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Page 1: Travel every day : transforming your life with the trip of a lifetime
Page 2: Travel every day : transforming your life with the trip of a lifetime

TravelEveryDay

TransformingYourLifewiththeTripofaLifetime

JohnEnnis

Page 3: Travel every day : transforming your life with the trip of a lifetime

Copyright©2015JohnEnnisAllrightsreserved.

ISBN:1502584093ISBN13:9781502584090

LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2014917718CreateSpaceIndependentPublishingPlatform

NorthCharleston,SouthCarolina

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Dedicatedtomywife,RuthBrown,forherperfectcompanionshipathomeandabroad;tomyfriendJohnEbel-Davies,foropeningmyeyestointernationaltravel;tomybrother,KevinEnnis,andmyfriendsMattHammond,Betina

Piqueras-Fiszman,ThierryWorch,forprovidingvaluablefeedbackthroughoutthisbook’sdevelopment;andtomyparents,DanielandPatriciaEnnis,for

encouragingmetoexploretheworld.

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WhyThisBookExists

Ihaveafull-timejob,ahousethatI’veinvestedalotinto,andalargegroupoffamily and friendswho are connected in variousways toRichmond,Virginia.Thusit’sachallengeformetotravelforanyextendedperiodoftime.ButIalsolovetoexperiencenewculturesandtoexpandmyawarenessoftheworld—thisbook contains my solution to the problem of how to travel every day whenyou’re connected to a specific place and can’t practically take to the road fulltime.I’veusedtheprinciplesofthisbooktoenjoynumerousinternationaltripsand to study a multitude of languages; they reflect years of experiences andlessons learned, sometimes with great effort or cost.My hope in writing thisbook is to share with you these lessons so that you can form your ownexperiences—withminimaleffortandcost.Thisbookrepresentsagreatpassionforme,andit’smypleasuretobeyourguideasyoulearntoTravelEveryDay.

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HowtoUseThisBook

TheTravelEveryDayapproachhasthreemaincomponents,thefirstofwhichislearning extensively about the culture of your destination. Language learningwillbeakeyaspectofthiscomponent,whichwe’llcoverindepth.Inparticular,Iexpect thatyou’llbehappy todiscover that language learning ismucheasierthanyouwere led tobelieve inhigh school.The secondcomponentofTravelEveryDayistheextensiveplanningprocessthatleadsuptoactuallytakingyourtrip,andthethirdcomponentisyouractualtrip.ThesecretofTravelEveryDayis that by using your trip to motivate your cultural learning, planning, andeducation,you’llnotonlymakeyourtripfantastic,butyou’llmentallytraveltoyourdestinationeveryday.

Toget themostoutof thisbook, I recommendyouread it in itsentiretybefore finalizing your travel plans. Each chapter begins with a portion of thefictional journey ofMark andHannahMacDaniel,who plan a trip toHollandusingtheTravelEveryDayapproach.Theirstorywillhelpmaketheconceptsofthebookmoreconcrete.ThestoryofMarkandHannahistheninterspersedwithmyownadviceonhowtobestplanyourtrip.Attheendofeachchapterisanexercise, called a “Mental Voyage,” that I recommend you do at the time ofreading,withtheexceptionofthetenthandfinalMentalVoyage,whichshouldbedoneafteryourtripiscompleted.

ANoteonthePicturesinThisBook

All of the pictures contained in this bookwere taken either byme or bymyfriendson someof thevarious trips I’vebeen fortunate enough to experience.Noneofushaveanyspecialphotographictraining—thisisjusthowbeautifultheworldis.Wehopeyouenjoytheshow!

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Contents

Chapter1ANewBeginningChapter2WindowShopping:PickingYourDestinationChapter3TwoHeadsareBetterthanOne:FindingaQualityTravelPartnerChapter4WhenandHow:TheChallengesofTimeandFinanceChapter5LanguageLearning:ANaturalActivityChapter6Commitment:TheMagicalEffectofBuyingPlaneTicketsChapter7PreparingforYourTrip:TravelEveryDayChapter8ATripofaLifetime:MakingtheMostofYourAmazing

ExperienceChapter9BumpsintheRoad:OvercomingChallengesAlongtheWayChapter10TheJourneyContinues:NewDirectionsorRevisitEveryDay?Appendix1RecommendedResourcesAppendix2PictureIndex

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Preface

I’ll always remembermy firstmajor international trip. It transformedmy life,butIonlybegrudginglyagreedtogo.MyfriendJohnwasplanningagraduationtrip toEngland, Italy,France,Spain, theNetherlands,Belgium,and theCzechRepublic for himself and several of his friends. Iwas finishing up a graduatedegree in mathematics, and the last thing I wanted to do was think aboutanythingotherthanmyJune4defensedate.Johninvitedmetojoinhimonhisadventure,andIdeclined.Unperturbed,JohnaskedifIwouldtakehimtoshopforabackpack forhis trip,and Iagreed.Thestorehewanted togo towasanhourawayand,theentirewaythere,Johndidnothingbuttalkabouthisplans.He told me about the café culture in Rome, the art in Florence, and thearchitectureinBarcelona.Hetoldmehecouldn’twaittorideabicyclealongacanal inAmsterdam.AlthoughmyparentsarefromIreland,andIhad lived inIrelandwhenIwasveryyoung,Ihadneverbeenoutofthecountryasanadultand I didn’t appreciatewhat Johnwas talking about.What I could appreciate,though,washisenthusiasm.Johnisaveryexcitableperson,buthisexcitementinthiscaseexceededanythingI’dseenbeforefromhim.Asourdrivewenton,IbegantothinkJohnmightbeontosomething.Bythetimehebegantoshopforhisbackpack,Iwasclosetobeingsoldonjoininghim,andwhenwewalkedoutof thestore togetheronthatbeautiful,sunnyafternoon,Ihadmorethananewbackpack ofmy own; I had also begun to open a door thatwould eventuallyallowanunbelievableamountoflifeintomyworld.

I’ll always be grateful to John for helpingme open that door. Travelinginternationally is, inmy opinion, one of life’smost enriching activities. Sincethat amazing trip with John, I’ve traveled internationally numerous times and

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havemadetravelingamajorpartofmylife.EverytripI’vebeenonhastaughtme lessons—some major, some minor, but all important to some degree. Inparticular, I’ve learned that planning a trip to an international destination andthenorganizingmy life around thepreparation for that trip, partlyby learningthelanguageofmydestination,helpscompletemeasapersonandconnectmeto theworld.Everyday, forme, isa little journey tomynextdestination,andthisfacthasmademylifeimmeasurablymoreenjoyable.Andevenbetter, thisenjoymenthasbeenmagnifiedwhenI’vebeenabletoincludepeopleIloveonthesejourneys.

Thisbookaims todo foryouwhatmyfriendJohndid forme. Iwant tohelp you open the door to theworld, and it’smy pleasure to sharewhat I’velearnedwithyou.

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JohnEnnis

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Chapter1

ANewBeginning

Travelismorethantheseeingofsights.Itisthechangethatgoeson,deepandpermanent,intheideasofliving.

—MiriamBeard

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8:35a.m.,July1,Richmond,VA

WhatcouldMarkdo?Hehadfeltstuckinhislifeforsometimenow.HewasofcoursefortunatetohaveadependablejobasasoftwareengineerandalovingwifeinHannah,buthehadbeenfeelingforawhilethatsomethingwasmissing.Hejustwasn’tsatisfiedwithhislifeofwritingsoftwarecode,goingtothegym,cominghometoeatdinnerwithHannah, thenwatchingTVandfallingasleep.Forsometimenow,hehadfeltlikeapassengerinhislifeinsteadofthedriver.AshearrivedathisdeskthatmorningatIntegratedSoftwareSolutions,heputhiscoffeedownandflippedthemonthfromJunetoJulyonhisofficecalendar.July1—anotherhalfyearcompleted.Helookedatthecalendar,withitsimagesofpalmtreesandsunshine,withakindoflonging.Hislifehadbeenthesamefortoolong.

9:10a.m.,July1,Midlothian,VA

Hannah was just as unhappy as Mark, if not more so. Her job at TheSophisticated Gourmet Catering was comfortable, but it wasn’t fulfilling. Shelovedherhusband,Mark,whomshehadmetincollegealmosttenyearsbefore,but she felt their relationshipwasgetting stale.And though theyneeded somenewenergyintheirlives,theydidn’tyetfeelreadytohavechildren.

AsHannahremovedherbagatworkthatmorning,herboss,Angela,cameuptoher and said, “Hannah, there’s someone new working with us today.” Shepointedtoatallanddistinguishedgentlemanalreadyatworkinsidethekitchen.HelookedupandmotionedakindofgreetingtoHannah.“HisnameisJandeGroot, and he’s very nice. He’s an old friend from the Netherlands who’svisitingforafewweeks.He’llbehelpingoutinthekitchenwhilehe’shere.”

“Well, this is something new,” thoughtHannah as shewent over tomeet thekindly-looking gentleman.“I’mHannahMacDaniel,”Hannah said. “Should IcallyouMr.deGroot?”

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“Thatwon’tbenecessary,”thegentlemansaidwithasmile.“Janwillbefine.I’dshakeyourhand,butasyoucansee, I’mcoveredwith flour!AndIshouldreally get back to the biscuits. But I’m very pleased to make youracquaintance!”

Hannah smiled to herself as shewent back to talk to Angela and receive herassignmentsfortheday.TherewassomethingverypleasantandlightaboutJan.Heseemedsohappy.HannahhadheardthatDutchpeoplewereveryfriendly—whatcouldshedotobringsomeofthatlightnessintoherownlife?

In theUnited States, vacations are often something separate from regular life.Thesevacationsareenjoyable,buttoooftentheyfadeinourmemorieswithoutleavinganylastingeffectsonourlives.Forexample,beforeIlearnedtoTravelEvery Day, I visited the Bahamas twice with no discernible effect on myworldview:itwasanicebeach,nothingmorenorless.Mygoal inwritingthisbook is to showyou thatmuchmore is possible. Iwant to help youplan andenjoyaninternationaltripinsuchawaythat1)everydaybecomesatriptoyourdestination, 2) the trip itself becomes a life-changing experience, and 3) thememoryofthetripstayswithyouforever,allowingyoutomentallyrevisityourdestinationwheneveryouchoose.

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MentalVoyage#1

Closeyour eyesand thinkof threecountries that you’ve eitheralwayswantedtovisitorwouldlovetoreturnto.Ineachcase,imagineyourselfinaparticularplace in eachcountry,whether thatplacemightbe thetopoftheEiffelTower,arooftoprestaurantinAthenswithaviewoftheParthenon, or a spicemarket inMorocco.As you imagine yourself ineachcountry,movethrougheachofyourfivesenses.Beginwithseeingthesightsaroundyou.Thennoticethewaytheairfeelsonyourskin—isit hot or cool, humid or dry? Notice the sounds in the air, either ofnatureorofthenativespeakers.Imaginethatyouunderstandthewordsyouhearinthenativelanguage.Istheremusic?Andfinally,absorbtheforeignsmellsandtastes,allowingyourselftobecomefullyimmersedintheexperience.

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Chapter2

WindowShopping:PickingYourDestination

Twenty years from now youwill bemore disappointed bythe things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. Sothrowoffthebowlines,sailawayfromthesafeharbor.Catchthetradewindsinyoursails.Explore.Dream.Discover.

—MarkTwain

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Precariouslybalancingthegroceriesonherknee,Hannahmanagedtogetherkeys out and open the door just in time to prevent disaster. As she put thegroceries downon the kitchen counter, she remembered thatMarkwas at thegymtonightandwouldn’tbehomeforanotherhour.ShedecidedtohopontheInternetandfindsomevacationideastobringupwithhimwhenhegothome.

Thedestinationthatyouchooseforyourtravelswillbeveryimportant.AsyouTravelEveryDay,you’ll immerseyourself inthecultureandlanguageofyourchosendestination,soyou’llwanttobesuretochooseaplacethatcapturesyourfullattention.Herearesomekeyquestionstoaskyourself:

1. IfIcouldhavebeenbornanywhereelseintheworld,wherewouldIhavelikedittohavebeen?

2. Whatforeignsceneryinmovies,ontelevision,orinbookshasreallymovedme?

3. Whichforeigncharactersinmovies,ontelevision,orinbookshaveIbeenmostinspired,entertained,orimpressedby?

4. Whichforeigncuisine,drink,music,dance,orliteratureappealstomemost?

5. WhenIclosemyeyesandimaginemyselfinaforeigncountry,wheredoIfindmyself?

Forexample,herearemyanswerstothesequestions:

1. SomewhereinScandinavia,suchasDenmark.Forthisreason,whenIhadtheopportunitytovisitCopenhagenforwork,IleaptatthechanceandspentthemonthsbeforemytrippreparingsothatthethreedaysIhadtherewouldhavethemaximumeffectpossibleonme.And,asisalwaysthecasewithTravelEveryDay,Ihadawonderful

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tripandconnectedwiththeDanesImetinawaythatsimplywouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutmypreparation.

2. TwomoviesthathavealwayscaptivatedmehavebeenToCatchaThiefandRomanHoliday.ThefirstoftheseinspiredmetotakeadaytriptoMonacofromNice,toglimpsethehigh-lifeontheFrenchRiviera,whilethesecondiscurrentlyinspiringatripwithmywifetoRome.

3. Asachild,IwasimpressedbythehardinessoftheSwisschildrengrowingupintheAlpsinthecartoonBelleandSebastian.AlthoughI’vevisitedSwitzerland,IhaveyettofullyexperiencetheSwissAlps—forthisreason,IplantosomedayhiketheHauteRouteinSwitzerlandandFrancewithmywife.

4. Braziliandanceandmusichasalwaysappealedtome,andwhenIvisitedRiodeJaneiroImadeapointtospendanightdancingSamba.BeingsurroundedbytheenergyofthecrowdandthemusiciansopenedmetoawildenthusiasmIhadn’tfeltbefore.

5. IwillalwayscherishthememoriesoftravelingthroughTuscanybytrainwithmyfriendsfollowingmygraduationfromgraduateschool.ItispartlyforthisreasonthatI’mplanningthereturntriptoItalynowthatImentionedabove.

Awell-conceivedandwell-plannedtripwillaffectyouonadeeplevel,andyouhave an opportunity to decide in which way you’d like to be affected. Forexample,would you like to bemore relaxed, like theBrazilians;more social,likethePortuguese;moresophisticated,liketheFrench;ormoreeasygoing,likethe Italians? Ifyou’renot sure,herearesome thingsyoucando tohelpguideyourchoice:

1. Rentanumberofmoviessetinthevariousplacesyou’reconsidering,preferablyinthelanguagesofthedestinations.Fornowyoucanwatchwithsubtitles,buteventuallyyou’llbewatchingmoviesliketheseintheoriginallanguageonly.Keepthatfactinmindasyouwatchtohelpguideyourdecision.

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2. Visitthebookstorenearyouwiththelargesttravelsectionyoucanfind,andallowyourselftofreelywander.Relaxandnoticeifthere’sanyareainthetravelsectionthatyou’renaturallydrawnto.

3. VisitthemusicsectionofyourlocalbookstoreorusetheInternettosamplemusicfromthevariouscountriesunderconsideration.Besurethemusicisinthelanguageofthecountry.Determineifanyonestyleofmusicparticularlyappealstoyou.

At the end of this search, if you still aren’t able to pick one country out ofseveralthatyoumightbeinterestedin,writedownyourlistofdestinationsandkeep it inmindasyou read the remainingchaptersof thisbook.Asyou learnmoreandmoreofthetechniquesthatfollow,you’llfindyourselfbeingnaturallydrawn toonedestinationover theothers. Just pay attention to thedirection inwhichyourmindtendstomove,andyou’llknowyourdestinationsoonenough.

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MentalVoyage#2

In this voyage we’re going to determine a list of three potentialdestinations.Forthisitwillbeusefultocreateatraveljournaltobegintocataloguethecreationofyourtrip.Eventuallyyou’llusethisjournaltohelpcreateyouritineraryandtomakemoreparticularplansforyourtrip. But for now, find an appropriate notebook and go through thevarious stepsdescribed in thischapter tonarrowdownyourchoiceofdestinationstothree.Writeasmuchoraslittleasyoulikeinyourtraveljournal,butbesuretowritesomethingabouteachpossibledestination.As you write about each place, be sure to use the virtualizationtechniquesdescribedinMentalVoyage#1tomakeyourthinkingabouteach destination as real and as personal as possible. To add to therichness of the experience, you may choose to decorate your traveljournal.

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Chapter3

TwoHeadsareBetterthanOne:FindingaQualityTravelPartner

Ajourneyisbestmeasuredinfriends,ratherthanmiles.

—TimCahill

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Markwassoexhaustedhecouldbarelyholdhiskeystolethimselfin.AtleastitwasHannah’sturntocook;heguessedsomethingdeliciousawaitedhimontheothersideofthedoor.Openingit,thearomasthatgreetedhimtoldhimthathewasright.EventhoughHannahhadadegreeinpoliticalscience,shehadlonghadaninterestincookingandseemedtoalwaysbelearningnewthingsatwork.Fromthesmellthroughouttheapartment,MarkguessedthatHannahhadmadesomesortofmeatloaf.“Wow,that’sgreat,”hethoughttohimself.“Theperfectpostworkoutmeal.”

“Honey,I’mhome!”hecalledoutashesethisthingsdownnexttotheirlivingroomsofa.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Hannah smiled as she walked out of the kitchen. “You’llneverguesswhatImadefordinner.”Shebeamed.

“Meatloaf?”Markguessed.

“Not exactly, but close,” Hannah teased. She seemed happier than usual.“Guessagain.”

“Beefstew?”

“No,butcloser.”HannahnoticedMarkwastiringofthegame,soshegavein.“I’ll tell you. It’sa traditionalDutchdishcalled stamppot. It’sakindof stewmadefrompotatoes,vegetables,andbacon.IgottherecipeofftheInternet.Wewereoutofbacon,soIusedbeef,andwedidn’thaveanysauerkraut, like it’susuallymadewith,soIusedspinachinstead.Butwehadcarrotsandalotoftheseasonings,andIhavetosay,it’sreallygood.Ican’twaitforyoutotryit!”

