Do you agree with this? Have there been times when a place has disappointed you because it wasn’t what you had imagined?

For the most part, I am not disappointed when I visit a new place. But there are often challenges that threaten to affect my enjoyment, such as:

• The place I was looking forward to visiting is packed with tourists.
• The place I was looking forward to visiting is packed with tourist stalls which spoil the ambiance.
• The place I was looking forward to visiting no longer exists.
• The weather is crap the entire time.
• I feel ill, or tired, or stressed.
• An event occurs (a robbery, a terrible storm) that clouds my memory of the visit.

So what can be done?

As with everything in life, it is mostly us who control how we feel or react. We can resolve to have a bad time, or we can pull our socks up and make the most of things.

• When it rains: play games, visit museums and galleries, take an umbrella and go out anyway
• When the tourists are swarming: get out earlier, laugh it off, make friends, or get off the beaten track
• When the hawkers are in your face selling t-shirts: politely but firmly decline (unless you want one) and move on
• When the coveted cafe or nook has clearly been bulldozed for a shopping complex: shrug and seek out some other local haunts
• When the place just doesn’t look like the postcards/guidebook promised: lighten up. Try and ‘discover’ things rather than visiting all the usual suspects
• When you get sick: hrm, it’s hard to make the most of this one. Don’t push through it; give in, look after yourself and cross your fingers it’s a 24-hour thing.
• You get robbed: it is stressful and horrible. Report it to the police, keep safe, try and keep going. Don’t let it be your only holiday memory.

Do you find the anticipation of a trip beats the reality? Have you ever overcome a seemingly bad situation and still had a great holiday?

That isn’t to say you’re not glad to be home again. But if you’ve been away for years, it’s not necessarily easy to settle back in as though nothing’s happened. Why?

You’ve changed.

You’ve had experiences that perhaps your old friends and family can’t understand or relate to. Perhaps they consider your travel tales big-headed or redundant. But your perspective has changed, so you may well see old things differently.

Symptoms of reverse culture shock include:

• Frustration. Perhaps things seem too slow, or too fast, or you just don’t like the way something is managed, or how people behave.
• Disappointment. Perhaps you expected nothing to have changed, but it has. Settling back in, reconnecting and finding a new job can be hard.
• Depression, or feelings of isolation, that no one understands what you’ve been doing.
• Homesickness. This one may surprise you, because you are “home”. But if you’ve been living in another country, then you made that country your home. You are bound to miss it.

Ways to cope

• Get support. Many countries have organizations to help ‘repats’ readjust to living back home again. Try a web search in your area.
• Accept your feelings. Don’t fight them. Everyone returning after a period away will experience them while readjusting. Be patient with yourself and others.
• Create a routine. Part of the alienation phase is the lack of having a regular daily pattern. Even if you don’t have a job yet, make some daily plans and stick to them. Make social plans and create goals.
• Make a list of the most positive aspects of your time overseas. Keep them in mind as you readjust and seek work. You might feel your OE has alienated you, but many employers will be impressed, and people will come to appreciate how it has shaped the new you.

What is a McPhoto?

A McPhoto is a photo of you in front of an iconic landmark, be it the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Great Wall or Leaning Tower. You think it is a special photo until you realize it looks exactly like everyone else’s travel photos.

But I love my Eiffel Tower photo…

Of course you do, and you should. The point is that you can take more original travel photos if you wish.

How?

1. Change the angle
Instead of just pointing and clicking, stoop down and point the camera up, or get in closer. Suddenly you have a much more alluring shot from an original perspective.

2. Change the lighting
If you can get up earlier, your shots will be less crowded with a more gentle light.

3. Put people in the picture
Often we shoo people out of the way so the way to the landmark is clear, but people in a shot can create more atmosphere and often juxtapose the size of what you are photographing (eg. the Grand Canyon)

4. Photoshop
A couple of basic Photoshop tricks can do wonders, like adjusting the brightness and cropping. And here’s a step-by-step guide to adding effects.

5. Look around
Of course you want to photograph the Eiffel Tower, but don’t miss the fabulous photo opportunities all around you.

6. Click away
The wonders of the digital age mean it’s free to take as many pics as you want. Don’t be afraid to photograph like there’s no tomorrow. Take risks. You’ll be surprised at what you can achieve, even if it’s only by luck.

There is nothing wrong with McPhotos but it is gratifying to have a range of pictures, not just one type.

