By Jacqueline Blount, VP/Owner Uniglobe Travel Designers

Traveling improves our health and wellness, broadens our horizons and strengthens our relationships with loved ones. Yet, for some people, traveling brings anxiety and fears to surface. Those fears shouldn’t keep you from venturing out. We have compiled a list of pre-emptive measures you can take to ease your mind and to avoid a bumpy journey.

1) Make two copies of your important documents before traveling. One copy should stay at home and keep the other copy in a carry-on or a hotel safe. If you lose your passport or if your purse gets stolen, you’ll be prepared.

2) Pack your medication in your carry-on and a copy of your prescription. Other health concerns to consider are: checking to see if you need any vaccinations before traveling abroad and calling your health insurance to know if your plan covers any sickness that may occur while out of the country.

3) Inform your credit card company if you are planning on traveling for an extended stay or abroad. Otherwise they may close your account because they think it’s stolen.

4) Bring an extra change of clothes in your carry-on. If your checked luggage is lost, it may take you a while to purchase new garments.

5) Hand Sanitizer is your best ally to protect you from sickness and when there is not a place to wash up. Buy a pocket size that will fit in your clear plastic liquids bag for your carry-on and take it with you wherever you go.

6) Check in online 24-hours before your flight. Reserve your seat in advance to avoid being overcrowded between two strangers and rushed at the airport. If you prefer more space, choose the aisle. Want to catch up on sleep? Go with the window so you can lean against it and dream in the clouds.

7) If just the thought of bedbugs gets you itching: buy a large sealed plastic bag that fits inside your luggage to protect you from carrying those unwanted guests home. Never put your luggage on the bed. Remove the top comforter and inspect the bed. Lastly, keep your luggage in the garage and wash all the clothes you took and wore along the journey in hot water.

8) Double wrap your liquids in your checked and carry-on bags. You wouldn’t want your clothes or your new souvenirs to be damaged.

9) Buy travel insurance and know what the policy covers. In the event of a hurricane, death in the family, lost luggage, or if your tour company goes bankrupt, you’ll be covered.

10) Book your vacation with Uniglobe Travel Designers. Most resorts look good online, but a travel professional has the inside scoop on the best accommodations for your dollar. In the case of an emergency our 24/7 hotline will assist you, where it could take days or months for an online booking engine to respond to your dilemma.

The goal of a vacation is to return to your life recharged and rested - not frazzled and warn out.  With these tips, you will be armed and ready for a relaxing/stress free vacation! 

For more information contact Jacqueline: jacquelineb@gouniglobe.com or visit www.uniglobetraveldesigners.com.

Jacqueline Blount - VP/Co-Owner Uniglobe Travel Designers

Many people view travel and vacations as a luxury and when money becomes tight, it's one of the first things that is eliminated from your budget.  At Uniglobe Travel Designers, we view vacations as a necessity.  Taking time to recharge your batteries in a stress free environment is essential to your overall health and wellness.  Here are our top tips to help make travel more affordable.

1. Be Flexible

• Travel during off season for discounts, freebies and special deals. Going to a favorite location during the off-season or even during the beginning or end of peak season can be cheaper and less crowded.
• Take advantage of last minute travel deals which can help you to save up to 50% on your trip as resorts are trying to fill space.
• If you are able to leave on Thursday and return on Monday you will often get better prices than if you fly Friday to Sunday.

2. Pack light in order to avoid luggage fees

• Carry your bag on the plane.
• Pick a warm weather destination where you’ll need less clothing.
• Create a packing list and only pack half of what you lay out.
• Wear your heaviest clothing items on the plane (i.e. boots, coats, sweaters, etc.) to avoid having a bag that is over the weight limit (for most airlines it is 50lbs, but make sure to check with your airline, as changes are made frequently).

3. Plan ahead

• Create a vacation fund a year in advance and save a little bit each month. For a $1500 trip, you just need to set aside $62.50 from each paycheck (if paid bi-weekly).

4. Avoid major holidays.

• Halloween weekend and the week leading up to Thanksgiving are among the busiest travel dates of the year. Plan to avoid these dates when traveling so that you can save money on your travel package.

5. Travel with a group

• Traveling with group is a great way to see the world with friends and family while also reducing your cost. Cruise lines, resorts and hotels offer group rates/discounts and often give special perks to the group leader.

6. Sign up to receive travel deals alerts

• You can choose what deals you receive based on your preferences. You’ll be given first choice for new specials and hot deals.

