What if you could have your own personalized travel guide by Offbeat Guides which contained all the information you needed for the trip but without a lot of unneeded information.  Doesn’t that sound a lot better?

Well, you can. And the cost is in line with what you would probably being paying anyway for your travel research materials.  For less than the cost of many generalized travel guides, you can have one made to order for you and your trip.

And, the simplicity is stunning.  In five easy steps which can be done in under 5 minutes, you can order a travel guide personalized for you and specific to your planned trip.  You simply provide your destination, your current locations, your name, your travel dates, and if you know already, where you will be staying.  With this information a book with 100’s of pages of information is customized for you and your trip.

If this interests you,  check out their website and look over a sample guide.

This created quite a political stir, especially among those who are strong on immigrants to our country learning English.    Well, there just might be some truth to his statement.   There are some projections that show within the next generation more than 50% of the United States population will speak Spanish. So, apart from any political and emotional issues, learning Spanish might be to everyone’s advantage.

Travelers in particular can increase their enjoyment of their foreign visits by being able to communicate, even at an elementary level with the “natives”.   With Spanish being spoken in most countries in Central and South America (our closest neighbors),  learning Spanish would not only be an asset here but abroad as well.

I started learning Spanish on my own through a language record course (yes, I am old enough to remember records), and followed it up by formal classes and a summer’s stay in Mexico.  I polished up the language by spending a year living in Puerto Rico.

If you want to improve your communication in your travels and your daily contacts here in the United States, learning Spanish is an excellent way to do it. And, if you really get good at it, you will be amazed at how you even think differently.  To a great extent how we view our external world is  shaped by the grammatical structure of our native language.   Learning a second or third language expands our world view.

Having had the experience of learning the basics of Spanish on my own, I know that it is possible to do it through self-taught courses. If you get serious about learning Spanish I would recommend that you check out the course “Rocket Spanish Premium” .  Mauricio has included some of the latest language learning techniques in his course.  It can be purchased both in a downloadable internet version and a hard copy containing a 25-CD set.

Officially the United States does not allow dual citizenship.   This is stated clearly in the following section of the U.S. citizenship oath:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreigh prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen”

Some countries, like Canada, choose to ignore this renunciation and consider the new U.S. citizen as a citizen still of Canada also.

Why have dual citizenship?  For most people, it is not relevant.  For others it may be important because of the different regulations on right to work,  vote, or have property rights in these second countries.    Being a dual citizen can have beneficial consequences or may create dual headaches.  Whether being a dual citizen is right for you can only be answered by you and your circumstances.   If you think having a dual citizenship is something that would work for you, check with an attorney that specializes in such matters.   It is definitely not a “do-it-yourself” project.

“Closed Loop” Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

If you travel on a cruise from Miami to Los Angeles, you will still need your passport.  But if you take a round-trip cruise from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, even though you stop in Mexico, you don’t need a passport.

It is always best to carry your passport with you.   You never know when you might need it.  It is still the best form of identification a traveler can carry.

You can plan or book your next cruise by internet at my personal travel agent site (come browse around).

Relax in a comfortable campsite;  Serenity Campground in Mentone, Alabama; in the middle of an azalea covered landscape, with fishing lake, easily accessible RV and tent camp sites, volleyball courts, and horseshoe pits. Every season brings new natural delights. Explore the surrounding areas; DeSoto State Park, Little River Canyon, Ft. Payne, Alabama; (home of the “Alabama Boys” singing group), the quaint historical town of Mentone, Alabama with less than one thousand inhabitants (451 in 2000 census), or range a little farther out to Lookout Mountain area near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Serenity Campground is located in a quiet wooded setting with reasonable rates, RV connections (water and power: 20, 30 & 50 amp) and tent sites with water and power. It has a covered picnic pavilion with power, lights, fans, water, and fire pit. It also has a bath house, horseshoe pits, sandbox for the kids, a volleyball court and a dump station.

It is on a private lake for fishing where no license required.

Well, here is the latest for members and prospective members of Clear.  It’s over! The home page of clear now reads as follows.

Clear Lanes Are No Longer Available

At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations.  Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.

How will this effect you? Flo serves over 15 airports.  Clear served over 20.   In some cases there was an overlap, but passengers at the following terminals prior to this decision were only served by Clear.  It is unclear (no pun intended) whether Flo will take up the slack in all of these.

Boston Terminal A;  Louisville; Newark-Terminals B1 & B2; New York-JFK Terminals 1,2,3,4 & 7; and New York-LaGuardia, Central Terminal B & Terminal D.  It is likely that Flo will be coming to all of these shortly.

Meanwhile,  for those 150,000 plus members of Clear, you are left holding the bag (literally), as you will now have to wait in line with everyone else.

It is a good idea to plan for the unexpected and this is the reason for your travel agent suggesting the purchase of travel insurance.  (Of course, they get paid for it just like they do for booking the trip).  Again there is nothing wrong with their suggestion or your purchase of trip cancellation insurance.  I personally have  purchased it at times and at other times have not.  When my wife had been ill and we had a 3 week trip planned for a visit to China a few years back, I felt it was a necessity to get travel insurance.  At the time of the trip she was fine and we did not need to use the trip cancellation insurance, but we were glad we had it.   Whether you need or buy the insurance  is a matter of personal preference and how important to you  the completion of your planned trip is.

