Hi there!

I am Skylar. I know that you are interested in traveling, so I wanted to share with you some good reads that I came across recently. I am constantly searching newspapers, magazines, and the internet for great travel articles and stories. Once a week I pick a few of my favorite articles for you; the goal being to provide you, the travel enthusiast, with interesting information and stories about the world of international work and travel.

I encourage you to take a few minutes out of your busy day to look over these articles and daydream about your next trip!

April 2008

As promised in the last newsletter, I am here to tell you about my wonderful service trip to Costa Rica!

I accompanied a group of 12 university students on a spring break volunteer trip to San Carlos, Costa Rica. The group spent 5 days volunteering with a local orphanage and school, doing everything from teaching English, painting a fence, repairing a leaky roof, and entertaining the kids during lunch and recess. All of the students lived with local host families so that they could get a sense of true Costa Rican culture and practice their Spanish.

Aside from the volunteer work, the group had ample opportunity to explore Costa Rica. They visited an active volcano, bathed in the hot springs, took a river cruise, toured a coffee plantation, and became one with nature at botanical and butterfly gardens.

All in all, the trip was a great combination of volunteering and tourism, or “voluntourism”.

Everyone had a rewarding and memorable spring break, but don’t take my word for it, read what the participants had to say about their experience on the testimonials page.

On a personal note, I had traveled to Costa Rica before this service trip as a tourist and can honestly say that I will never go back to taking traditional vacations. Pairing travel with volunteering is the ultimate way to get to truly get to know and experience a country and its people. I saw a side of Costa Rica on this trip that I totally missed as a tourist!

I encourage each and every one of you to put some serious thought into your next vacation and if possible, try to get involved for a day or two with a local charity, school, or non-profit. It will enrich your travel experience and benefit the community.

For any of you that are interested in arranging a “voluntourism” trip for your family, school, or business, check out our Costa Rica group programs page.

That is all for now! As always, please send me any feedback, travel tips, or interesting articles that you come across.

March 2008

Hi there travel bugs, it’s Skylar from AIDE. I know it has been a while since you heard from me, but I have been on the road promoting our amazing international work and volunteer programs to future world travelers. I hope that the people I met were inspired by the mission of AIDE just as much as I was inspired by their willingness to travel and explore new cultures.

Now I am rejuvenated and ready to administer your monthly dose of travel reads. Enjoy!

First off, I have a confession to make…I am born and bred Texan. I grew up in Austin, and aside from my four years in college and my “vagabond” years in South America and Australia, I have lived in Texas. I have enjoyed my time here, yet it seems like everyone I meet while traveling has something negative to say about my home state. Not all of us ride horses to school! Luckily, someone has already addressed the issue and saved y’all (that’s right, I said y’all), from my indignant rants.
Traveling while Texan

We at AIDE are dedicated to sustainable and eco-friendly travel. Although reducing your “carbon footprint” and traveling “light” are not always easy, it is important that everyone does their part to reduce waste and emissions. Here are two articles that will give you some good tips on how to do so.
15 ways to reduce your carbon footprint
The lazy environmentalist's guide to reducing your tourism footprint. (I personally will be using some of these tips when I am in Costa Rica next week!)

This next article really hits close to home for me because it addresses the lessons you learn while you travel when you are young. I took my first international trip at age 13 and haven’t stopped since! For those of you in your late teens and early twenties, let this article inspire you to take your first trip abroad. It can be scary at times, but the most difficult experiences tend to be the ones that we learn the most from and make the best stories once you get home!

For those of you that are older, read this and reflect on all the emotions and revelations you experienced your first time abroad. How have those experiences influenced the individual you are today?
Found in Translation

I hope you enjoyed the articles and feel free to send me your thoughts or any other interesting travel tidbits you come across!

Stay tuned for my next newsletter where I will be sharing cool photos and stories from my Costa Rican adventures! I am leading a group of university students as they undertake a service project in Costa Rica during their spring break.

February 2008

Most of you reading this are well-aware of the stereotype of the “Ugly American” traveling abroad. These fearsome beings only eat at McDonalds and force everyone to speak English. Well, I am here to tell you that this stereotype is largely false. I traveled all over South America, Central America, Europe, and Australia and met tons of friendly, open-minded American travelers who all, like me, were trying to debunk the “Ugly American” myth. This intercultural issue and several others are addressed in the following article based on the thesis of University of Nevada student Erin Granat. The link is a bit slow, but it is worth the wait!
Heroes or Hellions: How Americans are perceived Abroad.

I am sure that most of us at one time or another, have dreamed of selling everything and traveling for an extended amount of time. I just found this great blog written by an English couple who quit their office jobs and starting working from the road. Here is one of their articles outlining the benefits of working while traveling. You will probably have to chain yourself to your desk to keep from running off like them!
The Rules of LIP Living and being Location Independent.

Every day I hear about the hype of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, so imagine my surprise when I found this article that claims that 75% of tickets are unsold. For any of you that have always dreamed of attending an Olympic event, now is the time! Those interested in teaching English in China this summer during the Olympics, check out our Teach China program that awards you accommodation and a salary for teaching English 20 hours a week. This is a great way to catch the Olympics and fund your trip!
Olympic Ticket Sales.

January 2008

I am the kind of person that likes to read all about a place before I go. Guidebooks, memoirs, fiction, history - anything I can get my hands on. Conde Nast has just come out with a list of the top 86 travel books of all time. Check out the books on the list for some great reading and ideas for your next trip. I was very humbled reading the list because I have only read one of the books and am a few chapters into another. Looks like I have some reading to catch up on!
86 Best travel books.

Who else besides me is sick of all the lists that detail the 1,000 places to go before you die?! Well, this next author, for one. For anyone who feels overwhelmed with the thousands of places you “have” to visit, this will be a breath of fresh air.
1000 Places not to go before you die.

This next article is about how traveling will save the world. Quite a bold statement, but don't let that distract you! This is a great read and should be inspiring to anyone who seeks personal and global change through travel.
How travel will save the world.

December 2007

Making the decision to take a break from your everyday life to travel the world is not easy! It requires a lot of thought, planning, and preparation. Here is an article by a man from Kentucky who got fed up with his life, quit his job, and began to travel the world. He describes the events and the thought process that lead up to this drastic decision. This article is not meant to make you drop everything and hop the next plane to Bangkok, but my hope is that it encourages you to discover more of the world through travel.
A Single Step.

One of the best parts of international travel is getting to know the locals. Chatting with people who live in the areas you visit will give you more insight than you will get on a tour bus. So step out of your comfort zone, strike up a conversation, and remember, locals know the best places to eat! Here is an article that will give you some tips on how to cultivate some real cultural interaction.
How to Meet Locals.

I get a lot of questions from people who are interested in traveling or volunteering abroad: Why should I travel? What am I going to learn? Will this trip change me? This blog entry by a man who has traveled all over the world provides the answers to all these questions and more. I found it truly inspiring and hope that it gives you a taste of the amazing learning experiences that are in store for you once you start to explore the world.
The Journey Lunges Forward.