that I never felt that I was always wearing the same thing.  You can also find some great buys on accessories while traveling, so consider buying some along the way as a practical souvenir.
8. Hats are practical and cute.  Baseball hats, a traditional staple of American headwear, were seen everywhere in Italy, and on Europeans as well as visitors.  It was labels, logos, and branding run amok!  Women tended toward sun hats and newsboy.  Hats can help protect your hair and skin from sun damage or hide a frizzy mess.  Pack something simple or plan to pick one up when you arrive.
9. Minimal make up.  Most women wore little makeup yet still managed to look pulled together with a healthy, outdoorsy look.  No bright eyes and cheeks, just a sun-kissed glow.  You won’t have to take up much room packing cosmetics, just toss in a tube of mascara and some lipstick or lip gloss.
10. Bags are practical.  Cross-body bags of all sizes were carried by both men and women, and were as practical as they were fashionable.  I saw all sizes, from those itty bitty bags that can barely hold a cell phone, credit card, and lipstick to overnight sized leather totes.  My suggestion is to pick up a bag when you’re there.  Italy has beautiful leather and you can find something at all budget prices.  I picked up a overnight bag in red leather and an every day bag (that can be worn on the shoulder or cross-body) that’s a good size to hold most everything I need on a daily basis.  They are items I’ll use for years and a great reminder of my travels.

Do you dress to blend in?  Do you have some fashion tips on how to dress like a local rather than stand out in the crowd?  Looking at the photo at the top of this article, can you pick out the Americans based on the way they’re dressed?

Photo credit:  personal collection

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Sometimes what challenges you is not what happens on the road, but actually leaving home to get on that road.  With the fates seemingly conspiring against you, it may seem like you have to clear roadblock after roadblock to leave home.  From getting vacation time from your work to deciding where to go, from managing your travel budget to making the reservations, from arranging coverage for details at home to packing, it takes a lot of effort to actual get out on that road to enjoy your travels.

But what about when something happens that messes up that departure?

This can often be the most difficult decision to make.  Abandoning plans and staying at home is often the easy choice to make.  And sometimes it’s the right choice to make.  Often, however, there are ways to modify your travel plans and salvage at least of a bit of travel happiness.  Take a look at your travel plans and see if there is a realistic way to modify them to accommodate the change you need.  Can you depart a few days later or return a few earlier?  Or is the situation one where you must totally cancel?  The decision to cancel or modify is the starting point for what needs to be done.

You may find that you can rearrange a few things and still make the travel happen, albeit it in modified form.  Get on the phone with your airline, or get in touch with your travel agent, and see what options are available to you and at what price.  You’ll likely be able to make some changes by paying a cancellation and re-booking fee, but watch the price tag on your choices as those fees can add up fast.  Airlines are loathe to waive fees, but it can’t hurt to ask.

I found myself faced with that situation last week when a death in the family occurred a little more than 12 hours prior to our scheduled departure to Portugal.  Leaving town wasn’t an option, but there was no way that enough details would be known to make a full decision about whether to modify or cancel.  There was simply not enough known to make an informed decision, but the clock was ticking down and a decision had to be made.  Rather than try to sort this out on the phone, I went to the airport.  I wanted to stand directly in front of someone, look them in the eye, tell them what had just happened, and ask them to help me salvage at least a little bit of the three week travel plans.

The trip to the airport was a good new/bad news type of thing.  The agent was fabulous, quite willing to help me figure out some options, but the flights to Europe this time of year are pretty booked up.  Unless I rescheduled the outbound flight before its departure, the whole trip was out the window as the return flight (and all those around the same date) were completely sold out. I couldn’t keep my return if I canceled by departure, so I had to make a re-booking decision on a departure flight — and I had to make it fast.  But I had no idea how the family situation was going to play out.  I was stressed and under pressure.  But I had to make a decision.  Eventually, I opted to book a flight for the following week.  I didn’t know if I’d be able to make the flight, and as I write this I still don’t know, but there was an open flight leaving the following week and it could be re-booked for a little over $100.  I thought briefly and decided that it was a gamble worth taking.  The worst case scenario is that I still had to cancel and then I’d have to deal with the expensive part of salvaging the tickets, but a little bit of money know could buy me the time to figure out what to do.  I grabbed it.  And we’ll see what happens.