Hannah’s energy was a little high for Mark in his postworkout daze, but helovedherverymuchandcouldtellthismealhadsomespecialvaluetoher.Sohesmiled,summonedasmuchenthusiasmashecouldmuster,andsaid,“Thatsoundsgreat,sweetie.Letmejustputafewthingsaway,andthenI’llbehappytotryitwithyou.”

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Aswithmostactivitiesinlife,travelingisusuallyenrichedbytheinvolvementofsomeoneclosetoyou.Havingatravelpartnerwhosharesyourvaluesmeanshaving a partner with whom you can easily share new experiences. Althoughtypicalvacation traveling isalreadyenrichedby the involvementofothers, thetechniques of Travel Every Day will make your travel partner immeasurablymore valuable, and hence your choice of travel partner immeasurably moreimportant.Forexample,byfindingtherightpersontoplanyourtripwith,you’llhave someone with whom to practice learning a new language, to watch anddiscussmoviesfromtheforeignculturethatyou’vechosen,todiscussandplanthedetailsofyourupcomingamazingadventure,and toengage inmanyotheractivities thatwillbedescribedin thepages tocome.Althoughtravelingalonecan be valuable from the standpoint of personal development, the goal withTravelEveryDayistomakeeverydayamentalvoyagetoyourdestination,andyou’ll find this goalmuch easier to attainwhenyouhave someone to share itwith. Together, you and your travel partnerwill create aminiature version ofyourdestinationhereathome,bothmentallyandphysically,andyou’llfindthatevery interaction between the two of you will bring the energy of yourdestination intoyour lifenowrather than later.Moreover, this effectwillonlyincreaseastimegoesonandthetwoofyoubecomemorecomfortablewithandknowledgeableaboutthelanguageandcultureofyourdestination.

Anotherbenefitofhavingawell-chosentravelpartneristhatplanningandconductinga life-changing trip togetherwillconnectyouandyourpartneratadeeperlevelthanyoumayhaveotherwisethoughtpossible.Thefundamentalsofculture,suchas language learning, food, traditions,artandmusicappreciation,participation in festivals and dance, and so on, are all central components ofwhatitmeanstobehuman.Assuch,sharingtheseexperienceswithyourpartnerwillbringthetwoofyoutogetherinafundamentalway.Youwillconnectwithyourpartner throughyourdailymentalvoyages toyourdestinationduring theplanningperiod,throughthesharingofrichculturalexperiencesduringthetripitself, and finally, through the shared memories that you’ll be able to enjoytogetherfortherestofyourlives.

Now, you may have noticed that throughout the discussion so far, I’veconsistently used the term “partner” and not “partners.” A very reasonablequestion is “What about travelingwithmultiple people?”The response is thatwhile traveling with a group can be beneficial, and can even provide anadditional level of security, depending on your destination, traveling with

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multiplepeople also adds a levelof complexity to the trip that can sometimescreatealessthanidealplanningandtravelingenvironment.Twokeyquestionsarehowclosethefriendshipsintheproposedtravelgroupare,andhowskilledthemembers of the group are atworking together. If you do decide to plan agrouptrip,besurethateveryonehasthefollowing:

1. Sharedvaluesandinterests

2. Similartravelstyles

3. Financialreliabilityandtrustintheothermembersofthegroup

To have shared values means that everyone is interested in the same generalfocus for the trip.Whether that means everyone is interested in art galleries,enjoying the local cuisine, learning about the local history, or participating inlocalfestivalsisforthegroupmemberstodecide.Everyoneneedstobeonthesame general page, though, as to the goals of the trip, and it’s best to have adiscussion about the group goals as soon as possible to make sure the tripdevelopsaclearidentity.

As for similar travel styles, everyone in the groupneeds to agree on thepracticalandfunctionalcomponentsof the trip.For instance,doeseveryone inthe group enjoy walking around the chosen destination as much as possibleinstead of taking taxis, or vice versa? The preferred type of accommodationshouldalsobediscussed.Laterinthisbook,we’lldiscusslodgingindetail,butat the very least, everyone in the group will need agree on the sleepingarrangements.Similarly,eatingpreferenceshavetobeconsidered.Forexample,it would be challenging for a vegan to travel through Portugal with someonewhohasastronginterestinenjoyingfresh-caughtfishandlocalcheesetarts.It’sverypossiblethatbothtravelerswillenduplessthansatisfiedandthatthetripwill fall short of its potential, so it might be better for these travelers tobrainstorm additional travel plans until a mutually exciting option is found.Regardless of all these particulars though, take your time to choose travelpartnersandyou’llberewardedforyourpatiencemanytimesover.

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MentalVoyage#3

Whowillyourtravelpartnerorpartnersbe?Ifyouhaveanydoubt,takeoutyourtraveljournalandlistthreepotentialcandidates.Arrangetimestodiscusstheideaofarrangingatriptogetherwitheachperson.Asyoumake your list, write down the benefits and challenges you expect toarisefromplanningandconductingatripwitheachperson.Whenyoumeetwitheachpotentialpartner,talkaboutwhereheorshewouldliketogoand seehowcloselyhisorher ideascorrespond toyours. If thetwo of you find common ground, find out if your potential partner isinterested in learning about the culture and language of yourdestination.Explain that this trip is going to bemore involved than atypicalvacation,anddeterminetowhatextentyou’reinagreementwitheachofyourpotentialpartnersbeforeyoumakeyourdecision.Ifyoudofindmultiplepartnerswithwhomyouexpecttotravelwell,arrangeforagroupmeetingtoexplorethepossibilityofagrouptrip.

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Chapter4

WhenandHow:TheChallengesofTimeandFinance

Moneyisonlyatool.Itwilltakeyouwhereveryouwish,butitwillnotreplaceyouasthedriver.

—AynRand

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“That was delicious, sweetheart,”Mark said as he brought his dishes to thesink.“Ican’tbelievethatyoujustwhippedthatup.Howdidyouevenknowtolookfor—whatdidyoucallit,‘stampa’?—recipes?”

“It’scalledstamppot,baby,andIlookeditupbecausetodayatworktherewasa gentleman named Jan de Groot visiting us from the Netherlands. He’s adelightfulman—sorelaxedbutdignifiedatthesametime.HestartedtellingmeaboutHaarlem,alittletownintheNetherlandswherehe’sfrom,andthatgotmethinking thatmaybe visiting theNetherlandswouldn’t be such a bad idea. SowhenIgothomeIstartedlookingaroundtheInternet,anditwasn’tlongbeforeIcameacrossapictureofstamppot.Idownloadedarecipe,andvoila!”

“VisitingtheNetherlands?”Markthought tohimself.Thiswasnew.MarkandHannahhadn’tbeenoutof thecountrysince theirhoneymoonin theBahamasseven years ago. “I suppose that means my passport is still valid,” Markthought,butthiswasn’tatallwhathehadexpectedfromHannahwhenhehadcomehomethatevening.NormallyHannahlikedtomoveinlittle,carefulstepsthroughlife,andifanything,shewastheoneintheirrelationshipwhotriedtoslowthingsdown.Wherewasthisallcomingfrom?

Markrealizedhedidn’tknowanythingabouttheNetherlands.Hehadheardofit,ofcourse,andhewasprettysurethatwaswhereDutchpeoplewerefrom,butthatwasabouttheextentofhisknowledge.“Whenwereyouthinkingwemightgo, Hannah?” Mark asked. “And how would we pay for it? A trip to theNetherlandssoundsprettyexpensive.”Markwasinterested,buthehadalotofquestions.

Typicallyspeaking,thetwomainchallengestravelersfacearethechallengesoftimeandfinance—themainstrengthofTravelEveryDayisthatitallowsyoutosimultaneously overcome both of these challenges. By finding value andenjoymentduring theplanningportionofyour trip,you’ll travel inavery realwayfromthemomentyoubegin toplan.Andbyplanninga tripofa lifetime,you’replacingabeaconinthefuturethatwilldrawyouforwardandhelpyoutomakemorefocusedchoices throughoutyour life, freeingboth timeandmoney

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formorefulfillinguse.

Practically speaking, traveling internationally can be expensive. And forthe typical traveler, it is expensive, because the vacation occurs outside ofregularlifeandthecostshavetobecountedoutsideoftheregularbudget.Butwhen you Travel Every Day, the considerations are different—you’ll betravelingtoyourdestinationforsomeportionofeverydayofyourregularlife.UsingthetechniquesI’lldescribeinthecomingchapters,you’llbeabletoeffectthis transformation not only mentally but physically as well, literally turningyourhomeintoalittlepartofyourchosendestination.Thusyou’llbeenjoyingyourvacationfromthetimeyoubeginplanning,whichallowsyoutodistributecostsoveralongplanningperiod.

Tomake thispointmoreclearly, let’suseaconcreteexample:Aten-daytrip for twopeople toMilan, Italy,withastandard-fareairline ticket,eatingathigh-endrestaurants,stayingataluxuryhotelinthecitycenter,takinginworld-class museums, relaxing in street-side cafés, visiting Da Vinci’sLast Supper,and attendingperformances at theworld-renownedLaScala opera house,willcostabout$7,000—anadmittedlystaggeringnumberformanytravelers.Whilethisnumbercanbereducedusingtipsdescribedlaterinthisbook,let’susethisnumberasaworst-casescenariosforourcalculations.Although$7,000isalargefigure,themathematicschangewhenweplanforthistripfortwoyears.Whenwedivide$7,000bythetwopeopleinvolvedandthe730daysofplanning,wefind that this life-changing trip toMilan,madeespecially richby theability tospeakItalianandtheappreciationofItalianculturethatyou’lldevelop,costslessthanfivedollarsaday.And,unlikeordinarysavings,inwhichwehavetodelaygratificationwhilewebuildresources,withTravelEveryDayeveryoneofthesepreparationdayscanbealittletriptoItaly—youcanenjoyyourtripmanytimesoverwhileyousave!

AsecondwaythatTravelEveryDayhelpsyoutomeetthechallengesoftimeandfinancesispsychological.Asagenerallifeprinciple,committingtoalargegoalhasagalvanizingeffectandtendstodrawallotheraspectsoflifeintofocus.Planningatripofalifetimeisnodifferent:you’llfindthatonceyouplacethe triponyourcalendarandbegin to imagineyourselfasalreadybeing there,lifewill takeonanadditionallevelofmeaning,andyou’llmakemorefocuseduseofboth timeandmoney.Ifyouknow,forexample, thatyouhaveaweek-longtriptoRiodeJaneiroplannedthatincludesparticipationintheNewYear’sEvecelebrationonCopacabanabeach,climbingthePãodeAçúcar,andvisitingacoffeeplantationtotastecoffeethatwasgrownandroastedonpremises,you’ll

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find itmucheasier throughout theyear toavoidmaking impulsepurchases. Infact,dependingonyourcurrentspendinghabits,thispsychologicaleffectcouldactuallyallowthetriptopayforitself.

The impact of travel planning on time and self-management can also beprofound.Your lifewill be richer as a result of the new culture and languageyou’llbeabsorbing.Yourrelationshipwithyourtravelpartnerwillbecomemoretexturedwitheverydayofpreparation thatpasses.Youmayfind thatmanyofthedistractionsthatmayhaveonceconsumedyoursparetime,suchaswatchingtelevision,will lose their appeal andgradually fadeoutofyour life.You’llbemotivatedandstimulatedtolearnmoreaboutyourdestination,tofurtherexpandyour appreciation for its culture, and to develop your understanding of itslanguage. As a result, you’ll find yourself more fully engaged in your life,making choices throughout your life that serve you and your goals moreeffectively.

AfinalbenefitoftheTravelEveryDayprogram—andthemostimportantone,inmyopinion—isthatasaresultofthisincreasedlevelofengagementinyourlife,you’llbehappier.Infact,travelplanningisideallysuitedforachievinga pleasurable state of relaxed concentration. Every aspect of it, whether itinvolves learning about history or music or cuisine, relates to fundamentalhuman pursuits and, as a result, every human being has the capacity tosuccessfullyplanandconductalife-changingtrip.

The most fundamental human activity, and one that many peoplemistakenlythinktheyhavelittleornotalentfor,islanguagelearning.Inthenextchapter, we’ll learn why many people feel they have no talent for languagelearning,whythatfeelingismisguided,andhowlanguagelearningcanbecomeproductiveandenjoyable.

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MentalVoyage#4

Thegoalof thisvoyage is tocreateanadditional fivedollarsaday tomakeyour trippossible. Inyour travel journal,makea listofallyouroptional expenditures and take a hard lookatwhat is actually addingvaluetoyourlife.Ifyou’rereluctanttoexchangeanyoftheseitemsforthe life-changing experience that awaits you in another country, thenmakealistofalltheskillsyouhave,largeandsmall,thatwouldallowyou to create an additional five dollars a day. You could also lookaroundyourhouseandconsiderwhichitemsmighthavevaluetoothersbutaren’tcontributingtoyourlifeanylonger.And,asafinalstep,openanadditional savingsaccount toaccumulate the resourcesyou’llneedfor your trip. And regardless of the particulars of your finances,whenever saving becomes demanding, be sure to visualize how you’llusethemoneyyou’resavingduringyourupcomingtrip!

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Chapter5

LanguageLearning:ANaturalActivity

Languageshapesthewaywethink,anddetermineswhatwecanthinkabout.

—BenjaminLeeWhorf

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“I’lltellyouwhat,baby.Let’sfigureoutthedetailsofwhenwe’regoingtogoandhowwe’regoingtopayforittomorrow.”Hannahsmiled.“RightnowIjustwanttorelaxandenjoytheidea.Whydon’twehopontheInternetandlookupsomepicturesof theNetherlands, just toseewhatwesee?There’snopoint insweatingoverdetailsifwedon’tevenlikewhatwefind.”

MarksmiledtohimselfandthoughtthatHannahknewhimprettywell.Sheknewhewaslikelytogethimselfworkedupoverwhetherornottheycouldaffordthetripbeforeheknewwhetherornothewantedtogo.Shealsoknewthatoncehegotworkedup,hewaslikelytosaynowithoutknowingwhathewassayingnoto. “On the other hand,” Mark thought, “she knows that if she can get meexcited about the idea, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”Mark smiled andthoughttohimself,“Hannah’ssmart.”

“Okay,baby,”Marksaid.“I’malmostdonewiththedishes.Goaheadandfindsomewebsites,andI’llbethereinaminute.”

“Deal,” Hannah replied as she hopped up and raced into their office. OnceagainMarkthought,“What’sgottenintoher?”Hehadn’tseenhersoexcitedinawhile.Butitwasgoodforhimtosee,andhehadtoadmitthatherexcitementwasstartingtospread.

“Okay,sweetheart,I’mready,”Marksaidasheenteredtheoffice,holdingtwocupsofsteamingtea.“AndImadesomechamomileteaforustohelpussleeplater.”

“Great!”Hannahenthusedwithoutturningaround.Shehadalreadybeenatthecomputerforabouttenminutesandseemedengrossed.“CheckoutwhatIfound,Mark.It’sawebsitethatclaimstobeabletohelpuslearnDutch.It’scalledthePimsleurmethod.IcheckedoutthereviewsonAmazon,andtheyweresuper!”

“Whoa, hold on,” Mark laughed. “I thought we were just going to look atpictures of the Netherlands. I don’t even know if I want to go there yet. And

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don’tDutchpeopleusuallyspeakEnglishanyway?”

“Okay, you’re right.” Hannah realized she had been moving too fast. “Let’sbackup.Iwas lookingatpicturesandevenwatcheda travelvideobeforeyougothome.LetmeshowyouwhatIfound.”

MarkpulledupachairbesideHannah.Hewassohappytoseehowenergizedshewasbythiswholeidea.Hestilldidn’tknowforsurehowtheywouldpayforthis triporwhen theywouldgo,but just seeingHannah sohappywas reasonenoughforhimtoentertaintheideafornow.Sheturnedaroundandsmiledathim, then started to showhimpictures of beautiful canals,windmills, flowers,and art. As the night went on, the two of them began to learn about theNetherlands.

MarkwassurprisedtofindthattheDutchhadhadahugeinfluencethroughouttheworld,fromservingastheworld’sbanktoestablishingcoloniesasfarawayas North America, South Africa, and Indonesia. Hannah had already beenlearning about Dutch cuisine, but she didn’t know about the long brewingtraditionintheNetherlands.GivenMark’sfondnessforbeer,shewasecstatictofindthatDutchbeerisinternationallyesteemed.Thethoughtofthetwoofthemsittingtogetheratacanal-sidecafé,sharingabeertogether,appealedtothembothtremendously.AndneitherofthemhadappreciatedjusthowfamousDutchartis.FromRembrandttoVermeertoVanGogh,thelistofgreatDutchpaintersseemed to never end.Butwhat really soldMarkon the ideaof visitingwas aseries of travel videos theywatched together on YouTube. In every video, theatmospherewasoneofhappy,relaxedorderliness.“Tolerance”wasawordthatkeptcomingup,alongwithtermslike“easygoing,”“friendly,”and“open.”

“Okay,” Mark thought to himself, “this is what we’ve needed.” His ownexcitementwasstartingtoblendwithHannah’s.“Hannah’sright.”Henoddedtohimself.“Wecanfigureoutthedetailsofhowtomakethishappentomorrow.Butweneedthis.”

“All right,Hannah,”Mark saidout loud,“I’msold.Let’splan todo thisandlet’smakeithappen.”Hannahburstintoahugesmile,jumpedoutofherseat,andthrewherarmsaroundMark.Helaughed,holdingHannahoutinfrontofhimtoseeherbeaming.“Weneedtogotobed,”hesaid,smiling,“butbefore

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wedo,whydon’tyoushowmethatlanguage-learningsiteyoufoundearlier?Ifwe’regoingtodothis,wemightaswelldoitalltheway.”

A central component of Travel Every Day is language learning. For manypeople,theideathatanotherlanguagecanbelearnedisunbelievable.EspeciallyforAmericans,languagelearninghastypicallymeantattemptstomemorizeverbtables and obscure grammar rules. And after years of this painful process, ifstudentsarefortunateenoughtovisitacountryinwhichtheirstudiedlanguageis spoken, their experience is typically that everyone speaks so quickly theycan’tparticipateinanyreasonablycomplexconversation.

