Considering the place

Travel Considerations Provided by the Following...
by Ryan
Guest Post

When traveling abroad, your first course of action is to visit the U.S. Department of State travel page. It has important information about visa requirements and travel advisories, and lets you register your travel itinerary with them.

Visa Requirements

American travelers are lucky. Many countries around the world have friendly, diplomatic relations with us and will happily take our money. High-frequency travel destinations (Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand--and many places in Europe, thanks to the Schengen Agreement) have lax visa requirements for American visitors in town for a bit. For everywhere else, there's the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

There are gray areas. Online, you'll see it's "easy" to secure a short-term visa in Indonesia. Compared to Japan and Thailand, however, getting an Indonesian visa is not easy. You wait in one line to pay for it. Then you wait in another huge line that take up ninety percent of airport's international receiving room to pick it up. No air-conditioning, no ventilation. Two hours later, you leave the airport, sticky with sweat, visas in hand.

Of course, you can always secure a visa for many places in advance online.

Travel Advisories

Check out any international travel advisories before you leave home. It will prepare you for the unknown. Tourist havens aren't exempt; anyone who's had her purse or his wallet stolen knows. Moreover, criminals are often unique to an area. For example, in many places it's best to arrange a cab, e.g. through a hotel, rather than hail one off a street. In Indonesia, you may pay too much. In seedier parts of Mexico, it could cost you your life.

Register Your Itinerary

This may seem a little too "Big Brother" for you, but how else will anyone know you were kidnapped and imprisoned in North Korea? Bill Clinton won't know where to rescue you from. Register your itinerary online, and you'll be in a better position, should you get in hot water.

And leave the recreational drugs at home. Singapore would imprison you for even having illegal drugs in your system, let alone on your person. Would you trust an OTC detox kit to save you from prison abroad?

Considering travel (2009-08-19/10-17)

Ryan has traveled with me to 10 countries in 6 years (Canada, Mexico, France, England, Germany, China, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan), and has blogged about Paris. As I have traveled alone for work recently, Ryan has written a series of guest blog posts on items to consider before traveling.

Travel Considerations Provided by the Following...
by Ryan
Guest Posts

William has been traveling a lot lately, first for fun, now for work. With little notice, he flies off to Sacramento, CA, USA, or Chihuahua, CH, Mexico. He hopes one day to be sent on assignments in South America--Argentina or Chile--or Europe--especially Spain or Italy, both of which we missed when we were in Paris, France, for ten weeks in the Fall of 2006.
Because of this, we've come up with a kind of regimen for travel. He hates packing, so I often help him, or he waits till the day of to do it. We try to set things in order so that I'll at least have an idea of how things should look when he gets back. Though he drags his feet sometimes, the one thing he doesn't procrastinate about is investigating his destination.
It behooves the healthy world-traveler like William to sit down for a little pre-travel planning. It's one thing to bum around the US--where the laws are familiar and people speak English. Not so abroad, even as close as Mexico. Many people assume that, if American tourists are mucking about, the place must be safe. But you might want exercise a little more precaution...

These guest blogposts will address three areas of particular import for the new and seasoned frequent-flyer--tips to lubricate the often sticky wheels that get you to and from your destination safely. They concern the following: first and foremost, the place you'll be spending all your time at; your health; and finally, as a less than obvious extension of the former, travel insurance--which will preserve your well being as well as your wallet. Finally, I'll give an example of when all three concerns came into play: my and William's trip around China in the Spring of 2008.

Christchurch (2009-05-18)

After a day of mostly sitting in airports and airplanes, I was anxious to walk, especially since that is one this trip's priorities. Ryan and I roughly followed, in reverse, the walking tour of Christchurch from Insight Guides New Zealand Step by Step, taking extra time in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. The garden and surrounding area feel like part of an English city.

New Zealand (2009-05-18)

After a full day of traveling we find ourselves visitors somewhere new. The day was a 2:37 flight to Los Angeles, 5:13 in LAX, a 12:45 flight to Aukland, 2:45 in Aukland going through biosecurity and customs, and a 1:20 flight to Christchurch. Traveling took care of Saturday and the International Date Line took care of Sunday, so Ryan and I arrive Monday the farthest south (approximately 43°32' S) we have ever been, in New Zealand on a new continent (Zealandia in Australasia). The Boeing 747-400 was empty enough to permit sleeping across seats, so we end up with enough energy to walk Christchurch Monday afternoon.

