solo female traveler seeks safety

Most of the time, I’m flying solo when I travel. Sure, living in Philadelphia and Baltimore stepped up my street smarts, but as a woman, I take extra precautions to keep my eyes on my person, space and stuff. Knock on all hard surfaces that I haven’t had any issues abroad – all theft and muggings have taken place during daylight hours here in the good ‘ole USA.

I’m a little Girl Scout-ish in my travel packing habits, but I’m not a paranoid traveler – I just like to understand my surroundings and have systems in place in case something was to happen. Fear has never been a good enough reason for me to not do something or go someplace, but I also don’t want to knowingly put myself into a stupid situation (and if I do find myself in a stupid situation, I want to have the tools to get myself out stat).

When traveling abroad, here are the safety precautions I take to cover my you-know-what:

• Register with U.S. Department of State (here and if there’s high risk, at the destination). It takes two minutes to fill out the online form and if something newsworthy (and not in the good way) goes down in your destination, they’ll be the first to let you know.

• Watch your drinks. Okay, maybe I’m a bit paranoid about this one, but I’ve read one too many date rape stories for my own comfort. If I’m in a strange place and my drink leaves my sight, I toss it and buy a new one. I also don’t accept random drinks from strangers. This doesn’t mean I won’t get drunk in a bar and embarrass myself by singing karaoke duets with strangers.

• Be discrete when discussing where you’re staying and specific travel plans.

• Check in regularly with someone you trust. I may not speak to my significant other every day while I’m on the road, but I do shoot him a text every night letting him know I made it home safely. If I’m solo in a hotel, I’ll jot down the address of where I’m going and leave it on the by-the-phone notepad. Also, I leave a detailed itinerary, phone numbers and a copy of my passport with my significant other.

• Never carry more stuff than you’re willing to lose.

• Carry money in various locations (keep bulk in shoe, safety belt, etc.) and a few bucks in easy-to-reach pocket, etc. I have a friend who was recently mugged in Guatemala and while her purse contained her wallet and camera, she handed the thief a change purse with a small amount of money in it and it was enough to make him go away.

• Carry a whistle, pepper spray or personal alarm from Magellan’s. My pepper spray is pink. I’m not afraid to use it.

• Think about how you appear – jewelry, hemlines, low-cut shirts, etc. No matter how hard I try, I will never blend in a foreign country, but I also don’t try to draw unnecessary attention with my attire and accessories.

• Pay attention. I find it more difficult to draw cultural cues and identify the “bad guys” when traveling, especially when there is a language barrier, but shifty behavior and activity is universal.

• Listen to your gut.

• Use a bag with strong, slash-proof strap.

• Be mindful of time and place surroundings (example: night, alleys, crowded places like the bus, etc.)

• Make a note of emergency telephone numbers you may need: police, fire, your hotel, and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. My cell phone has international calling capabilities, so if I’m really on top of things, I’ll pre-program these numbers just in case. Otherwise, I jot them on the back of a business card and stuff ‘em in my wallet.

• Know a few phrases in the local language. In an ideal world, I’d have all the vocabulary necessary to get myself out of any sticky situations. If that’s not possible, I learn a few key phrases, like “Help!”

• Be aware of unmarked cabs. In most of my travels, I’ve found there to be a legit system of taxicabs and a not-so-legit system. I try to find out what qualities identify the legit cabs – whether it’s a sticker, a color, etc. – and compare the face of the driver with the one on his or her posted license.

• If your possessions are lost or stolen, report the loss immediately to the local police. Keep a copy of the police report for insurance claims and as an explanation of your plight.

• Be aware of local photography laws. In many countries you can be detained for photographing security-related institutions, such things as police and military installations, government buildings, border areas and transportation facilities.

Travel safe, m'dears and if you have any other safety tips you'd like to share, please comment here.

education opens minds and creates opportunity

Education has been weighing heavily on my mind since I got back from my volunteer project in Honduras. I live in Seattle, one of the best-educated big cities in America, where more than 50% of Seattle adults 25 and older hold bachelor's degrees or better. Despite massive budget cuts in our public school and higher education funding, our systems are still in far better shape than many communities I saw in the country’s capitol city, Tegucigalpa (and most of the place I’ll be volunteering over the next year).

