My younger daughter, Jenny, is just finishing her first week in Europe. While her primary purpose while there is to complete her community health nursing clinical in England, that program doesn’t actually begin for another two weeks. She and several of her classmates are currently traveling about the Continent, and her brief phone calls and Facebook postings indicate they are having a wonderful time. I think it would be difficult for anyone with such an experience before them to not enjoy it thoroughly, but Jenny and her friends did a lot to ensure their good time through solid groundwork in planning and organizing their modest version of the Grand Tour.

It’s possible that just getting 10 individuals to agree on their two-and-a-half-week itinerary consumed the majority of their planning sessions, but I know that all of them also spent plenty of Internet time researching where they were going and how (most economically) to get there. Most of the girls had friends or family members who had traveled abroad (and some, like Jenny, had already been overseas, but none on their own), and all of us were dishing out advice, as well. (I was able to pull out articles from the past few years of Global Traveler on every city on their itinerary, plus others covering everything from health insurance to travel safety.) Going forth with maps and directions steering them from every airport or train terminal to their hostels in each city boosted their confidence that they could navigate their way just about anywhere. With Madrid and Barcelona under their belts already and only a snow-cancelled flight from London to delay the start of their adventure, this merry band seems to be off to a great start.

Here are a few things we are glad are a part of this trip, and which we would recommend to any traveling student:

– An international cell phone: Jenny was able to rent one for an extremely reasonable fee and calling rates. At least two other girls in the group have one as well, so if the entire party splits up, they can maintain contact. Although the plan is to keep in touch with friends and family back home primarily through the Internet, we’ve already found cause to be thankful for the immediacy and ease of having phone contact available. Which leads me to essential item number two:

 – Automobile Association of America’s VISA Debit card: We hit upon this item several years ago when Jenny’s big sister, Sarah, studied abroad, and I used one myself last spring while cruising the Mediterranean. It allows one to withdraw funds in the local currency from any ATM, and although there is a small transaction fee, the convenience and other benefits the card offers are worth it. Because I also have access to the account with my own card, I can load additional funds if needed, and there is an emergency contact number in virtually every country in case of loss or theft of the card (which Sarah had cause to use). When Jenny accidently punched in the wrong PIN number in Barcelona (jet lag and sleep deprivation), she used that cell phone to call me to confirm the right code and unfreeze the card (a nice safety feature). But for those once-in-a-lifetime, special purchases or truly emergency situations, Jenny also has

– A credit card which doesn’t charge for non-U.S. currency transactions. We REALLY stressed the unique and/or emergency aspects of the use of the card (and the fact that those are HER purchases), but we wouldn’t have sent her off without one.

 – A student discount card. Jenny and her friends used the Student Travel Agency to book their hostel stays and a few flights and get their rail passes. They found this simplified paying for those items, although the fares weren’t always the cheapest to be found. They expect to make great use of the STA’s discount card, which will provide them free or reduced entrance to an enormous number of museums and attractions all over Europe, in addition to all kinds of percent-off deals at a wide range of businesses in the cities they’ll be visiting. A side note: so far they’ve been very happy with the locations and cleanliness of the hostels they booked through STA, and all have had WiFi access.

We’re thrilled that Jenny’s trip is off to such a good start, but as any experienced traveler knows, all that preparation and the recommendations of those who’ve been there before certainly had a lot to do with it. Happy travels, ladies!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Well, I’ve finally gone and done it. I have entered the social networking scene by creating my own Facebook page. Truth be told, I didn’t actually create it on my own. No, daughter Jenny, who for years swore she would likely die if I ever did so, was the one who actually encouraged me to take the plunge and guided me through the process. She managed to convince me by pointing out that several of my siblings and in-laws, nieces and nephews and high school and college pals had their own online profiles, and I could more easily keep in touch with them and they with me if I joined in. Another benefit is that while she’s in Europe, I’ll be able to check her page for updates on her travels and view photos she posts (I do expect some personal emails as well, though!).

Just a few days before she left, we sat down at my computer and she explained to me about creating a profile, “friending” people, replying to comments on my wall and all the rest. The next thing I knew, my email inbox was flooded with notices telling me who’s friended me, posted a comment, or responded to a thread and . . . WHAT??!! Already, only a few days into this new venture, and I am swamped with all kinds of input (and I haven’t even got all the Christmas stuff put away — I have no time for this!!). Jenny tried to give me a few more pointers and threw in a little Facebook etiquette: “If someone asks to friend you, you should accept. I don’t think you should “poke” anybody, though.” (What does that mean? Is it obscene or rude or does she just think it isn’t “age appropriate”?) Then, off she goes back to Chicago en route to Europe for two months, leaving me to fear I’m going to deeply offend someone by either inadvertantly ignoring a friend request or committing some horrible Internet faux pas.

