Personal Policy

All four of my previous posts on the topic of travel served the purpose to prepare you, my diligent readers, for world travel. And although passports, visas, vaccines, and good dose of paranoia are important when it comes to travel, the most important part of any journey is the person taking it.

Before you begin traveling you're going to need to have your own personal policy!

Over the course of the last 10 weeks I have made it sound difficult and impractical to travel, unless you're rich of course... It's actually a lot less expensive than people expect, as long as you're willing to enjoy traveling for purely the travel! If you desire the high-end resorts or cruise liners you're not necessarily desiring travel, rather you're looking to the luxurious get away where you don't have to worry about anything. There is a simpler way to travel in relative comfort and not have to be concerned about anything... Be flexible.

We all need a plan when we start traveling, that is a given, but you should also be ready to jump on opportunities when they show themselves! This is the base for a good personal travel policy.

There are plenty of ways to travel and have others take care of you so you don't need to  pay for a hotel or hostel. CouchSurfing is one fairly popular idea. With four million surfers taking part in the couchsurfing experiene and 400,000 hosts all with profiles and ratings from other surfers, the process can be considered a safe and reliable one worldwide. Some times you will get a bad, sometime a couch, sometimes an air mattress, but nontheless it's a roof. You also might have to cook for yourself, but couchsurfing is free!

Courtesy of The New Yorker

Another possibility if you are willing to get your hands a little dirty is through WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It works a lot like couchsurfing, but in trade for a full days housing and food you exchange labor. Typically ranging from four to six hours, work can be on a farm, vineyard, garden, etc. Hosts must follow organic or sustainability principles, so just think, as you work for your meal and roof, you are also feeding people deliciously organic food grown at their local organic farm!

courtesy of WWOOF

So those are ways to stay fed and dry while exploring the world, but what about necessities like souvenirs and proof that you traveled. That has a very simple answer... Just don't. Traveling light makes the trip 1) easier 2) more enjoyable because you're no nearly as distracted and 3) less stressful (at least I would always be paranoid that I forgot something somewhere). Lay down your own personal rules on how much clothes you want to carry, how much of your toiletry bag is actually important, and if you really need that iPad (a deck of cards can be just as entertaining).

Money is important though, even if you don't plan on having to spend that much (thanks to my awesome recommendations!), because what happens when decide to take transportation somewhere far and you are out of money? Nothing happens because you're broke...

courtesy of JCI

One of the easiest ways for us fluent English speakers to make money abroad is to teach ESL! English as a Secondary Language is a program adopted around the world, because for some reason the rest of the world decided it would be smart to learn one of the most indirect and confusing languages out there.... There is a little more required for this one, such as a visa (see my previous blog post!), or a TEFL certification/degree.  The upside to this job is that it opens you to the places of the world, months at a time, and then you can move on. Jobs can last as short as a three month training and as long as you really want (unless you get fired/replaced

The ESL job is my personal favorite, but if you have other abilities it may score you a traveling job. Sailors can get on cruises, you can be a medium between banks, be a tour guide (if you know the place well enough), or you can always join the military. They might not always send you where you want to go, but you'll definitely travel!

Remember, your policy to travel comes first, because if you don't have one you'll get pushed around before you start and your adventure will never start!

As Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God!"

courtesy of HolyKaw

Go get on the dance floor.

It's Not Just A Credit Card

If you're as ignorant as me when it comes to travel it's time to learn about one very important document. I've talked about the passport previously, but its sister document that holds just as much importance is the visa. This little baby isn't just the brand of credit card PNC hands out to all its new freshmen assets or liabilities, whichever way you want to see it.

wikimedia            courtesy of:              wikimedia

To start, if you are planning on traveling you need a passport. This little book is required by most countries around the world in order to visit and it also serves as a re-entry document. There are a few exceptions to the passport necessity. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, or WHTI, have set standards for travel between the United States and or neighboring countries (aka Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean). In the past these countries simply asked for a U.S. birth certificate and photo ID! Now travel to the WHTI countries requires a passport  or WHTI approved travel document, such as a state driver's license, or special groups ID, like the military. If you frequently travel between these areas a good substitute to a passport is a passport card. The only downside is your travel must be by land or sea. 

courtesy of wikipedia

Outside of passports, the next best (and typically required) thing are visas. Visas are tricky though, because they change for every country. Depending on where you plan on going you'll have to check what your destination requires. For example, if you aren't a part of a specific set of countries you have to pay for an invitation, pay the consulate, and register in order to enter Russia. It's a messy process unless you simply need a 3 day transit visa, but Russia isn't the only place like that.

courtesy of  pixabay

Most countries are not as complicated as Russia when it comes to getting a visa, but in general a visa is a good thing to have. For clarification, if you have a passport you are permitted to reenter your own country, but without a visa you aren't automatically allowed into other countries.