These observations are not new. In fact, to those who have grown uparound multiple languages, the problems of many American students seemperplexing. But in the United States, class after class of bright and curiousstudentsbecomeconvincedthatlanguagelearningisdifficult,whenitisactuallythemostnaturalactivityinwhichtheirbrainscouldengage.

The key difficulty with language learning in the United States is theclassroomemphasisonreadingandwriting,insteadofonspeakingandlistening.Although we as humans have some capacity to read and write in an abstractsetting,wehaveamuchgreatercapacitytospeakandlisteninasocialsetting.As you’ll find as learn your new language through conversations instead ofthrough reading andwriting,we in fact all have an innate talent for languagelearning,inmuchthesamewaythatbirdshaveaninnatetalentforflyingorfishhaveforswimming.

The ideas abovewere articulated and supported in 1963 in amonographentitled “Underachievement in Foreign Language Learning,” by an Americanlinguistic researcher named Paul Pimsleur. In this document, Dr. Pimsleurexplained how the classic American language-learning approach is certain toproducestudentswhobelievethatlanguagelearningisdifficult,wheninrealityit’s somethingwe’re all born to do.Fortunately, someofDr.Pimsleur’s ideashavestartedtoappearinclassrooms,withmoreandmoreclassroomsadoptingasocial-basedimmersionstyle,butforthoseofuswhoattendedschoolyearsago,thementaldamagewasdone, andnow themainchallenge forus is tobelievethat language learning iswithinour reach.With the remainderof this chapter,we’ll layout aprogram that an adultwith little tonobackground in languagelearningcanfollowtoattainafundamentallevelofcomfortwithanewlanguage

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andthebasicskillsneededtocommunicateeffectivelyinaforeigncountry.Whenbeginningtolearnanewlanguage,themostimportantconsideration

is enjoyment—if you aren’t having fun, youwon’t bemotivated for the dailypracticethat’ssoimportantforprogress.Forthesamereason,itneedstobeeasytofind the timefor learning.So let’sbeginwithadiscussionofhowlanguagelearningcanmosteasilybescheduledbeforereturningtoourfirsttopic,whichishowtomakesurethelearningwillbeenjoyable.

As far as finding time to study language, there is fortunately a happyintersectionbetweenpracticaltimelimitationsandourbrains’preferredmodeoflanguage learning. Specifically, our brains want, first and foremost, to learnlanguagesverbally.CombiningthisconsiderationwiththefactthattheaverageAmericanspendsclosetoanhoureverydaycommuting,it’sclearthatthecarisan ideal place to engage in language learning1. That said, a few additionalconsiderationsareinorder:

1. Most“learninyourcar”methodsareessentiallyworthless,inmyexperience.Typicallythesemethodsconsistoflittlemorethanrepeatingsomephrasesafterthespeakerorprovidingphraseswhenprompted.Inadditiontobeingboring,suchmethodsignorethefactthatlanguageexistsasatoolforsocialinteraction.

2. Drivingsafetyshouldbethehighestprioritywhenlearningwhiledriving.Thismeansthatbothhandsneedtobeonthewheelasmuchaspossible,andthelessonshouldnotbepausedatanytime.Somemethodswillencouragelistenerstopausetherecordingwhentheyfeelitnecessary,butthisisabadidea,firstlybecausepausingtherecordingtakesattentionofftheroad,andyouneedtobealivetogoonyourtrip.Secondly,pausingtherecordingisnotconsistentwithreal-lifeexperience:Onceyouarriveatyourtraveldestination,you’llfindthatnomatterhowwellyou’veprepared,youwon’tunderstandmanyofthewordsyouhear,butresponseswillstillbeexpectedinreasonabletime.Youwon’tbeabletopresspauseonlifetoformulateananswer,butinsteadwillneedtomakeeducatedguesses.Fortunately,withtherightkindofpractice,you’llfindyourselfcorrectasurprisingamountofthetime.

3. Asawkwardasitmightfeel,youreallymustspeakoutloudwhenyou’relearninganewlanguage.Theimportanceofthisconsideration

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can’tbeoverstated.Animportantpartoflanguagelearningistrainingyourmouthandvoicetomakenewsoundsinanintelligibleway.Thisisaphysicalskillthatcanonlybelearnedthroughpractice.

Now,asfortheactualprocesstofollowwhenlearninganewlanguage,beforeyou read anything in your new language, I recommend that you investigatewhetherthereisaPimsleuraudiocourseavailableinthatlanguage2.Dependingonwhichlanguageit is,Pimsleurwillhaveanywherefromtentoonehundredlessonsavailable,unlessyourdesiredlanguageisobscure.Infact, ifyou’reonthe fence regarding your choice of destination, you may wish to allow theavailability of lessons to help guide your final decision ofwhere to go.Also,both Pimsleur.com and PimsleurAudio.com offer the first lesson of eachlanguageasfreesamples,whichcanbeusefulbothasaninformationalandaninspirationaltool.

I need to warn you, however, that when you take your first Pimsleurlesson, you may be in for an uncomfortable experience. The lesson will beconducted entirely using audio, and you won’t have anything to look at. Theresult might be that you feel you have nothing to hold on to mentally. Thisfeeling is completely normal and is 100 percent a result of being raised withWestern-style education, where reading and writing are emphasized to anextreme.AnaturalfeelingthatmanypeoplehavewhenfirstbeginningPimsleuristhattheyare“visuallearners,”andthattheyneedtoseewhattheyarelearningin order to learn it. I myself had these exact thoughts, in fact. While thesethoughts may be true for other more visual disciplines like mathematics,language learning is fundamentally an auditory activity. Once self-professedvisuallearnersallowthemselvestomakesounds,evenifthey’reincorrect,theyfind that theirbrainsembrace thisnatural approach.While itmay take severallessons towake up the language-learning centers in their brains, these centerscan anddowakeup.Thereafter, language learningoccursmuchmorequicklyandenjoyablythaninpreviousattempts.

Sinceit’spossiblethatyou’llbementallyuncomfortableduringyourfirstlesson, I recommend that you make yourself as physically comfortable aspossible—forinstance,byeitherlyingonyourbedoryourcouch—andthatyoudoyourbesttoremovealldistractions.Don’tdothelessonsinyourcarjustyet.Insteadsetasidethirtyminutes,findarelaxingplaceinyourhome,turnoffyourphone,andtelltheothersaroundyoutopleasegiveyousomespaceforalittlewhile.

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Onceyou’vemadearrangementsandarereadyinarelaxedenvironment,start your Pimsleur lesson. Pimsleur will take you through imaginaryconversationsinyourchosenlanguage.You’llimmediatelylearntoaskpeopleifthey speak English, to say excuseme, and to say yes and no. Each lesson isthirtyminutes, andduringeach lesson,you’llonly learnabout tennewwords.You’ll learntomasterthosewords,however,bothinpronunciationandinuse.OverthecourseofyourmanyPimsleurlessons,you’llfirstbecomecomfortableparticipating in elementary, practical conversations beforemoving on to othercommonsocialinteractions.Asaresult,you’llgainahighlevelofproficiencyinthe basics of the language and,when your Pimsleur study is complete, you’llfinditveryeasytoassimilatemoreadvancedconceptslater.

SincetheauditorynatureofthePimsleurmethodmayseemunusual,hereissomeadditionaladvice.First,bewilling togo to thenext lessonevenwhenyouhaven’tcompletelymasteredthepreviousone.Manyoftheconceptswillbereviewed at the start of the next lesson, and giving incorrect answers is anessential part of learning. Additionally, by pushing forward to a new lesson,you’ll be keeping your learning fresh and interesting. This will keep youengaged andmake your learning fun. A second, seemingly contradictory, butactuallycomplementarypieceofadvice is tobewilling togobackandreviewpastlessonsonceanewlessoniscompleted.Thiscanbeveryhelpful,sinceanintegral part of language learning is developing skill in making the foreignsoundscorrectly.Makingsoundsisamotorskillthat,justlikeanyothermotorskill,requiresrepetitiontomaster.

Toresolvethisseemingparadoxofmovingforwardbutstillpracticingpastlessons, I recommend a technique called “backstitching”. The idea ofbackstitchingisthat,afteryoucompleteanewlessonforthefirsttime,yougoback and repeat at least one earlier lesson before advancing to the next newlesson.Forexample,youmightdothelessonsinthefollowingorder,withnewlessonsunderlined:

1213243546…

Backstitchingallowsyou to reviewcompletedmaterialwithout everdoing thesame lesson twice in a row. This approach keeps the lessons surprising andmakes themmorefun. Italsoprevents rotememorizationandencouragesyouractive involvement. If you need additional review, you can always go backfurther in the sequence once you’ve completed a new lesson. For instance,supposeyouwere following theaboveplan,but felt after lesson four thatyou

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neededmore review.Thenyoucouldgoback furtherand follow the sequencebelow,withnewlessonsunderlinedagain:

4235346457…

Thisparticularapproachrepeatseverylessonthreetimes.Sinceyou’retheonlyonewhocandeterminehowmuchreviewyouneedwhilekeepingyourlearningfresh, I suggest that you experiment with different backstitching plans—justkeepinmindthegeneralprinciplethatyou’dliketoavoiddoingthesamelessontwiceinarow.

To complete our discussion of the Pimsleur audio lessons, I stronglyencourageyoutocompleteatleastonelessonaday,withthelessonsevendoneinpiecesifnecessary.Forexample,ifyourdrivetoworkisonlyfifteenminutes,asmine is,youcandohalfofa lessonon theway there, andhalfon thewayback.ThisistheapproachIpersonallyfollow.Bymakingsuretocompleteonelessonaday,you’llallowyourbraintoconsolidatetheinformationeverynight.Infact,youmayevenbegintohavedreamsinwhichyou’respeakingyournewlanguage.Inanycase,though,whenyoudoatleastonelessonaday,you’llsoonnoticeadramaticchangeinyourcomfortlevel.

“Goedenavond, sweetheart. I’m home!” Hannah set her bags down as sheclosedthedoortotheapartmentbehindher.IthadnowbeenthreeweekssincesheandMarkhadbeguntoplantheirtriptotheNetherlands.HannahwasstillenjoyingthefactthatshecouldnowgreetherhusbandwiththeDutchversionof“goodevening.”

“Goedenavond,baby,”Markrepliedasheappeared from thekitchen,makingsuretomakehis“g”soundlikean“h”comingfromthebackofhisthroat.ThesoundsofDutchwerehardtomakesometimes,buthewasgettingbetteratthem.Practicingeverydayonthewaytoandfromworkwasmakingabigdifference.“You’re home earlier than I expected. Didn’t you have your women’s groupclasstonight?”

“Itwascancelled,andtobehonest,Iwasglad.There’ssomuchgoingonright

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now,Icouldusetheextraeveningjusttorelax.Howwasyourday?”

“Heel goed,” Mark replied with a smile, knowing Hannah would giggle athearing him saying “very good” inDutch. “Here, let me help you with yourthings.”MarktookthebagsfromHannah’sfeetandstartedtobringthemintothebedroom,whereshecouldsortthemoutlater.

“Dank u wel, meneer!” Hannah called in after him. “Thank you very much,sir,”wasprobablyalittleformalforhertosaytoherhusband,butitwaswhatshehadlearnedsofar,anditfeltgoodtosay.TodayhadbeenJandeGroot’slastday in town,andhehadhighlypraisedHannah’snewskill.According toJan, Hannah’s pronunciation was excellent, and he had no troubleunderstandingher.

But what Hannah was happiest about was how Mark had taken to learningDutch himself. Hannah had studied Spanish in college, so she had somebackground in languages.ButMarkhadonlybarelymanaged to fakehiswaythroughhigh schoolLatin, and thingshadgottenworse since then.Hehadn’tstudied languagesatall incollege,and ithadbeenachallengegettinghimtoeventrylearningDutchnow.Buthehadbeenagoodsportaboutiteventually,especiallyafterHannahmadeaspecialmealofstamppot,Dutchappletart,andimportedDutchbeer.HerealizedthatthistripwasimportanttoHannah,sohemade time to try the first lesson oneweekend, did it a second time, and thenstarted doing the lessons in his car.He seemed to be gettingmore andmoreconfident with his Dutch, and it was really fun when the two of them had achance to share their new skills with each other. Hannah was ecstatic to bedoing something specialwithMarkagain. She lovedhim somuch, and it hadbeenalongtimesincetheyhadconnectedoveracommonactivitylikethis.

“Pardon,mevrouw.”MarkpulledHannahoutofherreveriewithatoo-formal“excuseme,miss.”Thenheaskedherifshewouldlikesomethingtoeat:“Zouuietswilleneten?” It tookHannaha second toprocesswhathehadasked,butthenshesmiledandreplied,“Ja,zeker!”meaning,“Yes,certainly!”

“Well then, come on, sweetheart. I could use your help in the kitchen.We’retaking a break from Dutch food tonight, and I’m making pasta. Someday, Isuppose,we’lllearnItalian,andthenwe’llfinallyknowhowtosaythenamesof

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thosenoodles!”

“Yes, someday,” Hannah thought, quickly unbuttoning her jacket, eager tospendtheeveningwithherhusband.Awholenewworldwasopeninguptoher.

ThereisofcoursemoretolanguagelearningthancompletingallofthePimsleuraudio lessons inyour chosen language.ThePimsleur recordingswill giveyouexcellentpronunciationaswellasalevelofcomfort,butyou’llneedadditionalstudiestoreachconversationalfluency.Inaddition,althoughreadingandwritingare not as important as speaking and listening, theywill still be important onyourtripforreadingmenusandsigns.Theremainderofthischapterwilldiscussthesetwogoals:reachingconversationalfluencyandfunctionalliteracy.

For conversational fluency, you’ll need to understand grammar moreexplicitly than Pimsleur will teach you. But having completed Pimsleur, yourcomfortinyournewlanguagewillmakethegrammarmucheasiertolearn.Tokeeplearningauditorily,IrecommendtheMichelThomasmethodforyournextstep.You’llstartwiththebasics,butyou’llfindthattheMichelThomasmethodmovesmorequicklythanPimsleurandincludesmoretechnicaldetail.

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,MichelThomasfounditnecessarytolearnseverallanguagesquicklyinordertosurvive.Alongtheway,hedevelopedhisownsystemthatheusedfirsttobecomefluentinninedifferentlanguages,andlater to prepare many prominent figures—such as Grace Kelly prior to hermarriage to the prince of Monaco— for situations in which they would berequired to speak a foreign languagewith a certain level of ease. Later in hislong life, hemade his system generally available, and I recommend it as theperfectfollow-uptoPimsleurbecauseof itsemphasisonteachinggrammaticalstructures within the context of practical sentences. At time of writing, theMichelThomasmethodiscurrentlyavailable in twelve languagesandisbeingextendedtoothersastimegoeson.

If theMichelThomasmethodisnotavailable inyourchosen language, Irecommendanonlinesearchusingthefollowingguidelilnestoidentifyyourbestoptions.First,avoidrotememorizationasmuchaspossible—yourbrainwouldmuchratherlearnlanguagesincontext.Lookfortitlesthatrefertoconversation,and be willing to start from the very beginning of a new technique. MostmethodsmovemorequicklythanPimsleur,soatworstyou’llbereviewingonly

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for a short time; in all likelihood, you’ll be filling in gaps in your knowledgeveryquickly.

Forreading,onefactthatIhaven’tmentionedyetisthattherearetypicallyPimsleurdailyreadinglessonsthatcanbeusedoncethetenthaudiolessonhasbeencompleted.These lessonsareagoodplace tostart forbasic literacy.TheuniquefeatureofthePimsleurreadinglessonsisthattheyfocusonmatchingthewrittensymbolsofthenewlanguagewiththesoundsthatyou’vebeenlearningtomake,sowhenyoubegin,you’llbe learning tosaywordswithoutknowingwhat theymean.Thismay seem strange at first, but over timeyou’ll come toappreciate thewisdomof themethod,asyouralreadyverygoodpronunciationwillbecomeexcellent.Eachlessontakesaboutfiveminutestocomplete,andifyou’reworkingwith a partner, I recommenddoing the lessons separately firstand thenreviewing themtogether.Youcando the lessonsonedayandreviewthenext,iffindingtimeisachallenge.

Once you’ve completed all the Pimsleur reading lessons, you’ll be in astrong position to begin a book and/or CD series, an online course such asduoLingo, or a computer-based program such as Fluenz. You may wonder,though, why I haven’t discussed Rosetta Stone up to this point, given all thepublicitysurroundingit.Theansweristhat,whileRosettaStoneisvaluableasavocabularybuildingtool,ithasafewlimitations,inmyopinion,thatmakeitlessthan ideal for those starting in a new language. The first and most seriouslimitationisthatfromthefirsttimeyouuseRosettaStone,you’llseethewordsthatyou’relearningtopronounce:ifthelanguageinvolvestheRomanalphabet,this fact can interferewith the development of correct pronunciation in subtleways.AlthoughRosetta Stone does have techniques in place to helpwith thedevelopmentofacorrectaccent, it’sbetter toneverdevelopmispronunciationsin the first place.And evenwhen theRoman alphabet is not used, seeing thewrittenwordearlyinlearningcontinuestoplaceundueemphasisonreadingandwriting.ThesecondlimitationofRosettaStoneisthatit’snotpossibletoteachthe expression of important abstract concepts—such as “Do you speakEnglish?”—usingapicture-basedapproachuntilafairamountofknowledgehasbeen developed. And a third limitation which applies to any computer-drivencourseisthatRosettaStoneismainlydoneonthecomputer,whichcanbetimeconsumingandasourceofeyestrainforthosewhoalreadyworkalldayinfrontofacomputer.

The lastpoint I’llmakeregarding language learning is that,asyoustudyyour new language, you should actively allow yourself to be mentallytransportedtoyourdestinationwhileyoulearn.Thisoneactionwillprovideyouwithmanybenefits:you’llprovideacontextinwhichyourbraincanmoreeasily

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learnyournewlanguage,you’llmotivateyourself tostudy,andyou’llpracticedirectly for situations in which you’ll one day find yourself—but mostimportantly,you’llbehavingfun.LanguagelearningisacentralcomponentoftheTravelEveryDaytechniqueand,asyoustudyeveryday,you’llmentaltraveltoyour chosendestination. If youhavea travelpartner, speaking inyournewlanguagewithhimorherwillonlyintensifythiseffect.Inthenextfewchapters,we’ll discuss the planning of your actual trip but, for now, you can start toimagineyourselfasalreadythere.Enjoythetrips!

