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William Mungall Travel Photo | Valpolicella Winery Villa

William Mungall Travel Photo | Rome Maxxi Museum

Travel: Keeping Your Identity Safe

When you’re traveling there are always dangers.  Identity theft has risen as one of those dangers.  In a recent USA Today article, it gives an extensive report of ways to look out for potential thieves and keep your identity safe.  Below are some highlights from the article written by Dara Continenza, a writer for SmarterTravel.com.

Public computers = danger

While many travelers travel with all sorts of personal technology, there are instances where you may need to use a public computer to print your boarding pass, make a reservation, or something else.  Continenza states that public computers are a “hotbed for identity theft.”  There will be plenty of websites that ask to autosave your information onto the computer itself and sometimes you aren’t even asked.  Always delete your history after you have used a public computer and if the public computer is using Google Chrome, you can use an incognito window by pressing “Ctrl + Shift + N.”  The last tip seems fairly obvious.  Avoid checking anything regarding your finances like bank accounts or credit card information.

Use cash

If you have the option to use cash, use it.  If the cash is stolen it is gone, of course, but you won’t be in danger of losing your identity along with it.  If you have to use a card, avoid situations that put it at extreme risk.  Never let someone take your card to a different room.  If the card leaves your sight it is more likely to be used to steal your identity and Continenza points out that overdraft fees could hit you before you even know your identity has been stolen.

ATMs

Many people have had their identity stolen through street side ATMs.  Be wary of non-descript ATMs as it is not all that difficult for hackers to purchase the machine and hack the system to store your information.  Stick with bank branch ATMs and make sure that no one is looking over your shoulder while you input your information.  It is also wise to cover your hand when inputting your PIN.

For more information on the other tips provided, check out the link above.

William Mungall Travel Photo | Antwerp Villa

William Mungall Travel Photo | Bruges Canal

William Mungall Travel Photo | Antwerp Main Square

William Mungall Travel Photo | Yerevan

William Mungall Travel Photo | Musical Fountain

William Mungall Travel Photo | Mount Ararat

Travel Destinations in New England

The Boston Globe Magazine is the foremost authority on all things Boston and the New England area.  Recently, Patricia Harris and David Lyon wrote an article that gives some of the best travel destinations to see in the New England area entitled New England travel guide: 12 classic destinations.  Below are some of the highlights from the list provided by Lyon and Harris.

Lenox, MA

A paradise for the theater and arts crowd, Lenox is considered “the nerve center” for arts in the summer.  While the majority of performances happen in the evening, Lenox provides patrons with a day full of perusing crafts and other art galleries.  It is also a lovely place to get a good cup of coffee and admire the cottage-style architecture throughout the city.

Tanglewood

Fancy the symphony?  Tanglewood is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  You can tour the grounds with many of the Orchestra’s volunteers for free and come back to the main hall and sit on the lawn to hear one of the best “summer music programs in the country.”

Shakespeare & Company

This summer you’ll be able to see the famous Shakespeare & Company put on three plays (Henry IV, Parts I & II, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer’s Night Dream).  If you fancy the classic Romeo & Juliet, you can head down to The Dell at the Mount to see a 90 minute version.

Lenox Farmer’s Market

And while you are getting your taste for Shakespeare, you will be very close to the Lenox Farmer’s Market—this is farm country after all.  At night all of the cheese makers and local area farmers visit the market to provide visitors with all they would need for a night picnic, which many people do.

For more on great places to visit in the New England area.  Check out the rest of the article by clicking the link above.

William Mungall Travel Photo | Burj Khalifa

William Mungall Travel Photo | Dubai

Amtrak Encouraging a Different Type of Travel

Amtrak is launching a new project called Amtrak Writer’s Residency which will try and connect writers with the flowing countryside and hoping that the clack of the train hitting the tracks will be resonated in the keys being pressed on a laptop.  A Chicago Tribune article explains that Amtrak is “borrowing a page from ivory-tower universities” which typically give designated space in libraries or offices to authors and poets.  However, in that realm you are stuck in a single place.  Amtrak is hoping to provide “an inspirational space for writing” and that inspiration with stem from the beautiful surroundings that are always changing as the train barrels down the track.

So how will this work?

Amtrak has already opened up the gates for applications to come in and applications will be accepted until March 2015.  Selected applicants will be able to take part in the writer’s residency and will be able to travel for free round trip on any of the long-distance routes that Amtrak has to offer.  Each trip includes it’s own private sleeper and meals are also included.

After announcing the residency on March 8, there have been over 10,000 applications to date.  The appeal is an experience like no other and to which the Tribune says isn’t “available at 35,000 feet.”

The writer’s residency is not limited to only published authors though.  Amtrak says that they are looking for individuals who are creative and passionate about working on their craft as well as train travel.  In fact Amtrak is looking for “a good mix of people” and are hoping to find novelists, short-story writers, writers just getting on their feet in college and freelance writers from around the world.

Amtrak states that there are very few strings attached and they will be selecting 24 participants each year for the next two years.

William Mungall Travel Photos

Here is another video from William Mungall. Take a trip with William to the many scenic landscapes and take in the beautiful structures that William Mungall has seen on his travels!  

William Mungall Travel Photos from William Mungall on Vimeo.

William Mungall's Travels

Check out this new video from William Mungall on his travels throughout the world.  There have been many exciting places that William has visited and you will see them in the backdrops of this video. Hope you enjoy!