Transitions Abroad Student Travel Writing Contest
Tuesday November 10, 2009
Want to write some words of encouragement to potential student travelers and wrangle $500 while you're at it? Win the annual Transitions Abroad writing contest, open to students at several enrollment levels, by entering an essay of 1000-3000 words 
about your experience with study abroad, internships, volunteering, or short-term work abroad, and the money plus some well-deserved acclaim will be yours. Second place winners net $150, third place $100, runners-up $50 and all winners will be published in the April TAzine, Transitions Abroad's study abroad and educational travel webzine, or featured on the very excellent Transitions Abroad website.
See last year's winning writings for inspiration, enter by March 1, 2010 with a work centering around "Transitions," and good luck!
Related reading: Other Student Travel Contests | Paying for Student Travel
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about your experience with study abroad, internships, volunteering, or short-term work abroad, and the money plus some well-deserved acclaim will be yours. Second place winners net $150, third place $100, runners-up $50 and all winners will be published in the April TAzine, Transitions Abroad's study abroad and educational travel webzine, or featured on the very excellent Transitions Abroad website.
See last year's winning writings for inspiration, enter by March 1, 2010 with a work centering around "Transitions," and good luck!
Related reading: Other Student Travel Contests | Paying for Student Travel
Student Travel blog home | Share on Facebook |
Blog Carnival: Christmas Markets
Saturday November 7, 2009
Christmas markets are a wonderful holiday tradition dating from the 14th century and originating in Germany, which is still home to the world's best (and, of course, oldest) European Christmas markets;
the festive fun, shopping, caroling and consumption can be found in communities across Europe and even the USA today, and kicks off around the end of November. About.com's European, UK and US Guides have assembled an awesome list of where to sample seasonal sweets and cider, buy nutcrackers and crafts, and generally enjoy good cheer on a December winter's eve:
See All 17 Recent About.com Travel Blog Carnivals
Related reading: Christmas Around the World for Travelers | Blog Carnival: Fall Foliage Journeys | Blog Carnival: Oktoberfest Around the World | National Park Adventures: An Adventure Travel Blog Carnival | Blog Carnival: Train Travel Worldwide | Blog Carnival: New Seven Wonders of Nature | Weird and Wacky Festivals Worldwide | Ancient Sites Around the World Blog Carnival | Adrenalin-Charged Blog Carnival
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the festive fun, shopping, caroling and consumption can be found in communities across Europe and even the USA today, and kicks off around the end of November. About.com's European, UK and US Guides have assembled an awesome list of where to sample seasonal sweets and cider, buy nutcrackers and crafts, and generally enjoy good cheer on a December winter's eve:
See All 17 Recent About.com Travel Blog Carnivals
Related reading: Christmas Around the World for Travelers | Blog Carnival: Fall Foliage Journeys | Blog Carnival: Oktoberfest Around the World | National Park Adventures: An Adventure Travel Blog Carnival | Blog Carnival: Train Travel Worldwide | Blog Carnival: New Seven Wonders of Nature | Weird and Wacky Festivals Worldwide | Ancient Sites Around the World Blog Carnival | Adrenalin-Charged Blog Carnival
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Flying With the Flu
Thursday November 5, 2009
I've got a ticket to fly on Friday, and I'm getting sick -- in fact, I'm fearing the flu. What to do? Don't want to lose my tickets; don't want to invite uncool health karma by carelessly handing fellow flyers a contagious bug. I've found facts on flying with the flu (Fear One: can I change my ticket if I'm sick?); if this sucky scenario becomes yours, too, see some of the flying with flu answers:
Related Reading: Where to Find Health Travel Warnings | What's Up With Swine Flu? | Do You Need Immunizations for Travel? | How to Avoid Infectious Disease Abroad | About Malaria and Travel | Bedbugs and Disease | Latin American Dengue Fever Cases Predicted to Rise
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World Toilet Day November 19
Sunday November 1, 2009
November 19 is World Toilet Day. You think the next part involves a sailor walking into a bar. It's a deadly serious affair, though -- among other statistics it has to share, the World Toilet Organization says, "Over a billion of the 6 billion people in the world are served by sewerage systems but much of this sewerage is discharged into rivers, lakes and the sea with little or no treatment." And the World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that 1.6 million children die each year from diarrhea.