In my adult years, I’ve hemmed and hawed that I didn’t exactly grow up in a household that instilled a “the world is your oyster” or “dream it, believe it, achieve it” mentality. At an early age, I was enrolled in  private oil painting classes and all signs indicated that I would follow in my artist grandmother’s footsteps. I was never really encouraged to explore any other talents or interests (except for maybe dance lessons, which was strictly a hobby), so I grew up thinking that had to be my calling in life and the only thing I was good enough at to pursue professionally.


I traveled down a fine arts degree path, but returned to the restaurant industry, before stumbling into a career in publishing and journalism 12 years ago. I thank my lucky stars daily that I discovered a profession that allows me to explore and share stories from what I consider the great world wide classroom. I am always learning and faced with new and different challenges, and for that, I am grateful. I took a far from traditional path to get to my perfect place. At some point in my mid to late twenties, it dawned on me that life is what you make of it and I’ve never stopped for a second to think I couldn’t do something. I’m pretty sure this fierce confidence stems from the realization that I live in place filled with opportunity.

So what about the children I worked with in Honduras? The kids I worked with in Tegucigalpa were in Hogares Crea homes receiving a whole lot of religious guidance and “character building,” but not much in the way of real life skills. When I last checked, God doesn’t sign payroll checks when these kids turn 18 and must fend for themselves on the mean streets of Honduras. Obviously, the upside of living in a safe and structured environment with three square meals a day beats the alternative of the streets, addiction, gang violence and abuse. The system, albeit a mighty fine Band-Aid solution, does little to help these kids in the long run. Many of them have been through hell, yet don’t receive mental health services. Who are their role models? If you’ve never seen anyone succeed, how do you know that dreams and goals are possible? How bright is their future if they have no practical (read: income earning) skills to bring into the world? Why didn’t any of the teenage girls have a clue what AIDS/HIV (or SIDA en Espanol) was when they came across the word in my English/Spanish dictionary? A little education could go a long way for these teens and increase the possibility for opportunity and (fingers crossed) success. I want nothing more than for these girls to be able to stand on their own two feet when they turn 18 without even having to entertain the idea of returning to the streets, dealing drugs, selling their bodies, joining a gang, or (insert other horrific scenario here).

In contrast, I was able to work with first and second graders in San Ramón Amaya Amador, an extremely impoverished barrio on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. The village had a basic, yet perfectly sufficient school program in place with a handful of teachers fully invested in the kids’ success. Each day, more than 50 kids attended after school programs at a building that Building a Future constructed – hands down the nicest structure in town. Some kids played games and puzzles and building blocks, while others engaged in age-appropriate learning exercises and worksheets; many were eager for one-on-one tutoring. San Ramón Amaya Amador is not an easy place to live with minimal amenities and rampant gang violence, but these teachers are truly heroes of the community earning both my utmost respect and that of the kiddies. And somehow, despite extreme poverty at every turn, the childrens' enthusiasm to learn combined with the teachers’ dedication seemed to make the situation seem far less hopeless.

Education opens peoples’ minds and enables them to hope and dream and believe that somehow, somewhere in this world anything is possible. Whether it’s a situation of hardship, like in Honduras, or growing up in middle class America, just having that simple belief in your back pocket is one of the most powerful tools we can have. Maybe I’m a bit optimistic, but I believe that in every obstacle, moment of doubt, heartbreak and pain there is an opportunity to learn. And learning can only help create more opportunity.

volunteer project: food lifeline in seattle, washington

I admit it. Had I known this Saturday afternoon was gonna be so darn summery, I probably would not have signed up to volunteer with BEAN Seattle’s project today working with Food Lifeline. I was okay with missing out on the annual Ballard SeafoodFest, but the first official weekend of summer weather in Seattle? No way - especially when I’m slated to go to Peru next week to volunteer for three weeks in the throes of its coldest winter in history. Right now, this gal needs all the Vitamin D she can get (within reason of malaria meds side effects).

BEAN is a Seattle-based organization that connects young professionals with volunteering, networking and social opportunities around the Puget Sound area. (BEAN also operates in many cities around the globe with over 100,000 members). I’m a few years older than its average member, but that didn’t stop me from fitting in just fine with its volunteer event today at Food Lifeline.

After my recent experience working with food distribution among the needy in Honduras, my inner journo was curious to see how the whole process worked. Sure, I’ve been steering my Seattle altruism efforts in food-centric directions, but this was also a personal R&D mission to gain greater understanding of how food banks work. You can’t blame a gal for wanting to learn.