7. Modify your travel style

• Choose to take shorter trips, stay in budget hotels and use public transportation.
• Book properties with kitchens so that you can cook your own meals.
• Find a sister city – for example, visit Montreal instead of France or Southern Florida instead of the Caribbean. These destinations offer similar amenities at a fraction of the cost.

8. Choose all-inclusive resorts

• All-inclusive vacation packages include airfare, transfers, accommodations, meals and entertainment. You can leave your wallet in the room and do not have to spend your vacation worrying about what you’ve spent on food and drinks.

9. Stick close to home

• Plan a weekend getaway a few hours away from home so that you can drive.
• Explore local attractions just beyond your doorstep.

10. Leave it to the experts

• Your Travel Designers have access to the best deals/specials and can provide you the best value for your travel dollar. In 2009, we saved our clients over $32 million by finding them the lowest airfare and deals available.

For more information contact Jacqueline: jacquelineb@gouniglobe.com - www.uniglobetraveldesigners.com

Vacations...Good for Your Health?

Jacqueline Blount - VP/Co-Owner Uniglobe Travel Designers

At Uniglobe Travel Designers, we believe that vacations are an essential part of your overall health and wellness. With all of the stress that you endure on a daily basis, it is important that you take time to relax and recharge your batteries. Research shows that people who take vacations are healthier, happier and live longer.   

Vacations – A True Lifesaver

Whether it’s helping you to increase your Vitamin D intake, decreasing your stress levels or giving you uninterrupted time to spend with loved ones; the benefits of vacations are endless.  This post will highlight just how important taking time off is to one’s health and quality of life. Vacations are truly a necessity, not a luxury – so don’t feel guilty taking some R&R time for yourself – both you and your job will reap the benefits.

* Break the stress cycle

Stress affects our bodies’ ability to resist infection, maintain vital functions, sleep soundly and digest food. Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, initially rev you up, but if your inner alarm system is constantly on, it’s bound to wear you out. Chronic stress ultimately saps your body of energy and reduces your ability to cope with real or perceived stressors or dangers.  Vacations take away our daily stressors and remind us what’s important. 

* Support health and wellness

Studies show that vacations improve our mental and physical health. A couple stats:

• Women who have vacationed only once in 6 years or less are more likely to develop coronary disease. 
• Research scientists at Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin report rate of depression increased as vacation frequency decreased.
• A State University of New York Survey found that men who took annual vacations reduced their risk of death by 20%. 
• Men who didn’t take any vacations in five years had the highest death rate and incident of heart disease than any other men surveyed. 

* Increase energy and motivation

At the very least vacations serve as the perfect excuse to get caught up on our sleep. We come back to our day to day lives feeling refreshed and ready to work towards our next trip.

* Dose up on Vitamin D

Numerous studies have linked inadequate Vitamin D dosage to everything from fighting off illness and depression to weight loss.  Sunlight sends the signal to your brain to release serotonin, a naturally occurring feel-good chemical that makes you feel happier and more alert. Unfortunately, desk jobs and the use of unnatural light can mess with our circadian rhythms and the regulation of crucial alertness chemicals in our bodies.  A sunny vacation during the winter months can help to prevent Vitamin D deficiency.

* Strengthen relationships with family and loved ones

Our hectic schedules don’t always allow us to spend the quality time we crave with our loved ones. A vacation gives us the opportunity to give our child, spouse or friend our full attention.

* Broaden our horizons

Even if you’re not traveling to a foreign country, vacations take us away from our accustomed lifestyles and help us relate to different places and people. Plus it makes us sound more interesting to our friends.

* Promote Creativity

It easy to fall into a rut: being exposed to the same old things day in and day out. Activities like lying on a beach or hiking through a forest can clear our minds and bring about new ideas.

* Reduce likelihood of burnout

Even those of us who actually love our jobs can feel burnt out if we don’t take enough time off. Vacations help us appreciate our work and give us an incentive to keep trucking on.

* Improves job performance

The United States on average allows less vacation than most other countries, yet many of us are still reluctant to use those limited days. Workers who forgo vacations aren’t doing their companies any favors. Even if you’re physically present, mentally you may have checked out.

