In 2000…

• I attended high school.
• I learned how to drive.
• I wrote a monthly e-newsletter about the Backstreet Boys.
• I took pictures with disposable cameras.
• I flew on a plane for the first time in my life.

Ten years ago, I was just a kid enjoying life and beginning my journey as a writer and a traveler. In the years ahead, I would continue this journey…which is still far from seeing an end.

In 2001…

• I mourned for all those directly affected by 9/11.
• I played softball at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orland, Florida.
• I sent post card after post card to document my trip.

In 2002…

• I sang with my high school chorus in Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Canada.
• I attended a mass with Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada.
• I stared, in awe, at Niagra Falls…twice.
• I participated in mock trials and the study of law two weeks at the Law & Advocacy session for the National Student Leadership Conference in New York, New York and Washington, D.C.
• I wrote myself emails detailing my travels, because I didn’t know any other form of “blogging.”
• I spent four months learning how to write a research paper…and I loved every minute of it.
• I loved reading The Great Gatsby and The Crucible and chose English as my favorite subject.

In 2003…

• I started college.
• I moved to the Northside of Chicago.
• I explored each neighborhood around every stop on the Red Line from Loyola to Roosevelt.
• I enjoyed school, but my favorite course was English 101.

In 2004…

• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I enjoyed a week of fun in Orange County and Los Angeles, California.
• I received my first digital camera: a SONY Cybershot.
• I signed up on Webshots.com so that I could share my travel photos with the world.
• I joined MySpace.com and began writing about my travels on my MySpace blog.
• I spent eight days in Rome, Italy.
• I took a day trip to Florence, Italy.

In 2005…

• I rang in the new year, celebrating at Campo di Fiori in Rome, Italy.
• I moved to New York.
• I explored every area of Manhattan.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I became the Features Editor of my college newspaper.

In 2006…

• I spent my first week of being a “legal” adult in Sin City aka Las Vegas, Nevada.
• I went back to New York for two weekend getaways.
• I studied a women’s lit course that required travel to Paris, France.
• I walked the gardens at the palace in Versailles.
• I moved to London.
• I saw breathtaking views of rolling green hills in Wales, UK.
• I walked the same streets as one of my favorite authors, Geoffrey Chaucer, in Canterbury, England.
• I drank Guinness, Bailey’s and Jameson at the original Brazen Head in Dublin, Ireland.
• I dealt with gypsys stealing my camera in Barcelona, Spain.
• I fell in love with Venice, Italy.
• I had a blast with new-found friends in Bath and Avebury in England.
• I saw the iconic Stonehenge.
• I purchased a second SONY Cybershot digital camera.
• I completed a travel writing course, documenting my trips, my thoughts on various pieces of travel literature and my exposure to new cultures.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.

In 2007…

• I rang in the New Year at a cozy cottage in Michigan.
• I became the Editor of my college literary magazine.
• I ventured east again, skipped good ol’ New York and instead opted for New Jersey.
• I started hosting karaoke and DJing at night clubs.
• I went to Chicago White Sox Spring Training in Tucson, Arizona.
• I graduated from Saint Xavier University with a BA in English.
• I celebrated my graduation with a week in New York City…again.
• I landed a job as an Editorial Assistant at a national real estate marketing/advertising company.
• I met up with my favorite British boy in Kansas City, Kansas
• I spent time with my best friend in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.
• I visited London for the second time.

In 2008…

• I spent a relaxing weekend at a friend’s cottage in Michigan.
• I went to Las Vegas, Nevada with all the members of my karaoke company.
• I toured all of Boston, Massachusetts and fell in love with Fenway Franks at Fenway Park.
• I bought a domain and started Gettin’ Carried Away.
• I took a little day trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the Brewers/Cubs game.
  
• I celebrated a friend/coworker’s birthday in New York City.
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2008.

In 2009…

• I met several Chicago Blackhawks players in Nashville, Tennessee.
• I became a columnist for HipCompass Escapes Magazine.
• I visited London for the third time.
• I sang karaoke on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• I purchased a Canon Rebel EOS and an additional 70-300mm lens.
• I watched the Bison roam in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
• I beat the heat in Guadalajarra and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
• I spent a gorgeous, sunny day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• I watched the Pirates vs. the Diamondbacks at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• I attended ALCS Game 1 at brand-new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2009.