If you must cancel flight reservations the more time you have to reschedule, the better.  If you were traveling as part of a group, whether organized or merely a group of pals, make sure let you everyone know all the little details of the trip.  Don’t wait till your pals are on the road to realize that you had the name and address of the hotel or the information about the deposit.  It’s unfortunate if this has to happen, but if it does, cancel the flight, let everyone know, and walk away.  When your situation passes you can figure out how to re-book and salvage the cost of your tickets.  Often times a non-refundable ticket will be valid for one year from the date of scheduled travel.  The cancellation and re-booking penalties are substantial, but ask about a possible waiver, then do the accounting to see what makes sense.

If you’ve purchased travel insurance that may help cover some of the financial lost or additional cost.  If will depend on the facts of your situation and the type of coverage that you have.  Contact your company as soon as possible to see what assistance they can offer.

It’s never fun to have to pull the plug on travel plans, especially if you’ve been dreaming about them for some time, but if you travel frequently, you know that stuff can happen.  You can’t avoid the stuff, but knowing your options, acting quickly, and considering the big financial picture will help you make the right choices when you’re faced with those issues.

Previously:

• Cancelled Flights, Delays, Missed Connections, and the TSA
• Travel Interruptions:  Illness and Injuries on the Road

Photo credit:  personal collection of Mary Jo Manzanares

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When travel plans don’t happen exactly like you’d like them to, you’re going to need to call on some patience and creativity to still enjoy your vacation.  Don’t throw up your hands and give up!  Dig into those reserves that you have and find a way to put the joy back into your travel.  Yesterday we talked about problems at the airport: cancelled flights, delays, missed connections, and problems with the TSA.  Today we tackle those pesky problems that can happen when we’re out on the road.

If there is anything that the last couple of years have taught me, it’s that stuff happens.  And stuff usually happens at the most inconvenient time.  Like when you’re getting ready to go on a trip.  Or, perhaps when you’re on your trip.  After many decades of blissful health, the last several have found me plagued with injuries.  I’ve broken a foot, torn a rotator cuff, had numerous sprains and strains, and recently broke my arm.  Can injuries change your travel plans?  You bet they can!  But once you’ve dealt with the immediate first aid part of the injury, there are still plenty of ways to salvage those travel plans and have a terrific, although perhaps a different kind of trip.

Pre-trip injuries are usually the easiest to deal with.  You head off to the doctor, or self-treat if it’s minor, and then make adjustments.  As long as you won’t injure yourself further while traveling, why let an injury do anything more than slow you down a bit.  I’m dealing with a broken wing right now, but since I’m not on bed rest, I’ve chosen to restructure my vacation plans to do the things that I can do.  I can do my therapy exercises on the road just as easily as I can do them at home, I don’t need to see the doctor for a few weeks, I’ll find ways around not being able to carry much, and I’ll change up activities so I don’t do the things that will tire my arm.

Is it the same trip that I’d have without an injury?  No.  But I choose to make the adjustments because traveling makes me happy.

When you’re injured or fall ill while your traveling it can be a bit more complicated, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to give up on your travels.  You’ll first need to assess your health situation  Is staying in bed for a day or two going to solve the problem?  Will getting some medication do the trick?   If it’s a minor thing, taking it easy for a few days will likely get you on the mend.  This may mean opting for a day on the beach rather than the hike you wanted to do, or resting up around your room rather than zipping around from museum to cafe to nightclub.  Or, you could ignore being sick and carry on.  I once did this, going on a whale watching trip while suffering miserably from the flu.  Stupid!  I was miserable, the people around me were miserable, and I exposed them to my illness.  I say again, stupid!  Take it easy for a few days and enjoy what you can do rather than complain about what you can’t.