Twelve volunteers from BEAN Seattle, along with 27 students and parents from The Evergreen School showed up at Food Lifeline in Shoreline today at 1 p.m. to work a three hour shift. After a quick spin through the (ridiculously organized and immaculate) facilities, and learning the rules of the volunteering road, the BEAN group was set loose to sort and repackage food donations from the recent Seattle letter carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

When it was all said and done, BEAN volunteers boxed more than 5,550 pounds of foodstuffs, which will serve 4,269 people in West Washington meals. The Evergreen School kiddos scooped and bagged 1,488 pounds of Fiber One cereal, which will serve 2,289 breakfasts (I did not spy equal amounts of toilet paper donations). The numbers are impressive, but what is really mind-blowing is that Food Lifeline distributes 25 millions pounds of food to West Washington residents annually. More than 4 million of those pounds are perishable goods, as grocery stores these days steer towards selling scratch and dent canned food to stores like Grocery Outlet. Local markets like Whole Foods, Safeway and Fred Meyer all step up to the charitable plate with huge donations. To give you an idea how much food Food Lifeline serves up to more than 300 organizations around the Western part of our state each year, it’s enough to fill Qwest Field ten times. Now sit down for these stats. Last year, 9,320 Food Lifeline volunteers repacked 3,218,732 pounds of food, which – drum roll, please – served 2,475,948 meals to West Washington residents. Our volunteer coordinator, Ben, assured us that the majority of Food Lifeline’s recipients aren’t homeless or living on their cars, but people like, well…your neighbor. He also emphasized that this constant flow of food is made possible by the 700 to 1200 people who volunteer weekly with Food Lifeline. Wow.
Time flew as we pulled compostable light blue bags filled with donations from oversized cardboard boxes and carefully inspected for bulges, dents, rust and expiration dates. As instructed, we kept an eagle eye on raw, thawed or partially eaten foods (yes, we encountered all of the above), as well as recently recalled peanut butter items and certain Kellogg’s cereals. Time flew by and when we were cut off from sorting and repacking our final cardboard box of food at 3 p.m., my posse of über-efficient food packers were sad to stop so short of the finish line. As we exchanged quick goodbyes, I realized that I so enjoyed spending the afternoon with such a great like-minded groups, and if I had to choose between Vitamin D and volunteering with this crew again, the latter would surely win out.

Between now and July 23, 2010 Food Lifeline is hosting an event called Food Frenzy, which aims to end hunger for children in Western Washington. Join over 100 local law firms, accounting firms, design & construction firms, credit unions, and public sector legal organizations in this creative competition to raise funds and food for Food Lifeline. For more information on Food Frenzy or to find out how to volunteer, click here.

volunteer project preview: karikuy in lima, peru

This do gooder, globetrotting gal is back from her first volunteer project with Building a Future in Honduras for The Global Citizen Project and is gearing up to go round two this month in Peru. I’ll be doing what I do best – helping to promote responsible tourism and social development in a country I’ve fallen fast and hard for over the past few years. The organization I’m working with, Karikuy, was created with the vision of bringing people from all walks of life together to experience Peru like few have. Although my volunteer stint with Karikuy starts in two short weeks, I wanted to catch up with its founder, Julio C. Tello be fore I touched down in Lima to get some pre-project and volunteering insights.


Can you briefly tell me how Karikuy gives back to the people and communities of Peru?

Karikuy currently has two humanitarian programs. The first is called Animu and it's a fund that helps buy warm clothes for children affected by the extreme cold of the Andes. We take donations and once an amount is raised we buy hats and shoes near the selected community where we hand out the goods to families. Our second program is the Karikuy-Haugen Fund . This program aims to send Inca Trail porters to Machu Picchu. The porters themselves go above and beyond to help travelers experience the Inca Trail and amazingly never get to actually enter and visit the citadel of Machu Picchu. We raise money to have the porters who have worked the longest to have the opportunity to explore the site, as well as their transport, admission and meals all paid for.


Two trips to Peru and your country captivated me with its people, culture and cuisine. I’m thrilled to volunteer contributing to Perupedia, which aims to become the Internets largest database on Peruvian Culture. How did this project come to fruition?