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MentalVoyage#5

Forthisexercise,logontoPimsleur.comandclickontheoffertotryafreelesson.You’llbegivenawiderangeoflanguagestopickfrom,sotryseverallessonsifyoufeelsoinspired.Whentryingtheselessons,besure to create an environment that will allow you to relax andconcentrate.Basedonwhat you learn in these experiments, youmightadjustyourchoiceofwheretogo.Afteryou’vesampledeachlanguagethat interests you, make notes in your travel journal describing howeachlanguagefelttoyou.Wasitsmoothorhalting?Wasitromanticorroughorlighthearted?Whatdidyoulikeordislike?Languagecontainstherhythmofculture,soassessyourtriallanguagesfullyandcarefully.

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Chapter6

Commitment:TheMagicalEffectofBuyingPlaneTickets

Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allowsvision, and gives us the right stuff to turn our dreams intoreality.

—JamesWomack

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“Areyousurethisisagoodidea?”Markwonderedaloud.“Idon’tevenknowifIcangetoffwork.”

“Mark,it’selevenmonthsaway.JusttellJimthatyou’llbetakingyourvacationthen. He’s got plenty of time to adjust.” Hannah was right, butMark hadn’ttakenaweek-longvacation inyears,andhewasnervousabout committing tosuch a large block of time. What if something came up while he was away?Almostreadinghismind,Hannahadded,“Andyoucancheckyoure-maileverymorningtoo,sweetie,justincase.Butnophonecalls.That’swherewehavetodraw the line. We’ll be on vacation, after all! Now let’s get back to pickingflights.”

It had been three months since Hannah and Mark had decided to go to theNetherlands.Afterlookingintotheseasonaltemperatures,theyhaddecidedthatlate July or early August would be best. They had been tempted to go in thespringtowatchthetulipsbloombut,sinceMarkwasworriedaboutmoney,theyhad decided to push their plans back by a fewmonths. Already, though, theywere finding that the financesweregoing toworkout.Hannahhadpickedupsome extra hours catering on the weekends, and Mark had gotten a goodresponse toanadhe’dpostedat the localcommunitycollegeoffering to tutorstudents inmathandcomputer science.Hewasonlydoingabout twohoursaweek,buthewasputtingallthemoneyasidefortheirtrip.

The biggest difference, though, had come from the commitment they made toeach other to avoid impulse purchases. Historically,Mark had a tendency toaccumulate books he didn’t have time to read, andHannah loved to start herdays with a Starbucks mocha on the way to work. Since they had startedplanning their trip, however, they were both finding it relatively easy to onlyspend theirmoney on essentials. Itwas a bit of a tough transition at first forHannah to give up her mochas, but she told herself that, when she was inAmsterdam,shewouldhaveall the treatsshewanted.Andmore thandrinkingmochas,sheplannedtoeatplentyofchocolate.Eversinceshehadreadaboutastore called Unlimited Delicious, where the chocolate was made on premiseswith flavors including rhubarb with candied ginger and caramel cayenne,Hannahwouldjustclosehereyesandimagineherselfthere.

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Andnowheretheywere,infrontoftheircomputer,contemplatingthe“purchaseitinerary”buttononthecheckoutpageofUnited.com.TheyhadfoundapairofreasonablypricedticketsleavingonaTuesdayinmid-Julyandflyingbackjustoveraweeklater,onthefollowingWednesday.Markhadaccumulatedenoughfrequent-flier miles through traveling for work that they would be able toupgrade to business class using his miles together with an additional fee.Everythingwaslinedup,butastheysattheretogether,readytocommittothetriptheyhadbeenplanningformonths,Markwasgettingcoldfeet.

The biggest decision you’llmake in planning your trip is the decision to buyyourplanetickets.Onceyourticketsarebought,therestofyourplanswillbegintofall intoplaceandyourtripwillbecomesuretohappen.For thisreasonit’snot unusual for last-second doubts to appear just before the plane tickets arepurchased.Inordertohelpallaysomeofthesepotentialpsychologicalconcerns,let’sstartwithadiscussionofhowtofindqualitytickets.Onceyou’reconfidentthattheticketsyou’reabouttobuyarereallytheticketsyouwant,it’llbecomeeasiertomakethecommitmenttomoveforward.

For starters, theTravel EveryDay approach is best suited to purchasingticketsfarinadvance.Thisfactmeansthatfindingalowprice,whileimportant,is not the only consideration. You’re planning a trip of a lifetime, so yourcomfortandconvenienceshouldbevalued justashighlyaspricewhen ticketsarepurchased—ifneedbe, thecostsofyour tripcan justbedistributedoveralonger timeperiod.For instance, supposeone itinerary involves a direct flightleaving in the late afternoon and returning in themidmorning,while a secondinvolves multiple stopovers and connections. Even if the second itinerary isseveral hundred dollars cheaper, the extra energy and time spent in transit,togetherwiththepossibilityofamissedconnectionandincreasedprobabilityoflostluggage,maymakethefirstitineraryabetterchoiceforyouevenifitmeansdelaying your trip by a few months to allow more time for your savings toaccumulate. From the standpoint of enjoying your trip as fully as possible, Irecommendmakingyour travel as comfortable and convenient as possible. Sowith comfort and convenience in mind, here are some recommendations forbookingyourflights:

1. Determineifoff-peaktimesoftheyearwillbejustasenjoyableas

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peaktouristtimes.ThisinformationcantypicallybeobtainedfromguidebooksorontheInternet.Sometimesoff-peaktimesareactuallypreferable,astheyallowyouachancetoseeyourdestinationinmoreofaneverydaylight,insteadofwhenitisoverrunwithtourists.Forinstance,mywifeandIoncetookatriptoMilanandVeniceforChristmasandNewYear’s.ItwasagreatchancetoexperienceItalywithouthavingtocompetewithcrowdsoffellowsightseers.

2. UseonlinetoolssuchasKayak,Adioso,andGoogleFlightstoresearchthepricesfortripsofvariouslengthsandatvarioustimesoftheyear3.Insomecases,youmaybeabletoreceivefarealertswhenpricesdropforaparticularroute.Ialsorecommendasimpleonlinesearchtolearnwhichairlinesflydirectlytowhichairports,toaidyouinyourquestforsavings.

3. Flyasdirectlyaspossible.Thistripisgoingtobeamazing,andyouwanttodoeverythinginyourpowertomakesurethatthetravelgoesassmoothlyaspossible.Themoreconnectionsyouhave,thegreaterthechancethatasmalldelaywillturnintoaseriousproblemandthatyourluggagewon’tarrivewithyou.

4. IncludeaSaturdaynightinyourtrip,ifpossible.ByincludingaSaturdaynight,you’lltypicallybechargedamuchlessexpensiveexcursionfareinsteadofabusinessfare.Andinadditiontoflightsoftenbeinglessexpensiveonthesedays,thefactthattheflightsarelessfullmeanstherewillbegreaterupgradeavailability.

5. Useairlinemilesorcreditcardpointstobuyorupgradeyourticketsifpossible.Bychoosingoneairlinetousewheneverpossibleforbothbusinessandpleasure,andbyobtainingthecorrespondingcreditcardforthatairline,it’spossibletoaccumulateareasonablenumberofredeemablemilesastimegoeson.Forexample,mywifeandIbothuseaUnitedMileagePlusVisacardwhereverpossible.Whichcreditcardyouchoosewilldependonpracticalconsiderations,suchaswhichairlinesserviceyourlocalairportmostthoroughly,butyourchoiceshouldalsobeinfluencedbythequalityoftheirfrequent-flierprograms.Formoreinformationonthistopic,IrecommendtheonlineforumFlyerTalk.Andfinally,awordtothewise,unfortunatelyalso

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basedonmyownexperience—Irecommendsettingupatimeeveryweekwhereyoulogonandpayoffthefullbalanceofyourcard.It’sveryeasytolosetrackofspendingwithacreditcardifyouonlypayitoffonceamonth.

“Idon’tknow,Hannah.Arewesurewewanttodothis?Wecouldjustsaveourmoneyandgotothebeachafewmoretimes.Youlikethebeach,right?”

Hannahwas having trouble believingwhat shewas hearing.Here theywere,havingputsomucheffort intolearningabout theNetherlands,andevengoingsofarastostartlearningDutch,andMarkjustcouldn’tbringhimselftoenternineteendigitsintothecomputerandclick“purchase.”Hannahstartedtopullaway,notsomuchtopunishMark,butbecauseshehadtobealone.Shewassohurt.Shefelttearswellingupinhereyes,andshedidn’twantMarktoseethem.She wanted him to go because it was a chance for them to share somethingspecial together, a chance to do something different after so many years ofstagnation. The last few months had been so wonderful, with the promise ofsomething life-expandingandnew in frontof themboth,but thatpromisewasevaporating,andHannahdidn’tknowwhere to turn.Shestoodup, turnedherfaceawayfromMarktohidehertears,andannounced,“Sweetheart,I’mgoingforawalk.Ineedtobebymyselfrightnow.”Andwiththatsheleft,asquicklyas she could. Shewasout thedoorbeforeMarkhad even finishedprocessingwhatwasgoingon.Andsomehow,whenshe left, theapartment felt especiallyempty. Something very alive had left the room, and Mark suddenly felt theweightofhowalonehewas.

“Why was she so upset, and why did she have to leave like that?” Markwondered. “Wasn’t I just being reasonable? She likes the beach. What did Imiss?”AndasMarksattherebyhimself,hethoughtbacktoallthefuntheyhadhad together over the past three months, making Dutch food together andexperimentingwith their newfound knowledgeof theDutch language.Hannahhadbeensomuchfuntobearound,andeventheirphonecallshadtakenonanextra dimension with their attempts to speak Dutch. The idea to go to theNetherlands had been Hannah’s, but Mark had to admit that he had beenenjoying thechange.Hedid feelanewenergy inhis life,whether itwas fromHollandorfromHannah,andnowthathewasalone,hestartedtowonderifhe

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wasn’tmakingaseriousmistake.Didn’theloveHannah,anddidn’thewanttosharesomethingspecialwithher?Whywashesoreluctanttobuythetickets?Ofcourse he could get the time off work.He hadn’t taken his full vacation timeonce in the past four years, and everyone on his team knew he was a hardworker.Whatwasheworriedabout?

And then he realized that he was afraid. This was new territory for himaltogether.Sure,hehadgottenboredwiththeho-humofhislife,butitwastheho-humheknewwell,and this trip to theNetherlandswasoutsidehiscomfortzone.AndthewayHannahwasplanningthetrip,theyweren’tgoingtobeableto float along on the surface once they got to Amsterdam, just visiting coffeeshops and touring the Red Light District. Hannah was already planning daytrips to areas where people might not speak English, and even withinAmsterdam,Hannah seemed to have her heart set on finding the “trueDutchexperience.”Shekepttalkingaboutaconceptcalled“gezellig,”aspecialkindofDutchcozinessthatshehadreadaboutanddesperatelywantedtofeel.Toherthistripseemedtobemuchmorethanavacationand,bybeingreluctanttobuythetickets,Markhadgivenhertheimpressionthathewasreluctanttobewithher.He thought about her and theway she’d been as happy as a child sincethey’dstartedplanningthistriptogether.Andthenhethoughtaboutthewayshehadlefttheroom,andsuddenlyhefeltincrediblysad.Helookedatthescreen,at the “purchase itinerary” button thatwas still hanging in front of him, andthought,“Icanalwaysaskformoretimeatwork,orIcanmakemoremoneyifIneed to, butwhat I havewithHannah is really irreplaceable.” So he thoughtabout his love for Hannah, he double-checked the itinerary and entered thecredit card information, and he clicked “purchase.” They were going to theNetherlands,andMarkfelttremendousrelief.

Forsome,thechallengeofbuyingtheplaneticketsisthemostdifficultpartofthe trip,more difficult even than finding themoney or time. By buying yourtickets, you’remaking a statement to both yourself and theworld that you’recommittedtoyourtrip.Onceyourticketsarepurchased,you’llhavenochoicebut to create the time and money needed for your travels. You’ll also findadditionalmotivationtolearnyourforeignlanguageonceyourdeparturedateismarked on your calendar. It’ll be easier to imagine yourself in your chosencountry, and you’ll find yourself naturally wanting to learn more about your

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destination.Aboveall,you’llknowthatyou’retakingactivestepstoenrichyourlife.

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MentalVoyage#6

It’s time to start pricing out tickets and to determine both the bestitineraries and the best times to go. As a starting point, log on to thetravelwebsiteofyourchoiceandbegintoexploreyourdifferentairportandairlineoptions,togetherwithdeterminingthebesttimesofyearforyour trip.Make notes as appropriate in your travel journal. If you’vealready purchased guidebooks, begin to match up the seasonalinformationgivenin themwith thepricinginformationthatyoufindinyour ticketsearch.Ifyouhavea travelpartner,arrangea timefor thetwoofyoutogettogethertoreviewanddiscussyourfindings.

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Chapter7

PreparingforYourTrip:TravelEveryDay

In desiring, the more the enjoyment is delayed, the morefancy begins to weave about the object images of futurefruition, and to clothe the desired object with propertiescalculatedtoinflametheimpulse.

—SamuelAlexander

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“Tastethis,sweetheart.It’sagoat’smilkGouda!”MarkandHannahwereoutfortheirusualSundayafternoongroceryshopping.MarkhadslippedawayfromHannah to find the cheese counter. It turned out there were several Dutchcheesesavailable,andMarkwaseagertosamplemoreofthetastesofHolland.As a smiling Hannah came over to try the cheese, Mark thought about howenjoyable the last two months had been since the emotional night when hecommitted to buying the plane tickets.Hannah had come back from herwalkthatnightstillcrying,andhadtriedtogorighttobedwithouttalkingtoMark.Buthehadbeenabletoexplainwhyhehadbeensohesitant,andtotellherthathehadbought their tickets.Her tearsofsadnesshadbecometearsof joy,andthe trip planning had started to take a larger and larger place in their lives.They had long since finished their thirty lessons of Pimsleur Dutch, movedthroughtheMichelThomasbasicprogramwithalittlemoredifficulty,andwerenowalmostdonewiththeMichelThomasadvancedcourse.HannahhadfoundacourseonAmazoncalled“LivingLanguageDutch” that theyplanned to startdoingtogetherintheevenings.Markwasreallylookingforwardtoit.

“Here, sweetheart.”Heheldout a pieceof the deliciousGouda.“Dit is voorjou.”Forsomereason,itfeltreallygoodtohimtosayevenasimplephraselike“thisisforyou”inanotherlanguage.Languagelearninghadalwaysseemedsoout of reach to him, and now hewas exploring a part of himself that he hadneverknownwasthere.

“Yum, sweetheart. Deze kaas is erg lekker!” Hannah had told him that thecheese was very tasty, and the two of them laughed at the strange word“lekker.” It didn’t quite mean “delicious,” but the Dutch people they hadwatchedintravelvideossaiditalot,sotheyassumeditwasanimportantword.

“Isn’titgreat,baby,thatwecanactuallysay‘Gouda’theDutchwaynow,andthatmaybewe’llevenvisittheplace?”Hannahasked.Gouda,whichturnedoutto be pronounced “how-dah,” was a town in the Netherlands that wasn’t farfrom Amsterdam. Since finding out that the Netherlands is about the size ofMaryland,Hannah had been excited to discover thatmost of the countrywaswithinareasonabletrainrideofAmsterdam.“Andthatremindsme,sweetheart,wereallyneedtogetdowntothebusinessofplanningthedetailsofourtrip!”

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Hannahwasright.Although theyhaddonea lotofpreliminaryresearch, theystillhadn’tdecidedwheretheyweregoingtostayorevenwhatsightstheyweregoingtosee.Marknodded,hismouthfullofEdamcheese.“Soundsgreat,baby.We’ll get online tonight and start to look for hotels. But now try this Edam.Lekker!”

Inorder tomaximizeyourenjoymentofplanningyour trip, let’snowconsiderthevariouslevelsofplanning:

1. Practical.Nomatterwhereyouvisit,you’llneedlodging,food,andtransportation.You’llalsoalmostcertainlyneedanup-to-datepassport,andyoumayneedatouristvisaorvaccinationrecords.Inaddition,you’llneedabig-pictureitinerary,withanideaofwhichcitiesortownsyou’dliketovisit.

2. Cultural.Whenvisitingaforeigncountry,especiallyforthefirsttime,traditionaltouristsitesshouldstillbevisitedregardlessofhowclichédtheymayseem—there’sareasonthesesitesarefamous.Forinstance,avisittotheEiffelTowerisessentialforthefirst-timevisitortoParis.Thatsaid,moreenrichingexperienceswaitforthosewholookalittledeeper.Forexample,perhapsyourchosendestinationhascreatedastyleofmusicthatisuniquelyitsown,suchasthePortuguesefadomusicfoundinLisbon.OnavisittoLisbon,yourPortuguesemayormaynotbesufficientlyfaralongtounderstandthelyricssungattheCasadoFado,or“HouseofFado,”buttheexperienceofhearingthishauntingmusicinaclassiclocationwilllikelystaywithyouforever—Iknowithaswithme.Yourresearchshouldseekoutopportunitiesforsuchexperiences.

3. Personal.Forthislevelofplanning,youshouldlookbackatwhyyouchoseyourdestinationinthefirstplace.PerhapsasachildyouwerestruckbythebeautyofVenice’spigeon-filledPiazzaSanMarcoasitappearedbeforeyouonamoviescreen,orperhapscatchinginternationalfootageofsoccerplayedintheMaracanãStadiumfilledyouwithadesiretovisitRiodeJaneiro.Whateveryourmotivations,somethingaboutyourdestinationappealedtoyou,andthemore

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personalyoucanmakeyourjourney,themoreeasilyyou’llbecarriedawaybytheplanningprocess.

