October 7, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

How Your Vacation Can Change Your Beliefs and Attitudes in Unexpected (and Sometimes Stressful) Ways

What’s that rumbling sound you hear when you’re sitting on the tarmac of an airport thousands of miles from home as your trip draws to a close? Sometimes it’s not just the plane engines firing up. It’s your thoughts swirling, and perhaps even grinding, grating, and crashing right into beliefs you’ve had for years as you have a chance to put into perspective everything you saw and did on your trip — and what you discovered about how others live in another culture. It may be hard to comprehend, but for something that lasted only about two or three weeks, a vacation can have a tremendous influence on some of your most long-standing and innate beliefs.

These are not necessarily things we feel comfortable thinking about, or discussing with others — which makes them all the more important since they can cause you stress if you ignore them. Here are some deeper issues many travelers struggle with at the end of (and well after) their trip that can have a significant impact on their psyche. Chances are you may grapple with some of the same thoughts.

About religion. Every year thousands of people convert to a different religion — from Islam to Christianity, from Christianity to Islam, from Christianity or Islam to Buddhism, from any of the above to atheism or agnosticism, etc. Many people make this conversion after visiting a country whose religious following is different from their own. Does that mean you will? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean you won’t experience a change in your thoughts about the afterlife after visiting a place like The Vatican, Tehran, Jerusalem, and any other number of places.

Having these feelings can cause you anxiety depending on your religious upbringing and the attitudes of your family members (and even your friends). Acknowledging that you could have some significant doubts, inspirations, or personal questions after your trip can make it easier for you to address them in the coming weeks or months and move forward on your personal and spiritual journey.

About race. Want to hear a sad story? I had a friend who wasn’t racist until he started traveling. Going from country to country, he said, and having what he perceived to be negative experiences in developing countries, helped him see “the bell curve” and people “in their proper place”, i.e., how important it was that people had their own culture within their own borders. Is my friend still traveling? More than ever — and I hope I don’t run into him somewhere.

Most people become even more tolerant after they’ve been abroad and seen other branches of the human family; very few become prejudiced, or more prejudiced. The vast majority of us will spend some time thinking about how we’re all different, how and why there’s been so much racism in the past, and what the picture of racial harmony could like like in the future.

About the importance of money. Did you travel through impoverished villages on your trip, and have the time of your life exploring and meeting the residents? Alternatively, are you a middle-class traveler who lived like a king or queen for a couple weeks in a developing country, simply because you could afford it? Doing either can significantly change your perspective on what’s in your wallet, how much you think you need to lead a happy life, and what you do with your finances in the future.

About the future. Many people feel an overwhelming sense of hope and awe over the promise of the future after they’ve been abroad. In so many ways, humanity leaps forward every year in terms of quality of life, tolerance, development, progression, and pure inspiration and creativity.

Depending on their travel experiences, others can dwell on the more negative aspects of the human race — yes, how greedy and self-absorbed we are, how much environmental damage we’re causing, how a major world war could be coming within our lifetime, how likely there is to be a major epidemic, etc.

You shouldn’t be surprised if you experience all of the above thoughts, hopes, and fears about the future on the same flight home. We’re all constantly dealing with the balance of good and bad, hope and pessimism, and of course, change. Travel is synonymous with change. How it changes you is up to you — just don’t let it cause you a lot of stress.

New perspectives don’t always come beautifully framed — but travel always helps us see life in a different light

September 29, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Traveler’s OCD: A Real Issue, and What to Do About it

Do you consider yourself mentally healthy, but find that you do the following types of things when you travel?:

Checking several times to make sure that you still have your passport, that you have all your belongings, that your hotel door is locked, etc.
Counting people going by, particularly when you’re waiting for someone or something
Needing to leave the hotel room in just a certain way before you leave for the day
Repeating directions or instructions (to or from your destination) over and over in your head
Reaching for the hand sanitizer a few more times a day than is really necessary

Many people who don’t suffer from clinical Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) experience some obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior when under the stress of travel. We all know that there are a lot of opportunities to lose things, forget things, miss departures, and make numerous other mistakes when we move around in an unfamiliar environment — and that these mistakes can cause us some fairly large problems during our journey. The fear of making these mistakes causes people to develop “Traveler’s OCD.”

If you have a perfectionist or “Type A” personality and are prone to being distracted from your immediate environment, some compulsive activities that you do in order to avoid making mistakes can really affect your enjoyment of a trip. Fortunately, there are choices you can make about how and where you travel that will prevent your tics from flaring up — and from attracting attention from fellow travelers who are as laid back as they are when drifting around their own house!

