MY TOP 5 SAFE PLACES FOR WOMEN TO TRAVEL ALONE

Feeling safe is subjective, and I must say I am not easily frightened. As a young girl I used to frequent an area of Tokyo that was a treasure trove of bargains, but also said to be a huge area for white slave traffickers. How true it was and how much was urban legend or foreign parents being over protective I don't know. That same area today is very fashionable. Besides criminal danger there are dangers from weather, wildlife, social dangers like discrimination or political corruption, and countries at war are certainly not safe for anyone. Ultimately you must trust your gut and do your research.

My top places to travel alone and feel safe are 1) Japan; even the police do not carry guns and crime is very low. There is the language, but find any teenager in a school uniform and most likely they speak enough English to help you out. 2) Ireland; the people are very friendly, all signs are posted in English and Irish, and the population speaks English. 3) Singapore; they are very hard on crime so crime rates are like Japan very low. 4) Australia; is much like travel within the USA and is safe throughout, but has it's pockets of places to avoid or be be mindful of such as parks at night, questionable neighborhoods, isolated roads or countryside and dark allies. 5) USA; everything I said about Australia applies here, and there is so much to see and explore right in our own country. every state has something to offer.

Being safe is as much about how you carry yourself. Being a believer in the law of attraction I totally believe my safety is what I do to attract or repel unsafe people or situations. Check back for some tips on things you can do to shield against dangerous people and situations.

CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON

My favorite time of year in Japan is now when the Sakura (cherry blossoms) bloom. I remember walking to the train station, to school or the park after school and being enveloped in a sift pink cloud of delicate silk. The smell is heaven and it's hard to imagine anything but good. You must visit Japan during this season because if you don't believe in heaven you will after walking in a park of cherry trees in bloom.

GREAT LINK FOR JAPAN HELP UPDATE

I have to thank Emily Tang for sharing this great link for update and how to help Japan....http://www.good.is/post/earthquake-and-tsunami-in-japan-how-to-help/

Thanks, Emily! What times like these show us is the true nature of our spirit.

JAPAN - The Home of My Youth

As we approach April and cherry blossom season I always find myself a bit homesick, but this year finds me sad and concerned. Having grown up with earthquakes I'm pretty easy-going about them. Even tho' the school I attended in Japan had been devastated in the 1923 earthquake (before I was born) and many students died. This current earthquake shares the same fault line as California. I was expecting to be flooded as I'm not far enough inland from the beach front to escape a tsunami, but we were blessed and saw no effects of the tsunami. We will feel the economic challenges as Japan is our 4th highest source of travelers to the USA and pump $13 billion into our economy as a result; mostly Hawaii, California, New York and Nevada will feel the pinch. In turn, travel plans to Japan seem to be making record cancellations. If you enjoy travel that "helps" like going to a country and build homes or schools, or assist in delivering medicine then perhaps this is a good time for a humanitarian trip. If not, and you want the 5-star treatment it's a toss up... with so many cancelations those who do show will have undivided attention and resources. I went to Mexico when the swine flu caused most to cancel and it was wonderful. Actually, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe and Osaka are in pretty good shape. The Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea reported no damage. If your vacation plans were in these cities, and especially if you don't have trip insurance then you may want to keep them. The coast of Honshu is not a major tourist destination and that is where the devastation is. Cherry Blossom time in Japan is so beautiful, romantic, hopeful and inspiring.

ESSENTIALS: TOILET PAPER

TOILET PAPER is a must to carry when traveling in the Middle East, Asia, South & Central America. Not that European toilet paper is wonderful, but they generally have it. Take the cardboard core out of half-size roles & flatten to pack in plastic bags. Travel packs of baby wipes (just not in China, I'm told airport security will take them from you) are advisable along with hand sanitizer. If you don’t bring your own toilet seat covers, even in many parts of the United States they are not provided… squatting helps build leg muscles! Since I grew up in Japan where most toilets were bowls in the floor I'm good at squatting & forget about the worry of what you might contract from contact with the toilet seat!