international travel

You’re having a great trip and then, boom, you fall off your bicycle and break your leg. Just ask Secretary of State John Kerry, who did just that in France recently and had to cancel the rest of his European diplomatic trip.

Americans in their 60s, 70s and 80s are flocking to language immersion experiences, the New York Times reports. It's a well-worn axiom that learning a foreign language gets harder the older you get. To which Randy Balla might say: Who cares? The 63-year-old retired teacher took up French recently, and he hasn't limited his learning to textbooks or computer-based language lessons: Last summer, he took a three-week French immersion program at the University of Quebec, and plans to return this year.

International volunteer opportunities are great, just make sure you know what to expect before you head out.

Looking for a cool travel destination? Want to try something new...exotic...something that is NOT Europe? Ever given Indonesia a thought?