We've always been a big fan of Wikipedia, however we felt that information on Peruvian culture in English was lacking and so we began work on creating a new database strictly for Peru. Perupedia began in May 2009 and has slowly been growing thanks to the hard work of our volunteers who spend their days uploading and researching information for the site. Our goal is that in the coming years it becomes the most in depth and thorough resource for travelers and researchers alike.


Are you still seeking volunteers for the 2010 season?

Yes we have a few open spots that are available. The program is running until November and could possibly be extended this year into the summer months. Volunteers can join us anywhere from two weeks to three months or longer with good recommendations.


What qualities do you look for in a volunteer?

The best quality that I always look for is curiosity, without that it can be very hard for a volunteer to really enjoy researching Peru for Perupedia. An openess to learn and explore is very important to the program, what catches my eye when I read applications is a person who truly wants to experience Peru and not simply take it as a vacation but a learning experience.


What types of volunteers are most successful and gain the most from their Karikuy experience?

Again it would have to be those that are very curious about their surroundings. Volunteers who like to travel to all places even those not frequented by tourism as well as the adventurous eaters are the ones that get the most from their experience in Peru, in short people who are open to anything.


Do you have any advice for first time volunteers?

The best advice I could give would be to ask a lot of questions, instead of relying on a guide book to ask the locals where the best places to eat and visit are. Also listen to your guides and advice of the locals as they know what is best for you. Patience is very important as well in Peru as timetables are lax and the atmosphere is laid back.


Do you have any advice for first time visitors to Peru?

Yes! Explore more of Lima, the city is overlooked but offers tons to do. To see all the sites in Lima would require a stay of about a week - that is how much there is to see and do. By far, Lima's gastronomy is its best attraction. As far as safety goes just try to blend in with the locals and do not be paranoid, not everyone is out to steal your camera, etc. Finding a good guide is key to making any visit to Peru an incredible one.


Let’s say I’m a traveler and I only have one week to explore Peru. What do you recommend that I see and do?

One week is very little time to see the best of Peru, so if at all possible try extending your trip. Otherwise I would recommend one day in Lima to check out the gastronomy and landmarks. This would then be followed by a trip to Puno (flight) and a two day cultural tour of Lake Titicaca with a family stay at Amantani. To reach Cusco and save money, I recommend a tour bus from First Class which stops at several ruins on the way to Cusco and breaks up the long trip (with lunch included).

In Cusco, depending on your schedule I would recommend a City Tour followed by the two day tour of Machu Picchu, this would be Karikuy's staple Sunrise Tour of Machu Picchu. With this option you have the chance to spend a night in Aguas Calientes and be one of the first up to the ruins the following day. You have a whole day at the ruins and get to see an incredible sunrise over the ruins. You return to Cusco by train in the evening and have one night in Cusco before departing the following morning to Lima (flight)


Obviously, Machu Picchu is the gem of Peru’s tourism industry (and yes, it’s absolutely incredible), but are there any other overlooked/underappreciated sites or destinations in Peru that you recommend?/

I have heard from many that the trip to Choquequirao is just as incredible, and even more beautiful then Machu Picchu. My personal favorite sites include Caral, three hours north of Lima and Marcahuasi which is east of Lima. Huaraz as well is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been, be sure to check out Lake Llaganuco and visit the Pastoruri glacier. Many think that Pastoruri is still closed off to tourism due to false reports, but it is very much open. If you have the chance to book a tour there make sure you are taken to the glacier to the right of Pastoruri following the trail, as it is larger, has it's own lake and is breathtaking.


Since Peruvian cuisine is beyond swoon-worthy, some dining recommendations are in order. What are some of your favorite fancy meals in Peru? Cheap eats?

Make sure to visit Astrid and Gastón in Miraflores for a chance to explore Peruvian fusion at its best. Asian Cuisine also known as Chifa must be had, unfortunately many of the best places to eat and my personal favorites aren't in the best part of town. Luckily, I personally take all my clients to these hidden gems when they book tours with the company. My new recent favorite is Oceanika in San Borja and the all you can eat Sushi for 35 soles (about $12USD)


The beat on the blogosphere is that your Aunt Juliana is a fantastic cook. What are some typical Peruvian dishes that she likes to make? (If she has a recipe that she’d like to share, I can include that, too.)

My Aunt has been cooking for over 60 years and she is very good at it yes, as for recipes I will have to ask her as she cooks everything from memory. I love her soups the best, although the volunteers have fallen in love with her lentils and Papa a la Huancaina.


