Sometimes I just want to hibernate in my hotel room because there’s discomfort on the other side of the door. I may feel perfectly safe and at home within the walls of my hotel but don’t want to venture out into the streets where the culture is different; the foods are mysterious and the words are not understood.

Yes, hard to believe that I can have these anxious feelings, but I do. Have you ever felt the same?

What I’m not going to let happen though is for this initial anxiousness to ruin a visit to somewhere that I’m sure must be wonderful, or why would I have traveled there?

My tried-and-true ways to squash the unease are these:

• Head out the hotel door and start walking (ask the hotel front desk or concierge about the safety of their hotel vicinity). Once I walk a few blocks and start to enjoy the store fronts, peak at a few restaurant menus and see friendly-looking faces, I already feel 100% better. On my first walk, I usually keep to one or two streets so that I can be confident that I can make my way back to the hotel.
• Make a pact on where I’m going to eat. I’ll say to myself “I’m going to walk two blocks and then eat at the very first restaurant I see after that point.” This has been a wonderful way to try restaurants and foods that I normally would have passed right on by without making such a definitive pact. Oh, I might have my 2^nd thoughts at first, but a pact is a pact and this approach at swallowing my fear ball has never let me down – and I’ve enjoyed really wonderful foods. (A pact may need to be broken if the appointed restaurant only serves scorpions and cicadas, as my friend Pat encountered in Beijing since a fundamental rule of mine is NO BUGS!)
• Take a ride on a hop-on, hop-off bus if the city offers such a service to explore its highlights. At first I’ll plan on riding the full circuit without getting off, just to get the lay of the land. Though with 100% certainly, I always jump off at a stop that just looks too good to pass up, even knowing I could come back later. Hop-on, hop-off boats are also great! Here’s a great place to start to see if there’s such a tour where you’ll be visiting.

By now, my anxiousness has turned into excitement and I’m off and running! My pre-arranged plans, talks with the hotel concierge, chats with Twitter or Facebook friends and TripAdvisor recommendations for Things to Do (here’s my list from Singapore) and now I’ve got too much to do in too little time. Fear ball conquered!

What are your tips for moving from A to B (anxiety to bravery)?

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com. Watch for my new book, Business Travel Success – How to Reduce Stress, Be More Productive and Travel with Confidence, being published by Morgan James in early 2012.

In Hong Kong, Starbucks coffee was priced much higher than in the U.S., but McDonald’s super value meals were at a really super price compared to home (about $2 US for a Big Mac meal). Cashmere was priced great, while Coach bags were higher. It definitely pays to do the research before buying to see what your visiting country’s specialties are (and have a calculator!).

Some of my Top Travel Shopping Tips are:

• Take an empty bag, or even pack multiple empty bags within a bag, and pack light

• Take comfortable shoes to make sure your can cope with hours on your feet

• Make a list of must-get purchases before you head out

• Research the best shops at your destination

• Learn some basic shopping phrases in the local language like “how much is that?” etc.

• Understand the customs in different countries, bargaining could be part of the fun in one country, but a big no-no in others

• Carry a calculator, or make yourself up a simple currency table with the current rate for easy converting.

• Always make sure you know the latest exchange rates

• Be aware of your airline’s weight limit for checked luggage if you’ve found yourself over indulging.

• Investigate shipping costs back to your home as this can often be much cheaper than excess baggage costs on airlines

• Investigate any importing restrictions

• Different countries use different size measurements (e.g., for shoes), so know in advance your measurements and how they translate

Also, Travel & Leisure magazine has a list of the World’s Top Outlet Stores – definitely check this out!

I’m glad my husband was with me during our shopping expeditions. At the Ladies’ Market in Hong Kong, bargaining is the norm. He’s a much better bargainer than I am. I’ll offer a lower price and then give in to their counteroffer immediately. He’ll continue to bargain and is willing to walk away if he doesn’t get the price he feels is fair for the item.