Choose a smaller hotel room. A smaller room means fewer places to put things, which means you won’t spread out as much, and are less likely to leave something behind (or worry about leaving something behind). Stay in a suite and you have more windows, faucets, doors, etc. to think about checking before you leave every day, and far more crevices, nooks, crannies, etc. to worry about losing or misplacing something.

Use a compartmentalized travel day bag or purse. If you have a specific place for everything in your bag, then taking a quick check (and not four, accompanied by a considerable amount of rummaging) can ensure that everything is in its place. Travel with a gunny sack and you’ll make yourself miserable (not to mention give yourself a couple of scares if you distractedly slip your wallet into a rarely used jacket pocket instead of your bag).

Recognize that you have a finite amount of energy. The urge to double- and triple-check things can grow with a life of its own depending on what you’re preoccupied with, and how much stress you’re under. Traveling takes a lot of energy, and mistakes can compound faster than you can count the number of people ahead of you in the currency exchange line. If you check your bag several times to make sure you still have your camera, for example, you could miss your bus going by, with a string of potential consequences from there.

Understand how and when you contract a virus. This might sound like an odd suggestion, but plenty of people slather on the hand sanitizer upwards of a dozen times a day out of fear of getting ill and ruining their vacation. In general, remember that you get sick when you spread germs by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and when you breathe next to someone who’s ill. If you can be better about keeping your hands away from your face, and keeping a good personal distance from others, you’ll be a lot less likely to get ill — and only need to use the sanitizer before you eat, wash your face back at your hotel, etc.

Get enough sleep. When you’re exhausted, you’re more likely to make mistakes and be forgetful, which can send your Traveler’s OCD into overdrive since you might actually leave something behind, or neglect to do something.

Consider your environment. Some hotels have such formulaic, cold, and repetitive decor that it’s almost as if someone designed them to make you feel neurotic and start counting the tiles down the hallway. Go for a place with more character and novelty, individual furnishings, and a homey atmosphere, and you’ll feel more relaxed.

Finally, places that have a fixation on quantities — like casinos and mega malls — are more likely to bring out your type-A tendencies than natural environments like parks and beaches. Also, consider that sites and attractions featuring supernatural or religious phenomena (such as the belief that repeating the same proclamations over and over will help keep evil away) are not the best for your mental health. Could you find a less anal-retentive activity to enjoy? You might end up spending more money elsewhere, but at least you won’t fall asleep that night thinking about the number 6 or 13, or how often you’re blinking.
Don’t worry, counting your money once or twice on your trip doesn’t count as obsessive or compulsive.

September 22, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Are You a Dromomaniac? — The Ten Most Common Manias that Affect Travelers

Are you a dromomaniac (insatiable traveler)? Of course you are — if you weren’t a xenomaniac (inquisitive folk obsessed with foreign things and places) you wouldn’t be reading this. You’ve come to the right travel blog to find out if you’re a opsomaniac, sophomaniac, or oniomaniac when you go abroad — and how to recognize when your obsession will no longer fit under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Hold on tight to your passport and put in the back of your head what your mother or spiritual guru told you about doing “everything in moderation.” The real question is, how come our travel agents (or at least Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome) didn’t warn us about the top ten travel manias that can make us feel like out-and-out maniamaniacs?*

1. Ecdemomania: chronic and uncontrollable urge to wander. It’s not enough that you indulge your travel lust to come to a place thousands of miles away; once you’re there, you can’t even sit still at your hotel, stay with your tour group, or resist following strangely-dressed locals down narrow alleyways.

2. Epomania: obsession with writing epics. Becomes apparent when 1) your travel blog posts reach 5,000 words each, 2) you’re starting to get data storage warnings from WordPress, or 3) one of your followers discreetly suggests that just because you’re on vacation, they don’t have all the time in the world to read every blow-by-blow.

3. Oniomania: insatiable desire to shop. Rears its ugly head after you’ve swam, boogied, eaten, boozed, and tangoed your way across your charming but claustrophobic resort town, and have nothin’ else left to try.

4. Phagomania: excessive desire for food or eating. Becomes obvious when you’re 1) dining out twice in the same evening, 2) are buying more Immodium AD than Dramamine at that skanky pharmacy down from your hotel, or 3) need to work off your oniomania at the nearest clothing store since nothing you brought with you on the trip quite fits anymore.