World Toilet Day is an opportunity to shed some light on the world's sewage situations that should be of concern to global-thinking citizens; you can get involved with a myriad of field projects through the World Toilet Organization. Learn more:
Speaking of toilets:
- Toilets Around the World for Travelers - Going Worldwide
- The Bathroom Diaries - "True Tales of Tawdry Toilets" (Nominations for the Golden Plunger Award!)
- MizPee.com - Find Toilets in the US on Cell Phone
- Crappers Quarterly - Submit Reviews of Best and Crappiest Toilets
UK Fires Up for Guy Fawkes Day 11/5
Sunday November 1, 2009
On November 5, 1605, a gang of conspirators including a guy named Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the English Houses of Parliament, using barrels of gunpowder; it didn't work out so well, and Guy came to an untimely end instead. Today, Guy Fawkes' and friends' failure and the botched bombing is celebrated as Bonfire Night in the UK. So why would a botched bombing be the cause for such a long-running celebration/event in the UK? Learn more about Guy Fawkes Night, and about what happens in the UK on November 5th (lots o' fun, fires, and fireworks):
Oh, yeah: and what's up with the whole Guy Fawkes connection to V for Vendetta? Get the story: "Who is Guy Fawkes, and what is his relation to V for Vendetta?"
Guy Fawkes Mask Screenshot courtesy Warner Bros | Student Travel blog home | Share on Facebook |
- Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night -- What it is and where to find the fires
Oh, yeah: and what's up with the whole Guy Fawkes connection to V for Vendetta? Get the story: "Who is Guy Fawkes, and what is his relation to V for Vendetta?"
Guy Fawkes Mask Screenshot courtesy Warner Bros | Student Travel blog home | Share on Facebook |
EF Tours Reality Travel Show in Season Two
Thursday October 29, 2009
Want to see what it's really like to be on an EF Tours European trip, live and practically in person? It's possible with EF's "Life on Tour," a reality travel show from the producers of The Real World airing Tuesdays on Teen.com, and currently filming high school students
Becca, Matty, Brooke, Haseena, Britton, Mason and Jeru journeying through Morocco and Spain (the first season, available on vid, followed a trip to France, Italy and Switzerland). See for yourself:
Becca, Matty, Brooke, Haseena, Britton, Mason and Jeru journeying through Morocco and Spain (the first season, available on vid, followed a trip to France, Italy and Switzerland). See for yourself:
- Teen.com: Life on Tour
- EF Tours Life on Tour Website
- LifeOnTourTV on Twitter
- Life On Tour on Facebook
- Life On Tour on YouTube
Mexico's Day of the Dead
Sunday October 25, 2009
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a time around which Mexicans honor those 
who've traveled on from this mortal coil, is happening October 31-November 2nd in Mexico: gatherings and events go on country-wide and the decorations are beautiful -- you've seen the skulls and skeletons? This is what that's all about. Check out some photos from Day of the Dead events in Mexico, and find some Day of the Dead event destinations from About.com's Guide to Mexico, Suzanne Barbezat:
who've traveled on from this mortal coil, is happening October 31-November 2nd in Mexico: gatherings and events go on country-wide and the decorations are beautiful -- you've seen the skulls and skeletons? This is what that's all about. Check out some photos from Day of the Dead events in Mexico, and find some Day of the Dead event destinations from About.com's Guide to Mexico, Suzanne Barbezat:
- Day of the Dead Photos
- Day of the Dead Destinations
- About Dia de los Muertos
- Before You Go To Mexico - Travel Planning FAQ
- Beginner's Guide to Mexico Travel
International Halloween Parties
Sunday October 25, 2009
The whole trick or treat, costume, fun time thing is primarily a Western tradition, but American travelers can see some familiar Halloween fun and frolic,
don masks, drink some spirited brews and even carve pumpkins internationally on Halloween. Suss the spooky scenes on home soil in Salem and New Orleans and abroad in spots like Bangkok, Derry and Limoges: Ireland has quite the rockin Halloween happenings, and Bangkok's Silom Soi 4, a street of bars, restaurants and clubs, is the scene for a hot Halloween street party in Thailand. Find a few Halloween parties, learn a bit about Halloween traditions and history, and get some other ideas for seasonally appropriate terrifying travel:
Related Reading: Day of the Dead, Mexico | Mexico's Accidental Mummies | Creepy Places
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don masks, drink some spirited brews and even carve pumpkins internationally on Halloween. Suss the spooky scenes on home soil in Salem and New Orleans and abroad in spots like Bangkok, Derry and Limoges: Ireland has quite the rockin Halloween happenings, and Bangkok's Silom Soi 4, a street of bars, restaurants and clubs, is the scene for a hot Halloween street party in Thailand. Find a few Halloween parties, learn a bit about Halloween traditions and history, and get some other ideas for seasonally appropriate terrifying travel:
Related Reading: Day of the Dead, Mexico | Mexico's Accidental Mummies | Creepy Places
Student Travel blog home | Share on Facebook |
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STA Special: One Way Student Airfares from $50
Thursday October 22, 2009
Want to hop home for a few days? Or book Thanksgiving or even spring break flights now? (Good ideas, actually.) Check out STA's current student airfare deal: one way domestic U.S. tickets from $50 plus taxes and fees of $20-$25 (the $50 special is Chicago - Minneapolis; Newark - Miami's $67+, Dallas - Chicago $98+, and Chicago - Denver from $88). Fares can be doubled for round trips; book by 11/15/09 and fly by 3/31/10, and watch out for potential weekend surcharges of up to $40 for travel on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Get the skinny on more of this week's student airfare specials:
Related Reading: What's the Plus Plus? | Student Standby Fares | Student Discount Cards | How to Get Student Travel Discounts | Holiday Travel
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Key West Fantasy Fest
Tuesday October 20, 2009
It's a fine time to be in sunny Florida if the weather's chillin' down where you are, and it's an especially craaazy time to be in 
Key West: semi-lunatics and mere eccentrics, students on extremely extended breaks and sailors on sorta-permanent shore leave, straights and not, and your basic pure partiers (worth noting that all of these folk are merely among Key West's average citizenry) are welcoming 70,000 visitors looking for the ultimate thing through October 31 -- Key West Fantasy Fest.
Fantasy Fest has evolved from a fairly small-but-sensational weekend event to the too-too whackiness 
going on this minute in Key West -- ten days of almost anything goes (per usual for Key West, but times ten, ten times) including a final, fabulous parade on Saturday, when the wheels really come off and one can see some things and think some thoughts. Key West's live and let live legacy, which includes a shady pirate past, really shows itself during free-for-all 
Fantasy Fest, though travelers from every walk of life are always and have long been welcomed without question to this island at the very and literal end of the road. Get on down there if you've nothing planned for the weekend (or if what you've got planned isn't quite this... insane). If you go, bring your most fantastical costume idea ever, and do plan to Read more...
Key West: semi-lunatics and mere eccentrics, students on extremely extended breaks and sailors on sorta-permanent shore leave, straights and not, and your basic pure partiers (worth noting that all of these folk are merely among Key West's average citizenry) are welcoming 70,000 visitors looking for the ultimate thing through October 31 -- Key West Fantasy Fest.
Fantasy Fest has evolved from a fairly small-but-sensational weekend event to the too-too whackiness going on this minute in Key West -- ten days of almost anything goes (per usual for Key West, but times ten, ten times) including a final, fabulous parade on Saturday, when the wheels really come off and one can see some things and think some thoughts. Key West's live and let live legacy, which includes a shady pirate past, really shows itself during free-for-all Fantasy Fest, though travelers from every walk of life are always and have long been welcomed without question to this island at the very and literal end of the road. Get on down there if you've nothing planned for the weekend (or if what you've got planned isn't quite this... insane). If you go, bring your most fantastical costume idea ever, and do plan to Read more...