Now if you know me at all, I know what you’re thinking – why in the world are you talking about kids? Considering that I’m sure there are readers out there who at one point will have kids or has kids who might at some point travel alone, I thought this post might be applicable.

When getting on the plane to fly back from the east coast earlier this week, I was less than delighted to find not one, but two children occupying the middle and window seat. After sitting down, it turned out that the kids were not only really well-behaved, but also friendly. We bonded over Spiderman and the fact that all three of our parents were divorced (which is why they were traveling, to visit their respective Dads).

The problem is that within the first 15 minutes I found out (with no prodding or prompting mind you) the boys first and last name, what street he lives on, what school he goes to, and what his favorite things are (obviously Spiderman). I guessed his age based on the fact that he told me what his school was the year before when he was in first grade. I found out where his Dad lives, where his Mom lives, and that they had just moved to the area recently.

You don’t need much more info. than that.

I’m not suggesting that parents tell their children to “not talk to strangers,” but brief them on not telling the random person next to them their last name, address, or school.

For the logistics of arranging solo travel for a child, Independent Traveler has a great article.

Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks on Flickr

Amsterdam Break Dancers from Abbie Mood on Vimeo.

These guys set up shop in a random square in Amsterdam, and I’m no breakdance expert (Besides my guilty pleasure of watching movies like Step It Up), but I think they’re pretty good.

Hey there!  Thanks for checking out my new travel site, Sneakers & Suitcases!  I am so glad you are here, and I have some exciting stuff coming up.  Be sure to check back often because I’m going to be tweaking the site over the next couple weeks and adding videos and a couple other things.

Here’s what you can expect from S&S-

- a couple posts per week, consistently

- articles about my recent trips, including Amsterdam, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Washington, Portland, and my upcoming marathon in Washington D.C.

What have you been up to lately?

During summer break from school I was traveling.  A lot.  I kind of re-prioritized things and that led to re-launching my travel blog.  I’m still going to be posting my Make a Difference in a Minute tips and my random thoughts on AbbieMood.com, so check that out if you’re interested.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for my first official post on Sneakers and Suitcases!

(and if you like my About photo, it’s courtesy of Peter West Carey – he’s awesome)

… AbbieMood.com!

Based on the advice I received from this post, and the direction in which my life/writing/career is going, the best choice for me was to create and develop myself as my niche

So change your RSS feed to AbbieMood.com and head on over – there are some big things going on!

• Take pictures of everything, you never know what might turn into an article.
• As a follow up to the first point, take notes about or use a voice recorder for everything.  Again, you never know what you might use for an article.
• Get business cards, and write a quick note/description on the back to remind you who the person was.  I collected business cards like nobody’s business and forgot who half the people were.
• Be sure to find out the calling rate for calling long distance on the phone in the lobby, even if you have to hang up and call the operator.  Otherwise, you might check your bank account and find a $40 charge even though you only left a voicemail.
• If you are polite and make conversation with people, you will make connections.  If you don’t make conversation, or you make strange/awkward conversation, you will not make connections.
• Take the time to talk to people, even if it means spending less time taking pictures or notes you never know when you might run into that person again, especially if they are in PR or another writer.
• People will be jealous that you get to travel for free, but they don’t realize that the trips are a lot of work and a lot of schmoozing.  Some people find that fun, anyway, and luckily I am one of those people

What tips can you add?

Spencer – I would add taking a credit card you don’t use. Something with like a $500 or $1000 limit on it. Although these are “press” trips, hotels still typically run your card and put an authorization for “incidentals”. You of course get that back, but it shows up on your card until after you check out. I’ve had places I’ve gone on press trips before run it for as much as $400. You don’t won’t that showing up on your debit card!

AdventureRob – Don’t make long distance calls using phones at all, use Skype, much cheaper, especially internationally.

I was actually excited to get on the airplane today.  And not just for where I was going (San Francisco), but for the flight.  Before you write me off as a total weirdo, let me explain.

It started with me signing up for Travelzoo, the BEST resource for a traveler ever.  Each week they send an email with their top 20 travel deals.  These travel deals are not southwest sales, they are serious.  I randomly signed up for Travelzoo a month before my trip to San Francisco for the Yoga Journal conference, and immediately got a great deal – $39 each way on Virgin America.

Virgin America has the reputation of being the cool kid of the airlines (and if not, as of right now, they do), and I was psyched to be flying with them.

I breezed through the airport, as I usually do at the Orange County airport*, got my Starbucks and moseyed my way down to Gate 14.  Our flight ended up being delayed for 10 minutes, but nothing could put a damper on my mood – not today!

the fantastic lighting

I stepped onto the plane and was bathed in a soothing indigo light, instead of the blinding fluorescent white lighting on those other airlines.  The seats are sleek and black with adjustable headrests, although the flight attendant had to advise me on how to push up my headrest (use your shoulders, not your hands).  Which brings me to my next point – the flight attendants were almost all men (and young ones at that).  That’s right single ladies, more male flight attendants than women!  Not sure if it’s a Virgin standard, but it happened to me, so there’s obviously a chance it could happen to you.

Some other happy highlights – movies, music, and games, including DOOM.  If you don’t know what DOOM is, it’s an old school first person shooter game that I played in 5^th grade.  I think we had to use MS-DOS to access it.