Bargaining can be a sport for many, but it’s not a game that I’m comfortable playing. I’d love to hear your thoughts on favorite shopping destinations, bargaining hints and fun buys in the comments below!

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

I was at my bank the other day opening an account. The financial services advisor I was working with was asking about my business. She asked about the t-shirt I was wearing. “Is that your business?” she asked, pointing to the logo on my shirt. “Yes,” I replied, “Smart Women Travelers is one of my businesses.”

Then came the barrage of questions: What do you do, where do you travel, and what’s your favorite place?

As I kept answering her questions: I help travelers travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment; I travel all over the world; the Greek Islands are my favorite place, I could see that my new account was going to take longer than I hoped to get set up.

Then she said the words you may also have heard before: “Wow, you really have the dream job!”

My initial thought was “Are you kidding? – I traveled all or part of 50 weeks last year!”

But I didn’t react out loud. I thought about it while she was busy filling out the endless bank forms.

The downsides can be many. I miss:

• Being home at night with my husband.
• Walking our dog around our neighborhood each night.
• Sleeping in my own bed, my full-size bottles of liquid, and my refrigerator full of fresh foods.
• Being able to meet up with friends during the week.
• Having all 7 days of the week to get things done, instead only having 2 or 3 or no days.

Though the upsides are amazing. I have:

• Visited 49 of the U.S. States (tiny Rhode Island is the only one still on the list).
• Been to countries all over the globe.
• Friends in many cities and many countries.
• The opportunity for my husband to often travel with me.
• Stayed in some beautiful hotels, visited breathtaking sites and eaten amazing food.
• Enjoyed wonderful red wines along some of the most beautiful waters on the planet.
• Miles and points sufficient to take my entire family on vacation.
• A refrigerator door full of magnets from most places I’ve been and I’m so grateful every time I look at them.

So yes, I guess I do have the dream job.

It can certainly seem this way from someone else looking in. And it looks that way to me, too!

To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

Just who are these business travelers? They are the artists and craftsmen who labor on their creations during the week, then get behind the wheel to bring their one-of-a-kind pieces to us — their buyers and art connoisseurs.

This weekend, all roads fed into the city of Winter Park, Florida for the 52^nd Annual Winter Park Art Festival. They come from California, Oregon, North Caroline, Michigan, Wisconsin and numerous other states, all for the opportunity to show, and hopefully sell, their unique and beautiful art for three days.

They sleep in their campers or look for economy hotels. They’re up at the crack of dawn to set up their booths, Starbucks in hand to get them going. They mingle with the thousands of lookers, make deals with the buyers. They sit in the shade when they can, asking their neighbor which locale they’re heading to next. When the three days are over, they pack it all up again and begin their journey to the next city.

They have more miles in (car) seat than most. They know how to scope out inexpensive eateries and places to sleep. They have great tips for packing fragiles and packing fast. They travel week after week for months on end.

Yes, they’re definitely business travelers . . . just of a different sort.

Check out their creations and the crowds they attract: Scenes from Winter Park Art Festival.

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To receive a free copy of our ebook, 70 Secrets to Safe Travel — Because Your Life Can Change in a Heartbeat, and for more travel savvy info to help you travel smarter, safer and with more enjoyment, visit SmartWomenTravelers.com and PearlsofTravelWisdom.com.

I attended the New York Times Travel Show on February 26^th at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. While the show was three days long, my travel schedule got me there on day 2 after flying back to the States from Scotland. My daughter Jenn flew in from Chicago to join me.

It was great to listen to presentations by Arthur and Pauline Frommer, Rick Steves, National Geographic TV personality Julia Dimon, friends from TBEX Kim Mance, GoGalavanting.com; Andrew Evans, National Geographic; Robert Reid, Lonely Planet; and Jen Leo, LA Times Web Buzz.