You can’t visit Peru without savoring its national drink, the Pisco sour. Is there a local brand you like (I’m thinking souvenirs) and where is it best to imbibe? Your fave local beer?

My favorite brand of Pisco is Ocucaje which is also used at El Catedral del Pisco located in Plaza San Martin. This bar is said to have the best Pisco Sours in Lima and perhaps all of Peru and I would agree, just make sure you get there early on weekends as it is often filled to capacity. My favorite beer would have to be Cristal as it seems to be the norm in Lima. I wouldn't say it's anything extraordinary, it's just what we Limeñans like to drink and it is super affordable.


Anything else you’d like to add?

Yes, I would recommend anyone considering volunteering with us to contact as soon as possible as we are already filling up for 2011. We also do have some spots this year so contact us for availability. However, I do see the program filling up completely next year perhaps even before the end of this year. Send us an application - we look forward to hearing from you!

the UN reports that 1 out of every 3 hondurans suffer from hunger

For me, cooking stemmed as a survival instinct; borne from a place of necessity. My mother passed away when I was 17 years old and my father’s culinary skills were limited to the Weber grill (in the middle of an East Coast winter, mind you). The first time I played the deceased mother, no-questions-asked truancy card, I took the R5 Septa Regional Rail into downtown Philadelphia and discovered row after row of farmers’ stalls filled with fruits, vegetables, meats, artisanal pastas and cheeses at Reading Terminal Market. The colors, smells and cooking possibilities overwhelmed my senses and my appreciation for food, one of the universe’s most basic needs, has only grown to a sacred place of respect and praise over the decades. It’s a privilege I take great pleasure in three times daily and never take for granted.

Hunger, homelessness and poverty were rampant during my recent volunteer project for The Global Citizen Project with Building a Future and Hogares Crea in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I had seen painful glimpses of these issues on previous trips to Latin America, but never experienced its innumerable effects so intimately. When I traveled throughout Honduras in late 2007, I was floored by the beauty of the country. On this trip though, beauty was limited to a few quick countryside road trips and the gracious hospitality of the Honduran people. If beauty existed in Tegucigalpa, it was trumped by never-ending piles of trash and an omnipresent concern for gang violence, which kept my personal safety radar working overtime. The city (and country) face a plethora of problems ranging from its 40% unemployment rate, $1.30-1.50 average hourly wages and pervasive lack of education (the average Honduran completes 6.5 years of school) to widely divided social classes and a 19.5 year old age median. Factor in Honduras’ recent Presidential coup and its resulting political polarization, and it doesn’t take a Poli Sci major to realize that the country doesn’t exactly have an easy recipe for success.

All of this doom and gloom certainly was disheartening, but one aspect that stuck with me was how the impoverished children I worked with ate. For many of the capitol city’s dwellers, Walmart-like superstores, fast food and Coca Cola culture reigned supreme (the seemingly holy trinity of American exports). It was a drastically different story for the youth I interacted with on a daily basis. Leftover, expired and damaged foodstuffs donated en masse by local grocery store, La Colonia, were delivered approximately every 10 days to Asociacion Puente al Desarrollio, a command central of sorts for several local humanitarian efforts. Cardboard boxes, loose bottles and jars arrived piled high in the back of barely functioning pick-up trucks – exposed to Honduras’ hot, tropical sun for who knows how long – dripping, smelly and disgusting. Although each delivery technically contained thousands of pounds of food, it was product that most Americans would deem inedible, myself included, although my cultural anthropology schooled significant other tried to convince me that human stomachs can, over time, adapt to digesting spoiled food. Thank goodness I was only a short-term guinea pig. Within minutes of unloading cases Cinnamon Chex, Dannon yogurt, Hy-Top Barbecue sauce, 100 pound bags of red beans and rice, and cases of water marked “Haiti Relief,” goods were carefully distributed to a growing group of street side spectators, who clutched items with we-just-won-the-lottery fervor. When I returned to Asociacion Puente al Desarrollio, more than half of the foodstuffs had already found homes.

