Avoiding Travel Stress International travel creates stress for everyone but there are things you can do to minimize stresss and its effects on you. In addition to the obvious "get plenty of rest and eat right" the advice listed below should help.

• Plan ahead to avoid last-minute panic. Follow the Trip Preparation Time Line, and Check List faithfully so that you do not have to spend the last few days in a whirlwind of activity.
• Arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in, clear security, locate your gate, etc.
• Consult the Transportion Safety Administration website for their latest information on security matters.
• Do not pack anything in your carryon luggage that might cause problems at security check points, nor anything in your checked luggage that require you to have to go to security and explain why you have a questionable item. (There are provisions for transporting a restricted item if you clear it in advance with the airline and make security aware what you bag contains)
• Be sure your medications are properly labeled and packed according to packing tips for prescriptions.
• Be certain to have on your person or in you carryon anything that you must have should your bags be delayed or even lost.
• Cut back on sugar and caffeine before and during your trip. These stimulants will exacerbate anxiety and prevent rest.
• Drink lots of water on very long flights
• Control whatever you can around you, light, fan, seat position, foot room, etc.
• Be prepared to keep yourself occupied with reading material, CD player etc. The flight will offer music, movies, and short videos, but you may not be interested in what they offer so have your own.
• Finally, do not stress over safety. You already survived the most dangerous part of your trip, travel to the airport!

Travel Agencies

I am often asked to recommend a travel agency. The two that I have used and gotten great service from are Wilcox Travel and Ministry Travel. Both work faithfully with Christian missionary travel. At Wilcox our group has a long standing relationship with Jeremy Pick. At Ministry Travel we have worked with a number of their helpful agents. Please understand these two recommendations are just my personal experience and I am sure there are other fine agencies that can help you as well.

U.S. Passport

If you do not have a valid U.S. passport, you must make application for one several months in advance to make sure it arrives in time. In most cities you will need to go to the main U.S. Post Office. In the past I outlined the entire process here but forms, web pages, etc., kept changing so it is easier to just say all the info you need is at State Department Passport Services. The documentation (birth certificate, etc.) will be returned to you by mail with your passprt.

If you have a valid passport, it must have an expiration date at least six months after the anticipated end of your trip. If there are no empty pages for visa and/or arrivial and exit stamps, you must have the passport ammended to add extra pages.

When traveling, I recommend making two photocopies of the photo ID and signature page of your Passport plus any pages with foreign VISA imprints. Take one of these copies with you and keep it separate from where you keep your Passport and leave the other at home with someone who could fax it to you or a U.S. Embassy should it be necessary.

Fee for those 16 and older is $55 (plus $30 processing fee) and is valid for ten years. For those 15 and younger the fee is $40 (plus the $30 processing fee) and is valid for five years.

In many cities the Passport Services window operates on limited hours (e.g. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) so you should call before you go to make sure service is available when you get there.

For those needing to replace an expired passport the form is Form DSP-82 also available at your main post office.

A service exists for getting information on U.S. Passports. It is the National Passport Information Center. To inquire as to the status of a Passport Application you have in process, call 1-900-225-5674 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays) and for $1.50 per minute you can get live operator assisted status updates. This same number offers 24 hour per day automated information at $0.55 per minute for general information (such as I have already listed above) but no status update. However, the smart thing to do is handle this issue far enough in advance so that time is not an issue.

A VALID Passport is one that has been signed with black ink, is in good condition, has blank pages for arrival, departure, and visa (rubber) stamps, and does not expire until at least six months after your planned travel dates.

Ugandan Visa

U.S. citizens are required to have a Uganda Entrance Visa to enter the country. You can accomplish through the Ugandan Embassy in Washington, DC, or upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. There are positive and negatives that can be said about getting the visa in advance and waiting to Entebbe Airport. One positive for waiting is they visa is cheaper at the Airport.

If done in advance, I highly recommend the team leaders collect all the team passports and completed applications and send them in one envelope to the Uganda Embassy in Washington. You will also need a certified check (required) to cover all costs. Consult Embassy Visa Page for current costs and any new requirement that might have been added.

You should seen the passports to the Ugandan Embassy in Washington via an express shipping service with a pre-addressed pre-paid return envelope so once completed by the Consular staff, they can simply seal them in the return envelope for pick up by the carrier. Not only does this give you express shipping both ways, it is also trackable so they get missdirected. Be sure to keep a record of the tracking numbers on the labels you use.

A VALID Ugandan Entrance Visa is rubber stamped on a page of your Passport, (see example) then validated and signed by a Ugandan Visa Officer and covers the dates you plan to be in Uganda. If you get a visa in advance, it will be checked by Ugandan customs official upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. If you wait and get you visa upon arrival at the airport, both steps are covered at once.

Your passport will be stamped and signed again upon your depature.

Items necessary to complete the Visa application process:

• A valid US Passport (see definition above)
• A completed Ugandan Visa Application Form, (see Sample instructions here)
• Two (2) Passport type color photographs

I also send a cover letter listing the full names and addresses of each applicant, when we plan to travel to Uganda and for what purpose (teaching/missionary work), phone, fax, and email contacts for myself.

Some Commonly Used Metric Conversions

• 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
• 1 kilometer = .6 miles
• 1 liter = 1.06 quarts
• 1 gallon = 3.78 liters

You may wish to consult the following Unit Conversion Calculator