My passions for writing and traveling are stronger than ever. I am so happy to spend another year doing what I love. Thank you for making the first 17 months of my travel blog a success. Happy travels and Happy New Year!

A 23-year-old Nigerian man named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to destroy Northwest Flight 253 by ways of an explosive device he had attached to his body. The flight originated from Nigeria, where he originally boarded, connected in Amsterdam and made its final journey to Detroit. Abdul wasn’t on the “No Fly” list, but he is on a list of people suspected to have a connection to terrorism.

As the plane soared over Detroit, the man complained of a stomachache, hunched over in his seat, covered himself with a blanket and triggered the device. Luckily, it failed to fully detonate and, instead, started a fire (on the man) rather than creating an explosion (on the plane). The man, who was badly burned and taken into custody upon the plane’s safe landing, claimed to be associated with al-Qaida and that he was instructed to blow up the plane as it descended into Detroit’s airport. But with such stringent rules about carry-on liquids, you may be wondering how the man was able to smuggle explosive materials on board the flight. Yahoo! reported that the “explosive device consisted of a six-inch packet of powder and a syringe with a liquid, which were sewn into the man’s underwear so they would be near his testicles and unlikely to be detected.”

Of course, there is more to be said about this incident, but you can find plenty of information on a myriad of channels like BBC or the New York Times. What I really want to write about is the new, rather absurd regulation being implemented by the Transportation Security Administration…

TSA will now limit on-board activities (during the last hour) on all planes flying within U.S. airspace. This means no bathroom, no iPod, no purse, no blanket, no pillow, no…anything. And yes, I think this is absurd. At this rate, we won’t be allowed to carry anything onto a plane…at all.

I personally think it all goes back to the screening process. This man was not on the “No Fly” list, but his name did appear on a list with 500,000 other terrorist-related people. Even though thia liat boasts a lot of names, shouldn’t this be a red flag to any airline ticketing agent/airport security officer? If you’re even associated with terrorism, shouldn’t you be searched? Metal detector, body search, the whole nine yards? I would think it’s better to be safe than sorry, no matter how many people require additional screening. Keep the random searches going, but implement mandatory searches of people who appear on any sort of list.

And here’s a thought: our bags go through X-ray machines, but do we? No. We pass through metal detectors. And even though the screening process in Nigeria and Amsterdam didn’t pick up the metal syringe sewn into Abul’s underwear, an X-ray machine might have. Yes, I know it might be a little unrealistic for passengers to pass through metal detectors and giant X-ray machines, but I think this comes down to a more strict screening process rather than controlling on-board activities. Spend the money on creating and installing life-size X-ray machines and potentially save millions of lives in the long run. Terrorism isn’t going away…

People are still getting on board with liquids that are not regulation sized or packed in the proper, quart-sized plastic bag. I know a woman who made it from Florida to Illinois with a full 8-ounce bottle of perfume. Another friend of mine, who rarely travels, finally decided to take a winter vacation from New York to Hawaii and made it all the way there and back with a full 10-ounce bottle of sun tan lotion. So whether they are in a suitcase, strapped to a leg or sewn into underwear, TSA workers still miss a few liquids here and there.

What about the passengers who are careful to read the rules? Or the savvy travelers who know the rules like they do the ABCs? It’s almost like that saying I heard when I was a little kid, “One bad apple ruins the bunch.” I know the “bad apple” in this case is a terrorist, and I am not insensitive to the incident in Detroit, 9/11 or any terrorist attack for that matter. What I mean here is that TSA implements a lot of ridiculous rules, while some of their employees don’t even perform their jobs correctly. And I do stress the word some. I happen to know a few TSA workers who boast impeccable records.

I applaud the brave crew members and passengers on board Flight 253, and my heart aches for all the people affected by 9/11. But the average traveler should not be punished for the actions of terrible, harmful people. I’m sure many of us would rather endure a longer screening process than be stripped of our civil liberties on board an aircraft.