The vast hall had over 400 exhibitors where tourist board, tour company and cruise line representatives touted the best of what their city, country or cruise line offers. There were many booths from Africa (a safari is definitely on my bucket list), Canadian provinces, Greece, Slavic countries, Egypt, Caribbean Islands, and of course many cities and states from the U.S., including my home town of Orlando, Florida. My bucket list got much longer at this event! Many of the countries had performers on stage dancing to the local music and these colorful events always attracted large crowds. Attendance was around 24,000 over the three day show.

Jenn and I then spent a day just having fun in New York City. We took an evening tour through the night light scenes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. A full day tour bus took us through the famous sections of Manhattan (Times Square, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel, Chinatown, and so much more. We joined the lunch crowds at Carnegie Deli, ate New York pizza, and got half-price tickets to see Chicago. We hung outside NBC Studios on a rainy Monday morning waiting for Matt Lauer and Ann Curry to great the crowds. We had a great time in the limited amount of time we had in NYC.

I’m in Scotland for business and today is Halloween. When I arrived here, I wasn’t sure if Halloween is celebrated in the UK or not. Oh yes it is, and for much longer than it’s been celebrated in North America.

A bit of history:

The Celtic festival Samhain is one of the four quarter festivals. In Gaelic it is Samhuinn which means hallow tide or season, the feast of all-souls. The souls of all the dead are said to be free on that day, 1st November. 1st November was the first day of the Celtic new year and the transition between old and new year was believed to set free evil spirits which would visit your house.

Halloween is actually the night before where lanterns (Gaelic: samhnag), Hallowfires and such are supposed to scare the souls that will emerge at midnight, away from your house.

Halloween customs in Scotland these days consist chiefly of children going door to door “guising” (or “Galoshin” on the south bank of the lower Clyde) dressing up and offering entertainment of various sorts in return for gifts. The Witchcraft Act of 1735 contained a clause preventing the consumption of pork and pastry comestibles on Halloween although these days sausage rolls seem to a popular treat for children – the act was repealed in the 1950s.

The children are invariably dressed up as something supernatural or spooky and the entertainment usually consists of singing, telling a poem or joke etc. They don’t ‘trick’ you if you do not give, as in America. However, after the showing of ET in the early 80s, the influence of American “trick or treating” seems to have become more prevelant at least in England. Hollowed out turnips with candles in them are sometimes displayed or carried.

I visited a local Scottish cemetery this morning. I would have gone at midnight to experience the freed evil spirits, but I need to be up early for work tomorrow (nice excuse, ay?). There was nothing scary about the cemetery on this beautiful fall morning. It’s a lovely resting place for all those that are here.

The granite headstones are massive and represent many members of a family on each memorial, many dating from the 1800′s. What was most interesting were the engravings that identify the career of the deceased: Art Teacher, Merchant, Staff Commander in the Royal Navy, Builder of the Bridge of Dee, Shipmaster, and Fish Curer a few of the careers vewed. Two things to note here: (1) How long a list would be on the gravestones of people in this day and age of multi-careers? And (2) I’m very glad I’m not a Fish Curer!

More cemetery views are at My Flickr Page. Let me know if you see any evil spirits lurking!

What’s crazy is that I’ll be in Sydney for only 3 days. 52 hours of travel time for 72 hours in Australia. That’s why I’m getting a lot of comments about being crazy. You’re probably thinking the same thing. I think it’s perfectly normal – for me, anyway.

Why only 3 days? Because my husband (who’s also going on this short trip) and I both have busy careers and this is all the time we be away at this time.

So why go at all? Because the airfares on Delta were ridiculously inexpensive ($850.00 taxes included from Houston for coach), because we love to travel and we’ve not yet been to Australia. So off we go. I’ll meet up with myhusband in L.A. and we’ll take our coach seats and settle in for a 15-hour flight.

