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Transitions Abroad Magazine July/August 2005 Vol. XXIX, NO. 1

In Every Issue

Information Exchange
Traveler’s Almanac
Book Reviews
Program News & Notes

Interview
Novica: Creating an Arts Market to Change the World Sherry Schwarz

Feature
Guatemala: A Land of Myths and Faith Jim Kane
Guiding the Way Joyce McClure

Immersion Travel
Emergencies Abroad Volker Poelzl
Nice Like a Local Kelby Hartson Carr
China’s Pointy Hills David Rich
Free New Zealand Robert Gosnell
Keep Copies of Key Documents in Your Backpack Jeff Goldman
Sagada: A Hanging Tribute to the Past Grady Hanrahan
Car-Camping Europe Carol Mickelsen

The Independent Traveler
Rest Your Weary Head: Find the Best Room at the Lowest Price Rob Sangster

Local Encounters
Ecotourism in Honduras Michele Peterson

The Budget Traveler
Travel in 2005: Almost Everything Has Changed, and Not for the Best Tim Leffel

Back Door Travel
No Kidding: Travel Advice for Vagabond Parents Rick Steves

Working Traveler
Work on a Cruise Ship Kristin Carter
Cruise Ship Jobs Renee Ruggero
Teaching English in China Adam Worcester
Teach in a Summer Camp Deborah Clark

The Best Resources
Family Travel Cynthia Harriman
Creating Family Adventures Daniel Gabriel
Travel with an Infant Gillian Wynne Grimm
Kid-Friendly Australia Adam Worcester

Moving Abroad Dan Flynn
Schooling Abroad Elisa Bernick
Schools in Paris Tamara Cuthrell
Living in Switzerland Catherine Richards Golini

Websites Gregory Hubbs

Senior Travel Alison Gardner
Making Retirement Count Amy Warren and Winsin Hsieh
Hosteling for the Young at Heart Bill Hrick

Disability Travel Michelle Scheib
Simon Says Teach Abroad Melissa Mitchell
The Accessible Himalayas by Mary Ann Davis
18 Tips for International Travelers Laura Hershey

Lifelong Learning Mara DelliPriscoli
Why We Choose Alumni Travel J. Hardin Marion
A Perspective on Voluntourism Cori Tahara Simms

Education Abroad
Going Solo Marie D. Conner
Coming Home Jim Citron and Vija Mendelson

Transitions Abroad
Follow Your Interests Jeffery Waggoner

From the Editor

It’s been a topsy-turvy year. Many people I know feel that the world is slightly off kilter and that we’re backsliding rather than making the progress needed to better the planet. At home, there’s the ever-looming threat of terrorism and dangerously divisive politics. Around the world, there’s the increasing civil war in Iraq and the all-too-real concerns over the nuclear activities of Iran and North Korea—at a time when our president advocates tactical nuclear weapons and nuclear power as a viable alternative energy source.

Travelers, however, can say, “I’ve seen a better way.” One of the first things travelers notice when arriving in the Danish capital by sea is enormous wind turbines spinning offshore. Wind turbines produced about 21 percent of Denmark’s total electrical consumption as of June 2004—and other European countries are moving quickly toward meeting more of their domestic energy needs through renewable means.

Since this issue marks the start of our new volume year, our 29th, I am particularly pleased that it contains such a celebration of the wonder and rewards of travel. It is a welcomed read in these uncertain times, and a reminder of how traveling and living in other countries fosters connections that improve the world person by person.

One noteworthy example is Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira, the co-founder and president of Novica.com. She and her son-in-law saw the possibilities of the Internet to benefit the world’s artisans. With the help of their global network, they’ve created the world’s largest online arts marketplace not only to sell indigenous art, but also to help promote and preserve traditional cultures and skills.

While companies like Novica are few and far between we can all become “citizens of the world,” to quote from this issue’s author Daniel Gabriel (see “Family Adventures, page 42). A child of the road, Gabriel’s early travel experiences “shaped him for life.” And we’ve known many a Transitions Abroad reader—not to mention the magazine’s founder—to say the same. (That’s why he called the magazine “Transitions.”)

We devote much space in this issue to Family Travel (page 40) and Living Abroad (46) because few experiences are more bonding and enriching than immersion in another culture. Family Travel Editor Cynthia Harriman tells how a family relocated to Europe was drawn together by two months in a 2-room apartment with no English-language TV. In Elisa Bernick’s and Tamara Cuthrell’s articles (pages 51 and 53), we see how educational the experience of year-long stays in Mexico and Paris is for their children.

All of these examples emphasize the impact of learning by doing and experiencing. Perhaps this is why the concept of alumni travel is so popular: it gives lifelong students quality educational travel opportunities where content matters most. In our new Lifelong Learning section (Page 68) we include a sampling of college- and university- led travel programs. In the future, we plan to include museum tours and other theme- and subject-focused trips.

Since organized travel is not for everyone, Jeffery Waggoner has come up with inspired advice for do-it-yourselfers to map out their own travel itineraries based on personal interests. Read his article on page 80 and then let your favorite writers, artists, and scientists guide you to off-the-beaten-path destinations.

From young people to seniors to those with disabilities, the information in this issue and on our website, www.TransitionsAbroad.com, will empower you to set forth confidently on transformative adventures. In the year ahead we hope you’ll remember to share what you’ve experienced and learned along the road with others—as long-time Transitions Abroad reader Dan Flynn did when sending us his article “Moving Abroad” (page 50). We are doing our job if Transitions Abroad motivates you, as it did Dan, to “experience first-hand other countries, cultures, and languages.”

Sherry Schwarz

Transitions Abroad

Publisher and Editor
Sherry Schwarz
Founding Editor and Publisher
Dr. Clay A. Hubbs
Web Content Editor
Gregory Hubbs
Design
Nashima Gokani
Advertising Manager
Kate McGrail
Office Manager
Patricia Bolognani
Editorial Assistant
Jessica Hayden
Office Manager
Claudia Ricci
Intern
Julia Rosen

Contributing Editors

Alison Gardner (Senior Travel)
Bill Mohan (Teen Travel)
Cynthia Harriman (Family Travel)
Deborah McLaren (Responsible Travel )
Edward Trimnell (Language Immersion)
Kathy Widing (Travel Books)
Michele Scheib (Disability Travel)
Rick Steves (Budget Travel)
Rob Sangster (Independent Travel)
Ron Mader (Ecotourism and Latin America)
Susan Griffith (Work)
Volker Poelzl (Living)
William Nolting (International Education and Work)
Zahara Heckscher (Volunteering)

On The Cover
Lopburi, Thailand. Photo by Robert Power
Thailand is famous for its Fragrant Jasmine Rice, which is still largely harvested by hand.

Robert Power is a photographer, designer and writer based in Bangkok, Thailand. He currently operates Balance Images, a small photography and design company.

Mission Statement
Founded in 1977, Transitions Abroad is the only publication dedicated to work, study, living, and immersion travel abroad. Its purpose is the dissemination of practical information leading to a greater understanding of other cultures through direct participation in the daily life of the host community.




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