In my house, we celebrate Christmas. We attend Midnight Mass at the church I’ve attended since birth, we watch classic comdedies like Home Alone, Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story, and we break oplatki wafters before Christmas dinner. We do exchange gifts, even though the holiday spirit shouldn’t be about gift-giving. However, sometimes I feel no greater joy than finding or making the perfect present for a given person.

Last year, I wrote about several gifts that would be great for any traveler. One year later, I find myself living on a tighter budget, and I just can’t afford to spend a lot of money. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give a great gift to my favorite traveler. So get ready channel your inner Julia Child, because this homemade gift will tantalize anyone’s taste buds!

Here’s where Gettin’ Carried Away becomes part food blog…with a traveler’s twist, of course.

Airplane Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of ready-made sugar cookies (I used Pillsbury)
• flour (no set measurement)
• 2 tubes of cookie icing (1 red, 1 green)

Tools

• 1 large cutting board
• 1 rolling pin
• 1 airplane cookie cutter

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make sure all your tools (board, pin, cutter) are cleansed throughly.
• Begin by gathering FOUR (4) of the pre-cut cookies from the dough and roll them into a ball. Add a dash of flour so the dough stays firm enough to roll. You’ll also want to sprinkle a bit of flour on the cutting board, so the dough doesn’t stick as you roll it.
• Take the rolling pin, smoothen some flour all over the tool, then begin rolling out the ball of dough so it becomes a patty about ONE-HALF (1/2) an inch thick. If the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin, simply flip it over and sprinkle a little bit more flour on the dough.
• Take the airplane cookie cutter and fashion TWO (2) airplanes out of the dough.
• Repeat this process until you have over a dozen airplanes ready to bake.
• Bake for NINE (9) minutes, but keep a close eye on the cookies. Depending on your oven, it can take just SEVEN (7) minutes to bake the cookies.
• Once the cookies cool, pipe the frosting out of the tube and smoothen with the back of a measuring spoon.

VOILA! Airplane cookies for your favorite traveler!

THE LOGISTICS

Unlimited

Cricket Wireless’ claim to fame is that every plan boasts unlimited minutes, so you’re really paying for the extras.

• $25: talk, caller ID & text
• $30: talk, caller ID & premium coverage
• $35: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, PLUS text & long distance
• $40: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, PLUS pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling & voicemail
• $45: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, PLUS mobile web & 411 assistance
• $50: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, mobile web, 411 assistance, PLUS call forwarding, myBackup & mobile email
• $55: talk, caller ID, premium coverage, talk, caller ID, premium coverage, text, long distance, pix, mexico text, call waiting, 3-way calling, voicemail, mobile web, 411 assistance, call forwarding, myBackup & mobile email

Nationwide Romaing

• Nationwide Roaming $5.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 30 minutes.
• Nationwide Roaming $10.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 70 minutes.
• Nationwide Roaming $15.00/month: Make calls when you are outside of a Cricket service area, including Canada, for up to 120 minutes.

International Add-On

Would you believe there are EIGHT (8) different international add-ons?

1. $5 Basic International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or any landline (not mobile phone) Mexico and talk for up to 100 minutes
2. $5 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or any landline (not mobile phone) Mexico and talk for up to 100 minutes. Additional voicemail, caller ID and call waiting included.
3. $10 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landline phones) in Mexico for up to 40 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID call waiting and 3-way calling.
4. $15 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or landlines (not mobile phones) in Mexico for up to 300 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
5. $25 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or landlines (not mobile phones) in Mexico for up to 500 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
6. $30 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landlines) in Mexico for up to 135 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
7. $35 International Long Distance: Call anyone in the U.S., Canada or mobile phones (not landlines) in Mexico for up to 175 minutes per month, plus unlimited voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 3-way calling
8. $10 Unlimited International LD: Make unlimited calls to landlines in more than 100 countries worldwide (including unlimited calls to landlines in Mexico) and send unlimited text messages to Mexico.

MY ANALYSIS

Unlimited

To Cricket Wireless, voicemail (like text messaging) is not a basic feature of a phone. So, if you purchase the cheapest plan, don’t expect to get any messages. And here’s something really interesting… the $45, $50 and $55 plans have recently been reduced by $5. So now, there are two $40 plans, but one of them gives you a few more extras. Happy Holidays, huh?

