Wacky OT story about modifying hair for travel: I was heading for a Yorkshire walking tour, and to head off the inevitable flat hair the wind and rain would bring, I got a perm and carried no blow dryer or curling iron! Woo hoo! Freedom! Well, on the way home it got interesting. This was a year after the jet was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland. I was flying home through Glasgow. At Security, I tripped all the triggers for interrogation: ...I'd paid cash for my ticket, ...I traveled alone, ...I'd stayed in a village no one knew (and I didn't understand the village-town system enough to explain where I'd been), ...I was traveling through Glasgow instead of the closer Manchester (our newspaper had run a series on great train rides, and a Yorkshire line ending at the border was one, so of course I had to take advantage), ...I had no blow dryer or curling iron, apparently unlike most women, and ...with my perm I looked very little like my passport photo. The security guy couldn't wrap his head around any of my explanations, nor could his supervisor. They rifled through my suitcase that was going to be checked (remember, the Pan Am was exploded by a bomb in checked luggage), questioned, examined, and took the battery out of my $5 Target travel clock, even asked me about the other walkers on the trip! They finally let me through. To walk through an UNSECURED area of the airport to get to my gate. Crazy. And all for my vanity!

I'll have some to share soon: Upcoming trip to RAINY Scotland/Ireland. Fingers crossed rain goes AWAY, but doubtful :o)

Following on the credit card advice, it's nice to have a chip card for Europe. Some kiosks, like at train stations, work only with chip cards and not with the magnetic stripes. Along those lines, don't exchange money at the airport, nor at home via your bank. Some ATM cards have no-fee benefits and many credit cards don't charge foreign transaction fees. It's good to suss that out ahead of time. For public transport with luggage, I'd suggest rolling luggage with 4 wheels, so it can roll sideways down the aisle. Also, of course a non-huge suitcase will be a relief every single day. For the long flight, I've had great luck sleeping with the combination of a melatonin pill, a glass of wine, headphones with classical music, and a scarf or hood to snuggle into. Everyone's method differs, but it's worth thinking about what puts you in a cozy, sleepy mood. I also bring my favorite tea bags and an insulated water bottle that can be filled with hot or cold water rather than being dependent on the irregular passage of the flight attendants. I set my watch for the new time zone about an hour after takeoff and never look back. I avoid the mental calculation about what time it is at home, because that just underscores jet lag. The local time is the time, period. I celebrate my arrival in Europe by beelining to the first cup of delicious-looking coffee I find in the airport. For me, the awesome coffee is an important part of the European experience! I also use coffee as necessary to stay awake and energized during the day and get into the local time zone. Other random tips - I make some photocopies of my passport to stick into various bags should I lose my original. You know the phrase, "when in Rome..."? It's great advice for infrequent travelers. There is great temptation to do everything just as you normally do, but then you miss out. Do things the way the locals do and become part of the experience. Anxiety is part of the travel experience. It's OK to be nervous - that is definitely part of the equation for lots of people. In some cases, it even heightens the delight once you get over there and realize just how awesome and non-difficult it is. It's such a thrill to look out the airplane window onto an unfamiliar landscape, to take pride in successfully navigating some other city's public transit, and to set eyes on a much-anticipated landmark. Oh, I just get giddy thinking about how cool that all is. I hope she finds her stride once she gets over there. What a transformative experience this will be! OK, I'm also ready to head over to Europe now!

I go to Paris every year, though I now travel alone since my husband died (some of his ashes went with me and stayed). I think I know Paris better than the town I'm now living in here! We made so many friends over the years, and I'm returning again this fall. I now stay in an apartment in a residential building near my friends, with the closest famous sight being the Palais Royale. One of my friends who lives in Paris arrived in Brussels today. She didn't change her plans. It's a good idea to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so that the US Embassy will know where you are, and when you're there. You'll get alerts, if anything is happening. I use the métro when it's raining, but Paris is very walkable. I easily walk over 8 miles a day when I'm there, just going about my business. If you're nervous about the métro, then walk. The terrorist attacks in Paris were in a neighborhood far from the sights most tourists see. My friends who live in Paris had been to that nightclub; a few were there the week before the attacks. The main-attractions in Paris are heavily guarded. SWAT team guarded. The National Police wear protective SWAT gear and carry automatic weapons. They tend to be in teams of three or four together. That's normal. BUT -- If you see buses of armed police parked along a street and/or congregating around an area, turn around and go the other way---they know something is going on! In July 2014, I was alone and staying on THE main street in the Jewish neighborhood in the Marais. Rue des Rosiers was blockaded and guarded while I was there due to demonstrations protesting Israeli attacks in the Gaza. The demonstrations grew into vandalism, and it forced many of the shops to close. Except for the bomb squad checking out a parked car at the entrance of my apartment building, I felt safe, coming and going, because of the heavily armed police. One night, I missed the last train from my friends' neighborhood and walked all the way from the Concorde to the Marais at two o'clock in the morning, I felt safer walking than getting in a taxi at that time of night! There are some good tips if you're staying in a hotel (which I don't) -- ask to stay on the middle floors (not the first or second) and your room is away from the hotel restaurant. Make sure your cell phone always charged, and it is enabled for traveling in France and that you know how to place calls. Turn DATA off, and use voice roaming only so that you don't incur enormous charges. Your phone carrier can explain this and enable your phone. I use Verizon, here and there. Don't make yourself stick out like an American. The French will know you're not one of them, but try to blend in. These tips apply more regarding pickpockets and scam artists, than terrorists: Leave those white sneakers at home, unless they're Converse. No baseball caps on men. Don't wear t-shirts with writing on the front or back. Don't wear shorts, and I discourage calf-length crop pants. Ankle pants/jeans are fine. Shift dresses in the summer are great if it's hot. Keep the color scheme subdued. Navy blue or grey are great for summer; black is good anytime. Don't take backpacks around the city. With high security, you'll be searched going into museums. When you wear a backpack on the métro or crowded places, it's the first place the pickpockets will reach to steal your stuff. Don't wear fanny packs, for the same reason as backpacks. Carry a cross-body purse and keep it zipped, with your hand over the top of it.Don't hang it on the back of a chair anywhere. Keep it on your lap while eating. Don't put a cell phone on a restaurant table top anywhere. BTW, some of the nice restaurants may not like it if you take photos of their food. Keep your voice down everywhere you go. You'll really attract attention--not the good kind,. Just go have fun, but be aware of your surroundings. Be polite...learn enough French to say hello, please, thank you and goodbye. I figure I have a greater chance of dying from being sedentary at home than getting out and traveling.