Occasionally “stuff” happens while traveling that will call for a trip to a nearby doctor, clinic, or emergency room.  If this happens it’s going to seriously mess with your plans for the day.  And maybe longer.  Dealing with these type of issues is tough enough at home, and while traveling it can present some real challenges for you to deal with.  You will need to find somewhere to get medical assistance, there may be language barriers, and no one is ever at their best in these situations.  And let’s face it, it’s not the fun that travel is supposed to be.  So what should you do?

Once you’ve realized that medical help is needed, get information about where the closest location might be.  Ask people around you, locals, someone at your hotel, a nearby store, etc.  Enlist the aid of fellow travelers to help get the information you need to solve the problem.  A trip to the emergency room may test your mettle when you don’t speak the language, but patience and gestures, combined with limited language skills and a phrase book, helped me get treatment for a bleeding friend while in Italy.  After clean up, shots, stitches and drugs, we were back at the farmhouse resting up.  We modified our activities to accommodate the friend’s head injury, but didn’t cut our travels short.

When the injured or ill person is yourself it can be a different story as you may need to deal with the situation all on your own.  Sometimes you can grab a cab and head off to the nearest emergency room.  But I’ve also had the problem of not being able to get information in a city that should have been easy to find it.  I put my plight on Twitter and asked my Twitter followers to assist me in getting medical help.  Within minutes I had an answer and could put together a plan.  Being sick or injured can really put a damper on your spirits, but my recommendation (and I’ve had to take it all to often lately) is to deal with the emergency, put on a happy face, and make the best of your remaining travel time – you have everything to gain by being a real trooper and enjoying what you can.

Previously:  Cancelled flights, delays, missed connections, and problems with the TSA

Coming up:  When problems mean you need to cancel or modify your travel plans

Photo credit: SXC

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It’s easy to be happy and enthusiastic about traveling when things are going well — flights leaving on time, connections made, nice weather, making wonderful new friends, and seeing the world.  It’s easy to think the world is full of sunny skies and unicorns when things are just about perfect.  But what about when things go wrong?  Not the big kind of wrong that will completely ruin a vacation, but the kind of wrong that is going to knock you off your game, make you think about what you’re going to do, and challenge you to find ways to be happy with your travels.

Since I’ve had to face this issue several times in the last year or two, I want to share with you some things I’ve learned about how to handle the stress of traveling in a way that still allows me to enjoy it.

As frustrating, annoying, and maddening as air travel can be, it is often the only way for you to get where you want to go on the schedule that you need to be on.  It the new procedures, fees, and hassle have you opting out of air travel, great, but for many of us it’s an ordeal we need to learn to deal with.  While it may not be easy, there are things you can do so that it doesn’t ruin your entire travel experience.

You can do your part to get to the airport early, pay to check your bags, and maybe even pay extra for a premium seat and early boarding.  But once the airport process begins what follows is largely out of your hands.  Taking out frustrations on any airport personnel is not going to get you a positive result.  Problems need to be handled politely, but firmly, with your rant kept inside of your head.  Yelling at the ticket agent is not going to make your flight un-cancelled.  Yelling at the TSA officials is not going to get that large bottle of perfume through the security check point.  Yelling at the gate agent is not going to make your delayed flight take off any earlier.  And don’t even think about pushing and shoving your fellow passengers – you are not more important than they are – and you don’t need to have the police called to straighten out the problem.

So what can you do?  What are you options?

Stay calm.  Typing that advice is so easy, yet it’s so much harder to follow when you’re in the thick of things.  But it really is the only good choice.

Let go of the petty annoyances, and consider it an unfortunate part of what air travel has become; it’s part of the price you pay.  Real complaints and grievances need to be addressed, but most often the person who can solve the problem is not the person in front of you.  I’ve had issues with a TSA representative that have been resolved by politely asking for a supervisor and others that have required me to write a letter a few days later.  I have filed a complaint against an air marshal, a police officer, and a TSA officer by getting information at the time of the event, and writing a letter of complaint with all pertinent details and no emotional drama.  It works.