Nationwide Romaing

Cricket might be popular, but it is certainly not a household brand like AT&T or Verizon. Click on the Coverage Map at the top of the main web page, plug in your zip code, and you’ll see that the coverage is rather small and only convenient to big cities. Headed to Denver, Chicago or St. Louis? You’re covered. Sorry, Champaign, IL…Kalamazoo, MI…Hartford, CT you cost extra. If you only want to see the hot spots of the U.S., Cricket might be the carrier for you. But if you’re planning a road trip, or if you want to see the lesser known parts of the country, this might not be the service provider for you.

International Add-Ons:

Really, the only difference between add-on plans would be calling Mexican landlines versus Mexican mobile phones. You really have to know who you’re calling. For example, if you’re to Mexico and want to call home to let the fam know you’re alive, will you be calling a house phone or a cell phone? When you’re choosing an international add-on, it really makes sense to plan ahead.

As for the rates to other countries? Some of them look pretty steep… check them out for yourself here.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include Blackberry phones, PDAs and other Smartphones, as well as text messaging.

THE LOGISTICS

Monthly Unlimited

Boost Mobile’s big pitch is that they don’t offer the typical two-year contract like other carriers do. Instead, you choose a pay-as-you go option. In the case of Monthly Unlimited, for $50 a month you get unlimited:

• days
• nights and weekends
• mobile-to-mobile (to Boost, Sprint and Nextel customers nationwide)
• text messaging (and picture messaging, available on select phones)
• wireless web

Click on the coverage map, and you’ll notice that you can use a BM phone anywhere in the U.S. …except in Montana, Wyoming and Mississippi.

International Connect Add-On

If you frequent other countries, you may consider purchasing the International Connect add-on. For an additional $10 per month, you’ll get unlimited text and walkie talkie. Rates for actually speaking on the phone vary.

MY ANALYSIS

National Plans

It’s $50 a month for unlimited, well, everything? AND you’ve got national coverage? AND no contract? Sounds like a deal to me…unless you live in Montana, Wyoming or Mississippi, of course.

What doesn’t make sense to me is saying that you get unlimited days, nights/weekends and mobile-to-mobile (to Boost, Sprint and Nextel customers only). If you have unlimited days and night/weekends already, it doesn’t really matter if you have free mobile-to-mobile, right? However, perhaps that is for the “walkie talkie” option.

International Connect Add-On:

An extra $10 for the international add-on is a bit pricey compared to Alltel and AT&T, however, there is only one price ($50 per month) for all phones, so you wouldn’t be paying more than $60 for an international service. With some other carriers, depending on the package you choose, you could pay up to $100 for national coverage before you even add on international capabilities.

Also, I know I did not include text messaging information in my previous posts, but when I saw this bit of info on BM’s website:

I could not pass up the chance to talk about it. International texts are FREE to receive? And only 10 cents to send? I’ve never heard of that before, and I’ve been with two different carriers.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include Blackberry phones, iPhones, PDAs and other Smartphones.

THE LOGISTICS

National Plan

AT&T has come a long way since its former days of being Cingular Wireless. Now, every plan available is considered “national” with zero roaming charges in all 50 states. The cheapest plan costs $39.99. This gives you 450 daytime minutes, 5,000 nights/weekend minutes, rollover and unlimited mobile-to-mobile. However, text messaging is not included.

AT&T also offers a combo Nation with Canada Plan. The lowest rate for Nation with Canada is $59.99 per month, giving you 450 daytime minutes and rollover. Unlimited mobile-to-mobile applies in the U.S. only. All Nation with Canada plans give you 1000 nights/weekends minutes.

