I hope your Christmas weekend was absolutely saturated with family, friends, food, love, comfort, joy and laughter. We are still right smack in the middle of the holiday season, biding our time merrily until the next big thing (that's next weekend, btw), doing our best to stay in that holiday mood of smiles, goodwill towards men, too many sweets and tempting treats.
As I was ferreting out a topic for this week's article, I found a bundle of random topics to pass on to you. None is worthy of or inspiring of an entire epistle. However these tidbits are interesting, perhaps useful; at minimum, you can use them at your next trivia night and look like a boss.
One that I've mentioned, but you may not recall...unlike many of the emails that fill your mailbox to which you cannot reply (it says so in the fine print), you can reply to any of mine, should you feel so inclined. Yes, you can hit REPLY to my weekly missives and say 'hi'; 'book me trip'; 'please write about [INSERT TOPIC HERE]' (I welcome that!); or 'Juliet, you write the best weekly newsletter ever'. Yes you can!
Can you name the five warm, exotic and gorgeous places you can travel to from the US without a passport? They are Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. The last three, despite their remoteness, greet visitors with four- and five-star accommodations. Hmmm, now that I think about it, that would be an article right there.
Here's New Year tradition worth adopting: in Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, many believe that by taking your suitcase for a walk around the block, or at least leaving it by the front door, you are encouraging many opportunities for travel in the coming year. Don't mind the peculiar stares from your neighbors - you'll have the last laugh when you’re on your way to the airport for your fabulous vacation.
Remember when you used to be able to meet your arriving traveler at the airplane gate? Or accompany an outgoing one? That hasn't been done for about 20 years now. One airport has reintroduced the concept: Ontario International in Ontario, California. If you don't live there, this likely means nothing to you. However, isn't it just a matter of time before other airport's follow suit? There are specific requirements to follow to enjoy this benefit, and there are limited spots available everyday. Reach out me if you wish information on the protocol.
And now for a moment of shameless self-aggrandizement:
When was the last time you shared one of my fascinating weekly articles with someone you know? Okay, maybe not THIS one, but surely from among my 185 newsletters, at least one has inspired you to share with a friend, colleague or travel-starved family member, except that if you're like me, by the time you got to the end you forgot to do it. All of the articles I've sent out reside on my blog page, and every week I include a link to that page so you can see them all. And every week, the email you receive has icons for sharing the article through social media. Wouldn't you just love to bless someone who isn't as in-the-know as you are?
That's the gamut of fascinating facts at my fingertips this week. Enjoy 2022's grand finale, and prepare for the opportunities that 2023 will bring you. May they be abundant.
'til next week.
Did you miss any of my articles? They are all here.
Contact: GLOBAL EXOTIC ADVENTURES - Juliet Weller, Founder