Safety continues to be the #1 issue facing today's woman travelers. There are many actions during the travel process (such as getting into a cab), where a woman is vulnerable but she takes with blind trust because that is the only way for her to get from point A to point B or conduct her business. By arming yourself with some tips, tricks and tools you'll be prepared to feel more confident and safe and handle the unexpected turbulence that might come your way.

Some key security tips that every traveler should use:

Check-in Checklist.

In a hotel, don't let the desk clerk announce your room in a voice that can be heard by anyone but you. If you are signing a hotel charge to your room, do not leave the signed receipt on the table; give it directly back to the server. Keep yourself safe and keep unwanted visitors out - check to be sure there's no one else in your room every time you enter, check the phone to make sure it works, and use door bolts and chains. Fire safety: don't trust the map on the back of the door; do a dry run - drop your bags and find the closest exits, then relax. When you go out, leave a note in your room detailing where you went, what time you left and what you were wearing.

Identity Insurance.

Do not allow your name, credit card number, home address or phone to be discussed or printed on any visible document, including luggage tags.

Put Your Best Foot Forward.

Do you like to run as part of your work out routine while on the road? You don't have to run alone - contact a health club or running store and inquire about running clubs; and join one of them for your daily run.

What's in your Wallet.

Minimize the number of credit cards you carry. Good rule: one for business and one for personal. If you are traveling internationally, alert your bank that you will be out of the country and to expect uncommon charges.

Last week, I talked about the friendships that need to be cultivated during the divorce process. This week, I'm going to talk about girlfriends who are important in their own way but may not be girlfriends who aren't able to offer the kind of support you need.

Please don't think I'm saying, throw your friends away if they are of no use to you at this particular time. Not at all! Keep all your girlfriends; just know that there are some you want to keep closer than others when going through a divorce.

Our girlfriends always have a place in our lives. They play a role and fill a need. What you need to do is be able to identify the girlfriend who will help you through and the girlfriend who will only add to the stress and confusion you are already feeling.

For example...

—You call a girlfriend and tell her the latest irrational thing your ex has done and her response is that he needs his ass kicked or even worse, she suggests someone who can kick his ass. She is a girlfriend but she is also an instigator. She hasn't learned the fine art of listening. She inadvertently fans the flames and escalates the conflict. That is her job in life and right now, you don't have an opening in your life for that position.

—You feel like talking so you call your girlfriend. The only problem is, every time you call she is in a hurry...she has an errand to run, has to get dinner on the table or needs to finish her manicure. You need to talk but she never seems to have the time. This girlfriend either can't be bothered with your problems or has such an aversion to conflict that your problems cause her anxiety. Whatever her problem is, she doesn't belong on the list of girlfriends you go to for support.

Friends, if you are a woman, you know the virtues of surrounding yourself with girlfriends. From high school through college, a girl knows she needs friends to count on when a crisis arises. The nice thing about crisis in our younger years is that they were easily remedied and friends were always close by.

Divorce changes relationships even relationships with friends you thought would always be there. You may have moments of feeling abandoned and wondering why some friends aren't calling or offering support. You may grapple with deciding whom you can confide in and whom you should keep at arms length. You may find yourself having to redefine the word "friendship" and exactly what you want from it.

Women are often told to surround themselves with a good support system during the divorce process. What we aren't told is that, just because someone is a friend doesn't mean they will be offering the right kind of support. Friends mean well but they can also exacerbate conflict in their misguided attempt to support.

You will be counting on your girlfriends to keep you grounded during the divorce process. It will benefit you to make sure the ones you confide in and lean on are looking out for your best interest. Below is a list of the kind of girlfriend you are going to need. Believe me, they won't have a problem with you taking advantage of the strengths they have to offer. Keep their phone numbers on speed dial!

—The friend who is always up for a cocktail, no matter what day, what time. A good friend to have.

—The friend is a computer genius. Invaluable!!

—Hold on tight to the friends who start calling and e-mailing more often once they hear the news of your divorce. Unless of course they are only doing it out of morbid curiosity. You will know the difference.

One of my dearest clients and her husband are in the midst of a nasty separation, which is leading to an even nastier divorce. At this juncture they are in a furniture battle, throwing things across the room, yes like "War of the Roses."

She is devastated. I tried to console her as best as I could but to no avail. At last I had a better idea. Let's go shopping. Shopping always saves the day. All of a sudden the twinkle came back to her eyes.

That day I had in mind antique lighting to properly light her new loft-like apartment. So we rode up to Stamford, Conn. to The Hiden Galleries. These types of antique galleries are great resources. Everything is in one location from lighting to rugs to sofas, etc.

It was instant retail therapy. The day turned out to be a success. We found many little treasures to help jumpstart her new life and look in the new apartment. It's very hard to downsize to a small living situation when you're used to an 8,700-sq. ft. house. But I managed to distract her from her troubles for a brief time and it was productive simultaneously.

Don't forget that small changes can make a dramatic difference to the way you feel. Every one has a different idea about interior design. My own belief has always been to make my clients feel comfortable, and at home in their own space, regardless of the size or the budget involved. Of, course the bigger the budget, the easier it is to create a wonderful environment.

For most clients the real trick is to not break the bank and achieve the same results with a modest amount. It can be very challenging, but with a little creativity, wonders never cease. With that said, every person I deal with has similar situations but different priorities in terms of what is important to them.

Happy New Year! Okay it's a little late, but let's hope for a good one this time.

I'm not much of a fan of the usual type of resolution (I quit smoking when I was good and ready, and I'll lose this post-baby weight the same way) because they are generally just another tool with which to bash ourselves over the head and really, haven't we got a boxful of those already?

There's a certain appeal, though, to the art of light-hearted self improvement. The stakes are low — if you promise to buy yourself a cute vibrator and you never get around to it, so what? It's not like your insurance is going to go up. In that spirit, here is a list of sexual self-improvers for the new year. Do them or don't, we'll never know!

1) If you've been faking it, cut that right out.

Just quit it. If you're tired of the action, why not just say "We can stop now?" And if you feel the need to prop up a sagging ego (not your own), maybe it's time to wonder why you don't feel comfortable just telling the truth, or to start going out with someone who doesn't require that sort of bolstering.

2) Try something new: As simple as leaving the light on or as complicated as joining a special interest club and buying a whole new wardrobe.

3) Learn about something new even if you're not sure you want to try it.

A great deal of our "Ew, gross, nobody should ever do that" reaction to unusual practices comes more from their novelty than from any real inherent heinousness. That, and from our tendency to assume the worst. So much of so-called kinky sex is not only utterly harmless but rather endearingly nerdly in practice, but there's no way to know this without risking at least a little exposure. Web-surfing is safe!

4) Buy a toy.