International Roaming Add-Ons

If you frequent other countries, you may consider purchasing any or all International Roaming add-ons:

• World Traveler: For $5.99 per month, you’ll have access to lower rates compared to AT&T’s standard rates. For example, calling anyone while in the UK would cost $1.29 per minute without the World Traveler add-on, and $.099 per minute with it. However, AT&T posts a disclaimer stating that you may not be able to dial other international destinations other than lines in the UK and the U.S. while you are in the United Kingdom.
• World Connect: For $3.99 per month, you can call to over 220 countries no matter where you are located. Again, using the UK as an example, it would cost $0.08 to reach a land line and $0.28 to call a mobile phone (whether you are calling to the US from the UK or vice versa). There are no travel restrictions, so you would be able to phone any country at the rates listed on their website.
• Canada: For $4.99 per month, you will be charged $0.59 per min while roaming in Canada and $0.09 per min while roaming in U.S.
• Mexico: For $4.99 per month, you will be charged $0.59 per minute while roaming in Mexico, $0.09 per minute when calling from the U.S. to a Mexican landline, and $0.25 per minute when calling from the U.S. to a Mexican wireless device.

MY ANALYSIS

National Plans

I can remember the days when you had to buy a separate National Plan, so the fact that all plans include zero roaming charges throughout the United States is awesome to me. However, the Nation with Canada Plan kind of irritates me. What about Mexico? Also, why offer a Nation with Canada Plan and a Canada add-on? I suppose if you frequently call Canada, the Nation with Canada Plan makes more sense. The only benefit I see is that you are not charged for roaming in Canada (or the U.S.)… just an additional $0.45 per minute should you go over the minutes in your plan.

Now what if you’re just taking a trip to Canada? Depending on the amount of time you’re spending there, it might not make sense to get the Canada add-on, seeing that you’ll have to pay $4.99 for the a month of service (even if you’re only going for a few days). However, an AT&T sales rep might just try to push the this service on you when you call to tell them you’ll be out of the country for a bit. The service can easily be canceled after a month, but how much are you really saving?

The standard rate is $0.79 per minute, but with the Canada add-on, you’ll pay $0.59 per minute. Say you’re in Canada for a week, and you call home each night for 10 minutes. Without the plan, you’ll pay around $55. With the Canada add-on, you’ll save $9 on the calls. While I realize, these days, that every penny counts, what if you don’t call home every night? And if you do, what if you only talk for a minute to let someone know you’re ok? Evaluate your cell phone habits before you decide to spend the $4.99 for the monthly add-on. And don’t forget to cancel the service for the next month!

Now, on to the rest of the International Roaming Add-Ons:

• World Traveler: With the example I picked (the UK), you save $0.30 on rates. However, AT&T posts a disclaimer stating that you may not be able to dial other international destinations other than lines in the UK and the U.S. while you are in the United Kingdom. This isn’t always the case, though, as I know plenty of travelers with AT&T phones who have called other countries (besides the U.S.) while in the UK. This is your best option if you’re traveling the globe.
• World Connect: Again, using the UK as an example, you’ll save $1.21 when calling a land line and $1.01 when calling a mobile phone, whether you are calling to the US from the UK or vice versa. There are no travel restrictions, so you would be able to phone any country at the rates listed on their website. This is your best option if you’re frequently calling a friend, relative, coworker, etc in the UK.
• Canada: I forgot to mention that you will save $0.70 on calls to Canada from the U.S. This option might be good for a parent whose child is traveling in Canada. I went to Canada twice in high school, so this option might have been ideal for my mom if she wanted to contact me on a daily basis. However, if you’re calling Canada a lot, the Nation with Canada PLAN is a better deal.
• Mexico: The standard rate to Mexico is $0.99 per minute, so you’re saving $0.49 per minute while in Mexico, $0.40 per minute when calling a Mexican landline, and $0.24 per minute when calling a Mexican wireless device.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include text/picture messaging. Blackberry phones, iPhones, PDAs and other Smartphones require additional data plans ranging from $30-60 per month no matter what plan you select.

When iPhone users travel abroad, AT&T encourages them to turn roaming off to block email, browsing and downloads. Data plans for text messaging (and web browsing, email checking, etc) are available, but the lowest rate is $24.99 for 20 MB of data/usage in just 90 countries. That’s great for text messaging, but it won’t help you for usage. Remember, each time you check your email or look at a web page, you’re using a lot of data. 20 MB will go fast if your phone is your lifeline while you’re traveling. If you want more MB, the most expensive data plan is $199.99 per month for 200 MB. You might just want to use net cafes for net activities.

I have decided to start a new series of posts and explore a different carrier in each article. I’m doing it in alphabetical order to eliminate bias. First up? Alltel.

