Editor’s Note: Effie Velardo, author of the book “How to be ‘Hot’ at Sixty,” is here to offer pearls of wisdom on life, love, aging and getting out there. If you would like some advice on any topic, e-mail her at efnjim@earthlink.net or send questions to Ask Effie, Features Department, 111 Maplewood Ave., Portsmouth, NH 03801.

Our theme for this issue of the paper is “Get out there!”

I am surprised when I talk to someone about traveling and discover they have never been past Boston.

In this day and age, so many people seem to be traveling, but I think that a lot of young people travel for their jobs. I’m not so sure a lot of people travel outside this country for pleasure.

Americans need to see what the rest of the world is all about. If we are to understand even a little bit about what is going on in Iraq and Korea and so many other places we need to experience how the rest of the world exists. Americans are not thought of well in many other countries, they think we are selfish and uncaring, overweight and rude. We are also extremely bad dressers compared to Europeans. (Another good reason to go, to shop.) However, I have always been treated well when I was in other countries. Probably because they can tell I am genuinely enjoying myself. I love being there.

I have always wanted to travel for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, we didn’t even own a car. I remember my stepdad at age 70-plus had only lived within one block of the city. He grew up on one street and bought a home around the corner for his family when he married. He walked to work or had someone pick him up. Our big vacation was a week or two at the local beach not five miles away. I would sit on the beach and look out over the ocean and wonder what was on the other side.

Our most wonderful annual adventure was taking the train to Portsmouth to visit my grandparents. Getting on that train was so exciting!

When I got married and had my children — even though I had many of them — we traveled a lot. My children have been across the country in every direction and to Canada. One time I took them on a two week bus tour of the United States. We were on the bus three straight days going from Massachusetts to San Francisco. The beauty of the bus is that it often goes right through the center of the cities.

We often took a trip with six to seven people in the car to Washington, Virginia, Florida, Canada, etc. but we were on a limited budget and never went overseas. My children have been to Disneyland, Disney World, Fort Ticonderoga, the Denver Mint, Cape Canaveral and the underground city in Atlanta to name a few places.

After my divorce I decided I was going to see as much as the world as possible before I died. In the ‘80s, even during all the airplane highjackings, I started going to Europe at least once a year. I was on even a more limited budget but I devised a method of doing it that I still use. I would pick out a trip I wanted to take and figure out how many months it would take me to pay it off. If it took six months I would call eight months before I wanted to go and put the down payment on the trip (usually $500). The balance of the trip was due two months before you left. I put the allotted amount away every single month till then. Once the trip was paid I still had two months to save spending money.

My system has worked so well I now go two times a year and have expanded to Asia and the Middle East. I went to China two weeks after Sept. 11, 2001. No problems. You cannot imagine the thrill of standing on the Great Wall or seeing the thousands of ancient warriors at the dig in Xian. Or sitting at the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany which is only held once every 10 years. Riding down the same road that Princess Grace rode down before she was killed. Standing in the middle of the Coliseum in Rome. There are just so many things to delight and amaze you. The city of Venice, the plains of Africa.

I like to travel in the spring and fall. I have now been to Australia, Bavaria, Germany, England, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and China. I have also cruised the Mediterranean and on that cruise visited Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Majorca, Morocco and Monaco.

I have returned from a trip to the Greek Islands. A trip that almost did not happen, because my travel companion canceled at the last minute. I had to weight the possibility of going alone, against all of my peers telling me it was too dangerous. Being the adventurer that I am I opted to go. A decision I did not regret.

The trip started with a day in Athens, where they are preparing for the next Olympics. The following day we boarded our ship for a day tour. Turkey, Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini. They are all beautiful and the people wonderful and friendly.

In Greece, the merchants stand outside of their shops to talk and lure you in. I made a point of getting into lengthy conversations with them about their families, the political situation, and anything. We laughed and joked and parted friends and if I passed by later, they waved and said hello. I made friends and exchanged e-mail with people I met on Mykonos and Rhodes. In Rhodes, as I walked down the street, a gentleman put an Ozo in my hand as I passed. Another gave me a free bottle of water and a third of free cocktail with my check at a cafe.

On the ship I made friends with people from Australia, China and Germany. We ate together and danced together.

None of these trips cost more than about $2,000 to $3,000 for two weeks. There are special trips for seniors, singles, gays or just hook up with any tour and take your chances, it’s always fun. You can be an ambassador for America. We need to mingle with the people, study their history, their economy, enjoy their foods, culture and music. You will find it the most satisfying thing in the world. It will also make you appreciate this country more with all of our complaints. Get out there!

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