Bermuda Travel Info

Bermuda is a very popular tourist destination is located about 600 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and is known as the best tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean. Before you travel to Bermuda there is a lot of travel information that will be very useful in making you trip easy and enjoyable.
Keep these travel tips in mind before you even get to Bermuda:
An important piece of Bermuda travel info is to remember if you are flying into Bermuda you will need a passport. If you are a taking a cruise to the islands you will only need a government issued I.D. showing the status of your citizenship.
There is plenty of good medical care available on the island should the need arise, but it is very expensive.
Another important thing to remember is that in Bermuda, you drive on the left hand side of the road. If you are not experienced in driving on the left hand side there are taxis and bus lines that run throughout the islands.
Bringing any kind of firearms, many types of knives, or any ammunition at all is illegal and will result in consequences by the law of Bermuda.
Bermuda does not receive much rain and when the islands do they are usually very short rain storms.
Bermuda is considered a sub-tropical country so make sure you bring your summer clothes and bathing suits.
Almost every place in Bermuda will except US dollars.
Bermuda is one hour ahead of eastern standard time.
English is the main language of Bermuda, although many locals speak other languages also.
Anything you will need to purchase in Bermuda will be very expensive due to high import taxes.
When looking for accommodations, here is a little Bermuda travel information to take into consideration:
There are many hotels, resorts, and bed and breakfasts to choose from. There are also cottages available to rent throughout the islands.
There are no all inclusive resorts at all in Bermuda.
While you may see people camping, it is not allowed for tourists, only natives of the islands.
While on the islands there are many activities to enjoy:
The beautiful blue waters and white sandy beaches are one of the main reasons people visit this beautiful group of islands.
Some of the most popular activities include, golf, snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing. There are also many places you can charter your own boats for deep sea fishing.
A lot of the restaurants on the islands are English. You will notice English breakfasts, teas, and dinners all over Bermuda.
Bermuda has excellent seafood. Regional fishermen provide some very tasty and unique fish for the island.
There is also many historical sites and tons of shopping opportunities available on the islands.
Another very important piece of information to know while traveling to Bermuda is that there has been an increase in crimes on the islands. The crime rate is much lower than most island nations but remember to keep your eyes open all the time and always be aware of your surrounds.

Home Furniture Safety Tips to Help Protect Your Family From Accidents and Injury

Thousands of People are treated annually for injuries associated with furniture. The majority of these injuries and deaths are to children. Here are tips you may use to make your household environment safer for yourself and your family.
1. Falls are a leading cause of injuries and deaths in the home. To lessen the likelihood of falls, eliminate clutter, be sure rugs have slip-resistant pads, keep electrical cords out of walkways and clean up spills immediately.
2. Position or Place furniture in low-traffic areas such as corners and sections of the room, out of the range of mobility so that people do not accidentally run into furniture.
3. Shelves should be strategically placed in bedroom and living room areas to limit reaching. They should be low enough to avoid using a step stool but all items should be at eye level in order to find them easily.
4. Make sure furniture is stable and without sharp corners, if possible. This will minimize the chances of injury.
5. Make sure that furniture surfaces are smooth and free of splinters or rough edges. Nails, screws and other joiners should be tight and unexposed.
6. Be careful not to overload the shelves on bookcases. In some cases, it may be a good idea to secure the top portion of the unit to the wall to prevent it from tipping over, especially if children are present in the home.
7. Use the correct size furniture to house your television. Because of their weight, especially the popular larger models, TVs can fall forward if they are not properly supported.
8. Place TVs on lower furniture, as far back as possible. Use angle-braces or anchors to secure furniture to the wall.
9. Make sure that lids have safety latches that prevent the top from falling freely or slamming shut on fingers or a child’s head. Lids also should not lock automatically. If you have an older chest without safety latches, it is recommended that you contact the manufacturer for a replacement latch or remove the lid.
10. Arrange furniture so that outlets are available for lamps and appliances without the use of extension cords. If you must use an extension cord, place it on the floor against a wall where people cannot trip over it. Remove cords from under furniture or carpeting and replace damaged or frayed cords immediately.
11. Remove rugs and runners that tend to slide. Apply double-faced adhesive carpet tape or rubber matting to the backs of rugs and runners. Purchase rugs with slip-resistant backing.
12. Lamps or switches located close to each bed will enable you to get up at night and see where you’re going. Rearrange furniture closer to switches or move lamps closer to beds. Install night lights where possible.
13. Never allow children under 6 years-old on the upper bunk of a Bunk bed. Bunk beds should have guardrails on each side of the top bunk, with the side against the wall or opposite the ladder running the full length of the bed.
14. It’s a good idea to check periodically to make sure all screws, bolts, brackets and other joiners on your furniture are tight and secure.
15. To prevent tempting your children to climb on furniture, do not place enticing objects on tops of tables, dressers or bookcases.
16. You should not place furniture near windows where children can climb or fall out.
When shopping for home furniture, choose quality furniture that is not only comfortable and beautiful, but safe as well.

