POINT IT- Travellers Language Dictionary

You're on a streetcorner, in a foreign land, you can't speak or read the local language, you're getting frustrated and panicked because you're perhaps:

A. Totally and completely lost

B. Really, really hungry

C. Have to buy a toothbrush

D. Need an ATM

E. Got to get to a bathroom- STAT

Or anything else of that sort...you know you've been there, we have too... but never again! Ha ha- we've found a way to outsmart the "Does anyone here speak English???" sweats. POINT IT - the coolest travel book we know. It's a passport-sized savior for anywhere, any place, and just about anything you need when words fail you. It's jam packed with super kitchy 70's style photos of over 1,200 things...random things but useful things- like chicken, toothpaste, taxi, doctor, bed, vegetables, sandals and more. Pick one up and take it wherever you roam, because everyone seems to speak the universal language of POINT.

Letters To Zerky- a book by Bill Raney

When you travel as much as an Explorateur does, you're no stranger to the funny looks and comments people give you when you say you've brought your child to places far and wide. You hear the disapproval of those who think you're crazy, you straddle that fine line between wanting to show them the world versus the "is this absolutely nuts?" And at that moment, even after you've questioned yourself for even a milli-second, you then realize you are giving them the best gift possible- the world.

We were so touched when we read Letters To Zerky (and a bit relieved). A beautiful story about a young American family who, in 1967, embarked on a journey around the world with their 18-month-old son. Via Volkswagen camper-van, they trekked through parts far and wide, from Nepal to multiple countries in Europe, to India to Asia, even Iran & Afghanistan, through what can only be described as a truly enlightening journey not only for the parents, but for Zerky as well. Because he was too young to recall everything, his mother kept a diary and wrote a series of letters whilst en route, in the hopes of one day sharing with him the beautiful, incredible and sometimes even frightening experiences along the way. There's much more to the story, but if you're already intrigued and can already relate in some way, we strongly urge you to pick it up.

Our message to you, our fellow Explorateurs this holiday season, is to continue to see the world. Take loved ones with you, show them how others live, embrace cultures, foster tolerance, give to those in need in some way, and never, ever be afraid to take an adventure.

Wishing all of you the happiest, healthiest holiday and a beautiful, exploration-filled New Year!