What can we do in only 72 hours? We’ve got a full itinerary planned to do a harbor cruise, visit the Sydney Zoo, Opera House, a kangaroo farm, outdoor restaurants along the Harbor and more. Several restaurant recommendations will fill up our meal schedule. My husband will be up early taking photographs of the rising sun, while I’ll enjoy a cup of coffee and breakfast at the lounge in the Marriott Sydney Harbour (Marriott reward points are taking care of our hotel stay). We always make the most of our time.

I did a similar trip earlier this year to Hong Kong. We were amazed at the variety of tourist and local venues we visited, restaurants we ate at and people we met, all in 72 hours. Midnight shopping at the Ladies’ Market was so much fun. I don’t know if I’ve ever shopped at midnight before.

So I’m excited about another adventure. It’ll never be long enough to experience all the greatness of Australia, but it’ll give us a taste of what we enjoy and help us plan for a future multi-week trip.

So call me crazy, but when someone asks next week what I did over the weekend, I’ll be able to say that I took a quick jaunt over to Australia. Call me crazy, but I’ll know I’ll be having a fabulous time this weekend!

Even though I have enough luggage to bring along a family of six, there just may be a color or size I don’t have yet, with the perfect interior to fit everything in its place. And laptop totes — my friend Tamara will tell you that we never pass up any store with laptop totes because we’re forever in search of the perfect bag. And there are always new travel doodads to investigate. Travel-size umbrellas keep getting smaller after all, and I’m all about carrying the least amount of weight possible. Oops, I just added a few ounces with my cashmere pashmina, but the extra weight will be so worth it!

If you ever get to Houston, a visit to Luggage and Leather is a must! Bring a luggage-sized credit card when you go! Their stores are amazing- very spacious (unlike the cramped quarters of typical mall luggage stores) and full of laptop totes, gadgets, gift items, travel clothes and of course every kind of luggage. They’re also online at Luggage and Leather.com if you want to let your fingers to the shopping.

I just ‘happened’ to be driving by one of the Luggage and Leather stores this evening and picked up a new Travel Neck Pillow. This will be perfect for my long journey to Hong Kong (did I tell you I’ll be back in Coach?). I’ve tried the u-shaped pillows, the blow-up pillows and no pillow – not really liking any of these solutions. The Travel Neck Pillow made by Anywhere Comfort is memory foam that will mold to my neck. And it rolls up to a fraction of its size so it’ll easily go in my carry-on bag. I’ll post a review of this item on Smart Women Travelers after this weekend’s journey.

Most non-travelers could never relate to a fixation with travel products and the quick veer into a luggage store. How many times have you been asked “just how much luggage do you have?” Travel goods go into the same list of favorite shopping items along with shoes, clothes, jewelry and wine (wow, that’s quite a list!).

Post a note in the Smart Women Travelers community and share your stories of clandestine luggage store visits, stockpiling of bags and collections of travel gear.

St. Augustine was my touristy experience this weekend. It's about a 90-mile drive from my home, and it was a sunny, beautiful day to drive north on I-95. My daughter, Jenn, was in town from Chicago and her girlfriend Rachel joined us. 

St. Augustine is the oldest U.S. city, first sighted by Spanish explorer nter Don Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter, March 27, 1513. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning "Land of Flowers". The oldest wooden schoolhouse in the U.S. is here, built over 200 years ago.

The schoolhouse is on St. George Street, which is also the main shopping avenue of St. Augustine. Our goal was to get our Christmas shopping started and we found some great things in the unique shops along St. George Street and the surrounding area. Music was playing from various restaurant decks, and there was a festive feeling in the air. 

Lunch was a special event at Columbia Restaurant. A pitcher of Sangria and fantastic 1905 salads were enjoyed at this Florida tradition  (their restaurant in Ybor City near Tampa was founded in 1905).

All in all, it was a great day in Florida. Tourist attractions, great lunch, wonderful Sangria, shopping and time with my daughter … what more could I ask for?

Rachel, Jenn and I