5. Sophomania: gluttonous belief in one’s own incredible intelligence. At its most obvious after you’ve figured out (all in the same day) how to operate an eco-toilet, hundred-year-old elevator, Azerbaijan-made bathtub faucet, and ATM machine that you would never, ever find at home.

6. Doromania: obsession with giving or buying gifts. Crops up towards the end of your trip after you’ve spent two paychecks on things for yourself, and have one Athenian shopping street, two Turkish bazaars, and three very long airport terminals to wander through before the signature on the back of your credit card actually starts to wear off.

7. Opsomania: obsession with one kind of food. Develops after feasting on the beloved culinary specialty of your host country for lunch and dinner every single day — especially after you remember that the most exotic thing you’re going to find to eat back home is an enchilada.

8. Islomania: fixation on islands. Becomes more obvious after you’ve gallivanted through New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Japan, and have your restless eye now set on The Philippines, Sicily, Iceland, or Fiji.

9. Verbomania: fixation with words. Becomes apparent when, after failing to learn a single syllable of the local language, you scrounge for five adjectives of the same English word in the hopes that your provincial B&B host will understand one of them.

Unfortunately, there’s no diagnostic term for 10. shutterbugomania, an obsession with taking pictures. But, if you can identify where this photo of all the photos was taken, you’ll win a FREE copy of The Anxious Traveler.

*Important note: this post is intended to offer some lighthearted fun following the tension and stress that most travelers suffer this time of year because of the 9/11 anniversary. It’s not intended to diminish the seriousness of any mania that is interfering with your life, or the impact of bipolar disorder on mental health. If you believe you are suffering from manic depression/bipolar disorder, you should consult a doctor.

September 15, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

The Top 12 Travel Phobias You May Very Well Have, and Didn’t Even Realize!

Well, summer’s over. Got post-vacation depression? Are you broke and tired? Does the sound of falling leaves remind you of the sweet swish of your passport pages turning? Now’s the time to lighten up, do some soul-searching, and take a really close look at some of the fears you may have sadly developed over the course of your recent international escapades.

Sure, you may know you have aviatophobia (fear of flying), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), xenophobia (fear of strangers), and mysophobia (fear of germs); those are all pretty common and boring. What about all those other angst-inducing scenarios and situations that crop up as often as ridiculously cheap fares on Orbitz? They’ve probably given you a tic or two, whether you want to admit it or not. Let’s look at twelve real, honest-to-God, official phobias identified by scientists, psychologists, and very renowned researchers (probably ones that don’t do much traveling) that can develop when you’re vagabonding the globe. You’ll find that they’re really nothing to laugh about!

12. Nomophobia: fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Develops after you 1) find yourself repeatedly lost, late, drunk, or confused; 2) have once again left your cruise partner behind at the last shore excursion; or 3) are waiting to hear back from MasterCard about doubling your credit card limit now that you’re on vacation.

11. Agyrophobia: fear of crossing the road. Of particular prominence in India, Brazil, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and other places where smiling drivers drive a perfect 40 mph in the 40 km/hr zone, use their horn only in emergencies, and wave you across the pedestrian crosswalk with all five fingers.

10. Autophobia: fear of being alone or isolated. Develops after repeatedly encountering closed currency exchange counters, boarded-up travel info help desks, and hotel rooftop access doors that automatically lock from the inside.

9. Pedophobia: fear/dislike of children. Of particular concern when 1) taking your middle seat on a 12-hour flight next to a screamer, across from a babbler, and behind a squealer, or 2) realizing that the average age of the other guests at your “family friendly” hotel is about ten years old.

8. Emetophobia: fear of vomiting. At its most intense when, once again, you strike up a conversation with the beautiful person next to you after you’ve consumed vodka during turbulence.

7. Decidophobia: fear of making decisions. At its worst when your new, drunken travel partner is relying on you to find the safest way back to the hostel at 2 am, and you have no more Euros.

6. Ipovlopsychophobia: fear of having one’s photograph taken. This is for you, ladies. Symptoms occur after 1) the airline once again leaves behind your checked bag containing your makeup tote, 2) you’ve finally noticed the hotel security cameras, or 3) you realize your father is following your boyfriend’s blog.

5. Halitophobia: fear of bad breath. At its most wretched when exceeding the standing room capacity of buses; in Rome, in August, during a heat wave; and when having to make an emergency trip to a dentist in the Middle East.

4. Sesquipedalophobia: fear of long words. Particularly prominent when trying to read the menu at a tourist-unfriendly exotic little restaurant you’re dining at with an attractive local you just picked up.

