My husband picked up the ever-appropriate Ozzie phrase "No worries!" from his Australian diving instructor while getting certified in the Phillipines. A few months later he was living in Taiwan, and spreading the good news about zero anxiety to his new friends and new girlfriend (moi). I picked up on the phrase immediately, and have noticed ever since that "no worries" is particularly susceptible to phrase osmosis--my family members have started saying it, my friends, my co-workers. Since we moved to Boston we have been ambassadors for this phrase.

It works because it is not a command like "Don't worry about it!" and it doesn't have the room for error like other ameliorative statements--"I'm sure everything will be fine!" "No worries" means there is an absence of anxiety regarding a particular situation, and it is extremely comforting.

When it comes to traveling, it can get pretty easy to go from "no worries" to "worries." The Italian rail workers went on strike and you can't get to Florence until tomorrow? You missed the only bus from Portobello to the ferry terminal for Isla Grande in Panama and there is literally no other way to get there? Lost your passport in Amsterdam? All these things can turn an adventure into a grind.

I totally get wanting to land in a country and just explore at will (although read my blog and of course Rachel's blogs to learn about the awesomeness that is a tour), but without any pre-planning you can end up spending more time stuck in transportation nodes than finding hidden gems off the beaten path.

A guidebook is your best investment--it will tell you when it will be crowded and expensive, when the weather will be bad, what kinds of crimes most often get perpetrated on tourists (for example--Prague is teeming with pickpockets, and in Bangkok you shouldn't get in a cab unless it's metered), what the transportation infrastructure is like, and some key phrases for getting around. You'll also get phone numbers and hours of operations for the things you will probably want to see.

The other thing is to get travel insurance. I have so many stories:

When I was in Prague, I came down with a severe chest infection and had to go to the doctor, which ended up costing nearly $400--I could have used the travel insurance then. A friend of mine went to Kho Tao in Thailand. She was the only one *not* doing a diving course, and she got vertigo! That ended up costing her several thousand dollars. Another friend of mine did have travel insurance. After planning her trip but before leaving, her mother developed breast cancer and was scheduled for an operation during the trip. She was able to get refund and be with her mother because she had the travel insurance.

Knowing the lay of the land (physical, cultural and spiritual) and insuring yourself against catastrophe is the best way to ensure travel with no worries. Of course, you want to keep it spontaneous. Finding a bar filled with crazy dancing Puerto Ricans in San Juan that stays open 'til the sun comes up, or turning the corner to find yourself in front of a magnificent temple not written about in any of your Hong Kong guidebooks--these are the best moments of traveling. The way to guarantee more of those is to plan for the basics before you leave, so you're not wasting your time searching all night for a hostel with vacancy in Amsterdam or missing your flight out of Edinburgh because you didn't know about the festival that was going on and jamming all the traffic.

However if you booked your trip with STA, you can breath more easily. You'll be able to contact us 24 hours a day, and there is probably a branch near you. No worries! We'll take care of it, and let you get on with your adventure.