March 7, 2026 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif explore what it means to travel in a world shaped by constant global headlines.
In this episode, we dive into how international events—from geopolitical tensions to climate news and cultural shifts—are reshaping the way we move across the planet. We unpack how travelers can stay informed, adapt plans, and still experience meaningful, responsible journeys even as the world changes in real time. Perfect for curious globetrotters who want to understand not just where to go, but how global stories influence every step of the journey.
In this episode, we dive into how international events—from geopolitical tensions to climate news and cultural shifts—are reshaping the way we move across the planet. We unpack how travelers can stay informed, adapt plans, and still experience meaningful, responsible journeys even as the world changes in real time. Perfect for curious globetrotters who want to understand not just where to go, but how global stories influence every step of the journey.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in harsmerg and online at the wishing
Well dot this. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say, hello, Chris, how
are you this beautiful Saturday morning. I am doing very well.
Thank you for asking it. It feels like spring has arrived.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I know, and I love it. I love it so much.
This is my favorite time of the year and fall
my two favorite times of the year. And every morning
when I come into work, I always call my mother
and I was talking to my mother about the beautiful weather.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
She loves it too.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Thank God for my mother, And I said, Mom, you
know what this reminds me of. It feels like a
Bible school morning. Yes, I don't know if you know
what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I always say, it feels like Eastern Easter Sunday. Yes,
there's a little bit of humidity in the air, the sunshine,
it smells like it might rain. Yeah, yeah, I know
exactly what you're talking.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we used to My brother and I used to
get dropped off at my grandparents' house after you know,
after spring spring break from school, not spring break, at
the end of school, and Bible School would start and
my grandfather would then take us to the church where
the weekday sorry, the Bible school was And every morning
(01:35):
when we went, my grandfather had a corvet, a convertible corvet, nice,
and we would go to Bible school in this convertible
corvet and every morning, the past couple of mornings has
felt like a Bible school morning.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It's great, Harry. What's spring like for you?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Spring for me? Well, this week I remember driving through
what felt like pea soup. Remember how foggy it was
this one it has been really foggy. Yeah. That tells
me that spring is in the air, and that the
doldoms of winter are on their way out and the
renewal of spring is there. So I'm really happy to I.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Saw some I don't know if they were crocus that
were coming up, or daffodils, Oh yeah, minor yeah, this
time of year, yeah, the spring. Yeah, So we've I
guess it's been a couple of weeks since we've sat
down and talked to it. A lot has happened. It
has in the past week and a half.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, Harry and I actually were gone for one of
the weeks because we were at a conference in Savannah, Georgia,
and we met with our the headquarters office that we
are part of from Santa Barbara, California. They came this
way this year, and when I say this way, I
(02:51):
mean the East coast. We were in a beautiful property
called the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Savannah, Georgia. It was
absolutely gorgeous, just a beautiful place to be. If you're
ever looking for just a quick getaway, nice weekend resort
type accommodations that are high luxury, hot touch service, I
(03:15):
would highly recommend the Montage Palmetto Bluff.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
They even had alligators there waiting to welcome us, which
I'm glad it was as cold as the water was.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I mean, was that part of the plan yet?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
No, Well, they lived there, they lived there wasn't part
of the plan, but it was so cold the alligator said,
we're not coming out, and they didn't, so it was
a good thing. The good news was though, these the
beautiful accommodations there are just magnificent. They had fireplaces in
the room, working fireplaces. One of my favorite steam shower.
(03:48):
You ever have a steam shower?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Now, oh man, it is la la la la. It's great.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Every morning steam shower for about twenty five minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I mean I run the shower on the setting and
don't run the exhaust van sometimes at home. I don't
know if that counts as a seam shower.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
No. You got to set the temperature on this one
up to one hundred degrees one hundred and ten degrees
in there, and it has a separate steam spout so
the water could be cool to cool you off while
the steam was coming out all around you.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And I am a luxury bath girl, so in my accommodations,
I had this gorgeous, gorgeous, antique footed bathtub with some
of the most beautiful fixtures I've ever seen, and that
is where I spent my morning. So yeah, to each
his own. Luxury comes in all different shape sizes and flavors, right.
(04:41):
But you're right, Chris, A lot of things have been
happening in the world since we last talked live here,
and one of the things that occurred occurred in Porta Alliarta,
where I was not long ago, and so we had
some impact in the travel indus as a result of that.
(05:01):
We've also most recently been dealing with the situation in
the Middle East. And you know, as we were coming
in today, I said to Harry, you know, we really
can't have a show like A Life Less Ordinary that
focuses on the world and things that are going on
in the world and ignore this situation and not talk
about it. It is something that we do deal with
(05:23):
every single day at the Wishing Well. It's something that
we are trained as professionals to deal with, and it's
something that we have an obligation, I think, to talk
to our listeners about.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And we've had so many briefings this week, Chris, from airlines,
from properties, from our virtualists on network partners, the virtualist
on network itself, and when you talk about a Life
Less Ordinary, it's really been a couple of weeks less ordinary,
and so it is entirely appropriate for us today to
(05:56):
share with you and with our listeners how a travel
agent makes a difference when things out of the ordinary occur.
And that's exactly the situation we find yourself in.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
We talk about that a lot on the show about
you know, why a travel professional is so important to
making your plans, and we talk a lot of times
about these hypothetical things that could happen. I mean, obviously
we all went through the pandemic. That was a moment
where having somebody on your side was really important. But
(06:28):
you know, cruise ships that get into bad weather, a
hurricane comes through or whatever. I don't know that a
situation like this is something. I mean, I feel like
typically it builds up to it, and so you kind
of like, maybe I shouldn't travel to this region of
the world because something's going on. This just sort of
flared up quickly and everybody had to react quickly and
(06:52):
still continue to react quickly. And so I'm sure last
Saturday morning you woke up to the news and thinking,
are we just changed? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I mean it felt a little bit like it did
during COVID, you know, I mean we had that same
initial impact and question marks, you know, raised And here's
what I would say to folks who are avid d
wires when it comes to travel, I think it's I
think it's perfectly fine. You want to book yourself a
(07:22):
hotel for the weekend, you want to book a simple
round trip airline ticket to Orlando. You know, if that's
if that's your thing, that's fine. But when we're talking
about navigating the world more globally these days, you really
do need the expertise of travel professionals like the ones
(07:42):
at the Wishing Well or certainly you know, there's there's many,
many other travel advisors around the globe. Harry and I
had the good fortune of actually spending some time with
some of those folks. As I said last week, but
this is not the kind of dy travel that you
want to do. I mean, this would this would be
a kin to doing your own surgery to take out
(08:04):
your appendix. That's not something you want a professional for
that pact. It's really not recommended, right And.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
When you get into situations, I think the thing that
people don't think about, Chris, is that for a lot
of things, when we have a question, we ask Siri,
we ask Google, we ask Chad, GPT. Those are great
resources and they use the history in these cases and
what we're seeing now, what's moving forward with what to do,
(08:34):
what's going to happen. There isn't a history, And I
can't imagine somebody trusting an artificial intelligence engine to advise
them on what to do intelligently when there isn't necessarily
any intelligent history for that engine to learn from or
refer to, or or to use. What we what we'll
(08:58):
be talking about today is the collaboration, the resources that
we use, and even for us, it's not a cake walk,
but we are ready to do it. We're prepared to
do it. And I think one of the things that
also gives us an advantage as full time travel advisors.
We are full time into solving this problem, and we're
(09:19):
solving it again and again and again for so many
travelers out there.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So one of the things that I thought about is
I'm a news junkie. Let's just start there. So I
have spent my entire week with the news on watching
you go into YouTube to watch the live feeds, and
I don't know, maybe I've just got a more dark
sense of what happens in the world. I want to,
(09:49):
I guess, be a part of it. I want to
see what's happening, see who's moving, who's reacting, and all that.
But I kept as I watched all of this, I
kept thinking about how many times we've talked about the
these different nations, different cities, and we talk about how
beautiful they are. You know, you see the UAE and
uh the Burj Khalifa, and they showed a missile flying
(10:12):
past it. You know, it's like all of a sudden
that becomes a little bit more real. These are It does.
A lot of us aren't traveling to Tehran, but a
lot of people from the United States do travel to
the Middle East, whether it be for business or pleasure.
And you know these places that are built up for
travelers to come visit for tourism. And you can see
(10:35):
how this just starts us put everything in a tailspin.
You know, it's all interconnected yah world.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
And you need to be very careful. You know that
you that you meter the things that you get get
sucked into, you know, because we don't want to live
in in a dark place while this is going on,
because there are some things that probably we don't know
that we want to know and we want to share.
(11:03):
And I think that's what this show is all about
for our listeners out there, which, by the way, thank
you for joining us again on a beautiful Saturday morning.
We're going to keep things as light as we can today,
but we're going to be transparent.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
One of the things that I've always said anytime we
are on with you guys, is that we will be honest.
You know, I promise you that we will be honest.
And so had I struggled with what we were going
to name today's show, you know, we're calling this International
Impact because almost everything, and what I've learned in the
(11:40):
number of years that I've been in the travel industry
is that everything and I mean everything that happens almost
that we touched, that happens in our day to day
lives is affected in the travel industry.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And you know, I could give you some examples of that. Weather.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You know, weather happens, it's going to affect the travel industry.