Gardening Tips

Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens.
1.Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.
2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plants are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.
3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.
4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists.
5. There are several plants that are only suitable for a specified climate, a certain kind of soil or can only grow with certain plants. You have to know what plant grow in the conditions you have in your area this is for you to avoid unnecessary purchases. This is a money saving gardening tip.
6.Landscaping is a good investment which can double the value of your home. This is one gardening tip that can earn you money.
7. Growing grass on bare ground is an easy way to make your home look better and appreciate in value. This is one gardening tip that promotes earning money while growing grass legally.
8. Aside from looking great in your home, trees also provide some sort of protection from direct sunlight exposure and strong winds.
9. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also would offer some protection and would also look great.
10.Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local community already have developed resistance to conditions present in your area.
11.For most gardens plants, their roots go only as deep as 6 inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are being watered.
12.Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.
13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by having diverse plants in your garden.
14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another environment friendly gardening tip.
15. Avoid putting too much mulch on tree trunks; this would encourage unwanted pests to reside on them.
16. Use plant varieties that are common to your area or have been taken from an area with similar conditions.
17. Be sure to know the plants that are poisonous. If you are intent on growing them, make sure to have the necessary cure available in your household. Take note of this gardening tip, it can save your life.
18. The best time to water plants is during mornings.
19. Before planting a new plant in your garden, you must consider its height and size when it matures. This garden tip can help you save money in the future.
20. Newly transplanted plants may require special attention during its first week. This is to reduce the stress and shock it got during transplantation.
And last but not the least of the gardening tips…
21.Plants are living entities. If you want them to grow in your garden you have to treat them as such. They need to be taken care of. They are like your pets, you look out for them. In return you get that feeling of contentment watching them thrive.
A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might have some feelings too.

Flat Track Hardware Ideas – Entertainment Centers

Flat track hardware is popping up everywhere, and its applications seem everywhere. Given its basic and simple nature, and easy installation, homeowners are using it for all different kinds of things. The most common use, of course, is as the movement system for full-sized doors separating rooms such as kitchens and dinning rooms, or living rooms and studies. Yet many other unique applications are also being seen. One application that will be highlighted today is as the cover to an entertainment center.
Entertainment centers are most commonly set-up as shelving units designed to house a TV, DVD player, DVD’s, cable box, and some sort of stereo system. Typically these are built to be free standing units that can be placed anywhere in a room.
Yet in some cases, especially with the advent and popularity of flat screen TVs, people have built their entertainment centers into the wall of a room. The advantage to this is that you create a unique and interesting interior design that will hardly be common among your friends. The disadvantage is that once you build into the wall, that’s the final resting place of the TV and its accompanying components. Unless of course you decide to place the TV elsewhere and replace it with a tropical fish tank, something that looks awesome if it falls within your budget!
Returning now from our underwater tangent to the topic at hand, these in-wall entertainment systems look great and really add to the decor of the room. This is where the flat track hardware comes in. Homeowners who have built in-wall entertainment systems have used flat track hardware to slide small doors or coverings to the open wall space of the entertainment center when its not in use. This is something that we’ve noticed and are particularly pleased with.

Are Olympic Medals a Piece of Mens and Womens Jewelry?