Consideringeachoftheselevelsofplanninginmoredetail,you’llbeabletolaybrushstrokeafterbrushstroke,a littlemoreeachday,until themasterpieceofyour journey begins to appear. So let’s begin with the practical side of theplanning.

The easiestway to get started is to visit your local bookstore to browsethrough thevariousguidebooks foryourdestination.The firstbigpieceof thepuzzlethatyouneedtoassessiswhereexactlyyouplantogo.Whileitmaybetempting to try to visit several cities in your one trip, you’ll enjoy manyadvantages if you instead pick one home base and take several day trips.Themain advantage to this approach is practical in nature: time is always lost intransit,andyou’llwanttomakethemostofthetimeyouhaveinyourlocation.Moreover,travelingwithluggagecanbeinconvenient,andyou’llwanttoavoidjugglingyourbelongings.Andfinally,yougainflexibilityfromonlyhavingonelodgingarrangement,asyouwon’thave toconsiderwhere tostayshouldyourplans change. For example, my wife and I found that five days was barelyenoughtimetovisitAmsterdam,andwewerehappytotradeaplanneddaytripforanextraday“athome.”Ifyoufeelanurgencytovisitseveralcitiesonthisone trip, remember that you’re investing a lot of energy into preparing for it,includinglearningthelanguageofyourtargetcountry,soyou’relikelytowanttoreturnagainandagain.Althoughyou’repreparingforatripofalifetime,theTravelEveryDayapproachwillallowyoutotakeseveralmoresuchtripsinthefuture.

With the ideaofa singlehomebase inmind, thenext step is tocreateabig-picture itinerary. Since day trips usually require an early start and a latereturn,it’sbesttoseparateyourdaytripsbyatleastonedayinyourhomebase.In addition, youmayneed a fewdays to adjust to the time changeuponyourarrival, ifyou’vetraveledacrossmultipletimezones,andyou’llwanttospendyourlastdayinyourhomebaseaswelltomakesurethatyourtravelhomegoessmoothly.Finally,you’llfindithelpfulforplanningpurposesifyoufocusonadifferent region of your homebase each day that you’re in town.Guidebookswill typically divide a city into regions for you, and by exploring the variousregions one at a time, you’ll save time and energy.This particular lessonwashard earned forme inVenice,where I once tried to organize a “church” day,withtheintentionofseeingtheallofthemainchurchesofthecityinoneday.

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Thisseeminglycleverideaturnedintoawild-goosechasethattookmywifeandmeallover thecity,wherewegot lostconstantlyandfailedtovisitmorethanonethirdofourintendeditinerary.IknowthatpeoplesaythatVeniceisagreatcityinwhichto“getlost,”andthisistruetoapoint,butIcanattestthatrunningintodeadendafterdeadendand losinghoursofour tripwasn’t actuallyveryfun.Wewouldhavebeenmuchbetterservedtofocusonaportionofthecity,savingotherportionsforotherdays.

Togive someshape to theseconcepts, supposeyou’re travelingoutonaTuesday and returning on the followingWednesday.Your trip itinerarymightlooksomethinglike:

Whensettingyourbig-picturestructure,it’sessentialthatyoudeterminewhichdaysoftheweekarethebestdaysforyourdaytrips.Forinstance,MondaysareoftenproblematicdaysforvisitingsmalltownsinEurope,asmanyofthesightsinthosetownsareclosed.Whereveryouplantovisit,though,you’llneedtofindout the particular details of your destination on your own. Fortunately, thisinformationcanbeobtainedfromanyqualityguidebook,andit’sagoodideatocross-referencetheinformationinoneguidebookwiththeinformationfoundinasecondguidebookoronlinetobesure.Inalaterchapter,we’lltalkabouthowtohandleunexpected inconveniences if theyoccur, but abetter approach is toavoidthemcompletely.

Once you determine approximatelywhere you’d like to be on each day,youshouldstarttothinkabouttransportation.Usingyourstandardresourcesofguidebooksand the Internet,youshouldbeable todetermine thebestways totravelbetweenyourvariouslocations.Trytobuildplanswithclearknowledgethat transportationexistsandwillbeavailableat reasonable timesbetween the

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various places you’d like to go. It’s not always necessary to purchase ticketsaheadoftime,butit’sadvisabletodoasmuchresearchasyoucantomakesurethatthetravelinggoesassmoothlyaspossiblelateron.

Onelastpointregardingtravelisthatrentingacaronyourtripcouldbeabadidea,inmyopinion.Inadditiontointroducingthepossibilityoflosingyourway, driving requires your attention. Unless there is a sight of personalimportance toyoucanonlybeaccessedviaautomobile, there’s little reason torent a car and many reasons to take public transportation instead. Even thepotentialfortimesavingcanbeoutweighedbytheenjoymentoftalkingtolocalsor relaxingwithyour travelpartner ina train stationorcoffeeshopwhileyouwaitforyourtrain.NowherewasImoregladofthislessononmytravelsthaninMorocco,wheremywifeandIwiselydecidedtohireadriver.Thankfullythisdecisionsparedustheincrediblestressofnavigatinghairpinturnsonmountainroads,with reckless taxi drivers comingat us aroundblind turns in thewronglane.

Nowthatwe’vediscussedwhereyou’regoingtobeandhowyou’regoingtogetthere,weneedtoconsiderhowyou’regoingtomanageyourselftomakesure thatyour trip isassafeaspossible.Therewillalwaysberisks,ofcourse,but some research ahead of time can do much to minimize those risks. Forinstance,we’vealreadytalkedaboutvaccinesbeingrequiredforvisits tosomecountries. More generally, it’s advisable to be aware of the possibilities ofdiseasessuchasmalariaoryellowfever,dependingonyourdestination,andtoknowsomethingaboutthelocalwaterquality.Similarly,thebestwaytoavoidbeingmuggedistoavoidsituationsinwhichamuggingattemptisprobable.Forinstance,it’snotadvisabletowalkonthebeachinRiodeJaneiroatnight.Moregenerally,readallofthesafetyadvicegiveninyourguidebookscarefully.Whenyougettoyourdestination,youmayfindthatsomeconcernsareoverblown,butit’sbettertostartyourtripovercautiousratherthanfoolish.

“Look at this one, sweetheart. It’s called Synopsis Hotel,”Mark called in toHannah,whowasbusymakingteainthekitchen.HannahandMarkhadbeenlookingaroundBooking.comforahotelandhadjuststartedtheirsearchwhenHannahannouncedshewasgoingtomakethemsomeversemuntthee,aDutchdrinkthattranslatedas“freshminttea”andconsistedofnothingmorethanhotwaterpouredoverfresh-cutmintleaves.ItwassuchasimpleideathatHannahwas surprised that shehadnever thoughtof it herself.“Justgoes to show thevalue of travel,” Hannah thought to herself as the water came to a boil. “I

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wonderwhatotherideaswe’llcomebackwithfromHolland.”Hannahpouredthewateroverthemintleavescutfreshfromtheirgarden,alreadyintheircups.“Coming,baby,”Hannahcalledoutasshemadeherwaybacktotheoffice.

“Thanks, sweetheart!”MarkgaveHannaha littlekissashe tookhis tea fromher.“ThisSynopsisHotelhasonlythreerooms,butit’sgotgreatreviews,anditincludesahomemadeDutchbreakfasteverymorning.Thepictures lookgreat.Have a look at it and let me know what you think.” Mark stood up and letHannahtakethedriver’sseat,takingasipofhisteaoncehegotup.“Man,thisteaisreallygood.IwishtherewassomeplacenearmyworkIcouldgetoneoftheseintheafternoons.”

“Well,that’seasy,sweetheart.I’lljustcutupsomemintleavesforyoutotaketowork,andyoucanpoursomeboilingwaterover them.Butgettingbackto thehotels,Ilikethelooksofthisonetoo.I’veneverstayedinathree-roomhotel.Iwonderifit’soneofthoselittleplaceswheretheownerrunsit.”Hannahflippedthrough thepicturesonBooking.comand thought,“Thisplace looksbeautiful,and really cozy.” Then she realized with excitement that this hotel had“gezellig,”thatfeelingofDutchcozinessthatshehadbeenlookingfor.Readingthereviews,shelearnedthatthehotelwasrunbyitsowner,whoseemedtogotogreatlengthstotakecareofherguests,inonecaseevendrivingacoupletothetrainstationwhentheyweren’table togeta taxi.Andlookingat themap,shesawthatthehotelwasinanexcellentlocation,neartheRembrandthuisandtheRussianHermitageMuseum.Amsterdamwasn’treallythatlarge,butevenso,itseemedthehotelwouldserveasagoodjumping-offpointfortheadventuresthatsheandMarkwerebeginningtoplan.

“Thislooksgreat,sweetheart,”shesaid.“Howdidtheotherhotelslook?”

“Theylookedgoodtoo,butthisonereallyseemedtostandout.Therewasonewithahigheraverage reviewscore,but it seemeda littlemoremodern.Sinceyou’re looking for the ‘authentic Dutch experience,’ I thought that this onewouldbebetter.Plustheotheronewasmoreexpensive.”

Hannah smiledbecauseMark knewexactlywhat shewas looking for.Hehadbeensowonderfultoherthroughoutthiswholeadventure.Itwasherideatogoto theNetherlands, and shewas so grateful at howhe had thrownhis energy

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behindherplan.“Thislooksperfect,baby—let’sbookit!”

Thenextpracticalmatter is lodging, andwhenmaking thechoiceofwhere tostay,aprimaryfactortoconsiderislocation.Irecommendyoustayinacentrallocation, even though it will be more expensive, for both convenience andsafety.You’llalsosavetimebystayinginaconvenientlocation,andtimewillbe your most valuable resource once your trip begins. A second factor toconsider is whether you’ll be able to get a quality breakfast at or near yourchoiceoflodging.Beingabletogetupandhavebreakfastimmediatelywillsaveyou timeandprovide theenergyneeded for a fulldayof experiences.A thirdfactortoconsiderishow“authentic”versus“modern”you’dlikeyourlodgingtobe.You’ll experienceyourhost country ineverywaypossibleduring theday,andyoumayormaynotwant thisexperience tocontinuewhenyou turn inatyourhotel.And finally, you’llwant to find aplacewhereyou canget a goodnight’s sleep; be sure to read reviews carefully tomake sure therewill be nounpleasantsurprises,suchasnoisefromthestreet.

Movingonfromlodging,thelastmajorpracticalplanningaspectisfood.Everymealyoueatinaforeigncountryisanopportunitytoenjoythatcountry’scultureinarichway.Inadditiontoenjoyingdeliciousmeals,speakingyournewlanguagewiththeservicestaffisanexcellentwaytopractice.Theeffortyou’veputintolearningthenativelanguagewillbeappreciatedandwilldistinguishyougreatlyfromothertourists—you’lloftenobserveavisibletransformationinthefacesofthosewithwhomyouspeakyournewlanguage,evenwhenthatpersonisfluentinEnglish.Politenesswillbereplacedwithwarmth,andoverthecourseof your meal, you might be treated to a private language lesson. Almosteveryonetakesprideinandisanexpertontheirnativelanguage,andbymakingtheeffort to learn the languageof thoseyou’llbe interactingwith,you’llhaveshown them a high degree of respect. That respect will be reciprocated, andyou’ll experience your host country in away that simplywouldn’t have beenpossibleotherwise.

Whenpicking restaurants, a good idea is to go throughyour guidebooksand circle every one that holds some interest for you. If you have a travelpartner, heor she shoulddo the same, andyou shouldcompare results. In thenextchapter,we’lltalkmoreabouthowtohandlethereorganizationofyourtripasitunfolds,butfornowyouneedabasicplanasastartingpoint.Thegoalhere

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is to choose specific restaurants at which tomake dinner reservations, and toforma list ofpotential lunchand snack spots that you’ll pick fromduring thecourseofyourtrip.Inmakingyourrestaurantchoices,considerthecultureandhistoryofyourcountry.For instance, ifyouwerevisitingPrague in theCzechRepublic,youwoulddowelltohaveatleastoneheartymealinasubterraneanrestaurant,perhapsaccompaniedbyaPilsnerbeer,inlightoftheinfluenceofthelocalcavesontheCzechcultureandbrewingtradition.Asacontrast,visitingaFrench or Japanese restaurant while in Prague might be a less enrichingexperiencebecauseofthelackofahistoricalcontext,regardlessofthequalityofthecuisine.Ifyoucountthenumberofmealsyou’lleatduringyourtrip,you’llfind that they are surprisingly few, and that each should be cherished as asignificantopportunitytolearnaboutyourhostculture.Aninterestingquestionthatcanhelpguideyourdiningchoicesis“Howhasmyhostcountryinteractedwith the world?” For example, Angolan food in Lisbon orMoroccan food inPariscouldbothbeinterestingexperiencesduetothecolonialinfluencespresentin both Portugal and France. Whatever choices you make, make themthoughtfullyandyou’llberewarded.

When you’ve marked off a series of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, candyshops,andtheliketovisitduringthedayandmadeonedinnerchoiceforeachnightyou’llbestaying,preferablydividingyourchoicesbyregion,thenextstepwill be tomake dinner reservations over the phone.Depending on how far inadvance you’re making your choices, you may need to mark the dates whenreservations will first be available on your calendar, as some of the bestrestaurantsbookupcompletelyon the first day that reservations are available.Buteven if reservationsarenotactuallynecessary,callingaheadaccomplishesseveralgoalsotherthanmakingsureyou’llhaveatable.CallingfromtheUnitedStatestomakeareservationfarinadvanceraisessomecuriosityaboutyou,andyoumay receivesomespecialattention.Youmay receive thebest table in thehouse,andthestaffmaybewaitingforyouwithcuriosity,ashappenedtomeinbothLisbonandMunich.Inaddition,callingtomakereservationsisarelativelylow-risk way to practice your new language. You may find it very nervewrackingtomakethefirstfewcalls,asIalwaysdo,butwhenyou’vefinishedmakingyourreservations,you’llfeelasenseofprideinyourabilities.

“So what’s the name of this movie again, baby?” Mark was already on thecouchandsettledin,readyforhisandHannah’sweeklySaturday-nightmovie.Hannah was in the bedroom, where she was finishing folding some laundry.

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“It’scalledGirlwithaPearlEarring,”shecalledin.“It’sinEnglishthistime,baby.”

Mark laughed because he had been complaining about the fact that all themoviestheyhadbeenwatchinglatelyhadbeeninDutch.Buthissecretwasthatheactuallyenjoyedthem.HeandHannahhadlongsincefinishedtheirMichelThomasadvancedcourse,andmorerecentlythey’dbeenspendingthirtyminutesevery night going through “Spoken World: Dutch” together. They were bothgetting fairly proficient, and theywerehavingagreat time speakingDutch toeachotherasmuchastheycould.ButthethingthatMarklovedthemostwhenpracticingwas imagininghimself in theNetherlands, speakingDutch tonativespeakers.Hecouldn’twaittowalkintoastoreandgreetthestorekeeperwithawell-pronounced“Goedemiddag!”

SincetheirDutchwascomingalongsowell,HannahdecideditwouldbeagoodideatowatchmoviesinDutch.TherewouldstillbeEnglishsubtitlestohangonto,butshethoughtitwouldbegoodtostartgettingusedtoDutchspokeninamorenaturalway.Andshehadbeenright,astheDutchtheyheardinthemovieswas very different from the Dutch they had heard in their cars and at theirkitchen table. Thankfully, their study had prepared them well enough tounderstanda lotofwhat theyheard,especiallywhen theywereable toglancedownatthesubtitles,buttheyfoundthattherewasalotofvariationinthewaycertainwordsweresaidandinthegrammarpeopleusedinreallife.

“Youknow,sweetie,it’stimeformetoconfessthatI’mstartingtoliketheDutchmovies,”Marksaid.Hannahwasdonefoldingherclothesnowandwascomingback to joinMark in the living room.“No!” she said, feigning surprise.Theybothlaughed,becauseforallMark’scomplaining,itwasobviousthathelookedforwardtotheirmovienights.Hewasalwaysthefirstoneonthecouch,andhehadbeenmakingapointtogetthedishesdoneasquicklyaspossiblewhenevertherewas amoviewaiting for them.“You know, baby, I suspectedasmuch,”Hannahcontinued.“The fact thatyouwere talkingabout theDutchversionofTheVanishingfordaysafterwardwasabitofaclue.”

Marklaughedandsaid,“ButtheDutchversionwasjustsomuchbetterthantheAmericanone!Whichremindsme,whyarewegoingbacktoEnglishnow?”

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“Well, even though tonight’smovie is inEnglish, it’s about theDutchpainterVermeer.He’snotthatwellknown,atleastnotlikeMonetandRembrandt,andhedidn’tpaint thatmanypaintingsduringhis life, but the fewhepaintedaresupposed tobe truemasterpieces.Themovie tonight isabouthismost famouspainting,TheGirlwith thePearlEarring,which is theDutchequivalentof theMonaLisa.It’sinamuseuminTheHague,andsinceI’mhopingtotalkyouintogoing tosee it, I thought thismoviewouldbeagood idea.”Almostbywayofapology,sheadded,“ItstarsScarlettJohanssonandColinFirth!”

Mark pulled Hannah down to join him on the couch. “Baby, we can go seewhatever you want. Scarlett Johansson is pretty, but she’s no HannahMacDaniel. And she probably can’t even speak Dutch!” Hannah laughedalongsideMark,andthetwoofthemgotcomfortableasMarkstartedthemoviewiththeremote.

Foodandlanguagearetwomajorentrypointstoyourdestination’sculture,buttherearemanyotherentrypointsavailabletoyouaswell.Theseincludehistory;musical,artistic,literary,anddancetraditions;watchingorparticipatinginlocalsportsorfestivals;andthevariousculturalquirksthatawaityouuponarrival.

Learning some history is an excellent next step in your culturalexploration. Most guidebooks provide an overview of the history of yourdestination, but you may wish to seek out additional resources, such asspecializedbooksordocumentaries.Theexcitingthingaboutlearninghistoryisthatitputseverythingelseyou’lllearnaboutyourdestinationinalargercontext.No country exists in a vacuum, and learning how your country has interactedwiththeworldthroughoutitsdevelopmentwillhaveaprofoundeffectonyourtrip planning and on your travel experience.You’ll appreciate everything youseetherewithalargerperspectiveandwillbecomeeagertovisitlocationsandsitesthatyoumighthaveotherwiseignored.

