So, I've gotten way behind in posting, but I'm about to do some catch-up.
It certainly feels like the world is becoming increasingly less predictable: Arab Spring, British riots, major natural disasters. My own world view holds that unpredictability is everywhere, and thus that I'm generally no safer at home than abroad. So, I will continue to travel with reckless abandon. That being said, I may leverage a service provided by the US Department of State more often.
One of the positive by products of being an American citizen is that if a country you're visiting falls apart, the US government will generally make a concerted effort to remove you from harm's way. One step you can take to improve the Marines' chances for a successful extraction is to register your presence with the US Department of State. You can do so here. The program is called STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). It is a little tedious. Hopefully you'll never need it, but depending on your destination...might be worth the trouble.