Is an Olympic medal a piece of jewelry? I know it’s more substantial then say a necklace you bought at Target, but does it qualify as a piece of mens jewelry or women’s jewelry because of its resemblance to a necklace? Maybe I’m just stretching, and I doubt that any athlete would ever wear it on a daily basis, but outside of something like the hope diamond, in my opinion an Olympic medal would be just about the coolest piece of jewelry you could ever wear. Imagine walking into a party with that thing on. Who wouldn’t be impressed?
I write this as I’m watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympic games in Vancouver. Here in the US the Paralympic Games aren’t exactly “Muse-see” TV. Regardless, it’s some of the best athletes in the world excelling at what they do best. It’s essentially the same format as the Olympics with gold, silver and bronze medals with each athlete proudly representing their country. The medals vary slightly from the Olympic ones but still have the basic round design. They are impressive pieces of work which any able bodied Olympian would be proud to have.
So back to my original point: are Olympic medals considered jewelry? Mirriam-Webster defines jewelry as “objects of precious metal often set with gems and worn for personal adornment”. That sounds pretty much like an Olympic medal. No jewels I know, but a good amount of everyday jewelry doesn’t feature gems. Furthermore, the medals can be worn for personal adornment, but like so much other jewelry throughout history they don’t need to be. If you go to a museum and look at a lot of the jewelry on display much of it was maybe worn once and then put on display for the public (like J-Lo’s dresses). So from definition sake it seems that medals would definitely be jewelry.
The thing is that most athletes would probably not want to wear their medals as everyday wear. Besides the fact that they could lose them (by accident or by force), there are also two other factors. First, you look like a jerk wearing an Olympic medal everywhere you go. It’s like “Fine, we get it, you were the best in your field, now stop shoving it in our faces your stuck up so-and-so”. Secondly, with the weight of the gold medal on your chest they don’t exactly look comfortable. It looks like every time they would swing and hit your chest another bruise would occur.
So, do Olympic medals count as pieces of men’s and women’s jewelry? By definition yes. But if you ask an athlete, they would probably rather just keep it in their display cases.

Plasma Cutting Machines

The cost of plasma cutting machines are going down, so now people are wondering whether they should invest in a machine or go ahead and do it the manual way. These machines are easy to use and have many benefits. Plasma cutting machines offer more options than that of the oxy fuel cutting technique/machines. With one of these machines you will experience high quality cuts and faster speeds.
Plasma cutting machines offer you the ability to cut different thicknesses of materials. This is one factor that you should take into consideration when trying to decide on what plasma cutting machine to buy.
Amperage and thicknesses go hand in hand. So, if cutting thinner materials is what you need this machine for then a lower amp machine will be perfect for you. If you usually mess with metal that is at least 1/2″ thick then you will want to look at the higher amp machines.
On the other hand, the higher the amps, the faster the cutting speeds that you can achieve. If you need the machine for production where speeds is important then decide on a high amp machine. If it really does not matter how fast you make your cuts and you usually mess with materials that are ΒΌ” thick or less, then the low amp machines will work just fine. By now you are beginning to get the picture of how the plasma cutting machines work.
Another important thing that you will want to keep in mind is how the machine starts. High frequency machines have a tendency to affect computers and other electronic equipment that may be in the immediate area of the plasma cutting machine. If this poses a potential problem, then choosing a machine that has a different start method will be less of a headache to you.
When trying to decide upon what brand of plasma cutting machines to buy, consider the parts that will need to be replaced throughout the life of the machine. Some manufacturers have more consumable parts than others. You will want to find a machine that has fewer parts to replace; therefore, costing you less money in maintenance fees for the machine. Consumable parts include items such as an electrode or the nozzle of the torch.
Sometimes you can try before you buy. If at all possible test the machine out and see if it will work for you. Compare the cuts that you make with one machine to the cuts of another. This will help you to determine the quality of the machine. Other things to look for are the arc between the cut and the end of the torch when raising it up and the quality of the arc. A longer arc allows you to cut through thicker materials.
No matter what you look at in the machine, above all other factors check out the machines safety features. This can be a very dangerous machine and safety features are very important. You will want to make sure that yourself and/or your employees are safe at all time.