Onceyouhaveasenseofyourdestinationhistorically,you’llbeinagoodposition to appreciate the localmusic, art, literature, and dance.Of these, theeasiesttostartwithisthemusic.Musiccanrequirelesseducationtoappreciatethan art does, and unlike reading and dancing, listening tomusic can be donealmost anywhere. Most guidebooks contain basic information regarding localmusic, and this information can be supplementedwith an online search.Once

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you have a sense of what you’d like to hear, internet radio is an excellentresource for further exploration4. Then, once you know which aspects of thelocalmusicyouappreciatethemost,considerhowyoucanincorporateat leastonemusical event intoyour trip.Perhapsyou’d like toexperienceanopera inTeatroAllaScalainMilan,orlistentobossanovainabeachsidecaféinRiodeJaneiro. If you play an instrument, you might become even more involved,especially ifyoucanfindagroupinyourownhometownthatwouldwelcomeyourinterest.Thislastoptioncanprovideadoublebenefit—ifyoustartplayingmusicwithex-patsfromyourdestination,conversingwiththesenewfriendsinyournewlanguageduringbreaks,you’lltrulybetravelingeveryday.

Asfarasart,literature,anddanceareconcerned,yourlevelofinvolvementwilldependonyourlevelofinterest.Butkeepinmindthatthemoreyoulearnbefore your trip, the more you’ll appreciate what you witness upon arrival.Typically, even a little reading about the local art is sufficient to create areasonable level of understanding. Literature can be a little more challengingthan art to become familiarwith, due to the extra learning required, but evenworking through a children’s text in your new language, such as The LittlePrinceinFrench,canbeveryrewarding.Somebooksareevenavailableintheirnative language and English on opposing pages, and working through such abookwith your travel partner can be a lot of fun. Finally, dancing is anotherfundamental cultural activity that we all havemore talent for thanwe realizeoncewegetstarted.Ifyouhavetheopportunity to learnsomebasicstepsofatraditionaldancebeforeyourtrip,anightoutdancinginanewculturecanbeanamazingexperience.Watchingadanceperformanceisofcourseanotherwaytoappreciatethedancetraditionsofyourdestination,butpersonalinvolvementwillhaveamorelastingeffectonyou.

We conclude this section with a quick mention of sports, festivals, andculturalidiosyncrasies.Participatinginorspectatingatasportingeventisagreatwaytoinvolveyourselfinthelocalculture,withspectatingsometimesbecomingaformofinvolvementinitsownright.BicycleracesinItalyorsoccermatchesin Brazil, for instance, take on a level of community importance that isn’tmatchedbyanysportingactivityinAmerica.Insomecities,entiretownscanbeshutdowntowatchthelocalteamorherocompete.Similarly,localfestivalscanreachgrandproportions,andifyoudecidetoparticipate,you’llwanttoresearchthe practical details andmake definite plans before arriving. If you happen tocatchatrainintoSiena,Italyaroundthetimeofthebi-annualhorseraceknownasthePalio,asIdidonce,youmightfacethepossibilityofspendingthenighton the street. In this last case, I was thankfully spared from a night ofhomelessnessby thekindnessofanelderly innkeeper,but Iwouldn’twish the

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samestressonyouduringwhat’ssupposedtobeatripofalifetime!Lastly,regardingthequirksthatarecertaintoexistinyourhostcountry’s

culture,averygoodseriesofbooksthatprovideshelpful—althoughsometimesstereotypical—informationistheCultureSmart!series.Knowinginadvance,forinstance,whethereveryonequeuesupforaline,astheydoinmostofwesternEurope,orwhetherit’severyoneforthemselves,asitcanbeinpartsofeasternEurope,canspareyouaggravationlater.There’snosenseintryingtoimposeanAmericanwayofthinkingonanon-Americansituation;thesoonerweopenourminds to alternate ways of approaching life, the sooner we let the travelexperienceaffectusonadeeperlevel.Infact,therewasatimewhentravelwasconsideredarequisitepartoflifeeducation.Allowyourselftobecomeimmersedin your planning and preparation process, and you’ll find that this trip willtransformyouindeepandunexpectedways.

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MentalVoyage#7

Thegoalofthisvoyageistofindonelocationinyourtargetcountrythatwill be personally important for you to experience. Ask yourself whatoriginallymotivatedyoutovisityourdestinationandfindoneplaceoractivity thatwillallowyou to fulfill thatmotivation.Forexample,as Imentioned earlier in this book, I always wanted to visit the FrenchRiviera after seeing it glamorized in To Catch a Thief. For me, theopportunitytotakeadaytriptoMonaco,withtimespentrelaxinginadeck chair by thebeach,wasahighpoint ofmy trip toNice,France.And as always, remember to imagine yourself as already at yourdestination throughout your planning, and write your thoughts out indetailinyourtraveljournal.

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Chapter8

ATripofaLifetime:MakingtheMostofYourAmazingExperience

Successalwayscomeswhenpreparationmeetsopportunity.

—HenryHartman

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“Comeon,sweetie.Webetterhurry.Sometimesflightsboardearly,youknow.”Hannah’sexcitementwasturningintoanxiety.Theyhadplentyoftime,butMarkhadrequestedaprivatesecurityscreening,givingHannahafewextramomentstoimaginecatastrophes.

“Sweetheart,wecanrelaxandwalkatanormalpace.We’vegotthirtyminutesbeforeboarding,andeventhen,theflightdoesn’tleaverightaway.”

Hannah sighed and relaxed a bit. “Okay, fine,” she said. “I’m just excited. Ican’tbelievethatwe’refinallygoingtoHolland.”Anditwastrue:thebigdaywas finally here. Months of preparation and study were all coming together,withtheirdirectflighttoAmsterdamleavingthatevening.Theyhadusedairlinemiles Mark had accumulated from work to upgrade to business class, andHannahhad foundawealthof inflatablepillowsonline that theyhopedwouldhelpthemsleepontheplane.

As they arrived at their gate, Hannah looked at Mark, who was wearing abackpack and had been pulling both of their carry-on suitcases. She suddenlyfelt a surge of love for her husband, and she started to tear up. “What’s thematter,baby?”Markasked.“We’regoingtocatchtheflight.Theyhaven’tevenopenedthedoorforboardingyet.”

“It’s just that lookingatyouand thinkingaboutallwe’vebeen through togetready for this trip, it’s just a little overwhelming. I’ve never prepared foranything like thisbefore.AndI feelcloser toyouthanIeverhave.MaybeI’msadbecauseIknowthistripisgoingtoend,andIwantittogoonforever.”

Marklistenedashetookoffhisbackpackandputitontopofthesuitcases.“Iknowwhat youmean, sweetie.Getting ready for this trip has openedawholenew world to me, and we’re not even there yet. But let’s try to stay in themoment,becausethetriphasn’tevenstarted.”ButasMarksaidthosewords,heknewhewaswrong.ThetriphadbegunthenightthatHannahcamehomeandmade them both stamppot. “Well, maybe that’s not right,” Mark correctedhimself.“We’vebeenonthistripforalongtimenow,andit’snotgoingtoendwhenourplanereturnsinaweek.Infact,thistripisgoingtobewithusfora

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longtime.Butfornowwe’vegotalotoffunaheadofus,solet’sjustenjoyit.Whatdoyousay,sweetheart?”Andwiththat,MarkheldoutbothofhishandstowardHannah.

“Soundsgreat,baby.”HannahgrabbedbothofMark’shandsandgavethemasqueeze.“I’llputmymindonallthewonderfulthingswe’regoingtoseeanddothisweek.Butfirst,I’mgoingtothelittlegirls’room.”HannahletgoofMark’shandsandheadedoff.Butsensinghiseyesstillonher,shelookedbackandgavehimalittlesmileasshewalkedaway.

At this point you’ll have planned and prepared for a trip of a lifetime.You’llhave become conversationally proficient in your host language, you’ll havelearnedthehistoryofyourdestination,andyou’llhavecreatedanitineraryfullof life-enriching cultural experiences. In other words, you’ll have started toTravel EveryDay. Even if you didn’t take the trip, you’d still have benefitedfrom the process, but the good news is that the trip is going to happen, andyou’re going to have an amazing time! In this chapter, we’re going to coversomeadditionaldetailsthatwillhelpmakeyourtriptrulyfantastic.

Tobeginwith,let’sdiscussyouroutboundflight.We’vealreadydiscussedthepossibilityofusingmiles toupgradeyour seats.Regardlessofwhichseatsyou’rein,though,you’llwanttomaximizeyourabilitytosleepontheplane.Tothis end, inflatable pillows can be a great help. For example, an inflatablefootrest can take pressure off your lower back,while an inflatable side pillowcanbeextremelyusefulifyourseatdoesn’trecline.Inaddition,agoodeyemaskisextremelyvaluableandnoise-cancellationheadphones,whilenotperfect,willatleasttonedownsomeoftheambientnoise.SeetheAppendix1atthebackofthisbookformyrecommendationsontravelaccessories.

After what has hopefully been a restful flight, you’ll arrive at yourdestination.Ifpossible,whileyou’restillonyourplane,besuretocompleteanynecessarycustomsand immigration forms.Onceyourplanearrivesat itsgate,you’llwanttogetoffandintothelineatpassportcontrolasquicklyaspossible.Once you’ve cleared passport control, pick up your checked luggage andproceedthroughcustomswithyourpaperworkready.Inthenextchapter,we’lldiscusswhat todo ifchallengesemergewithanyof thesestepsso far,but fornow let’s assume that everythingwill go smoothlyand thatyou’ll get through

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customs without a hitch. Now you’ll be ready to take transportation to yourhotel,butbeforeyoudothat, for thesakeofhydrationanda little thrill,buyabottleofwaterusingonlyyournewlanguageincommunicate.You’regoingtobespeakingyournewlanguagethroughoutyourtrip,andthisisagreattimetogetstarted.

Onceyou’vearrivedatyourhotel, try tocheckinusingasmuchofyournew language as possible.A good plan of action afterward is to lie down forabout twentyminutes, shower to refreshyourself for your first day, thenheadouttoexploreyournewworld.Iwouldrecommendthoughthatyoukeepyourplanslight,withdinnerreservationsastheonlymajoractivity—thepointofthisfirstdayistogetadjustedtoyournewsurroundings.

“Ican’tbelievewe’reactuallyhere,baby,”Marksaidashepulledthedoortotheir room closed at theHotel Synopsis. Their trip from the airport had beenblessedlyuneventful—anexpresstrainfromtheairporttoAmsterdam’scentralstation, and then a taxi to their hotel. Elizabeth, the proprietor of HotelSynopsis,wasamazinglykindandhelpful.ShehadbeenalittlesurprisedwhenHannah and Mark had greeted her with a Dutch “goedemiddag,” but sheappreciated their effort and humored them by speaking Dutch slowly, eventhoughshespokeperfectEnglish.Shetoldthemthatshespokefivelanguages,tovaryingdegrees,andwashappytohelpthemwiththeirDutch.

AftercheckingHannahandMarkin,Elizabethgavethemalittletourofthetinyhotel.Therewereinfactonlythreeroomsinthemainbuilding,twodownstairsandoneupstairs.Therewasalsoa central kitchenareaand, farther from thestreet, a beautiful trellised garden. Behind the garden, even farther from thestreet,wasaguesthouse thatElizabethsaidcouldhouseonemorecouple inapinch.ShethenshowedHannahandMarktotheirroom,whichfacedthestreet.Therewasasmallclosetontheleft,alittlebarareawheretheycouldpreparecoffee and tea, a very large and comfortable-looking bed, a desk areawith acomputer on which they could access the Internet, and finally, a surprisinglylargebathroomwitha romanticbathtubbuilt for two.Mark couldn’thelpbutgive Hannah a little squeeze upon seeing the tub, prompting Hannah toembarrassedlywhisper,“Stopit!”Elizabethpretendednottonoticeandinsteadproducedaformonwhichtheycouldmaketheirbreakfastselections.Sheaskedthattheydropitoffontheirwayout,andthattheyletherknowiftheychanged

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their minds about their choices during the week. With that, Elizabethdisappeared,leavingMarktoclosethedoorbehindher.

Hannahlookedaroundandbrokeintoahugesmile,throwingherarmsaroundMark and exclaiming, “I love it! It’s even better than the descriptions on theInternetmadeitsound.AndIcan’tbelievewe’reinAmsterdam!”

“Iknow,sweetheart.It’samazing.Doyouwanttogetaquicknapandashowerbeforeheadingouttoseethecity?”

“Soundsgreat!”Andwiththat,MarkandHannahbegantheirtrip,cuddlinguptogether for twenty minutes, taking quick showers, and getting comfortablydressedandreadytoexploreAmsterdam.

Onyoursecondday,you’ll start toexperienceyourdestination inmoredepth.Hopefully you’ll manage to get a feel for your new home on your first day,perhapsby takingyour firstbravesteps tryingoutyournew language,but it’sonlyontheseconddaythatyourexplorationwillbegininearnest.Afterstartingyour day with a quality breakfast, either at your hotel or at a recommendedrestaurant,Isuggesttakingawalkingtour.Walkingtoursdon’tusuallyneedtobebookedinadvance,butit’sagoodideatodosomeresearchaheadoftimetofind outwhich tours are available andwhere theymeet.Alternatively, if yourguidebookscontainself-guidedwalkingtours,youmayprefertofindyourownway.Ineithercase, there isnosubstituteforwalkingwhenitcomestogettingfamiliarwithanarea.

Having completed your tour and found a recommended restaurant forlunch,it’snowagoodideatoreviewthelistofthingsyoustillwanttoseethatday in thearea.So reviewyour list—withyourpartner, ifyouhaveone—anddeviseaplanfortheafternoon.Youshouldalsoplanonstoppingforasnackinthemidafternoon,whichwillgiveyouanotherchanceforaculturalexperienceandwillallowyoutorefuelbeforeyourlate-afternoonexplorations.Followingthose explorations, whether they involve visiting monuments or museums,shopping,orsight-seeing,youmightwant toheadback toyourhotel to takeaquicknapbeforeshoweringupandheadingoutagain towhat is sure tobean

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amazing dinner experience. After dinner youmight have tickets for an event,suchasanoperaorballet,oryoumighthaveplanstotakeinsomemusicorvisitadanceclub,oryoumightjustwanttohaveagoodnight’ssleeptogetreadyforyournextexcitingday.Themainpointistoallowtheresearchyoudidaheadoftimetocarryyou,sothatnowyoucanrelaxandenjoyyourexperiences.

“Hereyouare—oneappleandnutswithcinnamon,andonebacon,banana,andchili pepper,” the server told Mark and Hannah in Dutch. They had justreceived their order in the “Pancakes!” restaurant in the Negen StraatjessectionofAmsterdam.Thesightofbacononapancakewasgoingtotakesomegetting used to, but all the same, the pancakes looked and smelled delicious.“I’llberightbackwiththefreshorangejuices,”theservercontinuedinDutchas he headed back down the half flight of stairs to the main level of therestaurant.

“Wow,baby,thesebothlookamazing,”Marksaidaftertheserverwasgone.HeandHannahhadjustfinishedtheirvisittotheAnneFrankHouse,andtheywerebothwornoutbytheexperience.Hannahinparticularseemeddown,andMarkhopedtohelppickherbackup.Hetriedtoengageherbyadding,“Idon’tknowwheretostart,sweetheart.Doyouhaveapreference?”

“Well,Idon’treallyfeellikeeating,butthesebothlookamazing.Andwebettergetsomefoodinourstomachstomakeitthroughtherestoftheday.”Hannahreachedacross the table to take thebacon,banana,andchilipepper.“Maybesomethinghotwillgetmyappetitegoingagain,ifthat’sokaywithyou.Thenwecanswitchhalfway.Soundgood?”

“Sounds great, sweetheart.”Markwas starting to get concerned thatHannahwasgoingtohavetroublerecoveringfromthemorning.Ithadbeenanintenseexperience but also an important one. In a continued effort to connect withHannah,Mark offered, “And what a day it’s been already. That Anne FrankHousewassuchanintenseexperience.It’shardtobelievethathappenedinreallife.”ButbeforeHannahcouldrespond,theserverreappearedwiththeirjuices.“Dank jewel,” a somewhatmechanicalHannah thanked the server inDutch.“Graag hedan,” the server replied—the service had been gladly done, and he

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slippedbackdownthestairs.

“I know, sweetie.”Hannah restarted their conversation. “I’m still recoveringmyself.”Hannahhadstartedtocryintheveryfirstroomofthemuseum,shakenbytheexperience.“Annewassuchatalent,andwhathappenedwassowrong.And the most incredible thing is that she was just one of millions. Howsomethingsoevilcouldhappenisbeyondme.”

“Iknow.Itwasjustsowrong,”Markreplied.Andtryingtochangethesubject,headded,“ButI’mgladyouknewtogetticketsinadvance.Wemusthavesavedatleastanhourthankstoyou.”

Hannahnoddedandsaid,“Yes,that’sright.Theguidebookswerehelpful.But,baby, I think Ineedamoment togetsomeair. I’llbeback inaminute.Don’tworry.I’mfine.”Withthat,HannahexcusedherselfandleftaconcernedMarkat the table as she scampered down the short flight of stairs and out into thestreet.Once there,with the sunlight onher, shebegan to realize that shehadbeenretreatingintoherownheadforsometimenow.True,theexperiencehadaffectedher,butsheandMarkwerestillinAmsterdamtogether,andtherewasstill a lot on the schedule she hadmade for the day. In particular, theyweresupposed to explore the so-calledNegen Straatjes,or “Nine Little Streets,” ashoppingdistrictfulloflocalshops,someofwhichhadbeenopenforhundredsofyears.MarkwantedtovisitaplacecalledtheKaaskamer,or“CheeseRoom,”andshewantedtopokearoundsomeoftheboutiqueclothingshops.Oncetheywere done, they planned to visit the Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s mostfamousartmuseumsandhometomanyof themasterpiecesofDutchpainting.Andtherewereseveralcafésintheareathattheyhopedtostopbyiftherewastime.ShewasgladtheyhadvisitedtheAnneFrankHouse,butnowitwastimeforhertoletitgo.Someday,whensheandMarkhadchildren,theymightreturntoAmsterdamandvisitthehouseagainfortheirchildren’seducation,buttheycouldmakethatdecisionwhentheyneededto.ItwastimetorejoinMarkandtoputherselfbackintoAmsterdamwithhim.