Things to consider when packing:

• Will this be too heavy for me to carry? If the answer is yes, pull it all out and start again. You will need to be able to carry it.
• Is it securely locked? Even backpacks can take locks, or some airports (eg. in South America) offer a plastic seal service to make sure nobody tampers with your stuff.
• Will it hold? If you’ve bought a cheapie suitcase from Thailand make sure it won’t fall open by taping it up. Many luggage shops sell straps.
• What season/weather am I packing for? If you’re heading somewhere tropical, ditch the fluffy boots.
• Roll tightly. You will be able to fit much more in if you roll clothes up.
• Seal toiletries. Leaking shampoos are to be avoided.
• What will I be able to buy once there? Take into account that while traveling you are likely to shop. Leave room for additional items.
• What am I not allowed to pack? Most airlines have restrictions. Check their website to make sure you won’t have to chuck out anything at the airport.
• Have I packed my own luggage? Don’t let random people pack your packs and don’t offer to transport anything unless you know the person very, very well.
• Does it look like everyone else’s luggage? If the answer is yes, cover it in ribbons, stickers, anything to make it clearly yours.
• Do I really want to carry this? Look at each item long and hard, and be ruthless. Do you really want to carry the Lord of the Rings trilogy (books) around the world with you? Your pet rock?

As a language learner and (former) English teacher, I’m going to pass on my tips for learning a language.

How to learn a language (tips range from beginner to advanced)

1. Balance your learning. Some people learn best from books, others by interacting. Both are valid, but not exclusive. Make sure you talk, read, write and listen. Each one helps the others.

2. Don’t be shy. As a beginner, speaking up can be excruciating. Most people are understanding of this and will be supportive. Don’t be silent, and be flexible. You always know more than you think and your confidence will grow.

3. Live in the country. Ideally you will be living in or visiting the country where the language is spoken in order to accelerate your learning. If so, definitely take a course (which are usual plentiful and come in a range of prices) and chat to locals.

4. Find native speakers. Even if you can’t be in the country, you can still learn by chatting to native speakers. Pay them, or do a language exchange. Practicing with fellow foreigners is good too but remember you are likely to be sharing mistakes as well, and not picking up the natural flow of a native-level conversation.

5. Set short-term goals. It may sound obvious, but try setting goals for each week and keeping to them (eg. one language meetup, one audio book chapter etc). Learning a language is much like exercise – you need a routine.

6. Set long-term goals. There is likely to be some sort of language exam you can take. Signing up for it well in advance will give you something to work towards. Warning: don’t set your goals too high or you will become frustrated.

7. Take breaks. Language learning can be exhausting. Your brain is working very hard. Allow yourself breaks to think and chat in your native language. It will relieve and revive you.

8. Put the dictionary down. The dictionary is the beginner’s lifeline, but opening it every few seconds will stilt conversations and you are unlikely to remember the word for the future. Try and talk ‘around’ the word by describing it , or ‘miming’ it. And when you are ready, buy a basic monolingual dictionary with simple descriptions instead of the New Language – English version.

9. Experiment with ‘thinking’ in the language. Most of us chatter away to ourselves (internally) all day. Try swapping languages and you’ll probably be surprised at how much you know.

10 Don’t lose the basics. As your skills improve and your vocabulary widens you will start overlooking the basic grammar rules you first learned, because you’re concentrating on the more advanced aspects. Go back to your beginner books and skim the rules again.

Being female should not be an excuse for staying home, but the sad reality is that often women travelers do need to be more cautious than men, especially if traveling solo.

Still, many women travel alone and have a blast. How? By being sensible and following the tips below.

Ways to stay safe:

• Leave the diamonds at home. Flashing bling will not help you stay unnoticed.
• Don’t swing a handbag. Either put your bag right over your shoulder, so thieves can’t grab and run, or wear a money belt with a minimal amount of cash.
• Be aware of local standards of dress. Don’t bounce around the beach in a bikini if locals cover up. In more conservative countries, keep shoulders and legs covered and wear loose-fitting clothing.
• Look confident. Walk with a purposeful stride and keep to public streets.
• In some countries, solo women travelers are highly unusual. Either find a travel companion or avoid empty places and don’t wander round after sundown.
• Don’t respond to stares and catcalls. If a man is trying to get your attention, ignore him. Responding may be seen as sassy and egg him on. Look away and move on.
• Consider wearing a ring and calling yourself ‘Mrs.’. It says you’re taken and may deter unwanted attention.
• Take a self-defense course. This can come in handy anytime and may make you feel more confident. But use only if being attacked – don’t start the fight!
• If attacked, make a lot of noise and fight back if you can. Afterwards, seek help immediately.

Doubtless this advice will make things sound much worse than they’re likely to be. The trick is to be alert and careful. Don’t let the fear of the unlikely stop you from going, just be prepared.