You have political situations occur, it's going to affect the
travel industry. No matter what is coming down the pike,
if it's in the news, the travel industry is affected
by it. So I want to start today's show and
ask you a question, Chris, have you ever noticed how
(12:20):
quickly a headline from somewhere far far away in the
world can suddenly make people question whether it's safe to
travel at all or not.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
That was actually going to be my first question. Yeah,
is it safe to travel right now?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Absolutely? And everybody wants to know that. In the past
several days, a lot of travelers have been asking exactly
that question because the news from Iran and the Middle
East has filled up our screens.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
That's where we are.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
And so today, on a life less ordinary, I thought
it was going to be helpful to really slow this
conversation down just a little bit based on what you've
been kind of bumbumarted with at home probably and you're
a good testimony of that, Chris.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
You've been doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
It's just been saturating your mind, your airwaves, your.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Eyes probably to a point that's not healthy. Maybe, yeah, yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And so separate from headline reality, I want to talk
about what these international events actually mean for travelers. What
does this mean here on a lifeless ordinary, to you,
to you that are listening to us, Because the truth
is the world is a very large place, but you
know small and that we always say the globe is
(13:34):
a lot smaller than we think, you know, and understanding
how to travel wisely through it has never ever been
more important. So today's conversation is going to be a
little different from our usual discussions. Normally, we're talking about
dream destinations and cruise ships, beautiful beaches and the places
that inspire us to get up off the couch and
(13:56):
go see the world. And believe me, we're going to
get back to that very very soon. But today we're
going to talk about something that every traveler has probably
been thinking about, and that is those international headlines and
how they actually affect travel decisions.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Over the past couple of days, those news reports have
focused heavily on events involving Iran and the tensions in
the Middle East. And we know this and that is
whenever that part of the world is in the new cycle,
it can understandably make travelers very nervous and people start asking,
(14:33):
Chris those questions like you were saying, is it safe
to travel internationally right now? Should I postpone my trip
to Europe? We're getting that one a lot at the
wishing Well. And is the airline industry going to be affected?
Are there new travel warnings that we should know about,
and those are completely fair questions. Most important thing we
(14:54):
can do today is separate the headlines from the reality
of how international trees travel actually operates during global events,
because one thing that seasoned travelers learn over a time
like this is the world is a very large place,
and global events rarely affect travel everywhere all at once.
(15:17):
Wasn't there a movie that came out not long ago?
Everything everywhere? What was that movie? It was not. It
was in the box office not long ago, and I
had a couple of people who saw it, who were
friends of mine, that said it was too confusing to follow.
And that's what I'd say to you right now. If
(15:37):
that's the headline that you're listening to everything all at once,
it's too confusing to follow. That's why I'm glad you're
joining us here today. We're going to break it down
for you very easily.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And one of the things that I think about when
all of this happens is I was back there in
this area last November, to remember we were talking about it,
and as a as a frame of reference when I
look at the headlines, when I listen to the news,
when Terry and I talk and think about people that
are out there, that have trips underway or that are
(16:10):
planning trips. I have the advantage of saying, I know
that area. I understand that. I know that you know,
when they talk about the places, it's not just what
the reporters are telling me, but it's what is in
my mind from having been there, having you know, sat
in those locations, having met the people in those locations.
(16:31):
And there is much interested in tourism in so many
of these countries and preserving tourism, and preserving the relationships
with tourists, including Americans, especially Americans in some cases. That
what we're going to be talking about today is I hope,
going to make people feel a whole lot more comfortable,
(16:53):
not about the terrible things that are happening, but about
how travel can survive, will survive, and how travel can
be practical as we work through arrangements and looking at
alternate arrangements to make sure that if you've got your
vacation time reserved, and many people do already through the summer,
(17:17):
what can you do to have a great vacation. It
may be in a different destination, a different place, but
it will be can be a great vacation.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, And so I think one of the first steps
that I want to take in this conversation today is
to talk about just understanding what's happening. Okay, we want
to talk about what we know. Recent events involving Iran
have raised geopolitical tensions in parts of the Middle East region,
particularly involving military actions and diplomatic responses among several countries. Now,
(17:54):
when events like this occur, the first organizations to evaluate
the potential impact, and the ones that we at the
Wishing Well and other I'm sure very professional travel advisors
do reach out to and look for information from is
(18:14):
the US Department of State. That's one of the first places,
the Federal Aviation Administration, the international aviation authorities, and the
global intelligence and security organizations. Those are going to be
our top tier of people that we glean information from,
and those are the most reputable places to get them.
(18:35):
Not your group chats, not your social media friends. Those
are all going to be opinions when we deal with
something like this. For you, in particular, you listeners, you
the travelers. We want to deal with the facts and
that's what's going to help us through this. And these
groups that I just mentioned they constantly monitor Chris, the
(18:56):
developments and the issues, travel advisors and aviation notices even needed.
These are our official lifelines at the Wishing Well. This
is our go to and let's look at this information
just a little bit closer. I know we've covered this before,
but I think especially now, it bears looking at again.
(19:19):
And that is the levels of the four tier advisory
system that have been implemented by the US State Department.
A level one. If you hear about a level one,
So anytime that you look at countries as to if
it's okay to go, is it okay to go to
this country? The US State Department categorizes each country into
(19:43):
certain levels. There are four, okay, and a level one
is exercise normal precautions.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Okay, so going to Canada, there you go, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Just exercise normal precautions. That would be a level one.
Level two is in exercise in priest caution. Now, it
might surprise you to know that places like Spain and
Italy and Switzerland, they all fall under a level two
right now, really exactly? Yeah, And interestingly enough, Mexico falls
(20:19):
under a level two.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I was going to use Mexico as my example for
that one. Yes, So, but all these other places are
as well. Interesting yep.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And then you get into a level three, which is
reconsider travel.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
So Saudi Arabia.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Egypt right now is a level three, okay, and it
has been for quite some time, and yet to Perry's
point a while ago, as he was pointing out, this
is someplace that under a level three he traveled to
pretty safely last year and had an incredible experience. We
then have level fours. Those are the do not travel okay,
(21:00):
so you've got under that right now, of course, I
ran you have Israel right now is I do not travel, Syria, Libya.
Those are the countries that are level fours, and the
average person the DII wire is not going to know
that unless you are reaching out to the correct authority.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I mean, I think I'm pretty much on top of things,
and I've never realized there were four tiers to this
until you just brought that up exactly exactly, And it's
very important.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
If you don't know that, you could be very surprised
if you get to the airport and you're trying to
go somewhere and you get very surprised knowing that that's, yeah,
you can't travel there right now. And this changes over time.
This doesn't This is a very fluid situation.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Is that a blanket number for the entire country or
can you have regions of the country that have different.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Question, regions of the country can be under different levels. Yes,
but when you go to the state department and you look,
you're going to see those levels disseminated as to which
area of the country that they belong to. Now here's
an important part, Chris, that travelers don't often realize these
advisories are issued country by country, not global. Okay, so
(22:18):
when a conflict occurs in one part of the world,
it doesn't automatically affect travel everywhere else. So it's not
like a level four automatically applies to Europe. Sometimes people
think that and that's why they quit traveling. They go, oh,
can't travel right now, because everything is you do not travel.
We didn't have that until COVID hit. You know, we
(22:40):
had a level four just about everywhere, all at once.
But that was a very very unusual situation. For example,
at the time we're having this conversation, and I mentioned
this to you before, many of the most popular destinations
Americans are traveling to this year, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan,
(23:02):
Australia and much of Europe remain open and welcome travelers
as usual, but they're operating under that level too from
the State Department, which, by the way, as I said,
is the same level as Mexico right now, even after
the most recent incidents in Portovlliarta.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And what's the cause of those countries having been elevated.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Alert things that have occurred, things that the State Department
is aware of, the State Department's main objective is for
American protection. That is the main objective, the main objective
of our government as a whole is to protect Americans traveling.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
And it's my opinion, and I'm saying as opinion Chris,
that a lot of the level twos that you see
are these advisories from the US State Department are for
American travelers. And it turns out in the world right now,
as an American traveler, you want to be at that
level too, which says exercise increased caution. It doesn't say
(24:10):
don't travel. It says be very aware that you're an American.
There are bad guys all around that there are bad
guys in our neighborhood here in town that target people
based upon whatever reason. Being an American makes you a
potential target. So what the State Department is saying is,
don't be an idiot, you know, exercise some increased caution
(24:33):
as you're traveling. And doesn't that make sense.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah, this is a really interesting conversation. I'm looking forward
to our entire conversation, but we need to take a
quick break and when we come back, we're going to
continue our show called International Impact, and there is a
lot of impact going on internationally right now. We'll talk
more about it here. On a Life Less Ordinary. Why
do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalist. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customized vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and f avenue call
(25:17):
us at five four zero nine zero eight two three
three three, or on the web at the Wishingwell dot
biz and welcome.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the travel show
and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're online at the Wishingwell
dot biz. And if you visit the website, up a
right hand corner, you'll see the menu and there's a
link for all of the past episodes of A Life
Less Ordinary, and you can type in a keyword and
it'll search all those episodes and you can get caught
(25:46):
up on any travel topic that we've talked about up
to this point. Absolutely, you can also give them a call.