3. Disposophobia: fear of getting rid of or losing things. Severe symptoms occur after you’ve been pickpocketed, mugged, and had a bad experience with a bellhop all on the same trip.

2. Chronophobia: fear of time and time moving forward. Of particular concern when you start receiving airline departure check-in reminders, your coworkers start calling you, and/or you can’t even remember the beginning of your trip.

and the number one under-recognized travel phobia is …
1. Phobophobia: fear of having a phobia or fear. Because the last thing you want to find out when you’re trying to have yourself a *$#&% good time somewhere is that you have yet another new hang-up!

Honorable mention phobia: Ophthalmophobia (fear of being stared at, especially when you’re just trying to make sense of the local culture)

September 7, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Moving on: How to Leave a Place Without Stress

According to Buddhism, the root of all suffering is attachment – wisdom you may certainly understand when it’s time to leave your travel destination. Considering that a certain beach, park, hotel, or other favorite locale existed only in your imagination weeks before, your connection to a place and reluctance to leave can be intense. Managing these feelings is important since you don’t want them to overcome the joy of having seen them in the first place – or as the pessimistic traveler laments, Why come if I only have to leave?

It’s not uncommon to get downright morose when you have to wind down an incredible vacation at a place you’ve fallen in love with. The following thoughts might go through your mind:

Will I ever come here again?
 What will happen here after I leave?
 How will this place change without me? Can it be “mine?”
 Does it matter that I ever came here?

These feelings and doubts can resemble separation anxiety. How significant this anxiety is depends on

how much of an emotional connection you’ve made to a place, and
how difficult it is to physically make your way back to it.

The answers to those two questions can vary widely, but here are some general recommendations for moving on without trauma.

Leave a piece of yourself. More tourists than would care to admit leave a part of themselves behind at a place they love – anything from a strand of hair to engravings on a tree, to things that border on defacement or ecological damage. An environmentally friendly way to leave your mark is to pen your name and the date on a small, loose rock and put it back where it was on a trail or thoroughfare.

Take a piece with you. There’s a reason that the souvenir industry is valued at billions of dollars; people want a symbol or a token of their experience somewhere, even if their only “connection” with it was at a local club. If you don’t care for either synthetic, mass-produced trinkets or museum-type expensive souvenirs, then take a piece of a place, literally: some stones, shells, a feather, or a piece of wood or bark. Holding these items long after you’ve left can put you back in the moment of your tremendous experience.

Keep a travel log. No, not your blog, but something more personal, something only for you. A travel log doesn’t have to take the form of a written journal; depending on how much you (don’t) like to write, you can tape- or video-record your experiences and impressions. Another option is to keep a notebook, but only record the facts, events, and people you encountered each day. Your memory will fill in the rest of the details as you mentally journey back later on.

You can also draw on a map where you went, with brief notes at each street or block that will remind you of something special; or pick a new piece of music to play while you are enjoying the place, that will always remind you of where you were when you first heard it.

Virtual visits. If your time at a place is too limited for you to manage a travel log, note that there are thousands of YouTube internet videos featuring beloved travel sites, and they are viewable by anyone. Some of them are amazingly done and might even showcase something you never noticed about a place. Although it’s not going to be as special or personalized as something you put together, knowing you can make a “virtual visit” can help you move on.

Plan to return. Promise yourself to come back to the place. If you’ve come once, you can come again, and most incredible sites don’t just get up and leave. They can evolve, however, so keep abreast of the place by going to its webpage. If you find out that it’s destined to change (and not necessarily to your liking), time an upcoming visit to enjoy it one more time as you remembered it.

It’s time to leave. Can I just take this whole beach home with me?

August 24, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

You Did WHAT on Your Trip?! Travel, Adrenaline, and Taking Risks: The Connection

Have you ever sat next to someone like this on the plane ride home from your vacation?:

A 45-year old woman with a bulging disc in her spine who felt so fantastic in Auckland that she went bungy jumping… then wondered why she couldn’t walk the next morning

A bipolar, alcoholic Swede who blew his entire food budget to take a helicopter ride over a volcano blowing near Reykjavik

A guy arrested for slipping into St. Basil’s Cathedral for his own “private tour.” Twice.

A 25-year-old woman from Australia who decided to learn how to drive on the right… on the Autobahn

Do these things sound crazy, stupid, reckless, and just plain thrilling? Before you answer, think about some of the things you’ve done on a trip that have made you, well, question your better judgment. I’ll even leave room for you to mentally write them out:

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(yeah…)

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(but)

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(it was)

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(SO)

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(exciting)

Are you smiling, or grimacing? Well, it probably depends on how your adventure turned out. You may want to roll your head in your hands and say, what was I thinking? Or you may want to say: Hell, yeah. What happened in _______ stays in _______. And you know: you’d never pull such a “stunt” at home.

