The Sweet Life.

The perfect example came up today and I felt it necessary to share with traveling patrons everywhere.

This morning I dropped Brad off at Will Rogers International in the city. He got to Denver without a hitch, but he called me from Denver to tell me that there were problems with his plane and that he might not make it to San Francisco from Denver to make his flight to Boise later on this evening. (phew!)

He’s still in the works of figuring it out, but this is a perfect example in the need for flexibility. Everyone loves to reach their destinations, but it takes very patient people to be able to travel with problems and not get bent out of shape.

Here’s some tips just in case you know yourself well enough to know that getting bent out of shape IS a possibility if things don’t go exactly how you were planning.

Many individuals in this day and age find difficulty in the inevitable set backs of traveling. No matter how much one plans, or how many intineraries are printed, plans will change. The best thing anyone can pack in order to deal with these situations is their FLEXIBILTY.

Major occurrences are more common in destinations where a different language is spoken, unless you are fluent and familiar in that native tongue. However, it is just as easy to get yourself into a jam in a country where you are a native speaker.

In an article by James Martin, “EUROPE TRAVEL 101,” he gives tips and to-do’s starting 6 months before a trip departure. For some these tips will be life-saving, but some of us are just “fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants” kind of people.

Martin suggests…

3 Months Before You Travel to Europe

• Finding the Best Airfare
• Apply for a Passport if you haven’t already
• Start thinking about walking shoes!

At this point you’ll still be doing some things from three months ago. That’s ok, but we’re going to add some things, like finding airfares, and getting a passport if you don’t already have one. And you’ll be walking a lot in Europe, so it’s time to think about good, solid walking shoes that you can wear to a good restaurant. There’s nothing worse than to have to lug around many shoes, believe me.

2 Months Before You Travel to Europe

A couple months or so before you go you’ll need to figure out where to stay and how to get around:

• Hotel Reservations
• Train or Car - Time to choose your main transportation
• Car? Rent or Lease?
• Train? Rail Pass or Point to Point tickets?

1 Month Before You Travel to Europe

Think STUFF! One month before you to, it’s time to get your stuff together:

• Luggage
• Camera(s)
• Money
• Budgeting
• Travel Insurance

Yes, by now you’ve got a route, reservations, a way to get around Europe–so it’s time to think off all the stuff you’re going to bring, including the all-important money.

Right Before You Travel to Europe - Final Checklist!

Time for those last minute checks before boarding the plane for that European vacation!

• Call Your Credit Card Companies
• Got Meds? Write Down the Details
• Pack Light. Pack Right.
• Final Check - Packing List and Department of State Travel Warnings

Here’s where you start getting excited. But hold off, you’ve still got work to do in the last few days before you fly away on your European vacation.

(To view the article in it’s entirety and from it’s original source, click on this link.)

One of the most well-known names in travel and traveling on a budget is that of Arthur Frommer. His line of Frommer’s Travel Guides are one of the best-selling lines of travel books today. The research that has been done into the do’s and do NOT’s of the world’s greatest destinations has saved many, and been more than helpful to some.

Budget Travel Online is a site from the people at Frommer’s that is an extension to Budget Travel magazine. It lists suggestions for travel deals, destinations, strategies for purchasing, and spotlights different aspects of travel from consumer feedback.

The best feature is The REAL DEALS. It is a feature of Editor’s Choice Picks thats offers up some amazing deals to all corners of the world. There is also a link to the Travel Marketplace, which features the best travel deals and vacation packages.

Check it out, here.

For all you really ballsy cats that dig hitch-hiking, back-packing, rail-riding and budget road travel as your favored means of travel across the wonder that is our world, DIGIHITCH is for you!

This site is equipped with an interactive map that by clicking on it, can take you to the exact location of where you may want to go. For example, by clicking on a map of the USA, you will then be able to click on a region, then the state in that region and you will be shown the major highways that run through the state.

Interactive maps are available for the entire globe: Latin America, Canada, Europe and more! So definitely - check this site out! General information about the destination/location will be provided and from there, your imagination is the limit to where you can go!!

If you have ever been to Europe NOT on a family vacation you will know what I mean when I say “hostel.”

Hostels can vary greatly in their class and ammenities, but for the most part, you will find more horror stories than best-kept-little-secrets of diamonds in the rough.

Wherever you go, Hostelworld.com is one of the better known sites in searching for hostels and availability and booking online.

On most college campuses, at least the larger ones, there exists some sort of office that serves as the liason for oppurtunities in study abroad. On OSU’s campus, this office is located in the basement of the student union. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about different outlets that make it possible for one to go abroad.

Study during a regular semester is available, as well as year-long study. There are programs that are specifically for summer, winter, and spring break trips as well. The best part about choosing to study abroad is that you can earn college credit while having a life-changing experience and seeing parts of the world that you might not have otherwise.

Listed below are some websites that can help in finding more information about study, various destinations, and programs.

A large percentage of the population (mainly female) approach important feats such as traveling with care and organization. I will not discredit all men, but in this example it only seems fitting that example imitate life. Therefore, I would like to give a fair warning in planning ahead and acting in a timely manner in order to accomplish what you desire. In a word, it’s one of the many pieces of advice that most mothers give. I know mine did.

PLAN AHEAD. If you intend on traveling, especially air travel, it is wise to plan ahead and accordingly in order to have the proper resources ready at

your disposal. This includes, but is not limited to:

• FINANCES: money to purchase a ticket, money for the actual trip, and money that will cushion you when you return otherwise broke and stunned.
• PASSPORT: If traveling domestically this will most likely not be an issue. However, when traveling abroad/internationally a passport is required for travel. It IS a good idea to travel with copies of this document and keep them in different locations.