Takingalastfewmomentstoherself,Hannahlookedatthebusystreetaroundher and up at the beautiful gabled houses that surrounded her, catching aglimpseofthenearbyPrinsengrachtCanaljustafewhundredfeettoherright.Shetookafewbreaths,turnedaround,andheadedbackintotherestaurant.As

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shewalkedbackup thestairs,she lookedupatMark,whohadbeenwatchingherthewholetime,andsmiled.

In our discussion of your big picture in the last chapter, I recommendedalternating days in yourmain destinationwith day trips out of town,with thefirst day used to adjust to your new environment. If you follow thisrecommendation,thenyourthirddaywillbringyourfirstdaytrip.Asmuchaspossible,you’llwanttohavethelogisticsofyourdaytrip,suchaswhichformoftransportationtotakeandwhen,plannedaheadoftime.Insomeinstances,suchaswhen traveling by train on busy routes inEurope, it can be a good idea topurchaseyourticketsinadvanceandtoobtainreservedseatsifpossible,evenifthatmeanspayinganadditionalamountforafirst-classticket.Ifyou’renotsurewhattodo,searchingonlinetravelforumscanbehelpful,oryoumayevencallaheadtoyourhoteltoaskforadvice.Finally,Irecommendthatyougetanearlystart,asit’sbettertohaveextratimeattheendofthedaytocoveranadditionalareaofyourhomebasethantorunoutoftimeonyourdaytrip.

Inadditiontoknowingtheplansforyourdaytrip,youshouldpickatleastonerestaurantasapossiblelunchdestination,haveadinnerreservationalreadymade,andperhapshaveafewspotsinmindforsnacksalongtheway.Betweenthesemileposts, youwant to have an idea ofwhich sights you plan to see orwhichactivitiesyouplantoengageinonceyourdaytripisunderway.Daytripsare excellent opportunities for beautiful hikes orwalks, but remember to keepyourattireinmindwhenitcomestoyourdinnerreservationifyou’renotgoingtohavetimetogobacktoyourhoteltochange.Forinstance,IonceenjoyedawonderfulafternoonhikebetweenthecastlesofSintra,Portugal,onlytorunintotroublewhenmyhikingclothesleftmedrasticallyunderdressedforahigh-enddinner I had planned during my return trip to Lisbon. Fortunately, the headwaiterwassufficientlyamusedbymyPortuguesethatmypleasformercyfellonreceptive ears, andwewere seated at a corner tablewheremy attirewas lessembarrassingforeveryone.

The last thing to keep in mind on your day trips, and throughout yourentirevacation,isthatyou’reincontrolofyourplans,andyoucanchangethemas you see fit along theway.Avery good idea is to take a fewminutes eachmorningandnighttoreviewtheprogressyou’vemadeandtoupdateyourplansasyour tripunfolds.Relaxationcansometimescompetewithadesire tomake

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the most of your time abroad, but by making your plans ahead of time andallowingyourself toadjust thoseplansasneeded,you’llbeable toaccomplishbothgoalssimultaneously.

“Oh,wow,sweetheart,theresheis!”MarkandHannahhadjustturnedacorneronthetopfloorof theMauritshuisMuseuminthecityofTheHague,40milessouthwestofAmsterdam.Onthefarwall totheirrightwasasmallpaintinginwhichayoungwomanappearedagainstablackbackground.Shewas lookingoverherleftshoulderandworeaslightlysurprisedexpressiononherface.ButmostsignificantlytoMarkandHannah,sheworeasinglepearlearringonherleftear.ThiswasthefamousGirlwithaPearlEarringbyJohannesVermeer—theDutchMonaLisa.“Gosh,she’ssobeautiful,”Markmurmured.“Ihave togetacloserlook.”

Hannahstayedback,watchingMark inchhiswayup to theedgeof thegroupcrowdedaround thepainting. She couldn’t believewhat shewas seeing.HerewasMark,whountilthistriphadhadnointerestinfineart,goingoutofhiswayto see a work by a lesser-known Dutch painter. The movie Girl with a PearlEarringhadpiquedhisinterest—somethingthatyearsofHannah’sproddinghadnever been able to accomplish. Before the trip, Mark had also read a bookcalledTheStoryofArt thatHannahhadleftover fromhercollegeyears,andduring their visit to the Rijksmuseum, Mark had seemed to genuinely enjoyhimself.ThetwoofthemhadstoodinfrontofRembrandt’sTheProphetessAnnafor a full five minutes, discussing Rembrandt’s amazing use of light and theprofound skill he demonstrated in detailing the prophetess’s hand. Mark hadevenvolunteeredthatRembrandtseemedtoanticipateImpressionism.ThinkingbackonthatmomentfilledHannahwithhappiness,notsomuchforherselfbutfor the fact that Mark was developing an entirely new side of himself. Shewalkeduptohim,andheturnedtoherandsmiled.

“She’sjustsofresh,soeffervescent.Ican’thelpbutsmilewhenIlookather.IthinkI’lljuststayhereallday.”Markseemedashappyasalittleboy.

“I know, sweetheart. I can’t believe it either. Photographs of paintings nevergivethefeelingofbeinginfrontofthem,”Hannahreplied.

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“She justhas thisbreathlessquality,”Markcontinued.“I think I’ll rememberthismomentforalongtime.”ThenMarklookedbackatHannahandclarified,“I think I’ll remember being here with you for a long time.”Mark squeezedHannah’shandandgaveheralittlekissonthecheek,andHannahblushed.

“Thanks, sweetheart,”Hannah said. “When you’re ready, let’s see what elsethereistoseeandthengetgoing.Westillhaveanothertowntoseetoday.”Anditwas true: theyhadplanned to seeTheHague in themorningand then visitDelft,acanal-filledvillagerenownedforitsbeauty,intheafternoon.

“Sounds great,”Mark responded. “But before we go to Delft, I want to findVermeer’sViewofDelft.Ithinkit’sinthisroom.Oh,thereitis,”hesaidasheturnedaroundtofacetheoppositewall.“Wow,it’smagnificenttoo!”MarkletgoofHannah’shandandwalkedaway.HannahturnedandsawthatMarkwasrightonbothcounts: therewastheViewofDelft,anditwasmagnificent.Butmorethananypieceofart,HannahappreciatedMark.Theywereonatripofalifetimetogether.

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MentalVoyage#8

Aspracticeforyourmaintripandforadjustingplansonthefly,planaday trip in your hometown or to a nearby city. Obtain whateverguidebooksandinformationyoucan,andplanadayfullofsight-seeing,touristactivities,and localculinaryandculturalexperiences. Ifpublictransportation is an option, use it together with walking as much aspossibletogetusedtonothavingacar.Trytohaveeverythingyouneedforthedayinasmallbackpack.Asyoumovethroughyourday,adjustyourplansas the situationcalls for it, anddoyourbest tomakeyourdayasfulfillingaspossible.

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Chapter9

BumpsintheRoad:OvercomingChallengesAlongtheWay

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is notdesignedtomakeyoucomfortable.Itisdesignedtomakeitsownpeoplecomfortable.

—CliftonFadiman

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“Howtheheckdoesthismachinework?”Markwasfrustrated.HeandHannahwereattheendofanamazingday,butnowtheywerehavingproblemsgettingback to Amsterdam. They had visited The Hague that morning and spent awonderfulafternoontouringthevillageofDelft.

When they had arrived in Delft, they had been pleasantly surprised by anantiquemarket,whereHannahhadcollectedafewpiecesofDelftwareceramicsto take backhomewith her.Theyhad then visited the so-calledOldandNewChurches, with theNewChurch completed in 1496.Markwas amazed at thestaggeringarchitectureoftheOldChurch,withitstoweringandslightlyleaningsteeple,andHannahhadpointedouthowtheemptyalcovesontheoutsideofthechurchhadonceheldreligiousstatues.As theReformationhadswept throughtheNetherlands,sheexplained,theso-callediconoclastshaddestroyedallsignsofwhattheyconsideredtobeCatholicidolatry.Butalthoughthoseactionsweredirected toward the religious icons, she continued, the real motivations werepolitical, as the Netherlands at that time was still recovering from years ofSpanishCatholicrule.AlthoughMarkwasinterestedinthestory,hewasmuchmoreinterestedinthewayHannahpassionatelyrelatedittohim.Shehadbeenapoliticalsciencemajor,afterall,andhelikedhowshewasreconnectingwiththatpartofherselfduringthistrip.

After they had completed their tour, they had eaten dinner at the AfricanrestaurantAbessinibeforeheadingbacktotheDelfttrainstation.Andnowheretheywere,tryingtocatchoneofthelasttrainsbacktoAmsterdamandhavingseriousproblemsbuyingaticket.Theticketcounterwasclosed,andtheironlyoption seemed tobe touseanawkward-lookingyellowmachine.Themachinedidn’t accept cash or credit card. It only wanted a special “chipkaart” thatneitherofthemhad.Theylookedaroundforhelp,butthestationwasdeserted.“Well,whatdoyouthinkweshoulddo?”Hannahwonderedaloud.

“We could just get on a train to Amsterdam and see what happens,” Markresponded,onlytobesurprisedwhenHannahrecoiledfromtheidea.

“Idon’tknow,sweetie.Iwasreadingthatifyoudon’thaveaticketonceyou’reon the train, the fine is pretty steep. I think that one guidebook said it was athirty-five-eurofineperperson.”

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“Thirty-five euro?”Mark said incredulously. “But I don’t knowwhat elsewecando.Maybewe’llgetluckyandnoonewillcomealongtocheckourtickets.”Hannah made a face, but she had to agree that they didn’t have any otheroptions.JustthenatrainpulledupmarkedforAmsterdam.

“Okay, sweetheart, here’s our chance.” Mark motioned as the train doorsopened.“Whatdoyouthink?”

“Iguesswedon’thaveanyotherchoice.Let’sgiveitago.”

Mark and Hannah stepped on the train, and Hannah looked around for anofficial to explain their situation to. Seeing no one, they found a seat and satdownsomewhatanxiously.“Okay,let’shopeforthebest,”Marksaid.“Atleastwehadawonderfulday,andifwehavetopaythefine, thenthat’swhatwe’lldo.”

Hannahagreed,andthetwoofthembegantorelivetheirexperiencesfromtheday,fromdiscussingthecontrastbetweenthemodernandclassicalbuildingsofTheHague to recalling the wayHannah had ordered a selection of nuts andcandies for the twoof them inDutch ina localcandyshopnearTheHague’scitycenter.MarkwasstillamazedatjusthowbeautifulDelfthadbeen,andhowperfectly preserved the entire village was, and the two of them werenostalgically reviewing the pictures of the day when Mark felt a tap on hisshoulder. He turned with a large smile on his face, only to have his smiledisappear as he met the gaze of a stern-looking conductor. “Goedenavondt.Treintickets, alstublieft.” The conductor wanted their tickets, and Mark andHannah shared an anxious look. Hannah took the lead and replied,“Goedenavondt.Wehebbeneenproblem.”

Theconductor’seyesnarrowed,havingheardHannahexplain that theyhadaproblem.“Ja?Enwatisuwprobleem?”“Whatisyourproblem?”theconductoraskedinDutch.

HannahthoughtitbesttotrytouseEnglishtoavoidconfusion,soshedecidedtoask, in Dutch, whether the conductor spoke English. “Spreekt u Engels,meneer?”

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“Nee, mevrouw, en ik moet uw ticket te zien.” Hannah understood that theconductordidn’tspeakEnglishandthatheneededtoseetheir tickets.Hewasstartingtogetannoyed,andthesituationwasbecomingtense.Tomakemattersworse,Hannahwas finding that the pressure of the situationwasmaking herdoubtherDutch,soshebegantofumblearoundinherbackpackforherphrasebook.Theconductorwas losingpatience,andHannahcould feel tearswellingupwhensheheardMarksay,“Hetspijtme,maarwehebbengeentickets.Wewillen tickets in Delft te kopen, maar we hebben geen chipkaart en we zijnalleen.” Mark had done his best to apologize for not having tickets and toexplain that they weren’t able to buy them inDelft. He had used the presenttense insteadof thepast, since that’swhat he knewbest, andhewas surehisgrammar wasn’t right, but he had gotten the idea across, and the conductorseemedtounderstand.

“Ah,heelgoed,ikbegrijphetnu,”theconductorreplied.AndtheninEnglishheadded,“Thereispenalty,butIchargenot.”Hepunchedsomenumbersintothelittlemachinethatwashangingfromhisneck,andbeforehecouldcontinueinEnglish, Mark asked, “How much?” in Dutch. The conductor, impressed byMark’s commitment, replied in Dutch that it would be ten euros and twentycents.AsMarkpaid,headded,“HoelongwonenjulliehereinNederland?”HehadaskedhowlongMarkandHannahhadlivedintheNetherlands!

Oneofthemanywaysthatyougrowthroughtravel isbybeingforcedoutsideyourcomfortzone.Whenthishappens,preparationwillhelptomakeyourtripas smooth as possible. Although many guidebooks focus on practicalpreparation, I’ve found that themental challengesareusually tougher than thepractical ones—sowe’ll start by covering threemental habits that I’ve foundusefultocultivate.

The first habit, and the one that comes least easily to me, is that ofpatience.Withveryfewexceptions,othercountriesmovemoreslowlythantheUnitedStates.It’simportanttorememberthatyou’reonvacationtotakeabreakfrom the raceofAmerican life. Ifyouendupwaiting, try tokeepperspectiveandenjoythebreak.

ThesecondmentalhabitthatItrytopracticeisthatoflookingforahiddenbenefitintemporarysetbacks.Irecommendtryingtofindatleastonegoodthing

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ineachchallenge.Withthisperspective,youmightfindanewopportunitythatyouweren’texpecting.Andattheveryleast,you’llgiveyourmindsomethingtothinkaboutinsteadofsufferingoveryourpresentsituation.

Thefinalhabitthathascarriedthroughmanydifficultsituationsisthatofhaving a sense of humor.When circumstances become extremely demanding,you have a choice whether to get upset or to step away and consider howridiculous the circumstances are. If there are people around you, for example,youmighttrytolightenthemoodbysuggestingthattheentiresituationhasbeencontrived to test howmuch stresswe human beings canwithstand, andmakehumorous references to your imaginary tormentors. Travel challenges, whileinconvenient, are with very few exceptions not matters of life and death.Rememberingthatfactwillhelpyoutobegintoseethehumorinasituationifbadgoestoworse.

In addition to cultivating these three mental habits, you can also helpyourself with some precautions. For starters, create photocopies of all yoursensitive documents, such as passports, visas, and insurance information, andstorethecopiesinaseparateplaceawayfromtheoriginals.Youmayalsowishto give copies to someone trustworthy who isn’t going on the trip forsafekeeping, and to upload digital scans of these documents to secure onlinehostingservicessuchasEvernoteorDropbox.It’salsoagoodideatoarriveatyourdestinationwithatleastsomeofthelocalcurrency,intheeventthatthere’sa problem with your bank or credit card upon arrival. Depending on yourdestination,foreigncurrencycanusuallybeobtainedfromyourlocalbankwithan advance order. Similarly, vaccination requirements and correspondingdocumentation can and should be investigated well in advance. And finally,you’llwant to invest inasecuredocumentandcurrencyholder thatwillallowyoutokeepyourvaluablesonyourbodyandawayfrompickpockets.Ifyou’retravelingwithapartner,splityourmoneyandcreditcardsacrossthetwoofyoutominimizeyour losses in theunfortunateeventof theft.Similarly,be sure topackenoughinyourcarry-onthatyoucanaffordtoloseyourcheckedluggagealtogetherwithoutexperiencingdisaster5,andleaveacopyofyourlocalcontactinformationinsideyourcheckedluggageintheeventyourbagtagcomesoffintransit.

Another consideration of great practical importance is the need forcommunication.Forexample,ifaflightcancellationdelaysyourtripbyoneday,makesuretocontactyourhotelsothatyou’llstillhavearoomwhenyoufinallyarrive.Moregenerally,whateverhappens,trytoconsiderthepracticalimpactofplanchangesonyourentire trip.Alsobesure toaskforcompensationforanytroublethatyouincur—whilebeingpolite,ofcourse.It’sentirelyreasonableto

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return a day later,without a flight change fee, if you’re forced to leave a daylateronaccountofacancelledflight.I’vehadthisveryrequestgrantedmyself,infact.

From the standpoint of safety, as mentioned before, you need to knowwhichlocationsaresafeatwhichhours,particularlyintheevenings,andtotakenecessaryprecautions.Forexample,afriendofmineonceplannedtorentacaranddrivethroughtheforestsofHonduras,beforereadinginoneguidebookthathewouldcertainlybekidnappedifhedid.Whereveryourdestination,gatherasmuch information as possible, and never place yourself in a potentially riskysituation;inconvenienceanddangeraretwodifferentthings.

Bybeingpatientandoptimistic through inconveniences,andbyavoidingactualdangeraltogetherthroughinformedpreparation,youcancontroltoaverylargedegreetheeffectofcircumstancesonyourtravelexperience.Therewillbebumpsintheroad,ofcourse,andcircumstancesbeyondyourcontrolwilloccur,but learning to navigate these circumstanceswill give you confidence in yourabilitytostayflexiblethroughthevariouschallengesthatlifeissuretooffer.

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MentalVoyage#9

To practice patience, humor, and keeping your calm in stressfulcircumstances,createapackagetomailtoafriendandgotothebusiestpostoffice inyourarea tomail it rightbefore itcloses for theday.Asyouwaitinthelongline,makeapointtokeepasmileonyourfaceandto be kind to those around you. If you have to take time off work tocompletethismentalvoyage,evenbetter.

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Chapter10

TheJourneyContinues:NewDirectionsorRevisitEveryDay?

