Travel in the Age of Obama: Ten Tips for Everyday Ambassadors, Jan. 27

Posted by Molly on Dec 23, 2009

Join us on January 27 for our annual member party and a special presentation, "Travel in the Age of Obama: Ten Tips for Everyday Ambassadors," by Don George, whom National Geographic has called a "legendary travel writer and editor."

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a member meeting and reception (for Hostelling International members only). The presentation follows at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. This year’s event is hosted by the World Affairs Council, located near Union Square, just five blocks from our San Francisco Downtown Hostel.

Event Schedule

6:00 p.m.
Annual Member Meeting
Year in Review, Board of Directors election, and presentation of the Dorothy Erskine Award for voluteerism. Open to HI members only.

6:30 p.m.
Member Reception
Refreshments served. Open to HI members only.

7:00 p.m.
Travel in the Age of Obama: 13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador
Presented by Don George. Open to the public.

"Three decades as a professional world-wanderer have taught me that the planet is a glorious and fragile picture-puzzle of precious, unique, and irreplaceable pieces. It has also led me to believe fervently that all of us who love to travel — who, in a profound sense, live to travel — are the guardians of that puzzle, for it is we who hold its pieces in our hands, and who celebrate and sanctify its existence in our lives.

"A new year, with a new administration in Washington, DC, presents extraordinary opportunities and challenges for the American traveler. As 2010 begins to unfold, I’ll share ten lessons I’ve learned in 30 years of travel to 70+ countries: tips that can help us realize our potential as everyday ambassadors, building bridges of understanding and connection around the globe." –Don George

Don George has served as global travel editor for Lonely Planet Publications, founder and editor of Salon.com’s travel site Wanderlust, and travel editor for the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is currently a contributing editor and book review columnist for National Geographic Traveler, editor of Recce: Literary Journeys for the Discerning Traveler, and host of the blog Don’s Place, as well as co-founder and chairman of the annual Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference. The author of the best-selling Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing, Don has also edited six award-winning anthologies of travel tales, including The Kindness of Strangers, Tales from Nowhere, and By the Seat of My Pants. He has frequently appeared on NPR, CNN, and other TV and radio outlets, and has published more than 1,000 articles in magazines and newspapers around the globe, including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, and Islands. He has received dozens of awards for his writing and editing, including the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award and the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Gold Award for Best Travel Article of the Year.

Join us!

Please RSVP by January 24 to (415) 575-1500 or info@norcalhostels.org.

Note: The speaker for this event was originally announced as Jeff Greenwald. Mr. Greenwald has been called away to Asia to pursue a unique research opportunity for his upcoming book. We are pleased and grateful that Mr. George has agreed to appear in his stead.

Presented in cooperation with the World Affairs Council.