There are other complications that come with visas as well, especially when they are for employment. In the US there are times when you here visa workers being compared to slaves. Granted if the individual is an illegal immigrant there is little they may be able to do to legally fight their employer, but if they are under a visa they can. According to a pamphlet supplied by travel.state.gov, if an individual is a visa worker in the United States they have a right to fair treatment and pay, and may seek justice in US courts if necessary. Another fact they highlight is that individuals are allowed to retain their passport. My recommendation is that before you go abroad, look into visa requirements for your destination. If you plan on being employed and you must forfeit any of your natural human rights you should avoid the place, or at least being employed there.

courtesy of The Blue Diamond Gallery

Now most people have heard the topic of visas come paired with green cards. Green Cards are uniquely American, and stands for a United States Permanent Resident Card. Many permanent residence cards are available for other countries, but they are not "Green Cards." These residence cards allow one to reside and work in that specific country. For example, in order to gain a permanent residence card in the United Kingdom one must be a resident for five years. In Canada you may apply or a PR if you have permanent residence, have not been asked to leave, and are not a citizen of Canada. It is actually kind of funny because in defining these requirements the Canadian government actually has to specifically tell the Canadian resident they are not eligible.

So passports and visas! Look into the documentation you need where ever you're planning on going so you don't wind up stuck in some foreign country or more likely, getting detained or restricted from traveling while you're on the move!

courtesy of BaronTremayneCaple

Do Yourself a Favor

So the TSA keep us safe at the airports (or they're supposed to at least), but who is supposed to keep us safe while we are thousands of miles away from home?

Courtesy of tyrchon

The excitement of travel can blind people to the small things. And by small I mean microscopic. Have you ever taken the time to consider where you're going, what kind of sickness and disease is typical in that region, and what you should do before branching out to that region? I know I don't in the heat of the moment.

Many countries have required travelers to obtain specific vaccines in order to avoid infection upon arrival. The yellow fever vaccine is required in many states located in high risk nations, such as in Africa and South America. The World Health Organization has a 32 page document regarding the requirements for yellow fever and malaria in each individual country. Specifically cited, when considering cholera and smallpox, the WHO does not report a single countries request for the vaccines and the WHO actually "does not recommend the smallpox vaccination for travelers," de to that certified eradication of the disease in 1980.

left to right: MMR infection, Typhoid fever

A commonly recommended vaccine is the MMR shot. The measles-mumps-rubella trio of disease is decently common among even the most visited locations such as Europe and Asia. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention there are roughly 20 million cases of measles every year and about 0.73% of those cases result in death! And as the circle of life continues the rate of infection is slowly increasing annually.

Another recommendation if traveling to Asia, Latin America, or Africa is the typhoid vaccine. Around 90% of all US cases are a result of foreign travel (75% coming from the India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan regions). Although routine vaccination is not advised in the US, travelers are advised to be treated before their voyage due to the potential risk of exposure to the Salmonella serotype Typhi.

Basically, go get your shots so you don't disappear off the map and die without anyone knowing!

Another major and more recent problem revolves around Brazil and the Zika virus.

WARNING: WHO has declared the virus an international public health emergency.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

The disease could infect as many as four million people come the end of 2016, but why is it an "international public health emergency!?" In October the idea that Zika causes microcephaly was purposed, and of course it's transmitted by mosquitoes.. For those of us who don't keep up with the medical world (like myself before writing this), microcephaly is a disease that causes infants to be born with unusually small heads and often brain deformity or damage. This really means the virus only noticeably affects pregnant women so a number of Latin and South American countries have made the "Worst Place for Pregnant Women to Visit" list.


On the bright side, experts do not suspect the virus sticks around long after pregnancy so the chances for a woman to give birth to an infant with microcephaly when she got pregnant after dealing with the virus is low.