We do different things in a new and different environment; that’s one reason travel makes us feel so good, makes us feel so alive again.　 We see something we like, and we do it. It‘s quite often as simple as that.　 The future doesn’t enter much into our minds.　 We haven’t had time to obsess over the consequences. And the same often holds true whether you are a natural daredevil — or a hesitant, and even anxious person.

It’s in the latter case that the effects of travel-inspired risk-taking can rear their ugly head. Many sensitive, cautious individuals have low tolerances for stress, or — to put it more eloquently — for “shit happening.” The violate their personal limits more easily; they raise the stakes on their psychological well-being. If things work out, they feel euphoric. If their risk ends up in minor (or major) disaster, they can feel terrified and regretful.

All four of my plane mates briefly described above — Terri, Edvard, Josh, and Amy — are what I’d describe as hesitant, cautious people. Maybe even worrywarts. Certainly, people who view the glass as half-full only as long as things are going “as they should.” And yet they did what they did. I could tell that each of them would spend a lot of time thinking about their thrill-seeking quests. They would probably have some psychological scars. They were amazed — and scared — over what a short memory they’d had when they decided to seize the moment. Their own tunnel vision both frightened them and inspired them. And finally, I got the sense that most of them were going to become bold wanderlusts; maybe even minor adrenaline junkies. (Amy is still fighting with her car insurance company.)

So what happens for you when you cross the line from adventurous to risk-taker? Do you feel thrilled, or just plain reckless? Many times, that extra shot of adrenaline helps you do something that you never thought you could pull off. There’s a big long definition for adrenaline, but I have a simple description: it’s that stir of now setting both your mind and body free.

Some of the happiest travelers I’ve met live like they’re not planning to come back home from their vacation. That might not be you — or it may be you to a lesser degree. Either way, we get a high off that first impulse, that first sense of possibility. It keeps us traveling; it keeps us moving forward. It keeps us thrilled.

Wow, that looks great! And this whiplash of mine is, like, almost totally healed

August 17, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Afraid to Vacation in These Places? You’re Not Alone

Should you visit them anyway? Absolutely, if you’ve dreamed of going there for years.

Where, exactly, am I talking about? Egypt? Yemen? Mali? El Salvador? No, I don’t mean countries that are considered major and immediate threats to your safety and security, and routinely make the State Department’s travel warning list. I’m talking about six major global cities that many tourists shy away from for various reasons: concerns about their geopolitical position, racism, unfamiliar laws, severe air pollution, military unrest, and other hazards that have a statistically minimal chance of threatening your well-being on a trip. These cities have dubious reputations — and yet they offer visitors an amazing array of things to do and see that outweigh their drawbacks every time. Without further ado, these are my picks of the greatest big cities you might be missing out on.

1. Seoul, South Korea. This Asian gem has the drawback of being only about 40 miles away from the border of one of the most dangerous dictatorships on the planet. And yes, North Korea has threatened Seoul many times — and not a whole lot has happened. Year in and year out, Seoul is on par with Tokyo in terms of its appeal: ultra-modern, with a high standard of living and brimming with cultural treasures, attractions, and great shopping and dining — and boasting some of the safest streets in Asia. Yet people stay away in favor of Japanese and Chinese cities that are a lot farther outside a possible North Korean missile strike. What if? What if? What if you got on a plane to see Seoul in addition to Tokyo and Beijing? Your chances of getting trapped in a North Korean air raid are about the same as your likelihood of never reading another blog for the rest of your life.

2. Cape Town, South Africa. When most people think of South Africa, three things usually come to mind: soccer, racism, and crime. While it’s true that crime rates are high in South Africa, and that the devastation caused by apartheid can still rear its ugly head, Cape Town does not suffer from these problems nearly as much as the capital city of Johannesburg. And this doesn’t even begin to give Cape Town the credit it deserves for being such an amazing destination: on the ocean, full of natural wonders and cosmopolitan nightlife, and teeming with friendly and open-minded people. Still make you uncomfortable to go somewhere that’s been so deeply affected by racism? Go there, smile, have a drink, start talking and forget what you and everyone else looks like.