THE LOGISTICS

National Freedom Plan

This is the main national plan offered by Alltell Wireless. You are covered all across the nation. Alltell calls it the Freedom Plan, since you also have access to My Circle and Anytime Plan Changes.

The most affordable plan costs $39.99 per month

• 1 My Circle Number
• 500 minutes
• $0.40 per additional minute

The most expensive plan costs $199.99 per month:

• 20 My Circle Numbers
• 6000 minutes
• $0.25 per additional minute

International Dialing

International dialing is free. You must add it onto your existing plan, and you may only call the following countries:

• Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bonaire, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and U.S. Virgin Islands for $1.29 per minute.
• Mexico for $0.79 per minute.

To call other countries not included in the above list, you’ll have to purchase an international add-on for $3.99 per month for discounted rates. For example, the standard rate for the UK is $0.65 per minute; with the add-on, the price is $0.20 per minute.

The North American Freedom Plan offers toll-free calling from the U.S. to specific areas in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as back to the U.S. The cheapest plan starts at $59.99 and includes 10 My Circle Numbers, 450 daytime minutes. All North American Freedom Plans come with 1000 nights/weekends anywhere covered in the countries listed above, in addition to unlimited mobile-to-mobile in the U.S. only.

The last international feature is Cruise Ship Roaming. The standard rate on a cruise ship could be as much as $2.49 per minute, in addition to a $0.50 toll. With this feature, you’ll pay up to $0.13 per minute if you’re on one of these ships.

MY ANALYSIS

National Plans

You can change your plan at any time without extending your contract, which is unheard of with most other carriers.

With the cheapest plan, you only get unlimited to calls to one number and just 500 minutes to any other number. However, all National Freedom Plans $49.99 and higher include:

• a certain number of daytime minutes
• 5, 10 or 20 My Circle Numbers (which you can change at any time)
• Unlimited mobile-to-mobile
• Unlimited nights/weekends
• Free nationwide long distance

That $199.99 per month plan is the most expensive and comes with the 20 My Circle Numbers. However, did you know that Alltell offers a $99 per month Unlimited Calling Plan? The website says that the plan offers unlimited to calling to unlimited numbers 24/7, in addition to free nationwide long distance. So why would you choose the $199.99 per month plan?

International Dialing

It’s pretty cool that you don’t have to pay extra to call certain areas in Canada, Mexico, etc. However, if you do purchase the international add-on, calling Canada only costs $0.10 per minute. In the long run, if you’re an avid traveler, getting the add-on should save you more money than purchasing both the North American Freedom Plan and the monthly international add-on. I’ve also never heard of Cruise Ship Roaming being offered on a network. Seems like a lot of unique options here to me.

** All prices are projected for your average, run-of-the-mill mobile phone, and none of them include text/picture messaging, web browsing or emailing.

Also, Alltel recently merged with Verizon Wireless in January 2009. Alltel users will continue with their existing plans; however, once the contracts are up, Alltel users will most likely convert to Verizon plans. Verizon is currently unsure if they will continue the My Circle Plan once all Alltel contracts have ended.

• Some countries add a service charge, but the servers expect at least a 10% tip, as well. This happened to me in both Venice, Italy and Paris, France. I noticed this practice is followed in more upscale cities/regions.
• In Barcelona, Spain, we left our server a 10% tip. She literally chased us down to give the money back. I decided to speak to some locals to get the low down on España. I learned that the servers at most of the restaurants are salaried and receive social benefits. They told us that, if we felt compelled to leave a little extra, 3 to 5% is a-ok.
• DO NOT add the tip to the bill if you pay with a credit card. As a general rule, you should give it directly to the server
• DO NOT leave money on the table. It is considered impolite. Plus, you never know who’s lurking around, waiting to snatch it.
• If a bellhop handles your baggage, especially all the way to your room, a one-euro tip per bag is considered polite.
• In a restroom, there may be a small dish for the attendant. If he/she is actually attentive to you (towel in hand and all), 50 cents to 1 euro is sufficient.
• If you are totally unsatisfied with any service, feel free to leave no tip.