Courtesy of Gizmodo

On the dark side, as of February 24 there was no known treatment or vaccine. Efforts had just begun, but regardless, extremely mosquito-infested regions would be difficult to protect/heal quickly. Oh and did you realize that the OLYMPICS this summer are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? Although extremely unlikely I feel I must do my civic duty and so, if any there are any women reading this blog, who are both pregnant and were planning on attending the 2016 Summer Olympics, please don't. Think of your baby and stay away!!!

Courtesy of picserver

So, for all of those of you planning on going abroad, do yourselves a favor and look at where you're planning on adventuring too and figure out which vaccine(s) you should invest in. The CDC website  can supply you with the necessary knowledge about what specific treatments you should acquire before travel. Generally, you will want to be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include your MMR, Meningitis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Tdap, and Polio shots... I know... needles are scary, but imagine going abroad and then having to lay in a hospital bed the whole time because you weren't brave for five seconds!

Safe Travels

With passport in hand the next step to long distance travel is the airport! Unless you want to drive, take a train, or sail... but those aren't very popular choices unless you're talking to a support group for aerophobia. 

One word of advice before you go. Get to the airport a little earlier than normal. The average recommended time to arrive at the airport is 90-120 minutes before your flight takes off. This allows one to comfortably get through security and customs with a little extra time in case something goes wrong or you're feeling that Cinn-a-bon that's on the opposite side of the airport compared to where your gate is located. Now you might want to add a little more time.

Courtesy of G.M. Williams

I wish it worked as well as the cartoon above. In June 2015 there was a leak of classified information from the Department of Homeland Security. The slipped report presented the public with a simple, yet frightening fact; The TSA was unable to identify undercover personnel with the job of sneaking past airport security with weapons and phony bombs 67 out of 70 times. Lori Aratani reported for the Washington Post that the program, known as Managed Inclusion II was done away with in September of 2015. However the TSA kept the first rendition of the program (Managed Inclusion I) which "allows travelers to use the PreCheck line as long as they have been pre-screened by TSA canines.

But where is the solution?

Neffenger (center) courtesy of Wikipedia

Reveal News explained that Jason Chaffetz, the republican representative in Utah, wrote to the TSA that "the high frequency of serious misconduct by TSA employees" raised serious concerns. The New York Times wrote that the TSA was planning the retraining of thousands of screeners according to Peter V. Neffenger, the new leader of the TSA. Neffenger admitted that "efficiency and getting people through airport security cannot be" a priority if it compromises security. The TSA's 'seemingly ever changing priorities' have a large number of people agitated. In 2013 it was "thoroughly check everyone" no matter how long the line, but then a year later it turned to, "We have to get these people through the lines." Managed Inclusion was the start to getting individuals through lines quicker, but it only seemed to make things less trustworthy. Neffenger said the agency "would be cutting back on using the managed inclusion programs," but continued to push people into the PreCheck program!

Courtesy of the TSA

This PreCheck program is basically meant to speed up and shorten security lines. "Low-risk" passengers who qualify are considered trusted and can pass through an easier screening before boarding your plane. John S. Pistole looks at the PreCheck program through a risk-based assessment. They "shifted focus, from screening people we know the most about, to the people we don't know anything about," according to Pistole. What is the first requirement to be on the PreCheck program? You have to be a US citizen. 

Rebecca Roering, an assistant security director for the TSA in MN put the PreCheck program another way. According to her the "TSA is handing out PreCheck status like Halloween candy in an effort to expedite passengers as quickly as possible." I like her thought process.

   

Courtesy of Wikipedia                                              Wikipedia

To add more fuel to the fire many coalitions have been popping up to fight the relapse to stricter screenings by the TSA. TruthInMedia and Forbes both reported on the growing coalition.. It's going so far as "raising the stakes in the TSA mandatory body scan conflict by taking it to Congress." Previously the lawsuit EPIC v. DHS had ended with an appeal that stated the TSA "failed to conduct a public rulemaking as required by the Administrative Procedure Act" but that the fourth amendment was not violated due to the option to opt out of the AIT screening in favor of a patdown. The coalition has reportedly fought the current changes due to what they feel is a privacy infringement. 

The full list of the coalition can be found on TruthInMedia’s website.

