Don't Let the World Pass You By...
September is National Passport Month. Lonely Planet, the official guidebooks to independent travel, started promoting the idea a few years back as a way to promote international travel, & of course the first thing 'to do' before traveling internationally is to obtain a valid passport. So throughout the month of September, Lonely Planet is hosting a series of travel & passport-themed events to inspire a journey (or several). Also you can check out their book Don't Let the World Pass You By! 52 Reasons to Have a Passport by Sam Benson (Lonely Planet Publications, September 2005).
Even though I've had a passport for nearly 10 years now, I still read 52 Reasons as a way to simply reconnect, re-energize my wanderlust, my love of the unknown in traveling. I mean to really want to know a certain city, locale, international destination, island, wherever, u have to get to know its people, the culture, stretch out of your comfort zone & eat that food which gives u mad indigestion, & sleep in that hostel with the two-inch gap underneath the door because that's where you'll have your best memories.
When I lived in Haiti I met a 15-year old boy who spoke English, Spanish, French, & Italian, fluently; I also ate purple potato salad while there. In Japan I had what appeared to be a burger, but tasted completely different. In Hawaii I had poi, it had very little taste, actually it had no taste. My next destination is a toss-up between Costa Rica, Ghana or Thailand.
If u want--for now, arm-chair it, read 52 Reasons, & before long you'll have your very own reasons & memories for getting that passport. For more information on obtaining a valid passport, please visit the U.S. Department of State at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html & do check out Lonely Planet at http://www.lonelyplanet.tv/
- WanderinNomad