If your flight is cancelled or delayed, whip out the phone and start looking at what your options might be.  Is there another flight that you could get on?  Are you going to miss a connection?  Start figuring out a variety of options that could work.  When this happens to me, I usually have dozens of ideas about how I can get where I need to be.  Some of the options are more desirable than others, but just the act of researching and planning makes me feel more empowered and less like a victim.  The agents will try to help, but helping yourself and then getting them to go along with it may be more likely to get the result that you want.  And if after all that research you don’t need to make a change?  Oh well – I think proactive is always better than reactive.

What doesn’t work is escalating a situation at the beginning of your travels.  You want to go enjoy your travels not get stuck arguing at an airport.  Ask yourself if, at that very moment, you’d rather be right or happy.  I choose happy!

Coming next:  Illness and Injury on the Road

Photo credit:  from the collection of Mary Jo Manzanares

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Hawaiian sunset as seen in Kona

May is National Smile month, and it made me think about the things that make me happy, that warm the cockles of my heart, that make me smile.  It was no surprise to discover that most of them are related in some way to travel.

Here are 50 things that make me smile:

1. A fully packed (and organized) bag
2. Watching an airplane take off  and and wondering where it’s going
3. The Coliseum in Rome (the first time I saw it I had to wipe away the tears)
4. A well-used passport
5. Maps, the paper kind that you can pour over and plot out where you want to go
6. UNESCO World Heritage Sites (although a few make me cry)
7. Guidebooks, I have some favorites, but I like reading them all
8. Fresh lemons picked off the tree in Sicily and used to make lemonade
9. First class, although it rarely happens
10. Business class and lie flat seats
11. GPS
12. Free wi-fi access
13. Crisp and refreshing Prosecco
14. Champagne, the real stuff
15. The Golden Gate Bridge
16. Travel apps
17. A spa treatment
18. Opening a bottle of Brunello sent home from a visit to Montepulciano
19. Airline fare wars
20. The New York skyline
21. A boarding pass
22. The Washington Monument
23. Travel bloggers, especially the Travel Blog Mob
24. Warm ocean breezes, sunsets and sunrises in Hawaii
25. Museums
26. Having espresso with Silvano and Marguerite in the small town of Contignano (population under 200)
27. Gelato, the real stuff
28. Burratta mozzarella, a recently discovered tasty delight
29. Taking off from Seattle and flying close by Mt. Rainier
30. Flying over the Grand Canyon
31. The Arc d’ Triomphe, and the crazy drivers on the round-about
32. Finding a stash of left over foreign currency
33. Mastering the metro system, no matter the city
34. A picnic with fresh goodies from a local market
35. Owning an electricity converter
36. Wine tasting
37. Traveling to a new destination (this year it will be Portugal)
38. Ruins
39. Discovering small, family owned restaurant and cafes
40. Clearing the standby list
41. Lemoncello
42. Seeing friends and making new ones
43. Mountains
44. Beaches
45. Uploading travel photos to flickr
46. Good coffee
47. Travel blogging
48. Connecting with old friends
49. Making new friends
50. Coming home, because it means that it’s time to start planning the next great adventure

Do you relate to any of these?  What makes you smile?  Put a smile on my face, or keep it there, by sharing it in the comments.

This blog post is part of the Travel Blog Mob’s tribute to National Smile month.  The Travel Blog Mob is a group of independent travel bloggers who share a love of travel and a respect for the craft of travel blogging.  Here’s what the other “mobsters” are smiling about:

• Jen at The Vacation Gals
• Jessie at Wandering Educators
• Wil at Spot Cool Stuff
• Beth at Wanderlust & Lipstick
• Amie at Ciao Bambino
• Katie at BootsnAll

Photo credit:  personal collection of Mary Jo Manzanares

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