Overall, with stricter guidelines being implemented expect slightly longer lines to get through airport security, especially during heavy travel seasons. Try to remember, it’s for your safety!

Is Your ID Real?

While away at break I experienced a little scare. I was planning on flying back to State College for school the day before school started, but I was presented with the news that citizens inside New Mexico may have not been able to board planes, even just domestic ones, without a passport. Dates were unknown at the time so inevitably the worst case scenario rested in the back of my mind. Missing the first week of school, if not more, and having to pay for a train after having spent money on a flight I wouldn't end up taking was not very appealing. Luckily the supposed dates turned out to be the sixteenth... five days after I left.

Eleven years ago the government passed a rather important act, but odds are most U.S. citizens didn't even realize it. Well now is the time to get acquainted with the little bill because it might affect your domestic flight plans.

The Real ID Act of 2005 was passed for the main reason of making standards stricter for state issued IDs. This includes your driver’s licenses and even employee identification cards. The goal: to make it harder to obtain a license with counterfeit documents so potential terrorists and criminals couldn't get one in their hands. However, less than half the States decided to abide by the act, and now they might be feeling repercussions. 

According to CNN, twenty-two states comply with the law, nineteen have been granted waiver extensions, four states are awaiting extensions, and five states have been deemed uncooperative. The five are Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, and Washington. The DHS is making it a must for the people of the U.S. to have what they are now considering "proper identification." What might that be? The simplest solution might be a passport.

 

The DHS explains that "the purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and no sooner than 2016, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft." Now I'm not sure what random citizens just decide to stroll on in to a nuclear power plant, but the potential of not being able to fly affects a large majority of us. For those living in the noncompliant states, like my old home of New Mexico, it might be worth the time-consuming process to get a passport, especially if you're a frequent flyer. 

Minnesota, another one of the states who didn't comply with the act at first, has proven to rather active in their legislature. The only problem, according TwinCities Pioneer Press, is that the draft set in by House Republicans won't set the necessary changes into motion until early 2018, if they're lucky. About a month ago the federal government turned down a request made by Governor Mark Dayton "for an extension to comply with the higher standards, citing a lack of concrete steps toward making those improvements." On the bright side the DHS promised a 120-day notice before certain rules take effect. This will allow the states "time to get in line."

Where's Pennsylvania among all the other states in this mess? We are one of the nineteen who were granted a waiver extension. 

** compliments of readwritethink.org

• Initial Extension: Approved for analysis of regulations to determine whether the people would comply.
• Second Extension
• PA Act 38: PA decided to not participate in the Real ID Act.
• DHS sets Schedule
• Extension #3: Although not requested the DHS gave PA another extension.
• DHS start: Real ID compliant states' citizens may use their IDs to fly, others must show an approved form of ID.
• DHS complete: All travelers must have a Real ID compliant license or form of ID for domestic air travel

You know it means something when you type in "process to" and they second recommendation on your phone is "get a passport." Even though we may not need it now, unless going abroad is on the calendar somewhere, getting a passport isn't a difficult task. It's an application, a drive to a local passport agency, and then time. You can use the Passport Application Wizard to help you prepare for the application, which is recommended and supplied by the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Getting a passport isn’t just a must though. You might as well get one if you don’t already have one for the possibility of international travel. You wouldn’t want to keep that opportunity out of reach! 



Works Cited:

https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/10/22/10/35/plane-1000996_960_720.jpg
(airplane)

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5182/5856678863_db631ab111_b.jpg
(passport)

Goldman, David. "Driver's Licenses from These States May Not Work on Domestic Flights." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/28/technology/passport-drivers-license-airplane/>.

Lew, Josh. "Why You Could Soon Need a Passport for Domestic Flights." TravelPulse. TravelAlliancemedia, 6 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/why-you-could-soon-need-a-passport-for-domestic-flights.html>.

"PA.gov." Real ID Act. DMV, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.dmv.pa.gov/Information-Centers/Identity-Security/Pages/Real-ID-Act.aspx#.VqqnQCorKhc>.

Potter, Kyle. "Mark Dayton, House GOP Clash over Real ID Timeline." Twin Cities. Associated Press, 4 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.twincities.com/2016/01/04/mark-dayton-house-gop-clash-over-real-id-timeline/>.