The holidays mean many things to many people, but the main theme of the season seems to center around one thing: family. People visit their parents and relatives, families assemble in large numbers, and everything is organized around getting everyone together. This is all fine and dandy if you have a typical family, but there is...
Often when I visit the United States and people learn that I don’t live there anymore, they want to tell me about their own goals to visit other countries and see the world. I hear some pretty extreme plans from some people: “I want to go to Paris just for a one-day shopping trip,” or, “I...
One of the things people are always curious about when they come to Turkey is the Turkish bath. Many even mention that they have seen Turkish baths in their own home towns, but were always too afraid to try it out. Your first visit to a hamam (as the locals call it) can be intimidating, but...
Sometimes it’s just impossible to bring your dog or cat with you when you travel. If you need to go cross-country, days traveling in a car isn’t the best thing for your pet, and flying them on a plane can be very expensive and traumatic for both them and you. Our furry little friends have become...
When you work in the tourism industry, as I did for many years, you learn to be able to distinguish the seasoned travelers from the rookies, on sight. The experienced globe-trotter has packing down to an exact science. There is nothing lacking in what they’ve brought along, nor is there even one item extra. Everything has...
Maybe you need a break, but going far away is out of the question. It’s expensive, there’s the issue of having to organize rental cars and hotels, not to mention the fact that flying anywhere is a huge hassle these days. Also, you only have two days off from work, and you don’t want to spend...
For the past five years I’ve traveled cross-country from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle with my two children. The husband came with me sometimes, and I was calm and actually slept on the plane without any worries. Last summer, however, the children and I went alone. I was nervous. I chose an evening flight because I thought...
I used to be one of those people that would walk into my hair salon, get a great cut and then dread going home. Every time I’d get to the front reception desk I’d fidget and play with my keys, take them out of my purse, put them back in. I’d play with the stuff in...