If they’re in Vegas, feeling giddy from the flashing lights and abundance of wedding chapels, they might get married, forgetting momentarily the wrath that will greet them from parents once back home.

So, can you just walk into a chapel and marry? Not quite. But it is remarkably easy. As someone who has walked down a Vegas aisle, I’m going to reveal all.

How do you get a wedding permit?

First you pay a quick visit to Clark County License Bureau, a 15-minute cab ride from The Strip. You wait in a short queue for a license which costs around $50. If you’re a US resident you need your Social Security Number and photo ID. If you’re from outside the US you’ll need your passport. You fill in a form each, pay your bill and head to a chapel.

Which chapel to choose?

If you’re staying in a hotel it most likely has a chapel. However, they can be fully booked due to the popularity of Vegas weddings (over 120,000 a year). Don’t worry – there will be plenty of hawkers outside the License Bureau trying to cajole you into going to their chosen chapel, with limo additional.

There are budget chapels, there are drive-thru chapels, there are chapels with Elvis. How did we choose our chapel? Via the Yellow Pages. How romantic.

What happens at the chapel?

You enter (either having booked, or for some you can just walk in like we did), present your new license, choose how many frills you want with your wedding (flowers, photos, etc) and pay first and sign the marriage certificate.

Then it gets kind of surreal if it’s just the two of you, the minister and the witness (who’s usually the receptionist). They play the wedding march, you walk up the aisle – I was in jeans – and then you hold hands and repeat those classic vows. Next, you’re married! There’s cake and champagne, but you have to hurry it up before the next couple arrives.

Why marry in Vegas?

Well, it’s kind of wacky and fun. It’s cheap, if you’re already in Vegas. It’s certainly a relaxed affair. If you’re an introvert, it means you escape the crowds. But of course many people have a planned Vegas wedding with friends and family.

What are the cons?

If your parents have been dreaming of your special day for years… well, you’re letting them down. But you can always have another ceremony later.

It’s also not particularly romantic. It’s a bit cheesy. You might be cheating yourself of a wonderful day where you dress up and be the center of attention at home. But it’s personal choice.

And if you’ve just met the person that night… you’ll be waking up with more than a hangover. You’ll have a new spouse!

If you’ve been on a plane more than once, chances are your luggage has been ‘misplaced’ at some point.

In the grand scheme of things, lost luggage is not a tragedy. But after a butt-numbing 20 hours in a plane (New Zealand to the UK, for example), you’re desperate for a shower and change of clothes. Not to mention exiting Heathrow as quickly as possible, and not filling out Lost Luggage forms while weeping into your itinerary.

Luggage goes missing for a variety of reasons: the airline misplaces it, someone mistakes it for their bag, or it falls off a trolley or luggage belt. Generally you won’t have to wait too long to get it back.

Preventing Lost Luggage Stress

• Buy a distinctive suitcase. I have pink. No one touches it. My black one used to go walkabout all the time…
• Don’t over-pack or check in luggage that is broken or worn. Check for loose straps etc that could get snagged on things.
• Label your luggage. Clear contact details. Put stickers all over it.
• Avoid checking in luggage if possible. If it’s a short trip, consider a carry-on bag only. Skip the queues.
• Hold onto your checked luggage ID tag. It’s usually a sticker on your ticket/boarding pass.
• Have travel insurance.
• Don’t pack precious items. Carry them!
• When picking up your luggage, hover near the beginning of the carousel. Sometimes bags fall off. Sometimes people let them.

When Your Luggage is Lost…

• Don’t panic. Most luggage turns up within 24 hours. Report the loss to the airline at the baggage terminal immediately, before you leave the airport. Fill in the forms with clear contact details and a clear description of the lost bag and its contents.
• If your luggage is damaged, most airlines will compensate you. Follow the process above.

Related Reading

• Lost luggage airline stats. It’s really not too bad. But to prevent any kind of delay or damage, I still recommend my tips above.

Ask Your Contacts
If you know someone in the industry, don’t be afraid to ask for help. They may not have much clout but will probably be able to point you in the direction of someone who has. Warning: don’t exploit your contacts. Asking for help once is okay, but doing so repeatedly will annoy them. Ask a specific question: “I have written [the article], and I think it might be suitable for [a publication] so who would you suggest I talk to?”

Be Targeted
Pick the publications you are interested in. Look at them long and hard. What is the average length of their articles? What is their tone? What demographic is their audience? What is their average age and income? Don’t just send your piece out to anyone or everyone. Focus on a chosen few, and make sure your article’s tone will appeal to their audience.