Five four oh nine oh eight twenty three point thirty three.
Our show today is international Impact. If if you've been
awake over the course of the last seven days, you
know there is a lot going on internationally. Sure has been,
and we typically are talking about luxury experiences, wonderful getaways.
(26:11):
Today we're talking about how what's going on in the
news is impacting our travel decisions. Is it safe to travel?
Is it smart right now to book travel for the future?
Well answer that question, I'm sure as we go on,
and we just learned about the different tier system that
the State Department uses to classify whether or not you
(26:34):
should be.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Traveling exactly or where if you're looking at a particular country,
what they're experiencing, and what Americans would be experiencing should
they go again. Just to reiterate, today's show is all
about trying to provide you with confidence when you travel,
because knowing that you're working with a great professional who
(26:58):
really understands and can navigate through this. You know, maze
of information is so important to you when you're trying
to travel globally, and everybody is these days. I mean,
people want those great experiences. They don't want an armchair
experience anymore, or they don't want to buy what their
(27:19):
neighbor bought last week and try to make that their own.
They want another great experience for themselves. They want those
memories and knowing how to navigate that is what the
wishing Well is all about. I know that, you know,
some people do feel a bit of pending concern about
(27:39):
what's going on right now. But I've got good news, Chris.
The good news is, even with all that we have learned,
flights are still operating, cruises are still sailing, hotels are
still putting people up, and millions and millions of travelers
are continuing their journey still around the world world. I
(28:00):
was just on a webinar actually yesterday concerning the situation
that occurred in Mexico. And I've gotten a lot of
calls from people about their concerns in Mexico and did
we have some cancelations as a result of what happened, Yes,
we did. However, according to the webinar that I was
on just yesterday, we have very short memories. You see,
(28:23):
once things get back to normal again, guess what people
want to do. They want to pack their suitcase, they
want to go again. And Mexico is just one of
those places that's just so lovely and so wonderful. They
want to get back out there. So as of yesterday,
one hundred and fifty thousand more travelers had already begun
to book vacations for this summer back to Mexico again.
(28:47):
So yes, it is coming back. But there's still more
that we need to know. There is the geographic reality
of what's happening. And one of the biggest misconceptions that
travelers have is that again, anything that's happening in the
Middle East somehow affects everything in Europe. And I want
(29:08):
to set this record straight. Geographically speaking, Chris, that just
really isn't the case. And to put this into perspective,
the distance, say between Tehran and Rome, let's put that
on the map, is roughly about two thousand miles, okay.
The distance between Tehran and London is over twenty seven
(29:32):
hundred miles. So that's similar to the distance between New York.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
And Los Angeles. Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
So when somebody's planning to vacation to say Paris or
London or Barcelona, they're not traveling anywhere near an active
geopolitical area. And making a decision to abandon a planned
trip to London because the unrest in Tehran is like
saying I won't travel to Los Angeles because there was
(30:01):
a mugging in New York. You see where I'm coming from.
I mean the distance, the reality of that geographic distance
becomes more vivid to you when you put that in perspective,
and it's really unfair to you to continue to think
I shouldn't be traveling to Europe right now because of
(30:23):
what's happening there. And so that brings it kind of
home for us when we look at that real distance there.
This is why the travel industry always encourages travelers to
rely on credible sources of information that's so important. The
goal of the travel industry and the industry professionals is
to interpret what global events actually mean for travelers, not
(30:47):
what you suspect. You know, living on suspicion is not good,
you know. We want to make sure that we deal
with these things factually. So the next thing we want
to look at is how the travel industry responds on
how we have been responding. One of the most reassuring
things travelers should know is that the travel industry is
(31:09):
incredibly experienced at navigating global events. I will never forget
living through COVID. I will never forget that. And yet
I learned probably so much during that time. I think
it was sort of like cramming for an exam, you know.
And during that time we had to know everything about
(31:32):
every place all at once. I mean I remember even
a simple trip that we did, going to Costa Rica,
but it was during COVID. There were so many other
documentations and papers and COVID tests and QR code. That's
when QR codes really hit the forefront of travel, you know,
(31:52):
and everybody had to have one, and it was immediate
and was urgent, and if you got to the airport
and you didn't have it.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
You were in trouble. Yeah, that was one of the
most amazing trips, if you remember, Terry. We were amazed
at how happy the people were to see us. We
were amazed at how uncrowded everything was, and we were
amazed at how we were able to have just a
top shelf experience, way above what I ever expected was
(32:20):
going to happen.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And in fact, the aviation and tourism industries actually operate
with some of the most advanced risk monitoring systems in
the world. And I think that's kind of what drew
me to this industry in the very beginning, is because
I felt like this industry was really the cutting edge
(32:42):
of everything that was important in the world. And I
was excited about that. You know, I mean, I know
you are because Chris, you're also in an industry that's
on the cutting edge of information flow.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
You know, you really are.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
I mean, the radio industry, the the broadcast industry, we
count on people like you. But when it filters in
and it gets into the travel industry, man, that's when
it gets real, you know. And airlines constantly evaluate flight routes,
they analyze airspace restrictions, they analyze security intelligence and government advisories,
(33:20):
and if an area becomes unsafe for aircraft, airlines simply
re route around it. And this happens more than people realize.
Pilots and aviation planners, they've got the ability to adjust
routes in real time to avoid airspace that might present risk.
You may not know that, but they do. And cruise
(33:40):
lines they operate very similarly. They will go around anything
that they see as an imminent threat. And if conditions
change anywhere in the world, cruise itineraries are adjusted, ports
are substituted, and safety remains as the top prior. And
I think that's what should be so important that people
(34:04):
here in today's show, is that that's where the confidence
comes from, is knowing that these industry levels are well
equipped to navigate around these uncertainties.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I'm glad you actually brought up the point that this
is happening a lot more than we may realize, because
exactly my question that I was waiting for a good
time to ask was is this just does it feel big?
Because it is in the moment a big news story,
But in the reality, if I wanted to travel to,
(34:36):
you know, pick some nation somewhere else on the planet
that is currently at war with someone that it would
be the same situation there, but we're just not talking
about it right now. And my follow up to that
question is how dangerous is it for us to focus
on that, like right now, what's happening in the Middle East,
(34:59):
and not pay attention, you know, what's happening elsewhere because
we think, oh, that's where the you know, the inconvenience is.
Let's travel instead to the Korean Peninsula and you go, oh,
maybe that's not the best place to be traveling, you
know either. But if I do that on my own,
I don't have that information at hand.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
So I think the biggest contrast for us to answer
your question is as you look at these people that
are trying to monitor things, the airlines, the cruise lines,
the hotel years, the tour operators all around the world,
they look at what's happening in the Middle East, and
it is referred to, sometimes casually or incorrectly, as an incident,
(35:39):
and if you think about it, they respond. This is
what Terry was saying, They respond to incidents all the time.
It could be a tidal wave moving across the ocean
affecting the weather. It could be something else going on
in the weather. It could be a volcano erupting anywhere,
you know, maybe Hawaii somewhere else, or it may be
in you know, up rising, you know, a some kind
(36:04):
of an event that happens to social event. Minneapolis was
a little bit dangerous for a little while just here
at home. So they look at these things happening around
the world all the time. They have teams of experts,
logistics experts that are ready at a moment's notice to reroute, rethink, replan.
(36:26):
And this is especially interesting to you and I when
we see it on the news because it's a different
kind of incident. But if you peel it a little bit,
it's it is just another incident, and these people are
working around it, and they're they're expert at it. I
think about you know, space launches and getting a rocket
(36:48):
to the moon. Think about putting you know, thousands and
thousands of planes in the air and bringing them down
safely every day in the United States. It's no accident
that they know how to reroute and move and do
those things. That's what's happening right now. These experts are
applying it. So yeah, there probably is something happening somewhere
(37:08):
else in the world. It just hadn't fit in that
you know, thirty minute news slot that they have every
evening for us to focus and move ahead and line
ahead of.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
This, and Terry, you're on top of all this, those
places that we're not hearing about in the news that
we're not paying attention to, you know, what's happening around
the world. You're more on top of the news than
you know, Dan rather was.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
We like to think so, you know, but we still
try to also even encourage each other within our industry
not to react.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's one of the things that I like to tell
travelers when they see these headlines of global impact that
we're talking about here today. One of the first things
is don't panic. You know, that's that's not a good reaction.
The second thing is to consult again those reliable sources,
which is what we do. We go into action in
(38:06):
our offices, and that's what we're doing. Two of the
most important sources for us, as I mentioned, is the
State Department, but there's also another one called the Smart
Traveler Enrollment Program called STEP. We encourage our travelers to
enroll in that. What does that do? Why is she
mentioning that what do I need STEPS for when I'm
(38:27):
going on in a trail, Well, it actually does stand
for something. The Smart Traveler Enrollment program has been set
up by the State Department so that they can receive
alerts if conditions change in the region that you are visiting.
