Daniel Lubetzky

As we made our way from London to Madrid to escape the volcanic ash clouds and fly back to the US last month (see twitter journey report starting here, and see pictures here), and drawing from experiences when setting up PeaceWorks ventures and traveling through undeveloped parts of the globe, here are 10 tips for emergency travel:

1. Think Outside the Box: The irony of the volcanic eruption in Iceland is that while most of Europe was enveloped by the ashes – the one airport that continued working at full force was…in Iceland!

2. Research and Plan up front: Careful evaluation of options can save time down the road. Since getting a head start is of the essence during crises, try to parallel process – search on the web while on hold with airlines, ask family, friends or team members to research a particular leg of the trek or travel option. Paul and Allison researched ferries while Ian helped find car, and Adeena booked air reservations. Rely on network knowledge: Skoll entrepreneurs exchanged info via email. Search twitter, facebook, primary sources on web and news sites. Don’t assume one website is definitive. A lot of misinformation also abounds (see below).

3. Just Do It: don’t be paralyzed by options or by the possibility of a wrong decision. You lose much more from total inaction. Like in real life, you can be lucky, but you can also make your luck by just showing up. We feared the ferries and the trains would be so overbooked and we wouldn’t find a spot (because websites and news reports warned all were sold out). We showed up and they were 50% empty!

4. Prepare for Bad Scenarios: Write essential info like key contact #s or confirmations on paper – in case your pda or phone runs out of battery. Carry always essentials with you – such as a mini-first-aid-kit, even if just a couple of pills for each ailment. Carry emergency cash in some secret compartment. Some tissues or toilet paper in your back pocket…

5. Carry Alternative Electric/Web Connection Options: at a minimum this should mean a multi-purpose electric outlet converter; some car chargers can be life-savers and don’t add much space; an unlocked phone with refillable sim cards for the countries you visit can be very useful – not so much for outgoing calls because the rates are almost as exorbitant as if roaming from the US, but because they allow free incoming calls. A US phone with international service for back up is also critical. A wi-fi ready device is the minimum you need; an ethernet cable can be useful; a Verizon-type internet source from phone network can be handy.

6. Travel flexibly/lightly: A carry-on suitcase multiplies the flexibility for flight changes. Layers of clothes allow you to be comfortable in changing temperatures. A sweater for the plane can be very handy. Phone cos can change plan as you travel.

7. Nice to haves can make a difference: noise canceling headphones, extra pair of warm socks.  Take off your shoes on long rides. Pack an Eye mask always – make all the fun you want, but when you are stuck at 6am traveling on car and sleepy, it is an awesome savior.

8. Charge Up When You Can – maximize your staying power – Juice up your computer and phone/pda whenever possible – you never know when you’ll be stuck without electricity.  An extra battery is useful, and you should work on power-saving mode when traveling. Also rest your body well and sleep as much as possible before a long journey. Take a nice good shower and a healthy hearty meal before long travel.

9. Carry something to KIND others: Being able to give a little treat to strangers can make a big difference.  I bring KIND bars with me, not just to snack for myself but as a way to give out to people stranded also, or to people that can give you a hand – at the checkout counter of an airline, etc.

10. Deploy Alliances – Traveling with someone is not just more pleasant; pairing up can help you coordinate – one watches bags while other searches for option, or one buys food while other gets tickets, and is more likely to yield support from others who won’t think you are a stalker; while most people can’t control the passport they carry, not all passports are created equal – and the ones from nations with most pre-cleared no-visa-requirement access can be huge assets.  Develop a bond and loyalty with your preferred airline – loyalty programs come very handy in times of crisis – they set up emergency hotlines and will try to help their passengers find alt. routes. And get local tel #s from your airline so you are not calling long-distance (toll-free #s from abroad are treated as long-distance calls).

More ideas? Post them in comments…

Back in April, Paul Van Zyl and I were stuck in London after the volcanic ash eruptions.  To avoid another week without our families and to get back to our jobs, we trekked from London through Dover on to Calais in the North of France and then drove down across France, through Paris, and into Madrid, Spain – and barely caught the last flight avail. from Madrid to New York City.  I twitted the journey starting here.

Paul Van Zyl getting into the ferry.

Below are more pics of the trip – click below to view them:

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Check out this very creative surprise for a Danish bus driver – it was part guerrilla promotion for the bus company, part fun for the voyagers, and part KINDING for the birthday of the targeted bus driver!

This interview mentions my uncle Larry Lubetzky – my Dad’s older brother.  I recall how as a child my Dad recounted his liberation by American soldiers.  It was many years later that I learned the platoon that rescued him was composed of all Asian-Americans – Japanese Americans to be specific. 

A few weeks ago my sister uncovered an interview by the Yale Archives of my Dad, from 1987, which I am embarrassed I had never seen, sharing his life’s story, including the dark episode of Dachau.  The video was dubbed into DVD and I made several hundred copies.  If anyone wants one, please reply to this posting, or email me or call our office at +1 212 616 3006 x104 and I will gladly send you a copy – while supplies last.

I started twitting for anyone interested in the journey from Skoll World Forum in Oxford and through London into NYC.

Paul Van Zyl and I are heading out on train, boat, car, and donkey to Madrid – or by camel to Morocco if necessary and then hopefully on to the USA.

Very much in OneVoice, and very much with a sentiment like that of the KIND Movement, Starbucks bested all videos I got this season with this awesome compilation (which I received from Jason Alexander): musicians and ordinary citizens across the world joined on the same day at the same time to sing the same song:

Among all of KIND’s retail partners, Starbucks certainly ranks among the classiest, most professional and most sincerely committed to truly make this a better world.  In this case the above is part of a partnership with Project RED to fight AIDS.

This is another in a series  (see prior examples here and here) of magical uses of art in real life situations – which accentuates all that is good about art and about life – and can be a phenomenal marketing tool:

My father taught me a very important lesson when I was a girl growing up in East Germany. He said, “Always be more than you appear and never appear to be more than you are.”

-as told to Bono (U2) and captured by him in a New York Times opinion piece.

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Interesting and provocative article from Hoover fellow – Victor Davis Hanson – re Obama foreign policy as lacking in toughness from real politik.

An interesting article here describes Sweden’s experiment with climate change impact labels on food items – including on restaurant menus and grocery item labels.  The effort to educate consumers about the environmental impact of their food consumption sometimes clashes with nutritional advice – ie, avoid tomatoes because grown in greenhouses – and sometimes is aligned – ie, red meat doesn’t just raise cholesterol but raising cattle also emits far more CO2 pound to pound than almost anything else you consume.

I wonder if 50 years from now this will be a widely implemented practice that all of us follow as obviously needed, or if some will look back at how silly we were – either because it was too little too late, or just the wrong approach.  But it is certainly an interesting experiment worth following.

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