During my three week stint in Honduras, I found myself consuming the food truck stuffs on several occasions. I survived several week expired, sun-exposed yogurt and Spaghetti-O slathered boiled chicken parts. I sliced off fuzz-free parts tomatoes and scooped out the bright orange flesh of rotting papayas. I refrained from whipping out my SteriPen when tooth-achingly sweet juice mixes were served with surely contaminated water, if only to not offend the gracious hospitality of my hosts. I pumped my body full of probiotics and prayed that my malaria meds (Doxycycline) would keep my gastrointestinal system safe. I quickly learned how to say “Yo no tengo mucho hambre,” but never wanted to come across as ungrateful for a second to these people who generously shared when they had so very little themselves. I even rationalized that I’d already lived through E.coli twice plus two parasitic diseases from contaminated water sources in California (go figure) and the humiliation of submitting weekly fecal samples to the Monterey County Health Department, so surely, the worldwide water gods would want to play nice with me. I worried endlessly about whether these boys and girls were getting enough nutrition.

Despite constant exposure to these hard realities, I had a difficult time fully understanding a world that lives a moment-to-moment, hand-to-mouth existence. My head spun with pie in the sky dreams of a future filled with opportunity for these children, where hopefully, someday, the Vatican would realize that education and (gasp!) contraception is far more valuable than creating hungry mouths. A “can do” kinda gal who’s rooted in a reality where God doesn’t write child support checks can dream, right?

As a food and travel writer and avid home chef, food plays an important role in my world, whether it’s shopping my local farmers’ markets in Seattle or volunteering at Marra Farm Giving Garden or Food Lifeline. Having easy access to a variety of fresh, healthy food is something I’ve always taken great pleasure in, but after being on the receiving end of how people living in poverty eat, I promise to eat every last bite on my plate and thank my lucky stars for the privilege.

food fact

Food fact: American adults (18 and over) consume 65 percent of the candy that's produced each year in the US. | via Foodista

food fact

Food Fact: A Hummer H2 could be driven around the world 244 times on the excess calories Americans consume each year. | via Harpers Magazine, Foodista

my can't live without volunteer travel packing list

My packing style: Carry on whenever possible and prepare like a Girl Scout ( I didn’t earn my nickname, Global Girl Scout, for nothin’). In my former luxe travel writer life, there was rarely a situation where my every whim wasn’t within a phone call’s reach. As I embrace a more rough, tumble and lowbrow lifestyle as a volunteer traveler this year, I’ve learned to make the most of every square inch of my luggage. Projected sunscreen, repellant and pocket knife needs have dictated whether to check or not check bags, and thankfully, I have status on several airlines, so I’ve been able to avoid checked bag fees (knock on all hard surfaces) so far. Here’s what I can’t live without while volunteering.

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.

adventurous kate's recap of travelers night in

Every Thursday night, Adventurous Kate takes the time to pull together a well-rounded recap of Travelers' Night In. Today's topic - Nature vs. Human Impact on Travel - was no exception, and yours truly (one of the hosts with the most) made the quoted cut. Check out Kate's recap here. As always, my favorite Bostonian vagabondress brings us a highly entertaining and informative read. Thank you, Kate.

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.

my horoscope today

Inspiration is the keyword for the day, Taurus. You may be feeling highly motivated to move on with what others consider impossible dreams. "Impossible" has never stopped you before, and you aren't likely to let it stop you today. You're more likely to consider all contingencies carefully in order to make them work. Friends could be inspired by your vision and determination and follow your example. Go for it.

media mention: traveldudes.org

Looky here! I was quoted today on TravelDudes.org with a nifty travel tip. Check it out here.

recipes needed for travelers’ night in e-cookbook for charity, Tasty TwEats

It’s no secret how much I love Travelers’ Night In (#TNI on Twitter), the 90-minute, fast-paced, weekly travel Tweet-up. I’ve been lucky to be a semi-regular host of the cyber soiree and now, this avid home chef is a recipe contributor to the first and only cookbook created by travelers and conceived from #TNI, Tasty TwEats. It will take readers on a round-the-world culinary adventure and 100% of all sponsorship or donation dollars to Tasty TwEats goes directly to Planeterra, a global grassroots organization donating to the people and communities around the world.

Do you have a can’t-live-without ingredient from afar? A local dish that instantly reminds you of a favorite destination? Don’t keep all the deliciousness to yourself. The deadline to submit recipes is this Thursday, July 1, 2010. The cookbook will be available Aug.1 for a minimum $10 donation.