So if you enroll in this program, they know where
you are and they can send messages to you about
(38:50):
what's happening in that region that you may not be
accustomed to hearing or have availed to hear. So for example,
if I was going to say, Costa Rica, Okay, very
quiet community, ordinarily very quiet country. But if something happened there,
if I had enrolled in STEP before I went to
(39:13):
Costa Rica and something was happening that the State Department
got a message about that was concerning to American safety,
they would send me a message and they would know
where I am. Also, conversely, if something happened to me
while I was traveling, if somewhere along the line I
(39:34):
went missing, the State Department would have me enrolled in
this program. I would have enrolled voluntarily and they would
be able to know and track my movements while I
had been there. So the STEP program is very important.
It also allows that embassy to contact travelers if it's necessary.
(39:55):
Here's another resource travelers should rely on a professional Tree
travel advisor. I mean, I can't stress that enough because
travel advisors, especially experienced ones like us at the Wishing Well,
we work with our global partners. Every single day. We
receive updates from international airlines, the tour operators, the cruise lines,
(40:17):
the global security monitoring services. So when events occur, Chris,
we're often evaluating the situation before the average traveler even
hears about it on the news. Those updates roll across
my screen immediately when something has happened, and something has occurred.
And then we want to talk about the psychology side
(40:40):
of travel fear. I want to talk about that. It's
something interesting how human beings process risk. When we see
dramatic images on television, our brains sometimes interpret that as
danger being closer than it actually is. Statistically speaking, international
(41:02):
travel today remains one of the safest activities people can
actually participate in. Air travel is extraordinarily regulated. Actually, just
had dinner a couple of nights ago with some folks
who went on an Egyptian cruise down the Nile and
they visited Jordan in places like that, and they said that,
(41:25):
you know, though their trip was they did see even
armed guards at certain places. They said, we never felt safer. Now,
that's probably not a destination that I would recommend that
you go to immediately. Right now, We've got some things
going on over there that we talked about those levels.
I think that would probably not be a level one
(41:49):
for sure. But what I want to say is global
tourism infrastructure is highly organized, and it's supposed to be,
and that's the way it works so well. Security monitoring
is more sophisticated than ever before. I remember when I
worked in Charlottesville. Once upon a time, I went to
a place called Injinic and I was able to go
(42:13):
inside of that facility and see exactly what our security
systems in the United States, very sophisticated system can actually
drill down to somebody's home and actually even look inside
your car and see what's happening to that nth degree.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
All right, that's a little fright. It's amazing the satellites
that are out there.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
That's the National Ground that's the National Ground Intelligence Center.
It's a federal agency and their job is to coordinate
all of the resources, all of the assets that the
United States government and our friends around the world have
so that they know what's going on. And that's the
kind of data that feeds those travel advisories that Terry's
(43:00):
talking about, and that you know, feeds the front end
of that system that you know that ends up in
the STEP program, which is almost like a lot of
people have the first Alert weather kinds of things on
their phone. That's the way that program works. And when
I leave the country, it's been around for years. It's
a great program. You give up a little bit by
(43:22):
telling the government where you are. That's really good if
they need to find you or if you need help.
You can use that system also to communicate with them,
and I think Terry you mentioned we communicate with the
travelers too. I think one of the best tools we
have for our travelers is we have an app that
our travelers have on their phone that's got their trip
(43:43):
so they can see where to go and what to
do day by day and all the events going on.
It also has a little communications tool in there, and
so we can communicate back and forth with our travelers too.
We're not as good as the government in terms of
knowing what's going on, but we're also very very much
interested and in tune to where our people are at
all times.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
And just because we talk about all this sophisticated equipment
and technology and security that's out there, it doesn't mean
travelers should ignore world events. As a matter of fact,
I would say, Heavens no, we would never advocate that
position because knowledge is power, and we should continue to
(44:25):
update our knowledge on what's happening in the world and
stay informed, but don't let it drive everything in your life.
It doesn't mean you should interpret those events without context.
And that's exactly why conversations like this one that we're
having today are so so very important. Let me talk
(44:47):
to you, Chris, about why travel really still matters, because
it does. There's another side to this conversation, and I
think it's really important. Travels one of the most powerful
forces for connection and understanding in the world. And when
people travel, they learn about cultures and traditions and perspectives
(45:07):
that they might not ever encounter at home. And learning
how another country's cultures are so very different than ours
sometimes brings us to a world of understanding. And I
think that's a gift that travel gives that's unpredicted when
you travel, and travel reminds us that despite political tensions
(45:29):
between governments, people around the world still welcome visitors with
warmth and hospitality. In most cases, they're happy to see us.
You know, they welcome us with open arms because we
bring with them the possibilities of exchange in culture and worlds,
and in many ways, travel becomes that bridge between those cultures,
(45:54):
which is why even during complicated moments in world affairs,
people still continue to explore the world, and we're so
happy that they do. That really keeps the wishing well going.
You know, curiosity, connection, discovery, those are all powerful human instincts.
Travel is not just a luxury, it's not just recreation.
(46:18):
In many ways, travel is profoundly good for the human
mind and the spirit, and psychologists and behavioral researchers have
studied this for decades and the findings are fascinating. When
human beings travel, something remarkable happens, especially when they experience
new places and cultures. Several remarkable things begin, and that
(46:43):
is travel expands your perspective. One of the most powerful
benefits of travel is that it expands the way we
see the world. When we step outside of our own
environment and encounter new cultures and languages and foods. We've
talked about that a lot here, Chris, you love that
subject and traditions. Our brains are forced to process new information.
(47:06):
Psychologists call this cognitive flexibility. It's the ability to adapt,
to learn, and to see things from different viewpoints. I
love that. And travelers tend to become more open minded,
more empathetic, and more curious about the world around them.
In other words, travel helps us understand humanity better. One
(47:29):
of the next things that occurs from travel is that
it reduces our stress. A lot of studies have shown
that travel, especially leisure travel. I wouldn't say corporate travels
so much because that can be still stressful, but leisure
travel has measurable effects on reducing stress hormones in the body,
including cortisol. When people step away from their daily routines
(47:52):
and responsibilities, the brain has an opportunity to reset, and
we should give ourselves that gift. It also strengthens relationships.
Another remarkable benefit of travel is that it strengthens our
most important relationships, families who travel together. That's why multi
gen travel has become so popular these days. Couples reconnect
(48:17):
friends rediscover one another. Psychologists call these shared memory anchors,
and then travel sparks creativity. We know that it builds confidence.
There's something empowering about navigating the world, and that confidence
also carries back into our everyday lives. And it also
(48:37):
cultivates gratitude. One of the most beautiful psychological benefits of
travel is the sense of gratitude it inspires. I don't
think I've ever traveled anywhere on the globe, or anywhere
I've ever been, how insignificant or small, that I didn't
come back feeling very grateful for the opportunity to just
(48:57):
be able to do it. And when people see the
diversity of cultures and the ways of life around the world,
it often deepens their appreciation for both their home and
the shared humanity that we all possess. Because travel reminds us.
While cultures may differ, people everywhere everywhere value family, community, hospitality, connection,
(49:23):
and recognizing those shared values can be incredibly, incredibly grounding.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Yeah, I've found when I travel, of the things that
Terry's talking about clearly true. I come back change. Every
experience changes me. I have a new insight. I don't
agree with everything I see, I don't agree with you
all of the things that I hear, but it's interesting
to hear something from someone firsthand in another part of
(49:52):
the world and have their interpretation. But the other side
of that is, I think when we travel, we also
leave an impression of ourselves, of our personal self and
of ourselves as Americans, and leaving that around the world
I think also has a very very positive effect on humanity.
(50:14):
It humanizes people rather than just seeing them on TV.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Harry just got very deep. Yeah, I'm going to squeeze
in one more break and then we'll come back and
we'll wrap up our conversation about the international impact that
we're seeing today here on a life less ordinary. Why
do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (50:33):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalization. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customize vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the Wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and a half Avenue,
(50:53):
call us at five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three, or on the web at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
And welcome back to a lifeless Ordinary. This is your
weekly travel show and podcast from your friends at the
wishing Well. Today we have been talking about international impact.
We've just got a couple of minutes left. Terry, you
have given us so much important information today about how
to interpret what happens internationally, how it affects us. That
(51:21):
it is not the end of travel. It shouldn't affect
your ability to travel, maybe to a specific place at
a specific time, but please still get out and see
the world.
Speaker 2 (51:32):
Yeah, be concerned, be aware, Yes, but use the tools
that I've talked about in today's show. And if there's
something that one message that I'd like our listeners to
take away today, let it be this. Stay informed, but
don't let headlines alone determine your travel decisions. Instead, consult
(51:53):
reliable government resources, work with experienced travel professionals, evaluate this
facts rather than fear the world. Chris is still full
of extraordinary destinations and at the wishing Well, helping travelers
navigate the world, both the beautiful moments and the complicated ones,
is exactly what we're here to do. Because travel isn't
(52:16):
just about vacations, it's about perspective and when we understand
the world better, we travel through it more confidently. And Chris,
that's exactly what we mean when we talk about a
life less ordinary. So if anybody is interested in travel
or really want to just have more of a deeper
conversation about this with us at the wishing Well, you
(52:36):
can reach us. We're very easy to find. We're located
at two forty three nef Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can call us We're at five to four to
zero nine oh eight, two three three three, or look
us up.
