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In the United States, there is no federal or state minimum annual leave law that requires employers to provide paid or unpaid vacation days. In a culture that often prioritizes work over family and relaxation time, it’s no wonder that significant numbers of Americans do not take all of their allotted vacation days, even if they only get a week! If you’re someone who feels as if you can’t take time away from a demanding job, maybe it’s time to think about a working vacation.  Working Vacation (noun): Time away from your typical work space in which you plan to both take some time to relax and to work remotely on a more limited basis. A balancing act that requires the expertise of tightrope walker, but is possible!
How to Plan a Working Vacation:
I won’t lie to you: working vacations are hard. If it’s difficult to balance work and personal life at home, it can be even more challenging on vacation. It is possible though, and with thorough planning, things can get even smoother. When you’re ready to get some distance from work without disconnecting entirely, contact me.
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 Insurance is one of those things that no one really enjoys thinking about; it’s much nicer to consider the exciting things that you’ll be doing and seeing rather than imagining what could go wrong. However, protecting yourself from those what-if situations is an important part of the travel planning process. Just like any other insurance policy, travel insurance plans can become quite intricate. The following information is intended to give you a brief overview of travel insurance policies.
What Travel Insurance Can Cover Trip Cancellations, Interruptions, and Delays If you have to cancel your trip, travel insurance can cover up to 100% of your prepaid and non-refundable expenses. There are two main types of cancellation insurance: conditional and cancel for any reason. With the conditional policy, you’ll want to examine the specific cancellation reasons that are covered; usually these are things like an unforeseen illness or a death in the family, but they may also include terrorist activity or natural disasters in your trip destination. Cancel for any reason policies are just that; if you change your mind about the trip, you can cancel and receive money back according to the policy’s guidelines. Trip interruption and delay insurance kicks in after your trip has begun. If you have to cancel the remainder of your trip for a covered reason, trip interruption insurance will take care of things. If you are delayed but not derailed entirely, the additional expenses you incur and any prepaid, but unused, experiences will be covered. Medical Emergencies Should something happen to you or to a member of your group on your trip, travel insurance can cover medical emergencies and/or medical evacuations. Domestic health insurance plans often do not follow you overseas. Not all travel insurance plans cover both medical treatment and emergency evacuation or repatriation, so look for one that has both. Lost Luggage Given the number of flights that depart every minute around the world, lost luggage is a statistically rare event. It does happen though, and it’s better to have some sort of recourse. Coverage for lost or damaged goods is done on a per-item basis or a maximum benefit amount; if you plan to travel with more expensive items, it may be better to insure those separately on a homeowners insurance policy. Key Takeaways If you’re doing the travel insurance research on your own, these are a few key questions to ask:
For more information on travel insurance, please contact me. Travel insurance is such an important part of traveling that gets overlooked far too often! If you’ve been following along with the Life’s Journey Travel Instagram or Facebook page, you’ll know that we’ve been focused on solo traveling lately. If you’ve never gone on a solo trip, you may be curious as to why someone would want to set off into the great unknown alone. Or maybe you have some ideas why, but you aren’t sure how. We have answers.  For several years now, solo travel has been on the rise - and it’s not just singles who are traveling, although there certainly are plenty of those. In terms of ages, people from all walks of life are striking off on their own. Baby Boomers and Millennials are in the lead.
Some of the main reasons that people are choosing to travel solo are because they want to: explore the world without waiting for others, go where they want and do what they want without compromising, and have a relaxing vacation. Although relationships of all sorts are rewarding, many solo travelers express a desire to take a vacation from the emotional work that those relationships require. Others simply want to try something new or meet like-minded travelers. Keeping themselves safe and navigating transfers are two of the main concerns of solo travelers, while single supplements (a charge that companies impose on solo travelers using facilities designed for two or more) and the stress of planning the trip alone are two more common deterrents. Fortunately, there are ways to take care of all of these concerns. Travel companies have expanded their range of options for the solo traveler. Solo people can join tour groups composed of all solo travelers, if a regular tour group or completely solo travel is undesired. Some providers organize meetups or digital spaces for travelers to communicate with one another before the trip begins and others develop matching services to get around the single supplement. Those who take a trip solo often return saying that it was one of the most enriching travel experiences that they have had! If you’re intrigued by the idea of solo travel, take a look at the resources below and contact Life's Journey Travel for more information. General tips: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/rise-of-solo-travel/ Solo female travel: https://blog.travelexinsurance.com/travel-tips/6-solo-female-travel-trends/ More statistics on solo travel: https://solotravelerworld.com/about/solo-travel-statistics-data/ Solo travel over 50: https://solotravelerworld.com/solo-travel-over-50/  Ingredients:
Prep Work: Before you set foot aboard the ship, take your ideas about what you want to do and see and make a plan (or find someone to help do the planning for you). Mix your ideas with your organizational skills to plan any potential private excursions or spa packages. Sprinkle in another healthy dose of planning skills to acquire any clothing, medications, or other necessities that you will use while on your cruise. Get Cooking: Turn up the heat and liberally apply your spirit of adventure to the dish by trying as many new things as possible. If you find yourself choosing not to try the destination-themed foods in the dining room, go on the excursions, or enjoy the cruise shows, ladle in more spirit of adventure. Let simmer. Add a few more dashes of planning and organizational skills before you dock; most onboard shops will close while in port, so purchase any necessary items (like sunscreen or towels) before the ship anchors. Finishing Touches: By this point, your Cruise Success dish should be fragrant and nearly complete. For a final touch, add a pinch of splurging on a souvenir or experience. Repeat as desired. Enjoy! If you’d like to have a professional chef help you with your prep work, feel free to contact Life's Journey Travel! There’s something about wine that exudes an air of luxury. Perhaps it’s because wine requires a certain level of expertise to appreciate fully, or maybe it’s in the vocabulary we use to describe the actions we take with it. We sip, we savor, and we indulge in wine. Whatever the case may be, wine tourism is a booming industry that is flourishing everywhere that grapes will grow. Most oenophiles are aware of the classic wine regions such as Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Northern California, but today, let’s get into three lesser-known wine tourism destinations. 1. Moldova  Winemaking is a longstanding tradition in this tiny Eastern European nation. It has three main wine regions: Stefan Voda in the southeast, Valul lui Traian in the southwest, and Codru in the center. All of these are within a one- or two-hour drive from the capital of Chisinau, which is just a two-hour flight from several major European cities (Rome, Vienna, Berlin). Moldova is also home to Mileștii Mici, the world’s largest wine cellar. It’s over 120 miles long! 2. Crete, Greece  Santorini gets a lot of love for its colors and beaches, but Crete is where you go for wine. It, too, has beaches and that unmistakable Greek architectural style, but Crete also has a rich history of winemaking. The wines made on the island of Crete are quite special, as many of the local grapes are not found anywhere else in the world. 3. Finger Lakes, New York  To the folks on the US East Coast, you don’t have to cross an ocean or the country to access fantastic wine; the Finger Lakes in New York frequently top charts for Riesling varieties. There are more than 100 wineries taking up residence around the eleven Finger Lakes, and the region is also known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Vidal Blanc.
There are plenty of other emerging wine locales, such as Stellenbosch, South Africa; Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary; and Maule Valley, Chile. Ready to start planning your next wine-tasting expedition? Feel free to reach out to Life's Journey Travel. |
Author: Debra HarrisAs founder of Life’s Journey Travel, I’m deeply passionate about creating custom travel experiences that allow my clients to truly savor the journey. 
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