• For example…In Spring 2006, I was in Madrid and due to exertions from the night before I arrived at Barajas airport as my flight was at its ‘LAST CALL.’ I attempted to get another flight later on that afternoon and when asked, I was unable to produce my passport. Set-back #2 for the day. I was able to recover it about an hour later, and then made plans to get on a flight exactly one hour later. When I returned to check in and then board, it was gone AGAIN. No joke. Basically, I had to stay in Madrid for two more days and have to visit the American Embassy at the crack of dawn. DON’T LOSE YOUR PASSPORT. When traveling abroad, it is YOUR BEST FRIEND.

SCHEDULING: Before you make plans to travel, make sure that you are not skipping out on any obligations or pressing matters back home. As humans we have the ability to choose, and do, and go whenever we please. However, as party of humanity and American citizens we also have an obligation to our responsibilities and holding ourselves accountable for our own lives. Remember this before you spontaneously buy a ticket to go see something or someone. Check your schedule, assuming that you have one. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE: This goes back to #1, FINANCES. Unless you have a rather comfortable monetary pillow comforting you, you might need to save a little in order to make this excursion happen. Especially if you are planning to make a large purchase, keep track of your spending and balance at the bank to make sure that when the time comes, you will be able to purchase what is needed with few complications. I know I’m not your mother. But choose to be responsible and take care of what you need to. Otherwise, you could be very disappointed when your plans fall through, as could the parties that were anticipating your arrival.

I’m sure that if you’ve ever made a major investment of your own time and money purchasing a plane ticket that you’ll know all the things I’m about to suggest. However, if you have not, then let me provide some great suggestions so that you can make sure you find the absolutel cheapest deal in air travel, domestic AND international.

Since it’s the most popular of search engines, we’re going to use Travelocity.com as our example. There are many others such as Expedia, Orbitx, CheapTickets, etc. Having provided you with other options, I have found that travelocity usually does have the rock bottom prices for flights, and the most options in searching.

OPTION #1: Search EXACT Dates

• If you search exact dates, be wary that you may not be searching for the cheapest deal. Exact dates are ticky, but if your schedule is specific, then there’s no other way around it.

OPTION #2: Search FLEXIBLE Dates

• This is what I have found to be the way to get the cheapest deal. It after entering your departure location and destination, click on the FLEXIBLE DATES option. You can choose the month in which you are hoping to depart & arrive at your destination. This will bring up the cheapest flight between ALL dates in the month you chose.

OPTION #3: Search with +/- 1, 2 or 3 Days

• I have found this to be an excellent way to see your options spread out before you. If you are a visual person, try this search. Choose your departure & arrival locales, pick the dates you want, then click on the +/- day. I tend to always search for 3 days give or take. When your search returns, the info will be in the form of a graph/spreadsheet that lines up all options possible. For a search of 3 days give or take, you will end up getting the pricing for 49 different travel combinations around the exact dates you had requested. It’s the best option to see all choices without doing individual searches again and again and again.

There are good deals to be found, but you have to search for them. Try different combinations before you jump off the handle and buy the ticket that you feel MIGHT be your only option.

Good Luck!

Once I was already in Malta, I wanted to start exploring my options for going abroad on some sort of mini vacation. My brother sent me the link to AttitudeTravel.comFrom the main page you can search (or click on) almost any location and the site will return a new page of Web sites and linke to all budget airlines that may apply to that destination.  The site advertises indpendent travel advice, photos, guides, and articles and delivers just that.  I referred to it many times to get an initial list of airline sites, and then links, when searching for a destination and way to get there for Spring Break 2006.

Again, in the words of my traveling-saavy brother, “Check it out.” Travel with some attitude.

My first time in Rome was an interesting experience. I was on a family vacation meeting my mom and my brother, but I was also with my boyfriend, of whom I was in the process of falling madly in love with.

To make a very tense and long story short, I will say that Rome was an experience and a great place to visit, but it’s not the heart nor jewel of Italy like most people would think. It’s very touristy, and there’s loads of English speakers all around you - bleh!

I just thought that in the spirit of getting out and seeing the world I would share this picture with you… It was taken at 3 or 4 a.m. in front of the Pantheon in Rome. If you have ever been there you’ll know that there is a nice-sized piazza facing the pantheon. There are a multitude of little cafes that you can sit at under an umbrella and enjoy the dining or drinking al fresca. There is also a fountain that is almost centrally located in the piazza.

Brad and I had once again needed to escape from the anxiety of the ‘Tatroult family vacation’ setting. Luckily, our tiny hotel was not far from the pantheon. He and I went for “birras” at some Irish pub (I know right, an Irish pub in Roma?) and on the way home this picture was taken. Pretty good and drunk, and very much in love, we decided that going along with the theme we had going of taking kissing pictures, we would have to take one in front of the pantheon. I propped my camera on the edge of the fountain praying to god that it didn’t fall in. There was not a soul in sight. (If you want to have Rome all to yourself, creep out at night with all the other weirdos…there was NO ONE around.)

I set the camera on self timer and we ran forward and kissed in the moonlight.

I know, it sounds great, and believe me, it was. Maybe it was just my imagination, or the hopeless romantic 14-year-old that stays locked up inside of me, but I am inclined to believe that Roma, and all parts of Italy, are just as intoxicating as they seem to be in the movies. I can’t say that the atmosphere is always the same. There are always some things you don’t plan on like the gypsies, the garbage, the lack of beautiful instrumental violins playing Italian love songs… life isn’t a movie. However, this looks like a movie poster to me.