Speaker 1 (52:48):
On the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot viz.
This has been a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
(53:09):
are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a Life Less Ordinary
from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in harsmerg and online at the wishing
Well dot this. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say, hello, Chris, how
are you this beautiful Saturday morning. I am doing very well.
Thank you for asking it. It feels like spring has arrived.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I know, and I love it. I love it so much.
This is my favorite time of the year and fall
my two favorite times of the year. And every morning
when I come into work, I always call my mother
and I was talking to my mother about the beautiful weather.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
She loves it too.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Thank God for my mother, And I said, Mom, you
know what this reminds me of. It feels like a
Bible school morning. Yes, I don't know if you know
what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I always say, it feels like Eastern Easter Sunday. Yes,
there's a little bit of humidity in the air, the sunshine,
it smells like it might rain. Yeah, yeah, I know
exactly what you're talking.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we used to My brother and I used to
get dropped off at my grandparents' house after you know,
after spring spring break from school, not spring break, at
the end of school, and Bible School would start and
my grandfather would then take us to the church where
the weekday sorry, the Bible school was And every morning
(01:35):
when we went, my grandfather had a corvet, a convertible corvet, nice,
and we would go to Bible school in this convertible
corvet and every morning, the past couple of mornings has
felt like a Bible school morning.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
It's great, Harry. What's spring like for you?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Spring for me? Well, this week I remember driving through
what felt like pea soup. Remember how foggy it was
this one it has been really foggy. Yeah. That tells
me that spring is in the air, and that the
doldoms of winter are on their way out and the
renewal of spring is there. So I'm really happy to I.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Saw some I don't know if they were crocus that
were coming up, or daffodils, Oh yeah, minor yeah, this
time of year, yeah, the spring. Yeah, So we've I
guess it's been a couple of weeks since we've sat
down and talked to it. A lot has happened. It
has in the past week and a half.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, Harry and I actually were gone for one of
the weeks because we were at a conference in Savannah, Georgia,
and we met with our the headquarters office that we
are part of from Santa Barbara, California. They came this
way this year, and when I say this way, I
(02:51):
mean the East coast. We were in a beautiful property
called the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Savannah, Georgia. It was
absolutely gorgeous, just a beautiful place to be. If you're
ever looking for just a quick getaway, nice weekend resort
type accommodations that are high luxury, hot touch service, I
(03:15):
would highly recommend the Montage Palmetto Bluff.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
They even had alligators there waiting to welcome us, which
I'm glad it was as cold as the water was.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I mean, was that part of the plan yet?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
No, Well, they lived there, they lived there wasn't part
of the plan, but it was so cold the alligator said,
we're not coming out, and they didn't, so it was
a good thing. The good news was though, these the
beautiful accommodations there are just magnificent. They had fireplaces in
the room, working fireplaces. One of my favorite steam shower.
(03:48):
You ever have a steam shower?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Now, oh man, it is la la la la. It's great.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Every morning steam shower for about twenty five minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I mean I run the shower on the setting and
don't run the exhaust van sometimes at home. I don't
know if that counts as a seam shower.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
No. You got to set the temperature on this one
up to one hundred degrees one hundred and ten degrees
in there, and it has a separate steam spout so
the water could be cool to cool you off while
the steam was coming out all around you.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And I am a luxury bath girl, so in my accommodations,
I had this gorgeous, gorgeous, antique footed bathtub with some
of the most beautiful fixtures I've ever seen, and that
is where I spent my morning. So yeah, to each
his own. Luxury comes in all different shape sizes and flavors, right.
(04:41):
But you're right, Chris, A lot of things have been
happening in the world since we last talked live here,
and one of the things that occurred occurred in Porta Alliarta,
where I was not long ago, and so we had
some impact in the travel indus as a result of that.
(05:01):
We've also most recently been dealing with the situation in
the Middle East. And you know, as we were coming
in today, I said to Harry, you know, we really
can't have a show like A Life Less Ordinary that
focuses on the world and things that are going on
in the world and ignore this situation and not talk
about it. It is something that we do deal with
(05:23):
every single day at the Wishing Well. It's something that
we are trained as professionals to deal with, and it's
something that we have an obligation, I think, to talk
to our listeners about.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
And we've had so many briefings this week, Chris, from airlines,
from properties, from our virtualists on network partners, the virtualist
on network itself, and when you talk about a Life
Less Ordinary, it's really been a couple of weeks less ordinary,
and so it is entirely appropriate for us today to
(05:56):
share with you and with our listeners how a travel
agent makes a difference when things out of the ordinary occur.
And that's exactly the situation we find yourself in.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
We talk about that a lot on the show about
you know, why a travel professional is so important to
making your plans, and we talk a lot of times
about these hypothetical things that could happen. I mean, obviously
we all went through the pandemic. That was a moment
where having somebody on your side was really important. But
(06:28):
you know, cruise ships that get into bad weather, a
hurricane comes through or whatever. I don't know that a
situation like this is something. I mean, I feel like
typically it builds up to it, and so you kind
of like, maybe I shouldn't travel to this region of
the world because something's going on. This just sort of
flared up quickly and everybody had to react quickly and
(06:52):
still continue to react quickly. And so I'm sure last
Saturday morning you woke up to the news and thinking,
are we just changed? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I mean it felt a little bit like it did
during COVID, you know, I mean we had that same
initial impact and question marks, you know, raised And here's
what I would say to folks who are avid d
wires when it comes to travel, I think it's I
think it's perfectly fine. You want to book yourself a
(07:22):
hotel for the weekend, you want to book a simple
round trip airline ticket to Orlando. You know, if that's
if that's your thing, that's fine. But when we're talking
about navigating the world more globally these days, you really
do need the expertise of travel professionals like the ones
(07:42):
at the Wishing Well or certainly you know, there's there's many,
many other travel advisors around the globe. Harry and I
had the good fortune of actually spending some time with
some of those folks. As I said last week, but
this is not the kind of dy travel that you
want to do. I mean, this would this would be
a kin to doing your own surgery to take out
(08:04):
your appendix. That's not something you want a professional for
that pact. It's really not recommended, right And.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
When you get into situations, I think the thing that
people don't think about, Chris, is that for a lot
of things, when we have a question, we ask Siri,
we ask Google, we ask Chad, GPT. Those are great
resources and they use the history in these cases and
what we're seeing now, what's moving forward with what to do,
(08:34):
what's going to happen. There isn't a history, And I
can't imagine somebody trusting an artificial intelligence engine to advise
them on what to do intelligently when there isn't necessarily
any intelligent history for that engine to learn from or
refer to, or or to use. What we what we'll
(08:58):
be talking about today is the collaboration, the resources that
we use, and even for us, it's not a cake walk,
but we are ready to do it. We're prepared to
do it. And I think one of the things that
also gives us an advantage as full time travel advisors.
We are full time into solving this problem, and we're
(09:19):
solving it again and again and again for so many
travelers out there.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
So one of the things that I thought about is
I'm a news junkie. Let's just start there. So I
have spent my entire week with the news on watching
you go into YouTube to watch the live feeds, and
I don't know, maybe I've just got a more dark
sense of what happens in the world. I want to,
(09:49):
I guess, be a part of it. I want to
see what's happening, see who's moving, who's reacting, and all that.
But I kept as I watched all of this, I
kept thinking about how many times we've talked about the
these different nations, different cities, and we talk about how
beautiful they are. You know, you see the UAE and
uh the Burj Khalifa, and they showed a missile flying
(10:12):
past it. You know, it's like all of a sudden
that becomes a little bit more real. These are It does.
A lot of us aren't traveling to Tehran, but a
lot of people from the United States do travel to
the Middle East, whether it be for business or pleasure.
And you know these places that are built up for
travelers to come visit for tourism. And you can see
(10:35):
how this just starts us put everything in a tailspin.
You know, it's all interconnected yah world.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
And you need to be very careful. You know that
you that you meter the things that you get get
sucked into, you know, because we don't want to live
in in a dark place while this is going on,
because there are some things that probably we don't know
that we want to know and we want to share.
(11:03):
And I think that's what this show is all about
for our listeners out there, which, by the way, thank
you for joining us again on a beautiful Saturday morning.
We're going to keep things as light as we can today,
but we're going to be transparent.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
One of the things that I've always said anytime we
are on with you guys, is that we will be honest.
You know, I promise you that we will be honest.
And so had I struggled with what we were going
to name today's show, you know, we're calling this International
Impact because almost everything, and what I've learned in the
(11:40):
number of years that I've been in the travel industry
is that everything and I mean everything that happens almost
that we touched, that happens in our day to day
lives is affected in the travel industry.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And you know, I could give you some examples of that. Weather.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You know, weather happens, it's going to affect the travel industry.
