During the economic downfall, pretty much everyone in the service industry wondered how their business would fare. With less money to spend, people had to make choices. Sadly for some, those choices were (and for some, still are) whether to pay a bill or put gas in the car…or worse yet, whether to pay the mortgage or buy groceries.

Those in the retail industry, auto industry and travel industry have had obvious challenges as well. With the economy struggling, few people have to buy a new pair of shoes, buy a brand new car…or take a cruise for vacation.

But, our quality of life depends on some of these non-essential essentials. Life is not about sitting on a chair and staring out into space. Its about, well, living, and having a nice meal or seeing a movie, joining a health club….or taking a vacation are important components that enhance living and the overall well-being of a civilized society.

Thank goodness our industry–the industry of providing leisure travel to Jewish travelers–has, for a good part (and don’t believe for an instant that we are not thankful) weathered the storm. Sure the economy has effected us, but Amazing Journeys is thriving and still venturing with high capacity–if not sold out capacity–to the far corners of the earth.

So how do so many people do it, while others continue to think otherwise? A dear friend of mine who has traveled with Amazing Journeys on fourteen journeys that were amazing was very poignant as she enlightened me on how it works for her. She told me that people think she has a lot of money, but the real truth is that it’s all about the choices she makes. She cooks and eats most of her own meals at home, makes her coffee at home (did you know that while a tall coffee at Starbucks costs on average in the US $1.75, by buying a pound of their coffee and making it yourself at home, it will only cost about $.95 per cup?)…she clips coupons and buys her groceries on sale . . . walks instead of taking a taxi or train (yes, she’s a New York resident)… and she cleans her apartment herself (no cleaning lady). In other words, she establishes and keeps a budget, thus affording her disposable income to spend on her true life indulgences; traveling the world.

Life is short. Play hard isn’t just slogan. You only get one chance to enjoy this world…and pity the souls who think that Little Italy, Chinatown or the World Showcase at EPCOT is a sufficient means to experience life beyond the borders. There is so much to see and do out there and there are worldwide travel opportunities for all interests and budgets.

Just Do It isn’t just a slogan either. These three words have a deeper and power meaning. Complacency is an evil that beguiles a person’s ability to enjoy life. Spirit, adventure, excitement and risk are all character traits that advance all possibilities in life. We should all seek and embrace such traits.

Just Do It.

In the world of travel, the journey is often more interesting than the destination. Having served over 5000 passengers on worldwide tours over the last decade, we have been a part of some amazing experiences with some amazing people. In preparation for so many tours, we encounter many phone calls, emails and letters with a variety of questions, needs and curiousities. Some of these are heartwarming, some funny…and some just utterly unbelievable.

AJ: “Hi KAREN; You can get them at Brookstone, any luggage store, at airports, and probably at Target or CVS Pharmacy”

KAREN: “Hi again. I don’t know how to lock the duffle bag for the trip, which you said was mandatory. The only part that could be locked are the 2 zippers that join to close the bag.”

AJ: “Hi KAREN,You will need to bring the 2 zippers together, insert your lock and click it together. Good luck!”

 When will we be able to board planes again with jugs of our favorite lotions, shampoos and conditioners? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but not any time soon. Due to technology glitches, the Transportation Security Administration does not expect to scrap the three-year-old ban on carry-on liquids and gels this fall, as previously anticipated. For those of us who like to toss our belongings in a carry-on bag to avoid the tedious task of checking in luggage, that means we’ll have to rely a little longer on hotel toiletries.

After all, they’re the most convenient – even if it means we might smell like a floral arrangement.

A recent online survey asked the question – How big a deal is your hotel’s shampoo and soap line? While one respondant said, “given the carry on restrictions, it’s nice to have decent toiletries and mouthwash”, another thought “most of the junk they put in hotels is terrible. Who wants to smell like a bouquet of flowers at a business meeting?”

