As travellers, we all have wish lists of places we want to see and things we want to do.

But very few of us have a travel wish list quite like that of Seattle-based travel writer Charyn Pfueffer, who after more than a decade of writing about food and travel, has decided it is time to give something back.

Her wish list, otherwise known as the Global Citizen Project, involves volunteering in 12 community based projects in 12 different countries over a period of 12 months.

In other words, she wants to become, at least for a short time, a citizen of the world.

But this, like any form of travel, takes money. So Charyn signed up with Kickstarter, an innovative website where journalists, adventurers, filmmakers, designers, artists, etc post plans with the hope of pulling in funding from individuals around the world. There’s one catch, though, to Kickstarter – it’s all or nothing funding. Each project posts a fundraising goal to be met within a specific timeframe and if it’s met, then the funds will be released. If, on the other hand the funding goal is not met, then no money changes hands (ie donor’s credit cards will not be charged).

And this is where you and I can help. Time is running out for the Global Citizen Project funding. With less than 24 hours to go (18 hours as I write this and having just donated $40), just over $1000 is needed to met the funding goal.

So what do you say?

Want to give a helping hand and send Charyn on this very community based adventure?

Even a single dollar would do. And for $10 or more, you can receive a ‘reward’ ranging from a home cooked meal to books and postcards.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is one project that will get off the ground, not only because it is about giving back to the community but also because it will allow the travel community to be involved in something bigger than just hopping on a plane.

Follow

There’s nothing funny about air travel during the holiday season with airline personnel and travelers having to deal with delays, crowded flights, bad weather, and grumpy passengers.

But one airline, JetBlue, has decided that laughter really is the best way to medicine in stressful times. In their effort to increase ticket sales, they have put together a quirky holiday gift guide featuring products and gadgets that passengers might need for times when they are flying on other airlines.

In another great example of how airlines are using social media to form more personal connections with passengers, JetBlue has created an online ‘pop-up’ store on their Facebook site.

Called The Flyer’s Collection, it’s a highly entertaining slideshow illustrating gadgets that all seasoned flyers really wished existed.

After all, who would be able to resist the Yumbro, a friendly robotic buddy who will cheer you up when the other guys (ie other airlines) have taken away your legroom, your dignity, and even your snack. Or the Knee Jockey – a holster that will lift and tuck your knees to your chest, thereby giving your legs a centimeter extra room.

But my favorite is the Seat Back Beeper.

Placed on the top of your seat, it will let loose an ear piercing alarm to warn fellow passengers that you are about to recline your seat, giving them time to protect their knees, laptops, and anything else that might be in the way.

It’s just the thing for the considerate flyer.

A random email in my inbox turned me on to a combination designed to grab the attention of any foodie, wanderlustian, and socially conscience individual — of course, at Perceptive Travel, we are all of the above.

The Khaya Cookie Company was formulated on a business model that assumes making a great product in a sustainable way with employees that are both inspired and given job stability makes for good business. So, although their main mission states that they’re “dedicated to creating jobs,” at both their production facility in South Africa and their distribution center in Philadelphia, it also means they want to make really good cookies while supporting sustainable farmers and local artisans.

In that, they’ve succeeded. I’ve tried them, and can attest — Khaya cookies are yummy.

But wait, there’s more!

I said this would appeal to wanderlustians. How does a free trip for two to Cape Town sound? Until July 15th only, if you order one box of Khaya cookies, you can enter Quest for Cape Town: a contest to win an all expense-paid 10-day trip to South Africa. Not only that, but if you win you actually get to choose from three different tours to suit your taste:

FOOD AND WINE: Food and wine excursion through Cape Town region’s finest wineries while dining in restaurants chosen to express the full range of South African cuisine.
ECO-TOURISM: An immersion in South Africa’s richest wildlife in spectacularly diverse environments including coast, forest, and savannah.
SUN AND SURF: A coastal adventure combining surf and mountain on and around Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, a 3500-foot rise climbing straight from the ocean’s edge.

Frankly, I’d have a hard time choosing, but that certainly didn’t stop me from going straight to the website and ordering my cookies. Being a responsible writer, blogger, whatever, I had to taste-test before recommending goodies to our loyal readers. And unfortunately the cranberry rooibos shortbread, orange rooibos shortbread, and chocolate & orange krunchi blew a hole straight through my post-San Francisco-foodie tour weight loss plan. The cookies come in a pleasant little box, and are made in tiny tidbit sizes that make for easy snacking (like I’m doing right now).

So try them yourself — order one to enter, or 3 boxes of cookies will get your shipping paid for, and you might get yourself shipped off to South Africa (if I don’t win instead).

It’s two weeks into June and I’ve only just got around to reading the latest edition of the online Perceptive Travel magazine.

It’s definitely worth reading so if you can find some time out of your busy schedules, grab a coffee or a wine and sit back and enjoy.

Regular contributors Bruce Northam and Chris Epting are back this month as is Luke Armstrong, all with articles aimed to make you want to pack your bags and fly off for your own adventure.

Bruce is in South America looking at going Pirate Chic and checking out  former buccaneer haunts of Honduras, while Chris remains stateside and travels with a glass, checking out America’s historic bars and the places where some of the USA’s iconic cocktails got their start.

Meanwhile, Luke entertains us with backpacker guitar tales (with a twist) from Nicaragua.

Plus editor Tim Leffel has another great roundup of World Music Reviews.

Happy reading.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter  for your chance to win the monthly prize. This month, there are two sets of travel books to win – Rick Steves’ Best of Europe 2009 and a Travel Journal.

If you happen to be visiting Santa Cruz, California, or even if you live nearby, the congeniality of Main Street, the beach, the boardwalk, the bookstores, and the cafes might keep you pretty busy. But when I feel like getting away from all the friendly, tasty goodness that seems to abound in Santa Cruz (including the unseen ambient pot smoke that always makes me so lazy, I swear, when I visit the laid-back town), a visit to the University’s (University of California Santa Cruz) renowned Arboretum provides much-needed grounding and fresh air.

Started in 1964 with a gift of 90 species of eucalyptus, the vast grounds now include huge gardens that harbor “living fossils” of plants representing mostly the Southern Hemisphere. The Australia Garden, New Zealand Garden, and South Africa Garden are all beloved by birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, as is the California Garden. More to the point, its very existence is a testament to Northern California liberal attitudes that acknowledge the importance of open space and a quiet place to walk, wander, and get away from the noise of towns and traffic.

The first time I went there was with my brother-in-law and my niece, then two. We spent nearly three hours strolling through the grounds (which are wheelchair- and stroller-friendly), chasing a happy toddler, and watching butterflies and hummingbirds. On my recent visit, the whole family (sister, brother-in-law, the two kids, me, husband, and my kid) spent just under an hour tramping up and down the “short tour,” a path designed to give a taste of the Arboretum for those who don’t want to get lost in its huge maze of paths.

Whether you’re interested in plants, birds, great views, or just a place to get away for a little while, make your way out to the Santa Cruz Arboretum. You won’t regret it.

The Arboretum is open every day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions are on the website, or you can take a bus from the main terminal in Santa Cruz (look for buses going to the UCSC campus and ask to be dropped off at the Arboretum). The fee is $5 for adults and $2 for children over 6, free to UCSC students, Arobretum Associates and Volunteers, and members of the American Horticultural Society.