Do you sense panic setting in? You are very astute! Actually, I believe this is just a temporary reaction to my introduction to a particular corner of the Web I’ve happily managed to ignore up to now. I always resent the time it takes me to wrap my head around new technology (and my ignorance until I feel I’ve conquered it). I have already seen the benefits and enjoyed this additional link to friends and family, but I can also see where it could become a time-consuming monster if I let it.

Updating my own wall and viewing and commenting on others’ could gobble enormous amounts of time alone, but I’ve also gotten a glimpse at some of the “apps” or role-playing types of programs associated with Facebook that one can lose oneself in. Both of my girls have “farms” where they raise and harvest crops, and I’ve seen where others apparently run “restaurants.” Sorry, I’ve got a real garden, and that takes enough time as it is; and figuring out what’s for dinner tonight is as close to running an eatery as I want to get. Who has the time to do all this? College students with boring classes? Homebound invalids? Maybe, but apparently working people and busy young mothers, too. I seriously cannot fathom the appeal there at all. Perhaps it’s just a bit of escapism, but I’d rather read a book or see a movie for that!

I’m looking forward to reading an article in an upcoming issue of Global Traveler which will examine the social networking phenomenon. With my tech expert gallavanting around Europe, I’ll be in need of a little additional guidance to get me through this traumatic experience.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

In this day and age of Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Bing, Yahoo (the list could go on forever), handwritten letters sent through snail mail are few and far between. So whenever I receive a letter in the mail, I take the time to sit down and read it, as opposed to whizzing through my email every morning.

My father loves to write. He has the penmanship of a calligraphist and collects rare fountain pens for pleasure. As I was growing up, he always told me that there is nothing like a handwritten letter. I went to college a mere 30 minutes from my hometown, and my father still wrote me at least once or twice a month. Even in New york I know my dad is just a phone call away, but taking the time to write a small note takes just enough effort that the person on the receiving end feels genuinely cared about.

Thank-you emails are quick and efficient enough so that one can easily follow up after meeting someone. Perhaps the person you met will be more likely to remember you if you shoot them a quick email later that day. But a handwritten note is rarely forgotten.

I feel the same way towards print and online. We are all beginning to see publications dwindle in numbers (T & L Golf, Gourmet) as we are overwhelmed with new blogs and online information. My friends and I communicate frequently through email, and we often share articles and blogs we’ve read online with one another. With a click of a button, I can share an article with my friend before I’ve even finished it. However, on several occasions where I have received an article in the mail that was torn from its publication, I’ve truly felt touched.

These days, we can achieve tasks so quickly and efficiently that the few extra steps of stamping and addressing a letter have much more meaning. With publications becoming a rarity, we will start to see the true value with the print that remains. Like a handwritten note, information seems to carry more weight and value when you can physically hold it in your hand.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

I have been learning recently how rare and special it is to reconnect with old friends in person. Online networks, such as Facebook, make it easy and routine to connect with people who we would never make an effort to visit in person. But with busy schedules, work, new friends and significant others, I have found it somewhat difficult to plan weekend getaways with my friends who do not live in the city.

Just last weekend was the first time my college girlfriends and I had all been together in over a year. It was strange to recall that not too long ago, the four of us shared a quaint little apartment in the center of Amherst, MA, where we spent every single day together. I certainly miss those days, but I’m happy and grateful for the lives we are able to live today in our own respective cities.

Like most reunions, our weekend consisted of several minutes of catching up and updating each other on our recent status. And then we all just lost ourselves in the memories of our best and worst times together. I laughed until my stomach was sore. It felt good!

I think most of us can attest to time gaining more speed with each passing year. Sometimes I think it’s trying to break a record. But the one thing I have considered recently is that it’s not time moving faster, but us taking less time to really sit down, slow down and enjoy the moment.

Last weekend was a reminder to take the time to enjoy what is around me. Chances are, in a year, I won’t be surrounded by the same things. But I look forward to reconnecting with old friends again.

–Courtney Centeno, account executive

Last week, after a few meetings in NYC with Fran Gallagher, we met up with Alex Young at the recently re-opened The Plaza Hotel. I had never been in The Plaza before, but I had heard stories — who hasn’t? To be honest, most of what I knew about The Plaza came from watching Home Alone 2 — Lost in New York as a kid and, more recently, Bride Wars. Needless to say, I was eager to experience the legendary hotel firsthand.

After a glass of wine at the Oak Bar, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner in the Oak Room. My halibut and snow peas were delicious; and the room is really beautiful, with fantastic, intricate and ornate detailing. I must admit, I felt pretty highfalutin’!

July 12-31 is Restaurant Week in New York City, and my friend is urging me to meet her in the city for dinner at Union Square Cafe. It is always fun to discover great new restaurants in New York, especially during the fixed-price Restaurant Week special. Nothing like a first-rate meal at a budget-friendly price.

But, for now, my sights are set on hamburgers, hot dogs and the other food planned for tomorrow’s Independence Day picnic. Enjoy the Fourth of July!

–Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

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