3. Macau (Special Administrative Region of China). This densely populated “Las Vegas of China” has often gotten bad press for its untamed casino life, toxic air pollution, and chaotic, pedestrian-unfriendly streets. It’s also one of only two great cities in China that most Westerners can visit without a visa — and it’s a short, very scenic ferry ride from Hong Kong . Yes, you don’t want to breathe deeply in Macau; you don’t want to head there restless either, since the whole SAR is only about twelve square miles. Perhaps that’s why most people are in the casinos — and when the air does clear after a good rainstorm, go outside and check out some of the amazing architecture inspired by the fusion of classic Chinese style and Portuguese colonialism. ( Just make sure not to jaywalk.)

4. Singapore. At first, Singapore might seem like an odd pick for this list. But does anyone remember Michael Fay? He’s the young American who, in 1994, was caned and imprisoned for four months for non-violent crimes (vandalism and theft). Since then, Singapore has been as notorious for its draconian laws as its diverse attractions and spotless streets. If you tend to do reckless or impulsive things when traveling (particularly when drunk and not in full control of your inhibitions) you might fear doing something in Singapore that could cost you time in jail, or worse. Even slobs or gum-snappers may have a hard time (forget to flush a public toilet? You could be fined. And don’t bring chewing gum into the country). So what do you do? Recognize how easy it is to assimilate. Surrounded by law-abiding, respectful citizens in the downtown area, in the malls, and at the tourist attractions, you’ll realize how painless it is to take a cue from other folks and be on your best behavior. And because it’s Singapore, your chance of being the victim of theft, assault, and tourist scams are slim to none.

5. Belgrad, Serbia. Many of us are old enough to remember the carnage of the Balkans War unfold on TV in the 90s. The war is long over and several functioning democracies have emerged from the former Yugoslavia — but since Serbian rebels were blamed for the bulk of the violence and ethnic cleansing in the 90s war, a negative view of Serbia, and its capital Belgrad, persists. Is it fair? If travel teaches us anything, it’s to not stereotype cultures, or hold individuals accountable for sins committed by armies over fifteen years ago. Last I checked, Belgrad is a vibrant, intriguing city where multiculturalism works, and the welcome mat is laid out for the curious tourist.

6. Tel Aviv, Israel. The number of security issues Tel Aviv faces on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis might cause anyone to cross this incredible city off their travel wish-list. Who, you might think, wants to step into the “state of perpetual turmoil”? Well, lots of tourists, every season of the year. They’ve discovered that the city’s inhabitants are a special breed entirely — resilient, determined people who manage their fate of constant uncertainty by knowing how to have a good time, and knowing how to make the most of every day. Israel is not going to solve its problems anytime soon — and Tel Aviv is not exactly “going anywhere.” You might as well drop in, go to the beach, exercise the usual safety precautions, and have an incredible cultural experience.

Nervous about venturing outside the “quintessential” and “safe” vacation spots? It’s natural — but pack your common sense, and go anyway

August 14, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Has 9/11 Become the Safest Day of the Year to Travel?

Quite possibly. Very possibly. And why, you ask? Are you kidding?

Have you been to a major American or other Western airport on 9/11? The lines are shorter, but the screenings take longer, because they’re more thorough. There are fewer distractions. The music blaring from Duty-Free is turned down a bit; there isn’t the same raucous chatter from tour groups and families about to depart. Everyone is watching everyone else.

The pilots and flight attendants are more vigilant. Passengers don’t leave bags unattended for five seconds (much less a couple minutes) to recheck their boarding time on the screen. There’s a subtle, but depressing and deadened hush from gate to gate, from terminal to terminal. Planes are triple-checked instead of double-checked. Air traffic controllers watch every move on their monitors and across the sky as if their lives depended on it.

Which to me, at least, all suggests that 9/11 may in fact be the safest day of the entire year to get on an airplane — at least in the West, and at any number of other areas scarred by a terror attack.

But would you care to fly on 9/11? My guess is no.

As we approach the 12th anniversary of 9/11, it’s worth taking a brief look at what’s happened at airports and on airplanes, both in terms of safety and security. Besides a couple of terrifying near-misses involving a shoe bomb and liquid gels, there hasn’t been a major incident or threat. Newer security measures (which are now years old) border on knee-jerk reactions (no one had to remove their shoes before Richard Reid’s threat; no one had a problem with our jug of water until the scare with the bottles of chemicals onboard).