You have political situations occur, it's going to affect the
travel industry. No matter what is coming down the pike,
if it's in the news, the travel industry is affected
by it. So I want to start today's show and
ask you a question, Chris, have you ever noticed how
(12:20):
quickly a headline from somewhere far far away in the
world can suddenly make people question whether it's safe to
travel at all or not.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
That was actually going to be my first question. Yeah,
is it safe to travel right now?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Absolutely? And everybody wants to know that. In the past
several days, a lot of travelers have been asking exactly
that question because the news from Iran and the Middle
East has filled up our screens.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
That's where we are.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
And so today, on a life less ordinary, I thought
it was going to be helpful to really slow this
conversation down just a little bit based on what you've
been kind of bumbumarted with at home probably and you're
a good testimony of that, Chris.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
You've been doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
It's just been saturating your mind, your airwaves, your.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Eyes probably to a point that's not healthy. Maybe, yeah, yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And so separate from headline reality, I want to talk
about what these international events actually mean for travelers. What
does this mean here on a lifeless ordinary, to you,
to you that are listening to us, Because the truth
is the world is a very large place, but you
know small and that we always say the globe is
(13:34):
a lot smaller than we think, you know, and understanding
how to travel wisely through it has never ever been
more important. So today's conversation is going to be a
little different from our usual discussions. Normally, we're talking about
dream destinations and cruise ships, beautiful beaches and the places
that inspire us to get up off the couch and
(13:56):
go see the world. And believe me, we're going to
get back to that very very soon. But today we're
going to talk about something that every traveler has probably
been thinking about, and that is those international headlines and
how they actually affect travel decisions.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Over the past couple of days, those news reports have
focused heavily on events involving Iran and the tensions in
the Middle East. And we know this and that is
whenever that part of the world is in the new cycle,
it can understandably make travelers very nervous and people start asking,
(14:33):
Chris those questions like you were saying, is it safe
to travel internationally right now? Should I postpone my trip
to Europe? We're getting that one a lot at the
wishing Well. And is the airline industry going to be affected?
Are there new travel warnings that we should know about,
and those are completely fair questions. Most important thing we
(14:54):
can do today is separate the headlines from the reality
of how international trees travel actually operates during global events,
because one thing that seasoned travelers learn over a time
like this is the world is a very large place,
and global events rarely affect travel everywhere all at once.
(15:17):
Wasn't there a movie that came out not long ago?
Everything everywhere? What was that movie? It was not. It
was in the box office not long ago, and I
had a couple of people who saw it, who were
friends of mine, that said it was too confusing to follow.
And that's what I'd say to you right now. If
(15:37):
that's the headline that you're listening to everything all at once,
it's too confusing to follow. That's why I'm glad you're
joining us here today. We're going to break it down
for you very easily.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And one of the things that I think about when
all of this happens is I was back there in
this area last November, to remember we were talking about it,
and as a as a frame of reference when I
look at the headlines, when I listen to the news,
when Terry and I talk and think about people that
are out there, that have trips underway or that are
(16:10):
planning trips. I have the advantage of saying, I know
that area. I understand that. I know that you know,
when they talk about the places, it's not just what
the reporters are telling me, but it's what is in
my mind from having been there, having you know, sat
in those locations, having met the people in those locations.
(16:31):
And there is much interested in tourism in so many
of these countries and preserving tourism, and preserving the relationships
with tourists, including Americans, especially Americans in some cases. That
what we're going to be talking about today is I hope,
going to make people feel a whole lot more comfortable,
(16:53):
not about the terrible things that are happening, but about
how travel can survive, will survive, and how travel can
be practical as we work through arrangements and looking at
alternate arrangements to make sure that if you've got your
vacation time reserved, and many people do already through the summer,
(17:17):
what can you do to have a great vacation. It
may be in a different destination, a different place, but
it will be can be a great vacation.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, And so I think one of the first steps
that I want to take in this conversation today is
to talk about just understanding what's happening. Okay, we want
to talk about what we know. Recent events involving Iran
have raised geopolitical tensions in parts of the Middle East region,
particularly involving military actions and diplomatic responses among several countries. Now,
(17:54):
when events like this occur, the first organizations to evaluate
the potential impact, and the ones that we at the
Wishing Well and other I'm sure very professional travel advisors
do reach out to and look for information from is
(18:14):
the US Department of State. That's one of the first places,
the Federal Aviation Administration, the international aviation authorities, and the
global intelligence and security organizations. Those are going to be
our top tier of people that we glean information from,
and those are the most reputable places to get them.
(18:35):
Not your group chats, not your social media friends. Those
are all going to be opinions when we deal with
something like this. For you, in particular, you listeners, you
the travelers. We want to deal with the facts and
that's what's going to help us through this. And these
groups that I just mentioned they constantly monitor Chris, the
(18:56):
developments and the issues, travel advisors and aviation notices even needed.
These are our official lifelines at the Wishing Well. This
is our go to and let's look at this information
just a little bit closer. I know we've covered this before,
but I think especially now, it bears looking at again.
(19:19):
And that is the levels of the four tier advisory
system that have been implemented by the US State Department.
A level one. If you hear about a level one,
So anytime that you look at countries as to if
it's okay to go, is it okay to go to
this country? The US State Department categorizes each country into
(19:43):
certain levels. There are four, okay, and a level one
is exercise normal precautions.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Okay, so going to Canada, there you go, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Just exercise normal precautions. That would be a level one.
Level two is in exercise in priest caution. Now, it
might surprise you to know that places like Spain and
Italy and Switzerland, they all fall under a level two
right now, really exactly? Yeah, And interestingly enough, Mexico falls
(20:19):
under a level two.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I was going to use Mexico as my example for
that one. Yes, So, but all these other places are
as well. Interesting yep.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And then you get into a level three, which is
reconsider travel.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
So Saudi Arabia.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Egypt right now is a level three, okay, and it
has been for quite some time, and yet to Perry's
point a while ago, as he was pointing out, this
is someplace that under a level three he traveled to
pretty safely last year and had an incredible experience. We
then have level fours. Those are the do not travel okay,
(21:00):
so you've got under that right now, of course, I
ran you have Israel right now is I do not travel, Syria, Libya.
Those are the countries that are level fours, and the
average person the DII wire is not going to know
that unless you are reaching out to the correct authority.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I mean, I think I'm pretty much on top of things,
and I've never realized there were four tiers to this
until you just brought that up exactly exactly, And it's
very important.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
If you don't know that, you could be very surprised
if you get to the airport and you're trying to
go somewhere and you get very surprised knowing that that's, yeah,
you can't travel there right now. And this changes over time.
This doesn't This is a very fluid situation.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Is that a blanket number for the entire country or
can you have regions of the country that have different.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Question, regions of the country can be under different levels. Yes,
but when you go to the state department and you look,
you're going to see those levels disseminated as to which
area of the country that they belong to. Now here's
an important part, Chris, that travelers don't often realize these
advisories are issued country by country, not global. Okay, so
(22:18):
when a conflict occurs in one part of the world,
it doesn't automatically affect travel everywhere else. So it's not
like a level four automatically applies to Europe. Sometimes people
think that and that's why they quit traveling. They go, oh,
can't travel right now, because everything is you do not travel.
We didn't have that until COVID hit. You know, we
(22:40):
had a level four just about everywhere, all at once.
But that was a very very unusual situation. For example,
at the time we're having this conversation, and I mentioned
this to you before, many of the most popular destinations
Americans are traveling to this year, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan,
(23:02):
Australia and much of Europe remain open and welcome travelers
as usual, but they're operating under that level too from
the State Department, which, by the way, as I said,
is the same level as Mexico right now, even after
the most recent incidents in Portovlliarta.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And what's the cause of those countries having been elevated.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Alert things that have occurred, things that the State Department
is aware of, the State Department's main objective is for
American protection. That is the main objective, the main objective
of our government as a whole is to protect Americans traveling.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
And it's my opinion, and I'm saying as opinion Chris,
that a lot of the level twos that you see
are these advisories from the US State Department are for
American travelers. And it turns out in the world right now,
as an American traveler, you want to be at that
level too, which says exercise increased caution. It doesn't say
(24:10):
don't travel. It says be very aware that you're an American.
There are bad guys all around that there are bad
guys in our neighborhood here in town that target people
based upon whatever reason. Being an American makes you a
potential target. So what the State Department is saying is,
don't be an idiot, you know, exercise some increased caution
(24:33):
as you're traveling. And doesn't that make sense.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah, this is a really interesting conversation. I'm looking forward
to our entire conversation, but we need to take a
quick break and when we come back, we're going to
continue our show called International Impact, and there is a
lot of impact going on internationally right now. We'll talk
more about it here. On a Life Less Ordinary. Why
do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalist. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customized vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and f avenue call
(25:17):
us at five four zero nine zero eight two three
three three, or on the web at the Wishingwell dot
biz and welcome.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Back to a Lifeless Ordinary. This is the travel show
and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well. They're
on f Avenue in Harrisonburg. They're online at the Wishingwell
dot biz. And if you visit the website, up a
right hand corner, you'll see the menu and there's a
link for all of the past episodes of A Life
Less Ordinary, and you can type in a keyword and
it'll search all those episodes and you can get caught
(25:46):
up on any travel topic that we've talked about up
to this point. Absolutely, you can also give them a call.
Five four oh nine oh eight twenty three point thirty three.
Our show today is international Impact. If if you've been
awake over the course of the last seven days, you
know there is a lot going on internationally. Sure has been,
and we typically are talking about luxury experiences, wonderful getaways.
(26:11):
Today we're talking about how what's going on in the
news is impacting our travel decisions. Is it safe to travel?
