It's Your World!
Welcome To It!
 Australia |
 Austria |
 Bahamas |
 Belarus |
 Belgium |
 Bosnia |
| & Herzegovina |
 Bulgaria |
 Cambodia |
 Canada |
 Croatia |
 Cyprus |
 Czech Republic |
 Estonia |
 Finland |
 France |
 Germany |
 Greece |
 Hungary |
 Iceland |
 Iran |
 Italy |
 Japan |
 Latvia |
 Lithuania |
 Malaysia |
 Malta |
 Mexico |
 Monaco |
 Morocco |
 Netherlands |
 New Zealand |
 Poland |
 Portugal |
 Puerto Rico |
 Romania |
 Russia |
 Serbia |
 Slovenia |
 Spain |
 Switzerland |
 Thailand |
 Turkey |
 Ukraine |
 United Kingdom |
 United States |
 Vatican City |
 Vietnam |
 Home |
Some countries make it very difficult for their citizens to travel abroad and the US does this to a relatively limited extent, banning travel to a few countries. Economics, more than law, is a limiting factor for leaving one's home. A middle class American can easily afford to travel, although that may mean abstaining from other pleasures.
More to the point it is hard for citizens of poor countries to enter wealthier countries. Friends from Pakistan and Serbia, for example, report considerable problems in travel. With a US Passport it is easy to get into almost any country of the world.
Meeting people in foreign lands, learning something of their experiences, cultures, and perspectives is a terrific experience. As an astrologer I always enjoy seeing how astrology fits into local culture and history. And of course the experience of art, architecture, food, and history in new places is always eye opening.
As America is such a Cancerian nation (born on July 4!) and Cancerians are such stick-at-homes, Americans tend to think of international travel as something terribly expensive and difficult, but it's not really. As far as money goes, we make choices and doing without some other pleasures frees up money to go abroad. trust me, it requires no heroic sacrifices! Getting a passport isn't really difficult; there are forms at the post office! And the internet makes it very easy to find and book hotels wherever you want to go.
It is helpful -- and enriches your visit -- to learn at least a little of the language wherever you go. The smallest effort will win sympathy. Still, wherever you go these days you can find people who do speak English -- and that includes almost anyone in the travel and hospitality business. Just please, at least have the good manners to ask people in their own language if they do speak English, and to thank them when they do! Those "magic words" you learned in kindergarten -- please, thank you, you're welcome, and excuse me -- are especially magic when they're the only words you know in that language! Anyone can learn those four common words in any language even in Arabic (minfadlik, shukran, afwan, ahsif) or Japanese (dohzoh, dohmo arigato, doh itashimashiteh, sumimasen). Learning them takes much less trouble than not knowing them will cause! If you have time to invest it is worthwhile to see what language classes your local community college offers!
I've traveled in the countries listed to the left. Some of them link to more information and pictures of those places. Ill be slowly adding in more links -- and, InshaAllah! more countries -- but if there's anywhere in particular you'd like to see filled in first, feel free to write me and ask!