Travel insurance serves many purposes and should be designed to meet your individual needs. Insurance plans are most commonly gotten by travelers going on single trips like cruises, tours, flights, etc.  For this purpose, a traveler usually gets a Package Plan which covers  trip cancellation, baggage, medical, dental, emergency evacuation, baggage delay, accidental death coverage, and often additional items.   But there are other additional types of travel plans you might wish to consider.

• Travel Medical Plans — Similar to the package plans but cover cover travel up to a year in length
• Flight Accident Plans — Flight accident plans, usually for a single trip
• Multi-Trip Medical Plans — Covers multiple trips, with individual trips having length restrictions
• Medical Evacuation Plans — Provide emergency medical evacuation to an appropriate care facility
• Business Package Plans - For individual business travelers and small companies with traveling employees
• Major Medical Travel Plans — For travelers going abroad for at least 6 months who need more permanent insurance
• Accidental Death Plans - Usually written for a specific trip

Each type of insurance may be underwritten  by various insurance companies.  You can research the types individually, looking up each insurance company who offers a particular type (not the best use of your time when preparing for a trip), or you can use a service which offers comparative plans from several insurers.  I have no vested interest or receive no compensation from the following website, but to me it offers a good starting point to began you comparison shopping.

Try InsureMyTrip.Com as  a source for getting comparative quotes from 18 (at the time of this writing) different companies which they represent.  You can get quotes and actually purchase the different types of travel insurance from this site or you can use it to gather further information.  The worst that can happen is that you become more educated on travel insurance.

Good luck on your travels and may the wind always be at your back.

“On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

CHILDREN: U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 will be able to present the original or copy of their birth certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card.

Groups of U.S. citizen children ages 16 through 18, when traveling with a school or religious group, social organization, or sports team, will be able to enter under adult supervision with originals or copies of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. See the Department of Homeland Security’s GetYouHome.gov for more information on the changing travel requirements.”

Make sure you are in compliance before finalizing your travel details.  Get or update your passport now.

• In the Americas - Panama
• In Asia - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• In the Caribbean - The Dominican Republic

If you would like to subscibe to her daily  Overseas Opportunity Newsletter email,  use this link.   I know from a recent trip to Panama that her analysis is right on target for the Americas.   I did two sites when I got back from my trip relating to my Panama Impressions and my visit to  El Valle de Anton.   Look them over when you get a chance.

Each of us has learned a certain set of values and habits by which we unconsciously and subconsciously live. Culture shock occurs when these values and habits are disturbed and things go contrary to our expectations.

There are numerous books that deal with the subject of cultural shock and adaptation and you should study at least one of these before you move to your new destination.

When I had my first experience as an expatriate on a two month extended educational tour of India, I thought I was immune to culture shock. Having recently graduated with my Ph.D degree in Anthropology, I thought that if you were aware enough of what culture shock was, you could anticipate it and avoid it. Boy, was I wrong!

The newness of the experience was fascinating to me and for the first several weeks, I could not get enough of the new visual and sensual experiences available to me. I loved the music. I loved the beauty of the countryside. I loved the beggars on the street. I loved the centuries old temples. And, I loved the colorful costumes of the locals as I traveled from State to State. I even loved the ever-present skinny cows who roamed freely about the city streets.

Then I arrived at the village where I was to participate in a two week seminar on Educational Change in India. The first few days were great. I dressed in my dhoti and other Indian clothing, walked on the left side of the street, and tried to fit in.

But then it happened. My intellectual discipline could no longer control what was happening. I woke up one morning in full rebellion. I could not take it any more. I dressed in my Western clothes. As I walked down the dirt road toward the seminar classroom, I consciously said to myself: “I am not an Indian, I will not walk on the left side of the road today”. My body and mind were rebelling against the local culture. I was experiencing culture shock. I knew what was happening but I could not control it.

Will your experience be as strong as mine, stronger, or maybe just a mild passing inconvenience? You can not know in advance. So, what can you do to prepare for the inevitable “culture shock”?

Before you go.

1. Make sure you know what to expect when you arrive. Run a google search on “culture shock” books; pick out some of the best, and study them. At least one publisher has a series of dozens of books on the customs and etiquette specific to certain countries. These are chock full of information that will aid you in preparing yourself for entry into your new culture.

2. Check out the publications of the U.S. Department of State on countries and their culture. The Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has an article specifically on “Culture Shock.”

3. Read the latest economic and political books dealing with your destination country. Don’t be surprised or shocked due to lack of background knowledge.

After you arrive. You will need to integrate yourself into your new culture as quickly as possible. Some simple items to emphasize follow.

1. Take care of yourself physically. Exercise and outdoor activity help here.

2. Get to know your neighbors and neighborhood. Social relationships tend to prolong or help you avoid culture shock.

3. Associate with other expatriates from your country and others. Being near the familiar helps to ameliorate the effects of the unfamiliar.

Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that culture shock in some form of other will at some point happen to you in your new country. Just being aware of what’s happening to you will help you through the experience.

*****************
E. Lamar Ross is an author, educator, internet entrepreneur, and international traveler. He has a special interest in training individuals for expatriate living http://www.expatriatetraveler.info and providing information on unique travel destinations . For more information on simplifying your application for Canadian Immigration, go to http://www.move2cnd.info

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lamar_Ross
*****************