Is it smart right now to book travel for the future?
Well answer that question, I'm sure as we go on,
and we just learned about the different tier system that
the State Department uses to classify whether or not you
(26:34):
should be.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Traveling exactly or where if you're looking at a particular country,
what they're experiencing, and what Americans would be experiencing should
they go again. Just to reiterate, today's show is all
about trying to provide you with confidence when you travel,
because knowing that you're working with a great professional who
(26:58):
really understands and can navigate through this. You know, maze
of information is so important to you when you're trying
to travel globally, and everybody is these days. I mean,
people want those great experiences. They don't want an armchair
experience anymore, or they don't want to buy what their
(27:19):
neighbor bought last week and try to make that their own.
They want another great experience for themselves. They want those
memories and knowing how to navigate that is what the
wishing Well is all about. I know that, you know,
some people do feel a bit of pending concern about
(27:39):
what's going on right now. But I've got good news, Chris.
The good news is, even with all that we have learned,
flights are still operating, cruises are still sailing, hotels are
still putting people up, and millions and millions of travelers
are continuing their journey still around the world world. I
(28:00):
was just on a webinar actually yesterday concerning the situation
that occurred in Mexico. And I've gotten a lot of
calls from people about their concerns in Mexico and did
we have some cancelations as a result of what happened, Yes,
we did. However, according to the webinar that I was
on just yesterday, we have very short memories. You see,
(28:23):
once things get back to normal again, guess what people
want to do. They want to pack their suitcase, they
want to go again. And Mexico is just one of
those places that's just so lovely and so wonderful. They
want to get back out there. So as of yesterday,
one hundred and fifty thousand more travelers had already begun
to book vacations for this summer back to Mexico again.
(28:47):
So yes, it is coming back. But there's still more
that we need to know. There is the geographic reality
of what's happening. And one of the biggest misconceptions that
travelers have is that again, anything that's happening in the
Middle East somehow affects everything in Europe. And I want
(29:08):
to set this record straight. Geographically speaking, Chris, that just
really isn't the case. And to put this into perspective,
the distance, say between Tehran and Rome, let's put that
on the map, is roughly about two thousand miles, okay.
The distance between Tehran and London is over twenty seven
(29:32):
hundred miles. So that's similar to the distance between New York.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
And Los Angeles. Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
So when somebody's planning to vacation to say Paris or
London or Barcelona, they're not traveling anywhere near an active
geopolitical area. And making a decision to abandon a planned
trip to London because the unrest in Tehran is like
saying I won't travel to Los Angeles because there was
(30:01):
a mugging in New York. You see where I'm coming from.
I mean the distance, the reality of that geographic distance
becomes more vivid to you when you put that in perspective,
and it's really unfair to you to continue to think
I shouldn't be traveling to Europe right now because of
(30:23):
what's happening there. And so that brings it kind of
home for us when we look at that real distance there.
This is why the travel industry always encourages travelers to
rely on credible sources of information that's so important. The
goal of the travel industry and the industry professionals is
to interpret what global events actually mean for travelers, not
(30:47):
what you suspect. You know, living on suspicion is not good,
you know. We want to make sure that we deal
with these things factually. So the next thing we want
to look at is how the travel industry responds on
how we have been responding. One of the most reassuring
things travelers should know is that the travel industry is
(31:09):
incredibly experienced at navigating global events. I will never forget
living through COVID. I will never forget that. And yet
I learned probably so much during that time. I think
it was sort of like cramming for an exam, you know.
And during that time we had to know everything about
(31:32):
every place all at once. I mean I remember even
a simple trip that we did, going to Costa Rica,
but it was during COVID. There were so many other
documentations and papers and COVID tests and QR code. That's
when QR codes really hit the forefront of travel, you know,
(31:52):
and everybody had to have one, and it was immediate
and was urgent, and if you got to the airport
and you didn't have it.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
You were in trouble. Yeah, that was one of the
most amazing trips, if you remember, Terry. We were amazed
at how happy the people were to see us. We
were amazed at how uncrowded everything was, and we were
amazed at how we were able to have just a
top shelf experience, way above what I ever expected was
(32:20):
going to happen.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And in fact, the aviation and tourism industries actually operate
with some of the most advanced risk monitoring systems in
the world. And I think that's kind of what drew
me to this industry in the very beginning, is because
I felt like this industry was really the cutting edge
(32:42):
of everything that was important in the world. And I
was excited about that. You know, I mean, I know
you are because Chris, you're also in an industry that's
on the cutting edge of information flow.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
You know, you really are.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
I mean, the radio industry, the the broadcast industry, we
count on people like you. But when it filters in
and it gets into the travel industry, man, that's when
it gets real, you know. And airlines constantly evaluate flight routes,
they analyze airspace restrictions, they analyze security intelligence and government advisories,
(33:20):
and if an area becomes unsafe for aircraft, airlines simply
re route around it. And this happens more than people realize.
Pilots and aviation planners, they've got the ability to adjust
routes in real time to avoid airspace that might present risk.
You may not know that, but they do. And cruise
(33:40):
lines they operate very similarly. They will go around anything
that they see as an imminent threat. And if conditions
change anywhere in the world, cruise itineraries are adjusted, ports
are substituted, and safety remains as the top prior. And
I think that's what should be so important that people
(34:04):
here in today's show, is that that's where the confidence
comes from, is knowing that these industry levels are well
equipped to navigate around these uncertainties.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I'm glad you actually brought up the point that this
is happening a lot more than we may realize, because
exactly my question that I was waiting for a good
time to ask was is this just does it feel big?
Because it is in the moment a big news story,
But in the reality, if I wanted to travel to,
(34:36):
you know, pick some nation somewhere else on the planet
that is currently at war with someone that it would
be the same situation there, but we're just not talking
about it right now. And my follow up to that
question is how dangerous is it for us to focus
on that, like right now, what's happening in the Middle East,
(34:59):
and not pay attention, you know, what's happening elsewhere because
we think, oh, that's where the you know, the inconvenience is.
Let's travel instead to the Korean Peninsula and you go, oh,
maybe that's not the best place to be traveling, you
know either. But if I do that on my own,
I don't have that information at hand.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
So I think the biggest contrast for us to answer
your question is as you look at these people that
are trying to monitor things, the airlines, the cruise lines,
the hotel years, the tour operators all around the world,
they look at what's happening in the Middle East, and
it is referred to, sometimes casually or incorrectly, as an incident,
(35:39):
and if you think about it, they respond. This is
what Terry was saying, They respond to incidents all the time.
It could be a tidal wave moving across the ocean
affecting the weather. It could be something else going on
in the weather. It could be a volcano erupting anywhere,
you know, maybe Hawaii somewhere else, or it may be
in you know, up rising, you know, a some kind
(36:04):
of an event that happens to social event. Minneapolis was
a little bit dangerous for a little while just here
at home. So they look at these things happening around
the world all the time. They have teams of experts,
logistics experts that are ready at a moment's notice to reroute, rethink, replan.
(36:26):
And this is especially interesting to you and I when
we see it on the news because it's a different
kind of incident. But if you peel it a little bit,
it's it is just another incident, and these people are
working around it, and they're they're expert at it. I
think about you know, space launches and getting a rocket
(36:48):
to the moon. Think about putting you know, thousands and
thousands of planes in the air and bringing them down
safely every day in the United States. It's no accident
that they know how to reroute and move and do
those things. That's what's happening right now. These experts are
applying it. So yeah, there probably is something happening somewhere
(37:08):
else in the world. It just hadn't fit in that
you know, thirty minute news slot that they have every
evening for us to focus and move ahead and line
ahead of.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
This, and Terry, you're on top of all this, those
places that we're not hearing about in the news that
we're not paying attention to, you know, what's happening around
the world. You're more on top of the news than
you know, Dan rather was.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
We like to think so, you know, but we still
try to also even encourage each other within our industry
not to react.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's one of the things that I like to tell
travelers when they see these headlines of global impact that
we're talking about here today. One of the first things
is don't panic. You know, that's that's not a good reaction.
The second thing is to consult again those reliable sources,
which is what we do. We go into action in
(38:06):
our offices, and that's what we're doing. Two of the
most important sources for us, as I mentioned, is the
State Department, but there's also another one called the Smart
Traveler Enrollment Program called STEP. We encourage our travelers to
enroll in that. What does that do? Why is she
mentioning that what do I need STEPS for when I'm
(38:27):
going on in a trail, Well, it actually does stand
for something. The Smart Traveler Enrollment program has been set
up by the State Department so that they can receive
alerts if conditions change in the region that you are visiting.
So if you enroll in this program, they know where
you are and they can send messages to you about
(38:50):
what's happening in that region that you may not be
accustomed to hearing or have availed to hear. So for example,
if I was going to say, Costa Rica, Okay, very
quiet community, ordinarily very quiet country. But if something happened there,
if I had enrolled in STEP before I went to
(39:13):
Costa Rica and something was happening that the State Department
got a message about that was concerning to American safety,
they would send me a message and they would know
where I am. Also, conversely, if something happened to me
while I was traveling, if somewhere along the line I
(39:34):
went missing, the State Department would have me enrolled in
this program. I would have enrolled voluntarily and they would
be able to know and track my movements while I
had been there. So the STEP program is very important.