Some folks liked the hotel toiletries so much that they admitted going out and purchasing them at a store. Others called out the brands like the person who wrote that “Hampton Inns have cheap soap that seems glued to the paper.”

One reader wrote that she loves Marriott’s line of Bath & Body Works orange ginger soaps and shampoos, but also gave a shout out to a Hyatt Regency for providing toothpaste. “I do really appreciate when hotels have nice toiletries. Given the travel restrictions on liquids, I’d much prefer to use the hotels products than bring my own because of the hassle.

Restrictions on the 3oz bottle of liquids aside, will someone please tell me why airports in the US are the only security checkpoints that STILL make us take our shoes off? I know, I know…”The Shoe Bomber” from 5 years ago. I’m just curious, though; if The Shoe Bomber had instead been The Underwear Bomber ………………………..

Special Surprise Announcement: All U.S. carriers now charge for a second bag to Europe!

Written By 90 year old Regina Brett of The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Amazing Journeys advertises “vacations that can change your life” and on every trip we live up that standard in one way or another. Thousands of individuals have had “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences, met a new friend (or 4!) for life….and some have even met the love of their life.

Fear, Ignorance and Inertia – these “three stooges” keep a lot of people from traveling. North Americans in general, and US citizens in particular, can be very timid travelers. We are all easy victims for a news media that plays to worst case scenarios. It is little wonder that people are often afraid to travel when the news is filled with stories of flu, drug violence, riot and terrorism.

• Get a credit card that helps you earn miles for a free airline ticket
• Plan to eat simple meals while on vacation
• Take advantage of the all-inclusiveness of cruising. Meals, entertainment, accommodations and more, all for one price
• If your days are about getting out and doing, why stay at a 5-star resort for $250/night? If you just need a clean comfortable room, there are options for lodging that range from simple inns to hostels that can help you use your wallet for other indugences
• Travel during off-peak season: A cruise in early December before the holidays is loads cheaper than a cruise over New Year’s. The weather in Fiji is the same year round, but travel in the early fall elicit better rates than during holiday time when the demand is greater.

I’ve often wondered about the the design of a plane. I find it disturbingly interesting and deviously restricting, even for its own purpose. Save for an emergency, there’s usually only one way in and one way out for anywhere from usually 40 to 240 passengers. Building codes on the ground would never take off with this kind of set up…..so why are airplane codes with this kind of set up never grounded? Its a baffling wonderment, this aircraft design thing; let’s row-up hundreds of seats, make them as narrow as your body width (or narrower than your body width for those who are a bit zoftik) and pile everyone in then herd everyone off….single file.

Boy, do we have stories! I don’t think there’s any profession in the world that can come away, at the end of the day with as many crazy, unimaginable, strange-but-true stories as professionals who lead tours for a living.

But, this space isn’t about our stories right now (it will be at a later time because Boy, do we have stories!); its about some of the other crazy happenings in the world today.

• A German tourist was refused permission to carry a litre of vodka aboard a flight in Nuremberg airport. So….he chugged it down, rather than surrender it. He left the airport, but not on his planned flight; he left it in an ambulance.
• Pilgrims returning to Italy had their carry-on bottles of holy water from the Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes confiscated at security. “Three-ounce bottles only”, they were told.
• An American Airlines flight from Tokyo to Dallas had an emergency landing in Honolulu when the crew discovered a squirrel that had stowed away on board. The creature was given a new home among the palm trees in Hawaii and the aircraft took off again for its final destination with all its munchable wiring still in tact.
• A British man recently completed a 13-year worldwide journey during which he only traveled under his own steam. Jason Lewis traveled 46,505 miles across the globe using various means of self-propulsion; he roller bladed across North America, kayaked from Australia to Singapore, biked from Singapore to the Himalayas, hiked through the Himalayas and even pedaloed (a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals) from Mumbai, India crossing the Indian Ocean to Djibouti. Included in with his adventures was being run over by a car in Colorado, breaking both legs, and being arrested in Egypt when his visa ran out on suspicion of spying.