Clearly, visiting struggling countries helps to boost their economy. For a place like Greece, it might well be how they can dig out of such a deep hole, promoting all that is so appealing when life for locals is so hard. So, when I read a recent New York Times article entitled “The Country Beckons Spaniards as Jobs in Cities Grow Scarce,” it was interesting to think about how long periods of strife can dramatically change the travel landscape.

I remember rolling in to sleepy Spanish villages, practically drunk on olives and olive oil and even sleeping under an olive tree one hot day. The small towns, just awakening from years under Franco, were still very old world, so authentic and charming. Spain of course has modernized quickly over the last 20 or so years, but much of the growth was isolated in the big cities and towns.

With jobs so scarce and the cost of living so high in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, many folks are moving back to the countryside and taking with them all their urban skills, savvy, appetite and spirit. The populations of many cities are shrinking, and conversely, the small towns are growing, blossoming with artists, entrepreneurs, new farmers and even circus performers!

So if you’re headed to Spain, after you have been to the Prado Museum, walked Las Ramblas and soaked in some Spanish urban culture, head to the smaller towns to savor the old world flavor or relish the new life! Triporati has more than 50 destinations in Spain to discover!

The message is, to really discover the joy of travel one must blend in, not stand out. Wearing American flags or even favorite team jerseys and caps is a tip off that one is not from the country one is visiting. Although humorous, the advice is simple: Why not pack light and buy a few items as you travel? That way you have great souvenirs as well as shedding the distinct American imprint.

When out of the U.S., I love to head to pharmacies and five and dime type shops to stock up on small items like lip balm and packages of tissues. I always look for fun socks and t-shirts, hats, hair accessories and of course shoes and bags, a girl can never have enough shoes and bags! Even your jewelry, haircut and makeup can tip you off.

When I lived in France, folks often asked me how my teeth were so white. This was before teeth whiteners were chic and I just chalked it up to good American dental care. Germans often wear sandals with socks and very short shorts. Brits can be spotted with sunburns, Russians bejeweled and glittery, Spaniards always seem to have great shoes.

These are clichés of course but I always notice how well the French maneuver their cutlery. Often it’s the little things that give away one’s nationality. So if you are headed abroad think about these details as you plan your adventure and decide if you want to be taken for a local.

Tomorrow the host city of the 2016 Summer Games will be announced in Copenhagen, Denmark. The front-running candidates are Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid. President and Michelle Obama will be there to forward the Chicago bid, which because of their star power is leading Rio as the top pick. Rio would be the first South American city to host a games. Mexico City was the host in ’68, but Rio has captured the hearts of South America and the hopes of the continent. I have to say, sentimentally I favor Rio, but having been there I can’t quite picture how the city could pull off the Games. I visited Rio and other Brazilian cities on a fabulous whirlwind trip with my dad and two of his friend’s in the ’90s.  Security alone (every hotel room had a safe) is worrying.

I wrote a story, years ago, about Rio edging out cities in South Africa for the most crime ridden city in the world and the concern in Rio was palpable. I also remember being driven from the airport into the city, and drivers don’t stay in their lanes, they straddle; it was terrifying.  I’ll never forget driving to a beach town and on a four lane highway a crowd was gathered around a dead horse.

Now I’m not saying that the Rio bid is not sophisticated or marvelous (Rio is arguably the most colorful and fun city in the world), I just am trying to imagine all the logistics. As for Tokyo, Japan hosted the winter games in the ’90s and Barcelona in Spain was the host relatively recently too, and the U.S. well there has been Atlanta, L.A. and Salt Lake City in the last 20 years, so it only seems fair that Rio be the sentimental favorite for most of the world.

So it comes down to Chicago and Rio. For Chicago it would mean a chance to be center stage, revamp the gangster image and give the world a taste of Midwestern hospitality, but it must be said, Atlanta and Salt Lake City have hosted in the last 20 years and my heart is leaning towards Rio…we’ll see tomorrow.

Others might choose the Inca Trail in Peru; the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain; pub-to-pub walking in the Cotswolds of England; the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

I’ve been tempted by the Overland Track in Tasmania. But Robert D. Hershey Jr. extols the virtues of the Milford Track in New Zealand in a recent story in The New York Times. As far back as 1908 this 33.5-mile trail was called the finest walk in the world and many hikers feel it’s true today.

After reading Hershey’s story I’m ready to start planning a trip south. How about you?

Nearly every weekend I took off for London, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Holland or Italy. I remember sewing a Canadian patch on my backpack before a foray through Europe because of the palpable dislike for Reaganomics and small acts of terrorism against Americans: small potatoes compared to travelers’ fears today.

These days, the economic slowdown and global tensions make a year in another country out of reach or out of the question for many. So you might think that there has been a decrease in student travel, but no, according to a recent New York Times article, study abroad is not only on the rise, it is flourishing.

This is good news for all us travel buffs; it means a new generation is getting out and seeing the world. Where are students going? The top five countries where student travel has increased dramatically in the last few years are Ecuador, South Africa, Argentina, China and India. Many schools are expanding their programs to keep up with the high demand, particularly for China. Interestingly USC, NYU and Columbia receive the most foreign students.

A recent article in the New York Times chronicled the opening of a Soccer Museum, where else but in Sao Paulo, Brazil. An elite sport that has become a sport for the masses, it has great lessons to teach both on and off the field.

Agility, thinking fast on your feet and teamwork are just a few of the skills vital for soccer success.  From Pele to Mia Hamm, Cameroon to Korea, soccer stars are truly global, although Brazil is perhaps the most insane for its players, many of whom are often given only one name to further heighten their star status.

The billions of soccer fans around the globe love to share their passion, whether using a bunched up old shirt, an old rusty can or a regulation black and white ball; futbol is truly an international language. So, if you have kids who love the sport and you plan on traveling anywhere outside the U.S., take a soccer ball along. Your ball just might be an ambassador of sorts, an entrée into the world of local kids. A mom friend of mine with three boys, all soccer crazy, just got back from a whirlwind trip to Europe. She reminisced with me about her sons’ pick-up games in London’s Hyde Park and Barcelona. What a great way to connect, mingle and assimilate into a culture, something we Americans need to experience more often.

Whenever I travel, I like to bring a novel written about the place to dive into while away. Some of my favorites include Smilla’s Sense of Snow, a 1992 novel by Danish author Peter Høeg  which is a film as well. I read this on a trip to Iceland and it really got me in the mood.  I know the book is set in Denmark and Greenland but I took a little imaginative license and got myself in the groove for a blustery March trip to the lunar-like island.

Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, by Jorge Amado, set the tone for a trip to Brazil years ago and helped me understand the culture and geography of Bahia. This book was also made into two films for Brazilian television. Sometimes, films offer an appetizer for the main dish of the trip. Recently, I recommended two films to a colleague who was headed to Vietnam: The Scent of the Green Papaya and the Academy Award winning Indochine.The former gives you a taste, a visceral sensation of the place, the latter offers historical insight and helps one understand some of the dynamics that led to the Vietnam War.  Do you have a book or film that inspired or enhanced your travels? Let us know.