It also allows that embassy to contact travelers if it's necessary.
(39:55):
Here's another resource travelers should rely on a professional Tree
travel advisor. I mean, I can't stress that enough because
travel advisors, especially experienced ones like us at the Wishing Well,
we work with our global partners. Every single day. We
receive updates from international airlines, the tour operators, the cruise lines,
(40:17):
the global security monitoring services. So when events occur, Chris,
we're often evaluating the situation before the average traveler even
hears about it on the news. Those updates roll across
my screen immediately when something has happened, and something has occurred.
And then we want to talk about the psychology side
(40:40):
of travel fear. I want to talk about that. It's
something interesting how human beings process risk. When we see
dramatic images on television, our brains sometimes interpret that as
danger being closer than it actually is. Statistically speaking, international
(41:02):
travel today remains one of the safest activities people can
actually participate in. Air travel is extraordinarily regulated. Actually, just
had dinner a couple of nights ago with some folks
who went on an Egyptian cruise down the Nile and
they visited Jordan in places like that, and they said that,
(41:25):
you know, though their trip was they did see even
armed guards at certain places. They said, we never felt safer. Now,
that's probably not a destination that I would recommend that
you go to immediately. Right now, We've got some things
going on over there that we talked about those levels.
I think that would probably not be a level one
(41:49):
for sure. But what I want to say is global
tourism infrastructure is highly organized, and it's supposed to be,
and that's the way it works so well. Security monitoring
is more sophisticated than ever before. I remember when I
worked in Charlottesville. Once upon a time, I went to
a place called Injinic and I was able to go
(42:13):
inside of that facility and see exactly what our security
systems in the United States, very sophisticated system can actually
drill down to somebody's home and actually even look inside
your car and see what's happening to that nth degree.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
All right, that's a little fright. It's amazing the satellites
that are out there.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
That's the National Ground that's the National Ground Intelligence Center.
It's a federal agency and their job is to coordinate
all of the resources, all of the assets that the
United States government and our friends around the world have
so that they know what's going on. And that's the
kind of data that feeds those travel advisories that Terry's
(43:00):
talking about, and that you know, feeds the front end
of that system that you know that ends up in
the STEP program, which is almost like a lot of
people have the first Alert weather kinds of things on
their phone. That's the way that program works. And when
I leave the country, it's been around for years. It's
a great program. You give up a little bit by
(43:22):
telling the government where you are. That's really good if
they need to find you or if you need help.
You can use that system also to communicate with them,
and I think Terry you mentioned we communicate with the
travelers too. I think one of the best tools we
have for our travelers is we have an app that
our travelers have on their phone that's got their trip
(43:43):
so they can see where to go and what to
do day by day and all the events going on.
It also has a little communications tool in there, and
so we can communicate back and forth with our travelers too.
We're not as good as the government in terms of
knowing what's going on, but we're also very very much
interested and in tune to where our people are at
all times.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
And just because we talk about all this sophisticated equipment
and technology and security that's out there, it doesn't mean
travelers should ignore world events. As a matter of fact,
I would say, Heavens no, we would never advocate that
position because knowledge is power, and we should continue to
(44:25):
update our knowledge on what's happening in the world and
stay informed, but don't let it drive everything in your life.
It doesn't mean you should interpret those events without context.
And that's exactly why conversations like this one that we're
having today are so so very important. Let me talk
(44:47):
to you, Chris, about why travel really still matters, because
it does. There's another side to this conversation, and I
think it's really important. Travels one of the most powerful
forces for connection and understanding in the world. And when
people travel, they learn about cultures and traditions and perspectives
(45:07):
that they might not ever encounter at home. And learning
how another country's cultures are so very different than ours
sometimes brings us to a world of understanding. And I
think that's a gift that travel gives that's unpredicted when
you travel, and travel reminds us that despite political tensions
(45:29):
between governments, people around the world still welcome visitors with
warmth and hospitality. In most cases, they're happy to see us.
You know, they welcome us with open arms because we
bring with them the possibilities of exchange in culture and worlds,
and in many ways, travel becomes that bridge between those cultures,
(45:54):
which is why even during complicated moments in world affairs,
people still continue to explore the world, and we're so
happy that they do. That really keeps the wishing well going.
You know, curiosity, connection, discovery, those are all powerful human instincts.
Travel is not just a luxury, it's not just recreation.
(46:18):
In many ways, travel is profoundly good for the human
mind and the spirit, and psychologists and behavioral researchers have
studied this for decades and the findings are fascinating. When
human beings travel, something remarkable happens, especially when they experience
new places and cultures. Several remarkable things begin, and that
(46:43):
is travel expands your perspective. One of the most powerful
benefits of travel is that it expands the way we
see the world. When we step outside of our own
environment and encounter new cultures and languages and foods. We've
talked about that a lot here, Chris, you love that
subject and traditions. Our brains are forced to process new information.
(47:06):
Psychologists call this cognitive flexibility. It's the ability to adapt,
to learn, and to see things from different viewpoints. I
love that. And travelers tend to become more open minded,
more empathetic, and more curious about the world around them.
In other words, travel helps us understand humanity better. One
(47:29):
of the next things that occurs from travel is that
it reduces our stress. A lot of studies have shown
that travel, especially leisure travel. I wouldn't say corporate travels
so much because that can be still stressful, but leisure
travel has measurable effects on reducing stress hormones in the body,
including cortisol. When people step away from their daily routines
(47:52):
and responsibilities, the brain has an opportunity to reset, and
we should give ourselves that gift. It also strengthens relationships.
Another remarkable benefit of travel is that it strengthens our
most important relationships, families who travel together. That's why multi
gen travel has become so popular these days. Couples reconnect
(48:17):
friends rediscover one another. Psychologists call these shared memory anchors,
and then travel sparks creativity. We know that it builds confidence.
There's something empowering about navigating the world, and that confidence
also carries back into our everyday lives. And it also
(48:37):
cultivates gratitude. One of the most beautiful psychological benefits of
travel is the sense of gratitude it inspires. I don't
think I've ever traveled anywhere on the globe, or anywhere
I've ever been, how insignificant or small, that I didn't
come back feeling very grateful for the opportunity to just
(48:57):
be able to do it. And when people see the
diversity of cultures and the ways of life around the world,
it often deepens their appreciation for both their home and
the shared humanity that we all possess. Because travel reminds us.
While cultures may differ, people everywhere everywhere value family, community, hospitality, connection,
(49:23):
and recognizing those shared values can be incredibly, incredibly grounding.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Yeah, I've found when I travel, of the things that
Terry's talking about clearly true. I come back change. Every
experience changes me. I have a new insight. I don't
agree with everything I see, I don't agree with you
all of the things that I hear, but it's interesting
to hear something from someone firsthand in another part of
(49:52):
the world and have their interpretation. But the other side
of that is, I think when we travel, we also
leave an impression of ourselves, of our personal self and
of ourselves as Americans, and leaving that around the world
I think also has a very very positive effect on humanity.
(50:14):
It humanizes people rather than just seeing them on TV.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Harry just got very deep. Yeah, I'm going to squeeze
in one more break and then we'll come back and
we'll wrap up our conversation about the international impact that
we're seeing today here on a life less ordinary. Why
do you recharge your cell phone?
Speaker 3 (50:33):
Maybe because, just like you, it functions much better with
a little revitalization. The wishing Well helps people refresh and
revitalize with individually designed, customize vacation planning. We'll send you
anywhere in the world, plus offer advice on packing, navigating customs,
and more. Wishes really do come true at the Wishing Well.
Visit us at two forty three and a half Avenue,
(50:53):
call us at five four zero nine zero eight two
three three three, or on the web at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
And welcome back to a lifeless Ordinary. This is your
weekly travel show and podcast from your friends at the
wishing Well. Today we have been talking about international impact.
We've just got a couple of minutes left. Terry, you
have given us so much important information today about how
to interpret what happens internationally, how it affects us. That
(51:21):
it is not the end of travel. It shouldn't affect
your ability to travel, maybe to a specific place at
a specific time, but please still get out and see
the world.
Speaker 2 (51:32):
Yeah, be concerned, be aware, Yes, but use the tools
that I've talked about in today's show. And if there's
something that one message that I'd like our listeners to
take away today, let it be this. Stay informed, but
don't let headlines alone determine your travel decisions. Instead, consult
(51:53):
reliable government resources, work with experienced travel professionals, evaluate this
facts rather than fear the world. Chris is still full
of extraordinary destinations and at the wishing Well, helping travelers
navigate the world, both the beautiful moments and the complicated ones,
is exactly what we're here to do. Because travel isn't
(52:16):
just about vacations, it's about perspective and when we understand
the world better, we travel through it more confidently. And Chris,
that's exactly what we mean when we talk about a
life less ordinary. So if anybody is interested in travel
or really want to just have more of a deeper
conversation about this with us at the wishing Well, you
(52:36):
can reach us. We're very easy to find. We're located
at two forty three nef Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can call us We're at five to four to
zero nine oh eight, two three three three, or look
us up.
Speaker 1 (52:48):
On the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot viz.
This has been a Life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
(53:09):
are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a Life Less Ordinary
from the wishing Well
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