Navigating Travel – Cache Coach

Some never leave the town they grew up in. Some travel to the same place every year. Some have never flown, only driven. Travel to new destinations is very personal and sometimes unattainable. Not always because it can’t be afforded but because it involves discomfort of the unknown and taking risks.

Travel has been one of my values and priorities even before I went anywhere. Aside from the annual family vacations, I found ways to travel to, in my mind, far away destinations. In fifth grade I knew I had to be in band, not only for the esteemed marching in wooden shoes in perfect cadence, but also for the places the band traveled to (graduated before the ultimate Rose Bowl trip but Washington DC was still a close second.)

So, I convinced my Parents to buy me a clarinet which was a hard sell since they had already bought a piano, had never played an instrument and neither had my older brother. I paved the way for my younger brother.

My husband and I lived about 4 hours apart almost the entire time we dated. We have traveled somewhere every year since. Learning from travel compounds. Our first time in Chicago, we discovered it was very unsafe of us walking to the Metra train station from the Museum of Science and Industry. So, we hopped on a bus, any bus wherever it took us. Our first time driving in traffic was in Atlanta in a U-Haul. The time our tour guide abandoned us in Tiananmen Square in 2001 leaving us to navigate it conspicuously by ourselves.

Most places in the world are discernibly different from where you grew up. To experience them, you have to allow yourself to leave the comfort of the known. It’s the only way you will find them rewarding.

I conducted a research project on travel for an MBA marketing class in 2004. It was fascinating to me. At that time, we were still on the heels of 9/11 and travel was making a crawling comeback among economic concerns and SARS. Passport issuance from 1974 – 2003 increased a mere 3% from 2.4 million to 7.3 million. Only 27% of Americans held a passport in 2004. The big 6 U.S. airlines collectively reported losses of more than $1 billion for the first quarter 2004.

I wrote, “America is a paradox in that it was founded by international explorers with vast foreign ancestry and ties, yet its inhabitants demonstrate little interest to actually reciprocate any travel to the founding countries and family origins.” Twenty years later in 2024, passport holders comprise approximately 46% of Americans. Since the pandemic, interest in international travel has increased. Yet, the most popular destination is Mexico followed by Canada and the UK.

Here are some things you should know about travel, even if it’s within the U.S. or North America.

RealID – You will need a RealID, for real this time, by May 7, 2025, to board a commercial airplane. Passports – can be used to board planes domestically if you don’t have a RealID yet. Just be sure it isn’t expired or expiring in the next 6 months.

REAL ID | Homeland Security

Real ID deadline approaches. Here’s how to prepare for May 7 : NPR

List of countries where US passport holders can travel visa free in 2025 or where one is required.

Do I Need a Visa? | International Visa Check | CIBTvisas

Trusted Traveler Program automatically enrolls you into TSA PreCheck (both highly recommend)

Global Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

What is Global Entry & How Do I Get It? – NerdWallet

Apply for TSA PreCheck® | Enrollments & Renewals | IDEMIA

TSA PreCheck: What It Is, What It Does, Benefits, and How to Qualify

Travel scams

Booking.com warns of up to 900% increase in travel scams

Avoid Scams When You Travel | Consumer Advice