Not so happy lowlights – if you are in a regular cabin seat, you have to pay $5.95 for internet for the flight.  Not really worth it on an hour flight to San Francisco, but totally worth it for a cross-country flight.  If you fly often, it’s also a better value ($12.95 for 24 hours or $29.95 for 30 days).  Considering that Virgin is the only airline to offer wifi in-flight (so far, I think someone else is adding it soon), the opportunity to have it at all is pretty sweet.

Note: if you ever come to Orange County, come through SNA, not LAX.  You will not be sorry.  I have never waited in security more than 10-15 minutes, even during the holidays.

Another note: The flight attendants on the way back were primarily men as well.

Disclaimer:  See title.

Photo Credit: Marc_Smith

What’s the deal with people who look like they’re going out for a night on the town when they are in the airport?  If you are one of those people, please enlighten me.  I’m the person sitting down from you, in “workout clothes.”

But then again, maybe you’re wondering why I don’t (ever) wear jeans/a skirt/heels to the airport.

For me, flying is about comfort in every aspect – leg room (I am 5’10” after all), comfy seats (an adjustable headrest is a plus), nobody encroaching on my armrest.  Therefore, it is logical (and much more practical I might add) to dress down for the flight.

My usual outfit choice is not only for comfort, but for ease of getting through security, another major part of the “airline experience.”  First, I prefer to wear flip-flops.  They’re not only convenient for security, but also if you like to take off your shoes during the flight.  But Abbie, one might counter, you live in Southern California!  Of course you can wear flip-flops. Doesn’t matter.  I’ve worn flip-flops to Philadelphia in the winter, and I’m wearing them right now, despite the fact that it was less than 60 degrees outside when I arrived at the airport.

It’s also important to note that while sneakers are a good choice (and the best if you have to sprint through the aiport to make your connection), it’s definitely easier to hike around the terminals in flip flops that in heels.  Just sayin’.

Second is pants.  No jeans or belts for this traveler, I usually wear stretchy yoga type pants.  The organic cotton ones from lululemon are among my favorite, and I get style points.  Since my stretchy yoga type pants are usually black, I can pretty much wear whatever top I want, and I like to layer because you never know if the airplane is going to be cold or hot.  I usually wear a tank top with a long sleeved shirt on top, and carry a jacket just in case.

What if you really are going out for a night on the town when your plane lands?  My suggestion is to pack a nice outfit in your carry-on and change in the airport’s bathroom when you land.  Nobody will be the wiser!

Photo Credit: {eclaire}

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, voluntourism is “travel which includes volunteering for a charitable cause”.  For many, like me, voluntourism is a way to combine volunteering and traveling, creating a more meaningful experience.

This past July I volunteered for 10 days in Cambodia through United Planet, one of many non-profits that organize volunteer trips across the world. I learned more about the country and the people than I could have ever learned on a sightseeing-only trip. By creating relationships with the people of Cambodia, I was able to gain a connection to the country unlike any other place I’ve visited.

children playing outside the English school

Once you’ve decided to going on a “volunteer vacation”, ask yourself these questions – what are my interests? What country do I want to visit? How much volunteering per day do I want to do?

If you choose to go through an organization, be sure to do your background research to avoid getting scammed. In most circumstances, you will pay a flat fee which often includes airport transfer, lodging, and some meals. For me, this was the best choice. I was already nervous about traveling to a country by myself, so having some of those details taken care of let me focus on what I was there to do. My trip was 10 days, but most organizations can hook you up with anything from one week to one year. This is a great option if you’ve considered joining the Peace Corps but just can’t sign up for a two year commitment away from family and friends.

There are critics out there who claim that voluntourism doesn’t actually benefit the communities and that volunteers cannot make a difference in just one week, but I disagree. There’s no right way to make a difference, and there’s no formula for how long it takes to make a difference.

For more information and resources on volunteering nationally and abroad, check out Idealist and Transitions Abroad.  There is also a great list of Voluntourism Guides and Books at 52PerfectDays.  Verge magazine is another great resource, a magazine dedicated to “travel with purpose.”

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Ryunosoke Satoro

Earlier last week I realized that I actually *might* (just a teeny bit) like running marathons.  Maybe it’s the challenge.  Maybe it’s working hard to reach a goal.

Or maybe it’s to travel.

Why?  Running is one of the most intimate ways to get to know a city, and within 3-5 hours (for most people) you get a pretty good tour of the major attractions, without worrying about traffic.  Besides the major attractions, you can usually see some of the lesser known parts of the city or the suburbs, too.

A marathon is a half to full day event, so you might as well make it a weekend trip (or longer).  Marathoners burn thousands of calories, so it’s also a great reason to splurge at a new restaurant.

Checking my watch sometime towards the end of the L.A. Marathon

When I run the Marine Corps marathon in October 2010, it will be my 4th marathon.  San Diego Rock ‘N Roll was my first marathon in June 2007, followed by the Los Angeles marathon in Spring 2008 (both with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program), and the Athens Marathon in Greece in November 2008.

After finishing the Athens marathon, at the top of the Olympic Stadium with the Parthenon & the Acropolis in the background.  Oh and an olive branch in my visor

I haven’t been to Washington D.C. since high school, and don’t remember very much of it.  When I run there in October, I’ll get an up close and personal view, and am actually training and running with a couple friends from high school.  D.C. is also close to Delaware, where I grew up, so it will be the first time my mom will be at any of my races!  Training starts in February

Photo Credits: LA Marathon photographer, and Eric Lang