With this foundation and awareness, you can get the most out of the nearly unavoidable opportunities to talk with involved locals about complex current situations. At any pub in the Emerald Isle, you'll get an earful of someone's passionate feelings about its "troubles." In Russia and Eastern Europe, whenever you want some political or economic gossip, sit alone in a cafe. After a few minutes and some eye contact, you'll have company and a fascinating chat. Young, well-dressed people are most likely to speak (and want to speak) English. Universities can be the perfect place to solve the world's problems with a liberal, open-minded foreigner over a cafeteria lunch.

But be prepared for a challenge when the topic shifts to America: While most Americans believe we came to Kuwait's rescue in the name of democracy, most Europeans smell oil. Like it or not, people around the world look at "capitalist Americans" as the kingpins of a global and ruthless game of Monopoly.

TERRORISM

Since September 11th, some Americans heading for Europe are more nervous about travel. But when considering terrorism and travel, one thing is indisputable: 12 million Americans enjoyed Europe in 2001 and not one was attacked by a terrorist.

Terrorism is nothing new for Americans heading for Europe. In the seventies, we worried about Italy's Red Brigades, Basque separatists, and the Irish Republican Army. In the nineties, we feared widespread retaliation for American bombs being dropped on Baghdad. Now we're dealing with threats to Americans by Muslim extremists. Terrorism has long been a part of every traveler's pre-trip reality check. Here are some thoughts on understanding terrorism, keeping the risk in perspective, and traveling safely.

Don't plan your trip thinking you can slip over there and back while there's a lull in the action. There's always been terrorism, and there always will be terrorism. It's in your interest, psychologically, to plan your trip assuming there will be a terrorist event sometime between now and your departure date -- most likely in the city into which you're flying. Because, sure enough, as soon as you buy your plane ticket to London, some IRA splinter group's going to blow up another pub, CNN will broadcast it worldwide, and your loved ones will leap into action (as if they've already had a meeting) trying to get you to cancel your trip.

Terrorism is tailor-made for TV -- quick, emotional, and gruesome. Consider the emotional style in which terrorism is covered and how expertly terrorists are milking that, even providing TV news broadcasts with video footage. It's quaint to think that our news media is not motivated fundamentally by ratings and selling advertising. Terrorism sells ads big time. TV news -- with the least sophisticated and most lucrative audience -- is worst.

Many people skip Northern Ireland because of "the troubles," skirt Turkey because of its Kurdish problems, avoid Morocco because it's Muslim, and refuse to fly after seeing passenger jets crash into skyscrapers on TV. This is like avoiding a particular mall in the U.S. because it was the scene of a murder last month.