I have strong opinions about how to write travel sales copy—so strong that years ago I wrote: MICHAEL’S RULES FOR WRITING TRAVEL SALES COPY. (Written for internal use to save time and keep my pulse rate down when editing copy.) Rule #1: Avoid clichés like the plague Cliché: An expression or idea that has become weak, tiresome, stale, trite [...]

Hi Michael, Well, you roped me in. I do not blog but this in itself will be a new journey. Why do I travel? My life is spent dealing with the internal-being a professional pianist, and teacher. hours upon hours are spent at the piano. With every trip I take with music, I have a "companion" set of experiences that add to my musical images. These come from my travels. Can you picture the view from Manuel de Falla's home, looking down on the vibrant city of Granada? Last summer I was in that very room, playing Falla's piano. Now when I play "Evening In Granada" by Debussy , I can bring my self right back, as well as bring Granada to the music. On the same trip, after blasting through Tangier, and boarding 2 trains to Fez, I found myself in yet another world. After returning home to Montana, my husband and I cooked a Morrocan dinner, complete with outdoor patios, jalabas, fragrant gardens, and brought our experiences to our friends. Travelling is an expansion of the senses,reality...the whole "sheBANG". 30 years ago, my sis spent a year in Costa Rica as an exchange student. After her slide presentation, my fire was lit. It took 25 years to get to Costa Rica, and less than a year to return. All I have to do is make a cuppa C.R. Joe, and I am ready to pack. You know how unique Costa Rica,it's people, culture, and natural beauty are. I can show you through my eyes,ears,tastebuds,responses, just how I experience Costa Rica and what I think many travellers going via Costa Rica Expeditions are looking for. Consider my name in the hat. Thanks. P.S. Living in Montana is a huge travel adventure... it is so big, I will never see it all, even though I am out many weekends a year. But it brings back so much to my daily life, which in turn I pass on to others.

The National Wildlife Federation used to have Family Summits in different parts of the United States. They included five days of classes and outdoor activities for adults and children but encouraged participants to take a half or full day doing some volunteer work in the area that they had arranged for ahead of time, usually planting, picking up trash, or working on a trail. It was voluntary. I think one to two days of volunteering out of a week to ten days would be wonderful. I have heard that it does need to be something that is needed and wanted and would not compete with local workers. Couldn't the people who live there be asked? Were you thinking about an hour each day or an hour total teaching English? My husband has done some volunteer dentistry in Mexico and Guatemala. He needed to be careful not to compete with the dentists that were working in those countries, so they worked in rural areas with the indigenous people. I do remember seeing on Gap's website in the past where people worked on a water project for two to three days and they toured the rest of the time in Guatemala. Is there more of a need in Guatemala and Nicaragua? Safety would be an issue, and it would be helpful for people teaching English to know some Spanish. Actually, it would be a good experience on both sides for older children to help teach also with their parents.

Kathie, We only arrange and operate trips in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We have good friends who we can recommend in Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and many other countries around the world. Before you begin to put in the work to plan an itinerary, you should decide on the destination. Please let me know if you would like me to help you do that.