In the time that has followed since the tragic events of September 11, we have seen numerous changes happening to us all.

These changes began with shock, disbelief and anguish and so overwhelmed us, that they made all work related issues seem trivial and personal relationship seem especially dear. And believe me, this hits very close to home with a wife who works in the cruise industry in the United States.

Those of us in the travel business began to see numerous cancellations of long planned holidays and vacations, mostly from fear and misunderstanding of security, schedule changes even with the combined will and effort of the cruise industry attempting to keep passengers traveling and enjoying the process.

Should you take a vacation? Should you travel? I think we North Americans pride ourselves on our freedom to travel and enrich our lives by interacting with cultures from all over. To cocoon and avoid travel allows those who seek to destroy our freedoms the power to bring us to our knees.

I believe that America will not stop travelling, it is in our blood. The key is to increase your knowledge of travel related issues and to understand how the process has changed. What follows is a synopsis of the changes you can expect to see for the near and distant future.

What can I expect at the airport? There are stricter security measures on airport employees, merchants, airline employees, and vendors that service the airports