I board the plane, I open up my iPad and I start reading a book. Fifteen minutes later the crew tells us to turn off all electronic devices. So I stop reading. But then I’m bored and start flipping through Skymall, which is not the most productive use of time. Twenty to thirty minutes later, we’re told we can turn on our devices again, and I return to reading, somewhat perturbed that I am forced to endure literarus interruptus. I know – first world problems, right? But we all know that flying can be inconvenient, and this is just another inconvenience. However, there’s good news. The New York Times’ Jad Mouwad and Nick Bilton report that the Federal Aviation Administration is considering easing those restrictions on reading eBooks, watching videos and listening to podcasts.
If a little electronic accompaniment is not enough to help you feel more comfortable inflight, Conde Nast Traveler’s Wendy Perrin suggests six little luxuries that will make your flight more endurable.
Here in the States, governments and businesses are frantically preparing for next week’s rollout of the Affordable Care Act (actually, that’s what the media is saying – the reality is that not much will really happen on October 1. But it’s still an important milestone.) While we prepare for the introduction of the new healthcare marketplaces, there is an important date looming for British expatriates in Europe. Expat Health’s Bryony Ashcroft reports that countries have until October 25th to implement the European Union Health Directive. The Directive calls for British expat workers who are still considered residents of the UK to be eligible for medical treatment in any European Economic Area country they choose. Which is a pretty sweet deal.
In this social media age, we share. A lot. And some of us overshare. I know that might seem shocking, but it’s true. Increasingly, people are becoming tethered to social media during their vacations. At USA Today, Bill McGee suggests that the best way to get the most out of your vacation is to put down the Facebook app and chill out. The flipside of the argument is that social sharing can create stronger bonds and greater community – friends and family back home can “participate” in your time abroad. What do you think about social sharing while on vacation? Let us know in the comments.
That “staying connected to friends and family” argument takes a hit in a new poll from the United Kingdom. The Telegraph’s Oliver Smith reports that people polled overwhelmingly indicated that traveling the globe was the highest priority for their bucket list – 53 percent of respondents said world travel was something they wanted to do before they die. Only 30 percent said they wanted to get married and have children.
Let’s get extreme to finish up the week. At the Wall Street Journal, Javier Espinoza heads to New Zealand to learn how to surf. You know it’s going to be a struggle when he starts off by putting on his wetsuit backwards.
At The Adventure Blog, Kraig Becker posts a great video of an absolutely beautiful mountain bike trail ride. Beautiful, that is, until you see how high up the mountain they are and consider how loose the gravel is. Gulp.
This is more my speed – extreme golf. CNN has a slide show of the world’s most extreme golf courses. Tee it up on the frozen tundra? Absolutely. Ease the tension of living along the Afghan-Pakistani border? Count me in.
The BBC’s Lindsay Galloway has another extreme vacation that looks absolutely adorable, but is in actuality fairly harsh – camping with penguins in Antarctica. How about playing golf with penguins?
Photo courtesy of Skift.