Do Your Homework
Now you’ve found some relevant publications, find out who the editor is, or the features or travel editor if it’s a middle-to-large company. Check the first few pages of the magazine for contact details, or call the company. Check the spelling of their name. Find out their email address and pitch your article, with a deadline so you can offer it to someone else if they’re not interested. Use the words “exclusive offer”.
If you hear nothing in a few weeks, follow up with a phone call.

Pitch Your Article Before You Write It
This can be preferable if your main aim is to be published, in case you’ve written your article but it doesn’t fit the publication’s criteria. Give the person a short synopsis (including your hook) and ask if they’d be interested. They may not commit outright, but you’ll be able to gauge their interest much better this way. They may also offer some guidelines to help you tailor your article to their needs.

Pitch With Their Needs in Mind
Don’t say, “Will you publish me pleeeease?” You have to sell the article: what’s great about it? How does it fit their audience? They are looking for ways to fill their publication with quality content. Show them you can help. Got some good travel pics too? Even better.

Don’t Get Disheartened
Editors are incredibly busy people working to tight deadlines. Many receive more emails than they have time to respond to, and some publications are simply disorganized. My first travel article was published without anyone even contacting me first, due to staff changes happening at the time.
If they make it clear they’re not interested, ask for some feedback. If you’re not having luck with the big players, try some smaller magazines or papers. Also bear in mind that many travel sections are left to employees to fill with sponsored junkets and it’s hard for outsiders to squeeze into the remaining space.

Make the Agreement Clear
When you hit the jackpot and they want to publish, get in writing the payment amount, the approximate date it will be published and when they’ll pay you. This varies from country to country but generally when it’s published you send an invoice with your tax details and the agreed amount (usually a standard per-word amount). If you haven’t been paid by the agreed date, don’t be afraid to follow up.

My First Travel Article

My first travel article was written and published in 2000. It was about my experiences living in Berlin for a year. The ‘hook’ (what made it current and fresh) was the mention of a new Working Holiday Visa introduced in Germany. I wrote the article, emailed it to a random person at a newspaper – probably through their website – and forgot all about it until someone rang me congratulating me on being in the paper.

Since then I’ve had many other travel articles published, from Europe to South America to Asia. Here’s my advice on how to write your own publishable articles.

1. Find a ‘hook’
A hook is something that makes your article current and fresh, like the example above. Has the country or town been in the news for something special lately? Is there an event unique to that area? Did you have an experience unlike any other? Open with that.

2. Write in your own style
Your writing style makes you special. Although you need to keep the tone of the publication in mind that you’re submitting to, don’t ‘disguise’ your natural style. It’ll sound forced and awkward.

3. Don’t stress, just write
Get it all out onto paper/the computer. Tidy later. Don’t fret over each sentence. You’ll never get it done.

4. Don’t recount your itinerary
No one wants to read ‘Then… and then we… and then we…” Start with a strong memory, and link your thoughts, but it doesn’t need to be in chronological order.

5. Make it vivid
When traveling, take detailed notes as you go so you don’t forget your impressions. Look around and get the details down. What was said? What was smelled? What was felt? Take photos of the unexpected: an amusing sign, an unusual meal. The minutiae make up your trip and will make your readers feel like they were there, too.

6. Get your thoughts straight
Before you start communicating, have a think about what you actually want to say. Did you have a wonderful time, or an awful time that ended well, or an unexpected time that was better than you could’ve imagined? Do you want to warn people, encourage people, educate people, entertain people? Figure out your aim first, so it comes through in your writing. Choosing a headline and introduction can help you focus.

7. Talk to locals
Fellow tourists are fun and often have good tips, but if you’re writing a travel article you need to talk to people who can share words of wisdom about their country. Are the locals poor, oppressed, healthy, happy, hard-working? Unless you’re reviewing a resort you’ll need to get out and meet people. It’s also the most interesting part.

8. Balance facts and opinion
Your thoughts alone are unlikely to be enough. What is the history of the area? The population? The culture? Likewise, a geography lesson can be dull. Add your impressions. It’s about finding a balance.

9. End with a bang
End as you hopefully opened: strongly. Don’t trail off with, “So I had a great time and recommend it.” What was your overall impression? Can you link it back to the beginning? I always try and add an event or snippet of conversation that encapsulates the tone covered in the rest of the article.

10. Give to a friend
Get a friend to check and read your article. Chances are, you’re so close to it now you can’t see any obvious oversights or errors. Take feedback into consideration, and certainly word counts, but keep your gut instincts in mind too.

Already written your article? Here are my tips on getting published in print.