It’s impossible to say if terrorists want an encore of a certain tragedy to drive their message home. From what I’ve observed, they usually move on to some other tactic once they’re successful at a particular “mission.” Take the World Trade Center, for example: after some unsuccessful tries to bring it down, the jihadists accomplished their “mission” and moved on to… well, a variety of other things. Embassies will always remain vulnerable targets. Car bombings are smaller-scale, but accomplish the same basic “goal.”

To me, the people that seem most scared — and maybe rightfully so — are the ones with the Eurail or Amtrak passes. I need to glance through my own travel anxiety book every time I get on a train now. Of course I’m scared. Isn’t everyone?

Will I be flying on 9/11 this year? No, because it’s still a little too hot in Turkey during the first half of September. I’ve given myself a good reason (excuse?) to fly on the less auspicious date of 9/26 instead.

Will you be flying on 9/11 this year? Maybe not, since it’s coming up fast, you might have other plans, and it still holds that sickening power of imagination and dread over us. But would you consider doing so in the future? You might. From my look around during the last 9/11, it seems about as safe as you can get, and your courage — and indifference to the date — flies right in the face of what every jihadist most wants.

It’s 9/11. Am I all alone in here?

August 10, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Those Little Things that Cause Us Stress on a Trip… that We Keep Doing

…usually to make someone else feel more comfortable, or happy, even though it’s our vacation, and we might very well be in self-gratification overdrive… and if not, then our minds are already full of plans and distractions, addresses and schedules. Sound familiar? Even if you consider yourself a “tunnel-vision traveler,” the kind that has their nose to the itinerary and way more interest in the sights around them than the people, you might find yourself spending more energy than you planned in order to make things easier or nicer for someone else. Personally, I never cease to be amazed by fellow tourists who struggle against their own impatience, social anxiety, discomfort, or pride in the name of kindness or sensitivity to those around them (or waiting for them at home). Here are some observations of how we often make things a little harder for ourselves abroad… and usually don’t feel bad about it.

Speaking the Local Language When You Know the Other Person Speaks Good English. Sometimes even perfect English. But not necessarily comfortable English. What’s the big deal? you ask. Can’t the thousands of underpaid and overworked hotel receptionists at all the Americanized hotels out there just help us in our own language so we don’t have to choke on a few recitations out of a Lonely Planet phrasebook? Of course. But does it sometimes irritate or tire them out? Yes, they’ve told me when I’ve actually asked. Personally, I’ve been amazed at how exhausted and disconnected I can feel from my own thoughts and feelings when I have to navigate back and forth all day between two languages. For some of us it’s natural; for others, it’s a major brain-drain, and can make a person feel downright lonely. If I see a depressed Parisian hotel manager hang up the phone after clearly losing an argument in English, I’m going to do my best to converse with him in my rudimentary French. Yes, it stresses me out. But it helps him regain his confidence and frame of mind.

Smiling at Service People. Should we smile at the maid for cleaning our room? Will she think it’s condescending? Should we smile at the TSA security guy who looks like he’s ready to drop from exhaustion? Will he think I’m trying to distract him? Should I smile at the Muslim couple running a convenience store in East London, who just helped me pick up all my spilled groceries off the floor (what’s to smile about? Will the man think I’m being too forward?) or should I nod and get the heck out of their way? Well, often we’re not sure… especially if we’re in a drastically different cultural setting.

Am I alone in getting pretty nervous over little things like this? Probably not. It’s taken me awhile to realize that even if someone doesn’t smile back, it doesn’t usually mean they dislike your nice expression. They’re just too taken aback or tired to smile back.

Offering to Take Someone’s Photo. Have you ever actually said no to someone who asked you to take a photo of them in front of a landmark? Maybe if you had a baby in your arms, or were in a mad hurry. I know I feel a little bad for the oddball solo male or female traveler standing in the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower trying repeatedly to center themselves in front of their own camera… which is why I stop and offer to take their picture. I’m always worried it will result in an awkward conversation, or the person will follow me asking me to take another photo, or that (worse) I’ll do something and actually break their camera… but it never does. And it actually causes me less stress to offer a photo than see someone ten feet away obviously trying to work up the nerve to ask me. Afterwards I’ll think, what was the big deal?… and then some 80-year-old guy from Alabama will nab me near the Louvre and want me to help him buy a metro ticket.

Bothering to Mail Postcards. We have email, and cell phones. Some of us have Skype, and most of us have blogs. You can now send “digital postcards” from a variety of websites. So why do I find myself in line with many other befuddled tourists in a foreign post office as we try to figure out how much it costs to send where, and how? Apparently I’m not the only one who has a sentimental thing for a mass-produced piece of cardstock with barely enough room to describe what I did for the day, much less how I feel about it. But I know that card is going to mean the world to a parent or grandparent who can’t find the power button on a computer, much less remember to be by their phone at midnight Central European Summer Time (CEST) when I try to call.