Buying tickets (2009-05-07/08)

Furlough travel plans led me to once again purchase international flights leaving 2009-05-16 and returning 2009-07-01. Here's the itinerary:

• New Zealand (Christchurch to Aukland) 2009-05-18/30
• Indonesia (Denpasar, Bali) 2009-05-30/06-13
• Thailand (Bangkok) 2009-06-13/23
• Japan (Tokyo) 2009-06-23/07-01

A Circle Pacific ticket appears twice as expensive, so these are changeable (for a fee) and refundable flights, in case we want to go to China or return to the US.

Planning contigencies (2009-05-06)

There's the chance of work in China, but I'm going traveling on furlough. It appears it's possible to obtain a Chinese business visa in Hong Kong, where an American citizen can visit for 90 days without a visa. I liked Hong Kong, so a trip there is a contingency plan in case of work in China.

Planning travel (2009-05-01/05)

There's time to travel. Once again the questions are "Where should William go?" and "What should William do?"

Where Should William Go?

I've been to Asia (China) since I last asked these questions on my blog. The continents (besides Antarctica) that I haven't visited are South America (though of course I live in the Americas) and Australia (though I have been to Oceania, which includes Australasia). If I went to South America I'd want to practice Spanish. I'm resuming Mandarin, so Australasia seems good.

In fact, it might be fun to circle the pacific (see "Part II of the Vision" and "How do you arrange your flights?" on The Art of Non-Conformity). Previous comments recommended New Zealand, Thailand, and Japan. I've found friends and friends of friends recommend Bali.

What Should William Do?

Below are my travel priorities:

1. Photograph wildlife. Since fantasy was an early inspiration to travel, why not photograph a dragon? Another possibility is kiwi-spotting in Trounson Kauri Park.
   
2. Walk. While it's almost winter in New Zealand, there might be great walks.
   
3. See mountains. The Lord of the Rings movies suggest beautiful mountains in New Zealand. In addition, Ryan offered to climb Mount Fuji to persuade me to visit Japan.
   
4. Visit forests.
5. Sail.
6. Visit ruins.
7. See castles.

That's a lot to cover! Aside from living in Paris, my longest trip to date was one month in east Africa. I'd like to travel longer than a month this time.

[Resized photograph.]

Planning furlough (2009-04-27/30)

Despite the prospect of work in China, there is currently little coaching or development management for me. Consequently my company sent me on furlough. The finances suggest the furlough could stop in 30 to 60 days; sales staff suggest it will stop sooner. Since I've saved (expenses and taxes at home average 52% of income), this seems like an opportunity to both help my employer and to travel while I'm still brave enough to do it. I think it is more likely than not that there will be work when I return.

[Resized photograph.]

Resuming Mandarin (2009-05-03)

It's a coin toss whether I will return to China this summer--this time with a business visa for coaching, consulting, or development. My employer might have an opportunity, and might send me. Asking simple questions before a Friday social (你想喝葡萄酒吗/Nǐ xiǎng hē pútáojiǔ ma/Do you want to drink wine?) suggests my rudimentary Mandarin study makes me the best non-native speaker in the office. I would enjoy traveling China again, and I need work, so I have resumed studying in hope of temporarily relocating there.

Imagining financial planning (2008-08-06)

Another life I imagine might be some sort of a financial planner. Clearly I like to play with numbers, and review personal finance books (e.g., illustrating compound interest and the cost of current gratification, or explaining stocks and bonds). While I'd like further education, I already have some competence with finance, following this advice:

• Simplify by donating or selling unneeded items.
• Maintain a used car as long as possible (e.g., by minimizing driving).
  
• Have no debt--in fact, through budgeting save an emergency fund for one year's expenses.
  
• Save and research for major purchases (including SIFF and travel).
• Pay bills online automatically.
  
• Almost always pay the full balance on credit cards selected for their features.
• Regularly review three free credit reports.
  
• Contribute to an (Roth or traditional) IRA.
• Use savings to defer income in order to start a business.
  
• Research and purchase auto, dental, disability, liability, life, medical, renter's, and vision insurance, combining when possible.
  
• Have an estate plan.
  
• Set up a 401(k) and fully fund it.
• Periodically review asset allocation.
• Have written goals and milestones for net worth and retirement.

While I'm not (yet) a millionaire, I would be interested in coaching others in Seattle, particularly those starting out in technical fields.

[Corrected wording.]