For more information contact Jacqueline: jacquelineb@gouniglobe.com - www.uniglobetraveldesigners.com

Tips for Having a Stress Free Vacation

Jacqueline Blount - VP/Co-Owner Uniglobe Travel Designers

‘Help, I need a vacation from my vacation!’ If you’ve ever felt this way after returning from a trip, you are not alone. For many people, vacationing can cause more stress whether it’s worrying over where to go to, feeling overwhelmed by options or coming home to a pile of work.  Vacations are such an important aspect to a balanced and healthy life, so it’s important that you are able to reap all of the benefits.  By following these tips you will be well on your way to enjoying your vacation so that you can return to your normal routine relaxed and ready to go.

Pack in advance to avoid rushing around at the last minute

Make a list of all the things you need before you begin to pack. This way you will be sure not to over pack and also less likely to forget any important items.

Leave your CRACKBERRY at home!

When going on vacation, it is not only important to physically remove yourself from your normal routine, but mentally as well. Checking your BlackBerry every few hours or rushing to the nearest Internet café doesn't cut it. You are less likely to receive the real benefits of a vacation and more likely to burn out if you remain connected to your office.

Don’t plan every minute of your vacation

Our daily routines are so rigorous that it seems every minute we are on a schedule. It’s important to escape from this while on vacation and be sure to schedule time to do nothing at all.

Return a day earlier to help ease back into your normal routine

We recommend coming back on a Friday or Saturday, giving you the weekend to get settled. Having a few days to get your personal life in order, will make whatever awaits you at the office not seem so overwhelming.

Be in the moment

While you're on vacation, try to put work out of your mind. The more quickly you're able to sink into vacation mode, the more you'll gain from your time away.

Set up voice and email notifications

Let people know that you're away and will not be checking email or voicemail until a specific date. In your absence, provide someone else they can contact. WE also recommend listing your return date as a day later than it really is in order to give yourself a day to get organized upon returning.

Book your vacation with a professional travel consultant

• Travel consultants handle all of the details from start to finish and everything in between
• Provide expert guidance
• Cost and time savings through negotiated relationships
• 7/24 rescue service in case of an emergency
• Your trusted advocate

For more information contact Jacqueline: jacquelineb@gouniglobe.com - www.uniglobetraveldesigners.com

By now, I think everyone knows that I spent my Thanksgiving holiday in New York City with my family. What stereotypes come to your mind when you think about New York City?  Do you think about the high crime rate and how unsafe you are in the big city?  Does it immediately come to your mind how rude and abrasive people are?  Let me share the following story with you.

 The entire family slept in on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  We had a fabulous time the night before— maybe a bit too fabulous! Anyway, after knocking on my kids’ door, it became apparent that they had no interest in joining us for breakfast.  I didn’t blame them for wanting to sleep in— I was quite tired myself but knew a cup of coffee would help things considerably.  My husband and I walked over to the deli across the street to grab something to eat.  We ate a quick breakfast and went back to the room to change our clothes. We felt it would be wise to spend some time burning off calories from the previous night’s dinner at the workout room.

 I decided to take a few minutes to do some work on my computer, but I first needed my glasses from my purse.  I started searching all over the hotel room for my bag.  I looked in every drawer and scoured every inch of the hotel room to no avail. And then I had a flash of memory: putting my purse on the chair next to me at the restaurant.  In a panic state, I told my husband that I was positive I had left my purse at the restaurant.  Twenty minutes had gone by since we left the deli and went back to our room.

As I ran across the street, I thought about the odds of finding my purse there. Let’s face it; the odds were slim to none.   I started mentally itemizing everything that I had in my purse that would be missing: numerous credit cards, money, my driver’s license...It was Black Friday and the city was jammed with people.  I believed this raised the odds of someone taking my purse. As I walked into the restaurant, I immediately looked over to the table where I had been sitting and eating breakfast.

A man was sitting with his wife in the exact same seat.  When he saw my face, he yelled out to me “It’s your purse isn’t it? I found it when I sat down and I took it to the counter.”   I went over to the couple, grabbed their hands and thanked them profusely. Everyone in the restaurant was smiling at me! As I looked at them, I realized that they were as happy and relieved for me as I was for me! 

If you’re not careful, you can get extremely comfortable with a view of the world as a scary, unsafe place where people are lurking around every corner, ready to take advantage of you.  The constant stream of media certainly reinforces this image of the world. It’s easy to forget that this is far from the truth— I believe that the majority of people in the world are kind, compassionate and eager to help others.  I am very grateful that I was reminded of this fact this weekend.