Tune in to Travelers’ Night In this Thursday at 3:30 EST. Your truly is co-hostess with the mostest and the topic is Nature vs. Human Impact (like what happens when swine flu, volcanoes and oil spills affect your travel plans). Be sure to follow the #TNI hashtag and if you can’t make the spirited festivities, keep your eyes peeled for Adventurous Kate’s always awesome post play report.

project | building a future and hogares crea in honduras

I'm back in action after three weeks in Honduras for the first project of The Global Citizen Project. My apologies for delayed posts – technical logistics in Tegucigalpa were unpredictable and it’s taken me a full week to step away from the volunteer project and process the experience. On many levels, it was a very difficult trip for me. My time was divided between working with first and second graders in Colonia Ramón Amaya Amador, an underserved barrio on the outskirts of the capitol city, through Building a Future, and with abandoned and street children, many victims of violence, addiction and abuse via various Hogares Crea homes.

I had seen painful glimpses of the face of poverty, homelessness and hunger in Latin America on previous trips, but never experienced its myriad of effects so intimately. Despite this often seen reality, I also traveled throughout Honduras in late 2007 and had been floored by the beauty of the country. On this trip though, beauty was limited to a few quick countryside road trips and the gracious hospitality of the Honduran people; if it existed in Tegucigalpa, it was lost on me. The city (and country) face a plethora of problems ranging from its 40% unemployment rate, $1.30-1.50 average hourly wage and pervasive lack of education (the average Honduran completes 6.5 years of school) to widely divided social classes and a population where more than 50% of its people are ages 18-years-old and younger. Factor in Honduras’ recent Presidential coup and its current political polarization, and well, you don’t exactly have a recipe for (easy) success.

I’m eager to share specific experiences and stories with everyone and plan to do so over the coming weeks before I take off for project two of The Global Citizen Project with Karikuy in Lima, Peru in mid-July. In the meantime, here are my photos on Flickr of the people and places in Honduras that have given me pause and huge gratitude for the opportunity, education and friends and family in my life.

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preview: july project | karikuy | lima, peru

Where is Lima, Peru? Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru (the 5th largest city in Latin America). It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Lima has only 1284 hours of sunshine a year; 28.6 hours in July.

About Karikuy: Founded by Julio C. Tello on September 4th 2007, the Karikuy Organization was created with the vision of bringing people from all walks of life together to experience Peru like few have. From remote ceremonies to hidden metropolitan hot spots, Karikuy guides you in exploring Peru in ways that few agencies do. Karikuy drops you in the center of one of the most colorful cultures on earth, aiming to widen your view of the world through social and traditional tourism. An old Inca saying defines the organization and its goals, Karikuy; "to live life with an open heart". Karikuy applies this motto in the way business is conducted, always thoughtful of our customers who in turn become friends and collaborators. More then just a business Karikuy is phase one of a broader project of social development.

How I will help: I will help build the largest informational database on all things Peru on the Internet. The project began in late January 2009. The Perupedia project will begin with wikipedia style homepages for all the major Provinces of Peru and gradually expand outwards providing travel, weather, entertainment and news information respectively.

more photos | the global citizen project goes to honduras

Hola! I'm back from my first project for The Global Citizen Project, working with Building a Future and Hogares Crea in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and trying to process so many things - my volunteer experience, several deadlines, catching up on sleep and sifting through hundreds of photos and videos. Since I'm guessing that not everyone has the time to sit through 500+ images, here is round two of my favorite photos (with captions this time, too). Please click here to my Flickr page if you'd like to take a quick visual trip to Honduras. Grab your Kleenex - some of these photos are heartbreaking.

photos: tegucigalpa, honduras | building a future

Hola from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I'm about half-way through my first project and all is going well with Building a Future. It's been a very eye-opening and humbling experience to work with one month old babies through 20-year old girls who are the product of the streets, drugs, gangs or abandonment. I cannot thank the Mahomar family and every individual I've crossed paths with enough for the kind hospitality they've extended throughout my stay. Thank you.

Technology access has been non-existent until now, so I've held off on blogging about my experiences. Rest assured, I've been journaling daily -- there's no way I'd otherwise be able to keep track of all the stories and rich moments that fill my days. In the meantime, I'll share some of the photos I've taken here. (P.S. A Facebook account is required to log in.)  I had trouble uploading photos, so there are a few duplicates and images are not captioned (yet). After five tries, this is the best I can do at the moment. Enjoy!

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.