Onceyouhavetraveled,thevoyageneverends,butisplayedoutoverandoveragain in thequietestchambers.Themindcanneverbreakofffromthejourney.

—PatConroy

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“Baby,thisstamppot ismoredeliciousthanever!”Markexclaimedashetookhisfirstbite.“Idon’tknowifIjustlearnedtoappreciateitduringourtrip,orifyou’vegottenbetteratmakingit,butI’mreallyinthemoodforit.”

“Probablyabitofboth, sweetheart,”Hannahrepliedas she finishedher firstbite. “I was paying attention to the spices over there, and I did make a fewadjustments.”MarkandHannahhadbeenbackinthestatesnowfortwoweeks,and theywere still glowing from their amazing time in theNetherlands. AftertheirdayinDelftandTheHague,theyhadsharedsomanyfantasticexperiencestogether that they sometimes had difficulty remembering them all. They hadvisitedthehomeofRembrandt,takeninthelargestVanGoghcollectionintheworldat theVanGoghMuseum,sharedcanal-sidebeerandpieat thefamousCafé t’Smalle, enjoyed a wonderful walk through the enormous Vondelpark(with Jan de Groot, with whom they had managed to get in touch!), andgenerally immersed themselves in theDutch culture as thoroughly as possibleduringtheirweek-longtrip.Ithadturnedoutthattherewassomuchmoretodothantheyhadexpected, theyhadbeenforcedtojettisontheirplanstovisit theDutchtownofHaarlem(wheretheyhadoriginallyplannedtomeetupwithJan),along with the so-called “Historic Triangle” to the north of Amsterdam. Buttheydidn’tmindatall.AsMarkhadsaid,cancelingthoseplansjustgavethemanotherreasontogobacksooner.Hannahlikedthatidea,sotheyfocusedtheirattention on experiencing as much of Amsterdam as they could. The trip hadbeen incredible for them both individually, but it seemed to have an evenstrongereffectonthemasacouple.Sincethey’dreturned,they’dbeenspendingmore time together in the evenings, reliving theirmemories and continuing tolearnDutchtogether.

“I’m really glad you like the stamppot, sweetheart.” Hannah reopened theconversation.“ItmaynotbethesameaswhatwehadatMoedersRestaurant,but I think it’s still pretty good. Would you like a beer?” Mark nodded, hismouthfulloffood,andHannahgotuptogogetbeersforbothofthem.Beforethetrip,Hannahhadn’treallycaredforbeer,butsomethingabouthavingbeercanal-sidehadseemedtoconverther.

MarkwatchedHannahwalkintothekitchen,thenlookeddownatthebeautifulspread of food she had prepared: stamppot and freshly made bread and an

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assortmentofDutchcheeses.Theworldwasopeningtohim,thankstoHannahandtheadventuretheysharedtogether,andheknewthattheirtravelshadonlyjustbegun.

Whenyourtripiscompleted,you’llhaveexperiencedyourdestinationinawaythat few tourists ever do. You’ll have immersed yourself in the culture anddevelopedacompletelynewpartofyourself.Yourtripwillhavebeenfilledwithrich experiences, and if you travelwith apartner, then the twoofyouwill beconnectedinadeepanduniqueway.Inadditiontoallthis,you’llhavecreatedawealthofmemories todrawon in the future, both to sharewithothers and toenjoyyourself.Lifewillconstantlyremindyouofyour trip,andyoumayfindyourselfdrawntonewactivitiesbackhome.Intotal,you’llbealiveinamuchmorecompleteway.Thequestiontheniswhattodonext.

To answer this question, there are two possible options to choose from.Oneoption is toplanareturn trip to thesamecountryyoujustvisited,or toacountrywherethesamelanguageisspoken.Thesecondoptionistoplanatriptoacompletelynewdestination.Eachoptionhasitsmerits.

Ifyouplananewtriptothesamelocation,you’lljourneyevendeeperintoyour host country’s culture. You could also gain a new perspective on thatculture by visiting a different region. For example, a foreignerwould have tovisit the United States many times to develop an appreciation for its manyregionaldifferences.Inaddition,you’llfindthattheabsolutebesttimetostudyyourlanguage,otherthanwhenyou’reactuallyinacountrywherethatlanguageisspoken,isimmediatelyfollowingyourtrip.Withyourbrainfullyprimedforlearningbytheimmersionyou’veexperienced,youmightfindthattwoweeksofstudyfollowingyourtriptobemorefruitful thantwomonthsofstudyprior toyour trip.And to build on your success, youmight considerwatchingmoviescompletely in your new language,without subtitles, or reading some classicalworksofliteratureinthatlanguagewithtranslationstoassistyou.Infact,ifyouplan to return toyourhostcountryforyournext trip,youmightpickupsomebooks,movies, andmusicwhile you’re there. Justmake sure that anymedia,suchasDVDs,thatyoubuyarecompatiblewithyourmediaplayerbackhome.

On theotherhand,youmightplana trip toanewdestinationaltogether.This is themoreexcitingoption,as itwill takeyoubackoutsideyourcomfortzone.Ifyouchoosethispath,you’llagaindevelopanothersideofyourself.But

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keepinmindthatit’snormalforthetransitiontobedifficultatfirst.Youmightfind yourself speaking the language of your last destination instead of thelanguageofyournewdestination,especially if the two languagesare fromthesamefamily.Butrestassured,beforelongyourbrainwillreorganizeitselfandyou’llstarttokeepeverythingstraight.

Sowhichoptiontochoose?Mysuggestionistostartbyplanningtripstoseveral different countries so as to definitely determine which cultures andlanguagesagreewithyou.Forexample,Ikeepfindingmyselfdrawntocountrieswhere Romance languages are spoken. As a minimum, you might considerplanningtripstothreedifferentcountries,withthreedifferentlanguages,beforeyoupickonetofocusoninthefuture.Oryoumaydecidetoneverfocusononecountryinparticular,andtobecomea“citizenoftheworld.”Onlyyouandyourtravelpartnercanbesurewhat’sbestforyourselves.

Oneoptionyouwon’tconsider,though,isthatofnottravelingagain.Onceyour eyes havebeenopened to theworld, it’s impossible to close them.Yourperspective on life is going to be transformed by your experiences, and nowyou’ll forever value travel. You’ll connect with new people more easily andappreciate thedetailsof lifemorefully.Butmore thananything,youwon’tbeable towaituntilyournext trip.Fortunately,becauseyou’ve learned toTravelEveryDay,youwon’thavetowaitlong.

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MentalVoyage#10

Nowthatyourjourneyiscomplete,therearetwothingstodo.Oneistogiveclosuretoyourfinishedjourney,andtheotheristobeginplanningfor the future. You can accomplish both of these goals in the sameevening by planning a night to re-experience and share the culture ofyourdestinationthroughfood,music,perhapsamovie,anddefinitelyaviewing of pictures and video from your trip. If you traveled with apartner,maketheeveningjust for thetwoofyou,andbegintodiscussthroughouttheeveningwhereyou’dliketogoforyournexttrip.Ifyoutraveledbyyourself,invitefriendsovertoshareinyourexperience,andconsiderwhetheranyofthemwouldperhapsliketoparticipateinyournexttrip.Andasafinalpieceofpreparation,Irecommendthatyoutaketime to write out the key experiences you enjoyed and lessons youlearned in your travel journal, before turning the page to begin yournextadventure!

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Appendix1—RecommendedResources

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Books

1,000PlacestoSeeBeforeYouDie,byPatriciaSchultz:Thisnow-classicbookserves as a useful catalog of many of the world’s most noteworthy travelhighlights.My copy iswell-worn andmarkedwith stickers inmanyplaces asI’ve been fortunate enough to visit several hundred of the destinations at thispoint.

Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture, by variousauthors: This series does a nice job of introducing the basic feel of a culturewithout getting caught up in details. Sometimes the series can border onstereotypicalbut,insomecasesatleast,therearereasonswhystereotypesexist.All in all, I’ve found this series to be helpful in terms of setting some initialexpectations that have helped me to adjust more quickly to my newenvironments.

GreatEscapes:Experience theWorldatYourLeisure,byLonelyPlanet:Great Escapes is similar to The Travel Book described below, but is morefocusedonspecifictripsthatyoumightplan.MywifeandIhaveusedittochartoutafuturetriptoSpain,forexample.

One Week Budget, by Tiffany Aliche: Money management has alwaysbeenachallengeforme,sinceIreallydidn’tlearnanysystematictechniquesformanagingmoneygrowingup.Fortunately,OneWeekBudgetprovides a clearand concise plan for organizing finances, and has helpedmywife andmyselforganizeourfamilyfinancessowehavemoremoneyfortravel.

TheStoryofArt,byE.H.Gombrich:ThiswasthefirstbookIreadonartappreciation,andIfoundittobebotheasytoreadandengaging.Afullstudyofart appreciation isofcourse itsownendeavorbut, forgettingstarting learningaboutbasicsofart,Irecommendthisbookhighly.

Time Management in an Instant, by Karen Leland and Keith Bailey:Related to money management, time management is an important part ofcreating resources for your trip. In reality, there is no such thing as timemanagement sincewe can only reallymanage ourselves and not time, but thebasicideathatwecanbemoreeffectiveinourlivesbythoughtfullyorganizingouractivitiesisanimportantonenonetheless.

TheTravelBook,byLonelyPlanet:Describedasajourneythrougheverycountryoftheworld,thisbookhasbeenusefultomywifeandmeaswe’veusedittobothinspireandfine-tuneourchoicesoftraveldestinations.Thefullcolorphotographyisespeciallyinspiring,andthebookisgenerallyeducationalevenifthesummariesofeachcountryaresomewhatbrief.

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Vagabonding,byRolfPotts:SomewhattheoppositeofTravelEveryDay,thisinspiringbookisabouthowtotaketheroadforextendedperiodsoftime.Irecommend this book for a contrasting approach, as well as for many well-described travel and money-management resources. You may find that, afterusingtheprinciplesofTravelEveryDay,youwantmorephysicaltravelinyourlifeandmayfindthatVagabondingisagoodnextstep.Personally,theapproachdoesn’t fit with the other competing goals inmy life, which is part of why Ideveloped and wrote Travel Every Day, but it may work well for you and Iencourageyoutoexploreyouroptions.

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LanguageLearningSeries

Michel ThomasMethod: Second only toPimsleur, I’ve foundMichel ThomasMethod,tobeanexcellentresourceforgainingconversationalfluencyinanewlanguage. The approach is more grammatically-driven than Pimsleur, but stillfocusesontheproductionofuseful(andsometimesimpressive)phrasesthatyoulearntosay—oneofmyfavoritememoriesfrommytriptoRiodeJaneirowasaskingaBrazilianwaiter,inPortuguese,whathethoughtoftheeconomicalandpoliticalsituationinBrazil.

OxfordTakeOff: Ideally suited toworkingwith a partner at the kitchentable,I’veverymuchenjoyedworkingthroughvariouslanguagesinthisseries.Theseriesmovesquickly,andisbestsuitedforintermediatelevellearners,butisconversation-drivenandusuallywellputtogether.

PimsleurLanguagePrograms:Asdiscussed in detail in thebodyof thisbook,I’vefoundthePimsleurmethodtobethebestmethod,byfar,inwhichtobegin new languages. There are some weaknesses, of course, such as anoccasionalfocusontopicsthatdon’tseemveryimportantinretrospect,buttheoverall approach is second-to-none in terms of preparing travelers to feelcomfortable taking their first brave new steps in a foreign language. IrecommendPimsleurAudio.comforfindingdownloadableversionsofPimsleurprogramsatreasonableprices.

Teach Yourself: I’ve found this series to be sometimes useful andsometimesdisappointing,soIrecommendreadingthereviewsoftheparticularproduct you plan to buy carefully before buying. At its best,Teach Yourself,providesanicebalancebetweenconversationalandclassroomlearning.

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OnlineResources

Adioso.com, Airbnb.com, Booking.com, Google flight search, Kayak.com,TripAdvisor.com,andmanyotheronline searchandbookingwebsites:Oneofthemostdifficultpartsoftravelplanninginthemodernworld,inmyopinion,isnavigatingthestaggeringnumberoftravelbookingwebsites.I’veprovidedherethewebsites that I’ve enjoyed using recently, but I recommend that you startyour travel planningbydoing a search for “best travel bookingwebsites” andreading some recent reviews of the various sites before digging in—new siteswithnewfeaturesareappearingallthetimeandthebestsitestodaymaynotbethebestsitestomorrow.

Amazon Instant Video (Amazon.com) and Netflix (Netflix.com):BothAmazonandNetflixhavelargelibrariesofforeignmoviesthatcanbeinstantlystreamedondemand.Inaddition,bothsiteshaveextensivereviewsthatwillhelpguide your choices. As far as which site is superior, I personally prefer thefreedomofchoosingmovieswithoutamonthlycommitmentonAmazon.Butifyou’re already a Netflix member, you may find that Netflix provides all themoviesyouwilleverneedtogetuptospeedlisteningtoconversationsinyournewlanguage.

FlyerTalk.com and NerdWallet.com: Both of these websites provideextensiveguidanceonnavigatingthedetailsoftravelloyaltyprogramsandtheircorrespondingcreditcards.

Pandora.com and Spotify.com: Both of these online radio resourcesprovide a wealth of foreign language music, with a variety of stations andplaylists available. I personally use Pandora radio to explore a new musicalcultureand thenuseSpotify tohone inonspecificartistsor sounds that I likeonceIhaveasenseofmypreferences.

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TravelGear

Back Booster Inflatable Cushion: This is simply the perfect behind-the-backlumbarsupportpillow.Justbesurenottoleaveitontheairplane,asIhaveonnumerousoccasions.

eBagsMotherLodeTLSConvertibleWeekender:Thetravelbagtoendalltravelbags, I can’t recommend thisbagenough.Amazinglywellput together,thisbagiscomfortabletowearandcavernous,yetstillfitsintheoverheadbinson international flights. Using these bags, my wife and I both packed all theitemsweneededforourthreeweekhoneymooninMoroccoandFrance.

Bose Noise-Cancellation Headphones: While noise-cancellationheadphones do not actually cancel all sound, they do a nice job of removingrepetitivenoisessuchasthedroneofairlineengines.Iusuallyusebothearplugsandheadphones.

BuckyEyeShades:Portable,comfortable,andeffectiveeyeshades.IsleepwithmyBuckyEyeShadeseverynight,andnotjustwhenI’mtraveling.

Hearos Xtreme Protection Earplugs: I have no particular reason torecommendonebrandofearplugsoveranother—HearosaresimplythebrandIuseandtheyworkforme.

Space Bag Travel Roll-Up Bags: There are a variety of brands thatessentiallydo the same thing,but I’vehad luckwith theSpaceBagbrandnotbreaking and helpingme to pack a lot of clothes in a small amount of space.WhencombinedwiththeMotherLodeWeekender,thesebagswillallowyoutopackmorethanenoughclothesforyourtripinyourcarry-onbags.Onewordofwarning—the combination of theWeekender and theSpaceBags can actuallycause you to exceed your allowableweight limit. If possible,weigh your bagbeforegoingtotheairporttoavoidunnecessaryfees.

Travelon1stClassSleeper:Whilethispillowissomewhatclumsytouse,Irecommend inflating itapproximately70%of thewayandusing itunderneathyour legs instead of behind your back.Depending on the amount of leg roomavailable,youmaybeabletoapproximatelay-flatsleepingtosomereasonabledegreewhenyoucombinethispillowwiththeotherrecommendedpillows.

TravelRestInflatableTravelPillow:ThisinflatablesashistheonlypillowI’veever found that actuallypreventsmyhead fromrolling forwarddownmyneck. I consider it essential for sleeping on airplanes and can’t recommend it

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highlyenough.Vitalsox Graduated Compression Performance Patented Recovery Socks

withDryStat:Mywifehashadissueswithcirculationonlongflights,andthesesocks have greatly reduced the leg and ankle swelling that she used toexperience. Also, from what I understand, they’re comfortable and keep herwarm.

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Appendix2—PictureIndex

Front cover: Lisbon, Portugal Chapter 1: Merzouga, Morocco Chapter 2:Munich, Germany Chapter 3: Prague, Czech Republic Chapter 4: Sintra,Portugal Chapter 5: Brussels, Belgium Chapter 6: Rio de Janeiro, BrazilChapter7:Hydra,GreeceChapter8:Venice,ItalyChapter9:Barcelona,SpainChapter10:Milan,ItalyAuthorBio:Amsterdam,TheNetherlands

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1Ifyoudon’thavearegularcommuteinwhichyoudrivebyyourself,othergoodopportunitiestoengagein language learning include:1)Whiledoingchoresaround thehouse,2)Onwalks, and3)Whileusingpublictransportation.I’vepersonallyusedallthreeoftheseoptionsaswell,andI’vefoundinthethirdcasethatthosewhodon’trealizethatyou’relearninganewlanguagewillsimplythinkthatyou’reonthephone.2IamnotinanywayaffiliatedwiththePimsleurmethod,oranyotherlanguagelearningtechniqueforthatmatter.I’vesimplyfoundPimsleurtobebyfarthemosteffectivemethodforbeginninganewlanguage.I’veyettofindothermainstreamprogramsthatplaceaspureanemphasisonspokenconversation,butifothersweretoappearIwouldendorsethemhighlyaswell.3New travel search sites appear on a regular basis, so youmaywish to educate yourself a little on thevarious sites before booking.At time ofwriting, I found the flexible date searchAdioso.com to be theeasiest touse forbookinga trip toRome, Italy, fromRichmond,Virginia.Also, a tipworthconsideringwhenbookingmultipletravelersistobuyoneticketatatime-airlineswillsometimeschargethehigherpriceforbothticketsifthereisonlyoneticketleftatalowerprice.Thewaytotestwhetherornotthisisthecaseistosearchforoneticket,searchfortwotickets,andseeifthepricefortwoticketsistwicethatofoneticket.4SeeAppendix1atthebackofthisbookformypersonalrecommendations.5Anevenbetteroptionistonotcheckabagatall.SeeAppendix1formyrecommendationsthatwillallowyoutocarryoneverythingyouneedforyourtrip.