Honestly, I always felt weird leaving a small tip (or even no tip at all). And you might, as well. Just keep in mind that you’re in a different place. You’re not going to get a mean look, and no one is going to spit in your food if you don’t give an “adequate tip” to their liking. I tend to follow one rule… if the service is good, I leave a small tip. If I haven’t seen the server for an hour, if the cabbie takes the longest route, if the hostel staff is unfriendly… they don’t deserve anything extra.

• I haven’t been traveling.
• I haven’t been keeping up with travel trends.
• I haven’t spoken to any of my TBEX/Twitter travel buddies.

When you travel, do you ever get the feeling that you’re invincible? Let me put it this way…

• Your flight leaves on time.
• Your flight lands early.
• You receive a great hotel upgrade… at no cost.
• You get to see and do everything you planned.
• Your return trip home is also smooth sailing (or driving, or flying).

When everything is seemingly perfect, when you successfully avoid Murphy’s Law while traveling, you may gain a sense of infallibility. I know I do. So when things go wrong at home, it makes sense that travel, and everything to do with the world of travel, takes a HUGE back seat.

~* Buzz off, rapid strep throat! I’m still going to NYC! *~

It all started when I contracted rapid strept throat last month. An impromptu (and expensive) trip to the ER confirmed my sickness, and I postponed my latest New York trip by a day (losing out on a few hundred dollars to change the flight last minute). And while I was in New York, I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do because I was really sick. I was in pain, I was fatigued, and I went to bed before midnight every night in the city that never sleeps. It–for lack of a better word–sucked. Yet, I was still able to get to the new Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the ALCS (Yankees vs. Angels), and I got to stroll through Central Park, which is GORGEOUS in the fall, hand in hand with the love of my life.

Although I fought through one hurdle, once I returned home, the sickness and the drama just wouldn’t leave me alone. I’ll spare you all the gory details, but for the past few weeks, I’ve been dealing with reoccurring sickness, loss, anger, frustration and more.

I started to put things into perspective. Travel is a part of my life, and it’s a part of my life I refuse to give up. I’m going to get sick. Dear friends are going to pass away. Bad people are going to try to drag me down. I am going to have money struggles. However, I will not compromise my values, my beliefs or my passions just because I am feeling under the weather.

Life happens. Sometimes, you can’t travel, but that doesn’t mean it is out of the question.
I’m back and ready to rock!

A big thank you to all of you who have sent warm wishes in the form of emails, text messages and comments. Thank you for your support!

It’s no secret that fall is my favorite season. Naturally, I enjoy Halloween, as well. I love to watch terrifying movies (even though I’m easily scared by the smallest noise), and I always have fun putting up scary decorations. Most of all, though, I live for the costumes. Over the years, I’ve dressed up as a lot of characters: Jasmine from Aladdin, a referee, Devil Wears Prada. However, I think that my costume for Halloween 2009 trumps all of my past outfits.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Carmen Sandiego, let me give you a brief back story, courtesy of an amazing vocal group, Rockapella.

Well, she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina.
She’s a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize.
She’ll take you on a ride on a slow boat to China.
Tell me, where in the world is… Carmen Sandiego?

Essentially, Carmen, and her merry band of crooked followers, travel the globe, stealing famous landmarks, paintings, sculptures and more. She was the subject of an old computer game that taught young kids geography. You had to follow clues and chase her around the globe to secure the loot and a warrant before you could arrest her. For example, a clue could be: “I think she was headed towards Montpelier, the capital of the East Coast state.” Then, you’d head to Vermont to keep the chase going.

I first played it on an old Apple Mac (one that had a black screen with green lettering and used actual floppy disks) during my computer class in grammar school. Eventually, the game was made available for our home PC (an IBM at the time), and I played it religiously. It also evolved into a TV show that was on every day, Monday through Friday.

Being an avid traveler, I don’t know why I never thought to be Carmen Sandiego. She may be a thief, and a fictional character, but she has traveled the globe more times than I can count. Another lyric from her theme song reads, “She go from Nashville to Norway, Bonaire to Zimbabwe, Chicago to Czechoslokvaia and back!” Aside from trying to lift iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, she’s my idol. And so, for Halloween 2009, I dressed up as the “double-dealing diva” known as Carmen Sandiego.