it's on. pre-registration tix for tbex 2011 went on sale today.

Holy crap. Within minutes of receiving an email from Wanderlust and Lipstick Founder and Editrix, Beth Whitman that Travel Blog Exchange tickets had gone sale, more than half of the blogger pre-registration tickets had already sold. In less than seven hours. Wow. Since TBEX is being held in roadtrip friendly nearby Vancouver, B.C. and I'll be hot off the heels of The Global Citizen Project, I plunked down the $50 pre-registration ticket fee (it jumps to $80 during regular registration, which I believe starts September 5th, 2010). Sure, my travel dance card is locked and loaded with the next 11 volunteer projects for TGCP and I'm typically not one to plan anything so far ahead, but I'm giddy about the prospect of having so many of my peers in the PacNW and hope that folks take me up on my offer to show 'em around Seattle. Mi es su casa and there's not much I love more in life than a good roadtrip. I don't want to get all Julie the Cruise Director, but there's anything I can do to make my fellow travel writer/blogger's stay in the PacNW more enjoyable, holler. When it comes to my hometown, Seattle, baby I was born to hostess.

my volunteer travel first aid kit

People frequently ask me what I pack in my travel first aid kit. I tweak the contents of my kit depending upon the destination, availability of pharmaceutical supplies and foreseeable medical services. Believe it or not, everything on this list fits into a fairly small zipped container, with the exception of prescription drugs, which I always put in my carry on luggage – just in case. Since most of my volunteer projects for The Global Citizen Project are in impoverished places, I plan to take this locked and loaded version of my travel first aid kit to all the destinations. Once there, I can pick and choose what I may need on a daily basis and stash a short list of items in my day pack (in a Ziplock bag to play it weather safe). So far, I haven’t run into a situation where I’ve needed something not on this grandmaster list. Since I’m always eager to improve my Girl Scout-like packing and travel skills, please share any can’t-live-without first aid items I should add to my kit. Check out the contents of first aid kit here.

a broad volunteers: let the global citizen project begin

Alright, y’all. Tomorrow night, I catch a red-eye from Seattle to Miami to Tegucigalpa, Honduras where I’ll jump into volunteering for Building a Future (BAF). I cannot tell you how impressed I’ve been with this organization and the pre-volunteering preparations. BAF Directors, Robert Furr and José Mahomar have checked in weekly with updates on what I’d be doing and whom I’d be working with. You can read more about what I'll be doing in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Wanderlust and Lipstick here. Follow the adventure on Twitter here.

a broad volunteers: loot, there it is

I’m usually good with issues of etiquette. Maybe it has something to do with a strict handwritten thank you note ethic that was ingrained in me at an early age by my mother. (I was also taught to send said thank you note to its recipient within 24-hours, but that’s a neurosis I’ll save for another post.) But, when it comes to gifting abroad, especially in a volunteer capacity, I’m stumped as to the ins and outs of what is and isn’t appropriate. Read "Loot, There It Is" at my A Broad Volunteers blog on Wanderlust and Lipstick here.


Photo courtesy of Jill Clardy via Flickr

a broad volunteers: travelers night in

There was an interesting Twitter discussion today on Travelers Night In. In case you aren’t yet in-the-loop of this weekly tweet up, here’s how it works: 10 questions are thrown out via the hashtag #TNI pertaining to a particular travel-related theme over the course of 90 minutes (a new question is posted every 10 minutes). Each question sparks a flurry of responses, lively debate and discussion. I’ll admit it. TNI is my new guilty pleasure, and I find myself eagerly awaiting 12:30 p.m. PST each Thursday for the spirited cyber festivities to begin. Read more about this week's TNI discussion on Green Travel at "A Broad Volunteers" on Wanderlust and Lipstick here.

Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks

a broad volunteers: fly anxiety

Small confession: Until a few years ago, I used to be terrified of flying. Like Valium-required, grab my seatmate, shriek and break out in sweats scared of flying. Read my new blog post, "Fly Anxiety" on Wanderlust & Lipstick here.

a broad volunteers

Good news! I'm over-the-moon excited to report that I'm officially blogging for Wanderlust & Lipstick, your destination for women's travel. I've taken over the reigns of the "A Broad Volunteers" column and will be posting several times weekly. Sign up to follow all the action here as I dish about my travels for The Global Citizen Project as well as volunteer travel and voluntourism opportunities. Cheers and thanks for joining me.