fundamentals

My Letter to Washington Against Full-Body Scans

by kelly on 11/12/2010

I make it a rule in life to not get super political. Frankly, I'd disappoint any right or left winger in my supreme apathy towards American politics. It's impossible to get me riled up. But, when I was faced with a full-body scanner on my way home from Hawaii last September, I became incensed, appalled and left without much of an idea of what to do to make my voice heard.

Tonight, I sent the following letter to my representatives in Congress, as well as the President. It may make very little impact, but it's a necessary step in the fight against these machines. If I were flying next week, I'd definitely be taking part in National Opt Out Day on November 24th. But, every trip will be opt out day for me. I won't ever go through one of those machines again and I'll begrudgingly allow myself to be badly treated by the TSA in order to do so. At the very least, instead of ogling me from a back room, exposing me to god knows what radiation, and stripping away my civil liberties, they'll have to keep their ugliness in public, for all to see.

Why I Will Never Subject Myself to a Full Body Scan, Again

by kelly on 10/19/2010

This post was sitting in draft until I read Chris Elliott's battle cry against full body scanners this morning. Read more about his opinions here and the more aggressive pat down technique.

"Put your hands over your head and stand really, really still. Good job! Isn't this fun?" That's the game that a TSA agent had to play with a six year old girl standing in front of me, as she went through one of those new full body scanners in Hawaii last month. No, they weren't playing hokey pokey, but for the sake of national security and our "freedom" we needed to be sure that this little girl wasn't carrying any bombs in her underwear.

I had been dreading the institution of these full body scanners ever since I had heard of them. The idea of someone seeing my junk as I passed through security wasn't what I signed up for when I decided to hop on an airplane. Frankly, I'm still getting over the fact that I have to take my shoes off and walk barefoot through airport security all in the name of "safety."

Travel for Design

by kelly on 07/20/2010

Image: alessiodisalvo.

It's travel month over on the home design blog, Apartment Therapy. (In a former life, I helped launch their technology blog and wrote about all things techie in the home.) This month they've dished out packing tips, provided hotels to lust after and discussed travel logistics. Here's a sampling of some of my favorite travel-inspired posts this month.

Traveling To A New Place

by austin on 12/08/2009

Image: Wootang01.

There's something special about a trip to a new place. Everything is new, and you've got lots to explore. But this newness also comes with some unique frustrations. It's entirely possible that you'll feel a little unfulfilled, time will be wasted, things will be skipped or missed entirely. But, don't despair. I've got a few tips that will help you get the most out of your next "first" trip.

fundamentals

Travel Like A Human Being: You Can't See Everything

by austin on 11/23/2009

Image: iandolphin24.

After looking through guidebooks, reading about cool places to visit, and enduring a long plane ride it's natural to get excited about all the unique people, places, and things you can see on your trip. However, it's also just as easy to start to feel desperation, like you absolutely need to see all the sights. Don't run yourself ragged and turn into a sightseeing robot. Instead, take it a little slower and enjoy where you are.

fundamentals

5 Embarrassing Rookie Travel Mistakes

by austin on 11/18/2009

Image: aghman.

Mistakes. Everyone makes them, from rookies to seasoned travelers. We're definitely not immune, far from it, we still make them quite regularly. But, the great thing about mistakes, is that we can all learn from them. So, in the interest of both amusement & education, I present you with our own top five rookie travel mistakes.

fundamentals

Packing for My Roadtrip

by ontheroad on 07/16/2009

I took some video last night while repacking my bag before I head out on the TBEX roadtrip tomorrow. (We'll be shooting video, blogging and taking a bunch of photographs as we cross this country on the way to Chicago.) This trip, unfortunately in terms of packing, combines roadtripping with a conference, so I tried to cram in two worlds into one bag. I think I succeeded, even though I ended up packing more for two weeks than I did on my trip to Italy in May. I'm having a bit of overpacking guilt, but it all fits and it's in a backpack, and you know what, I should be proud.

How To Get Your First US Passport In 5 Easy Steps

by austin on 03/31/2009

Image: Rakka.

Are you a first-time traveler who wants to take your first trip abroad? Before you go looking for tickets, planning an itinerary, or searching for hotels, you've got to get yourself a passport. But how do you go about getting the all-important little blue book?

I've had my passport for a while, but I still remember the joy I experienced when I was able to finally leave the country for the first time. To help you find that same joy with as little pain as possible, I've broken the process down into a few easy steps, so that you won't have any excuse NOT to get one.

fundamentals

Your Flying Essentials

by austin on 03/27/2009

Image: duesentrieb.

Last week, fresh from a trip to SXSW, I featured all those little essentials I need for dealing with the rigors of flying. I also wanted to find out what you, our dear and loyal readers, thought was essential when flying. Since we've got the best readers in the world, you didn't disappoint. Check out the rest of the article to find out what other readers can't live without when they're trapped in a flying tin can.

Flying Essentials According to Austin

by austin on 03/20/2009

Image: aghman.

Whenever we head to the airport, we all have those few little things that we can't forget to throw in our bag. I'm sharing mine with you below, but would love to hear yours as well. Send your five to six "must haves" for your next flight to me at austin (at) travellious(dot)com. I'll feature it here in an upcoming post.