Dear Reader,

Are you venturing out into the shopping craziness of Black Friday today? Maybe you prefer to shop online where you don’t have to leave the quiet of home. Either way, today’s gift suggestions, are AWAI staff picks, taken from our personal wish lists here in the Travel Division, and they should provide some inspiration.

Happy shopping!

-- Bonnie

Bonnie Caton
AWAI Travel Division

P.S. If you missed Shelly Perry’s Gift Guide for Photographers this year, you’ll find it here.

Or, get more gift ideas from our annual Gift Guide for Travelers and Writers.

And, don’t forget to peruse some AWAI gift options, like the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, which is on close-out for nearly 50% off. Plus, when you order it during our Holiday Sale Sneak Preview, you’ll also get FREE shipping... PLUS we’re tossing in a free gift this weekend, too. It’s our Accelerated Travel Writing Success: The Audio Guide. And it’s yours with our compliments when you order the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program before midnight on Sunday.

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November 27, 2009
The Right Way to Travel
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AWAI Staff Picks: Holiday Wish List

** From Marketing Assistant, Alice Derry:

1.  I’d like an iPod touch. Unlike the majority of my friends, I don’t have a Blackberry or a phone with internet, so an iPod touch would be great. I’m always listening to music when I travel, and with an iPod touch I can use the Internet wherever I find a hotspot. And it’s a great way to check e-mail without needing a laptop.

2.  Luggage tags. Believe it or not, with all of the traveling that we do, I still don’t own luggage tags. I am always stuck at flight check-in filling out the paper ones (which aren’t cute or trendy at all). These silver-plated ones from Pottery Barn make a great stocking stuffer and you can get them monogrammed, too.

** From Marketing Manager, Jackie Gray:

1.  I love multi-tasking. So this year, I'd like some new audio lessons for my iPod. iTunes has audio classes through iTunes U, so I was thinking I'd like something on business or marketing. That way, I can listen in my spare time... on the plane, on the metro or at the gym.

2.  Since I travel a lot and I ride the Washington D.C. Metro trains every week, I carry hand sanitizer to ward off sickness. But it dries my hands out. So I’d like some sanitizing hand lotion, instead, like Warm Vanilla Sugar Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Lotion from Bath and Body Works.

(continued below...)

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** Highly Recommended **

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Step 1: Go to a fancy restaurant. Observe your surroundings. Take notes.
Step 2: Savor a luxurious meal, noticing the subtle flavors in your dish.
Step 3: Write up your experience and get paid!

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FREE GIFT: Worried about your waistline with all of that food? Not to fear. When you order during our Holiday Sale Sneak Preview, we’ll give you a FREE gift -- How to Look 10 Years Younger and 20 Pounds Lighter in Every Photo You Take.

Get 20% off on this amazing food writing guide, plus FREE shipping and your FREE gift until midnight Sunday night only.

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** From Marketing Director, Jackie Flynn:

1.  I want a Garmin GPS navigator this year. I’m hoping to make a couple of road trips in Europe this summer and a GPS is a must if I’m to make it back to Ireland again! 

2.  I’d also like a Kindle or a Sony e-book reader. It would be great to have a selection of books no matter where you are or how along you’re away from home.

** From Editorial Manager, Bonnie Caton:

1.  Traveling a lot over the past two years, I’ve trashed my suitcase. So I’d like some new, durable, stylish luggage. Overstock has some nice prices. So does Burlington Coat Factory, I hear.

2.  At the Ecuador expedition last August, freelancer and instructor Steenie Harvey showed up with a tiny, cherry red Acer netbook. I’d love to have a simple computer that’s small and light enough to fit in my purse... just for writing and emailing while I’m on the road. You can get an Acer Aspire One with 7.5 hours of battery life on Amazon.com for around $350.

** From creator of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, Jennifer Stevens:

1.  I need a new wallet for the road. When I travel to places where the U.S. dollar isn’t the currency, I travel with two wallets -- one for dollars and one for whatever the locals spend. That way I don’t end up carrying more cash around with me than I’d like. I also avoid that annoying “coin mix.” You know: when the quarters and dimes you can’t spend end up in the same pocket with the cents that would actually buy you something... if, that is, you could fish them out. There’s a big selection of wallets here.

2.  I’d also like an iPhone. I would love the mobile GPS feature. I’ve always spoken fondly of my dyslexic sense of direction. After all -- I usually stumble upon the best nuggets for my travel stories when I’m wandering around, lost. But it’s a degree less endearing when I’m wandering around with a heavy briefcase on my shoulder and a suitcase in tow. Sometimes it would really be nice to know where I’m going! Bonnie wrote a great piece about irresistible iPhone travel applications earlier this year. 

** From AWAI Travel Division Director, Lori Allen:

This is the first Christmas my husband and I will spend with our new baby.  So we’ve decided to skip the gift swap this year and instead spend an extra week in Ecuador after the photo and Spanish expedition in February. This will be Charlotte’s first trip outside the U.S. (Editor’s note: You’ll find details about our February workshop in Ecuador... spa trip included, here.)

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(c) 2009 American Writers & Artists Inc.
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