Yes, it’s often a royal pain to figure out the local version of the Royal Mail. For example, I’ve asked three different Correo attendees in Buenos Aires how much it costs to mail a card to the U.S., and gotten three different answers. I’ve heard of people wasting a good afternoon of touring trying to track down the DHL service in Moscow only to end up at the rather inefficient and expensive local post office. And I’ve had my share of beautifully-written postcards simply never make it to their recipients. To be honest, I have mail postcards on my to-do list for every city right under look up local embassy and do laundry. Yes, it can be a chore, and a source of possible stress. Some things on a trip just are. But most of the time we find them to be well worth it.

Ever been late to a nice tourist attraction while you fretted over whether the postcard that fits into the little box would actually make its way across the ocean?

August 8, 2013 by Rita Hypnarowski

Travel, Terror, Strategy, and Luck

It’s August. I don’t need to know it’s high-travel season; I read your blog entries written from around the world every day. If you’re not on a trip right now, then you just got back from somewhere, or you’re ready to go abroad, or you’re thinking about it. This is the time of year when many of us most want and need a vacation. Summer is running out; students go back to school soon; the dreary months of the year seem depressingly near. Many of us wait until August to take our summer vacation because we had too much to do at home in June and July. We’re relieved to finally, finally be on our way. Then the State Department issues a travel alert… for the entire month of August. Do they call it a terror alert? No, they call it a travel alert. That makes us feel so much better, right? And yet do we sit on our passports and let the doubt and fear creep into our minds? From what I can tell, the answer is definitely no.

The anticipated targets are just vague enough, and just specific enough, to be infuriating. The embassies are closed across the Middle East and North Africa. But I’m not in the Middle East, you answer. Should I stay the heck away from the embassies in all the most popular European capitals because they might be threatened too? Well, we don’t know. It would be a “good idea.” It might be a good idea, too, if you weren’t on top of the Eiffel Tower at 3 pm on a beautiful afternoon. Or aboard The Eye in London the next evening. Or somewhere else insanely popular at an insanely popular time. The point is, there are lots of ways to minimize that thing we call personal risk. Personal risk is about reducing the chance that you’ll be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And what does it really add up to? Does something either happen or not, and we’re along for the ride either way?

The questions really is, does a travel alert actually change our behavior? I’ve talked to tourists who won’t take a direct flight across the United States because they believe there will be a repeat of the 9/11 attacks. They will lay over in Toronto on a flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., and then tell me how much safer they feel when they land. I’ve talked to other people who won’t stay in any kind of large chain hotel overseas because they think that an independent or locally-owned hotel won’t be targeted. I’ve been on board a flight from Paris to London that was running three hours late, and the people next to me didn’t complain once because they would rather sit on the tarmac all night rather than deal with the stress of riding through the oft-threatened Chunnel.

Personally, the travel alert isn’t going to change my plans to fly into Istanbul next month. The fact that Turkey isn’t on the Middle East and North African “danger list” hasn’t inspired me to keep my plans. I just don’t think anything’s going to happen to me. I trust my instincts, my common sense. I trust in my vigilance to notice my surroundings, to know when something’s “wrong,” and to be a small part of preventing a tragedy. Is this arrogant? Yes, I think so. It distracts me from the idea that I believe in my own luck to save me from a serious incident abroad. Am I alone in believing this? No, I don’t think so.

Most of us will use the travel alert to reduce our personal risk. We might choose to travel “smaller,” travel more quietly. We’ll travel “smarter,” whatever that means, and keep an eye out. The more cautious among us will stay the hell out of and off “popular” destinations and routes, and go to bed thinking about how there’s no strategy for luck. The more brazen among us will feel more relaxed and invigorated after 2,000 miles on a Eurail pass without seeing a single nervous-looking security guard. That’s 2,000 more miles without incident… ha! And we’ll keep going, and going, and going.

If nothing happens this month, then we’ll all feel lucky, and we’ll love traveling (and in one sentimental figurative embrace, the world) even more than we do now. If something does happen, then we’ll rage over it, we’ll adjust, we’ll wait, and head right back out. With a more watchful eye this time.

When I was in Russia in late June, I didn’t say anything to anyone about the two unattended bags below the Olympic countdown clock. Now, I would. Would it make me feel any safer?