Find Travel Bargains by Thinking Outside of the Travel Box

There are many bargains in travel for the person who knows where to look and how to take advantage of existing programs. Of course, I am not talking about taking a winter vacation to Galveston Texas and spending your weekend in a cardboard box on the beach. I am also not referring to a tree house on the shores of Lake Michigan in the dead of winter.
Where Do You Look For Travel Bargains?
Just a couple decades ago, travel shoppers would go to their local travel agency to find discount travel services and discount travel packages.
Many people have known for years that if you buy a plane ticket from the airline company, then chances are solid that you will always pay full price for that ticket. However, the average travel agency can acquire that same airplane fair at a discount – in essence so that the travel agency can profit from the difference, but many travel agencies will pass those savings to the consumer.
Travel agencies also offer another advantage to consumers in that they have the ability to look at airline fares from a number of different airlines. Often it can be much cheaper to fly to Chicago and change airplanes to catch another flight to New York City, than it would be to take the direct route to NYC. Travel agencies have the ability to see those discounts that others will not see.
Discount travel packages are often available by grouping a set of people into the same vacation plan. The elderly and retired most commonly take advantage of this option, but they are not the only ones. From Las Vegas, people will join together to fill a bus for the ride to Hoover Dam or the Grand Canyon. All around the country, people will board a bus and ride it to a casino closer to home. Tour groups frequently catch a flight to Europe and share a bus trip tour around Europe.
By getting three-dozen distant strangers to share the costs of a particular tour schedule, travel costs can definitively be lowered. Costs are reduced because the tour can be priced according to the real costs of the journey, as opposed to the inflated costs designed into a package to pay for the empty seats. But, do you really want to build your next vacation around the strict schedule designed by the tour operator?
What If You Don’t Want To Share Your Vacation?
The truth is that there are plenty of travel savings out there for people who are a bit more independent than the people who fill tour buses.
To pose the question again as to where to get actual travel savings, many people in this day and age turn to the Internet travel companies for travel discounts.
The travel companies are in a grand advertising battle, fighting for your business. Expedia, Travelocity, Yahoo Travel, Travel.com, Orbitz, Priceline and others are fighting for your travel dollars. But, who really offers the best travel deals?
People have many opinions about who has the best travel deals available online. If you listen to William Shatner, you would look no further than Priceline for those travel deals. But, I am here to tell you that if you want the real travel deals, don’t stop at Priceline.
Big Dollar Advertising Requires Big Dollar Sales Markups
Consider this. In order for Expedia, Travelocity, Yahoo Travel, Travel.com, Orbitz, and Priceline to be household names, they have to spend millions on advertising to put their names into your subconscious mind.
How much of your travel package cost will be used to sell their services to the next person? In other words, how much are you overpaying for travel, in order to know who these companies are?
Cheaper Travel Can Be Found When You Escape The Beaten Path
If you know what to look for and where to look, you can find travel packages that are much less expensive than you can get with a tour operator or the top six travel companies shown above – and you will not have to share your trip with three dozen people you don’t even know and probably will not like.
To prove my point, let me give you a couple of examples.
On the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, in the town of Cabo San Lucas, Las Cabos, Mexico, there is a 5-Star Resort called Hacienda del Mar Vacation Club. At this resort, you can get a one-bedroom condo for 8 days and 7 nights, and you can spend your days and nights overlooking the Pacific Ocean. At Priceline, this package will cost $2088.38. At Travelocity, this same package will cost $1976.59. If you know where to shop, you can get the same one-bedroom condo for 8 days and 7 nights, for a mere $645.
Located on 600 acres in the greater San Diego, California area, Welk Resort San Diego offers unique accommodations in the form of vacation rentals with a variety of amenities and resort activities. You can get a one-bedroom villa suite in the most complete resort setting, which provides a golf course and a private theater. For an 8-day, 7-night package at Welk Resort, Expedia will charge $2064.43; Orbitz will charge you $2236.40, and Travelocity charges $2063. If you know where to shop, you can get this package for as little as $298.
In Conclusion
There is a little known secret that can literally save thousands of dollars on your next vacation, perhaps even step up the value you receive in exchange for your limited vacation dollars.

Home Entertainment Wall Units – How to Choose?

The living room is that area which is the most and the first witnessed by anyone who pays a visit to your home. Living room is also the place where one can use the maximum decorative items and make it as appealing as possible. So in order to beautify the room with the various souvenir you have collected for so many years, you would need a place to display them like home entertainment wall units.
The wall units are entertainment centre furniture designed to provide amenities like storage and display all in one. Another important display item of the living room, without which it is incomplete, is the TV set. Therefore the unit is 2 in 1 furniture which takes care of all basic and important items which goes for living room.
Living room wall units are designed in such a way that it compliments the entire look of the room well and also serves its purpose. They are available in variety of designs and styles for both modern and traditional living room. Its design includes large space to accommodate any size of TV set along with many shelves for decorative items, books, Cd storage, music player, etc. They can also be good home library wall units as there is abundance space to display the large book collection you have been gathering fro years.
Here are few things you need to keep in mind when buying entertainment wall units for your living room. Being the important furniture of the living, it call for a good investment and thus can’t be played with.
Space and size – it is understood that if you have a large space to accommodate the wall furniture unit you can get a bigger size. But we still make the mistake of not measuring the space offered by our room and just assume the size of the unit we purchase. This should be avoided, especially when buying from online stores as no store will exchange or replace the wall unit. Also keep a note on how big is the TV set as you do not want to play with your appliance’s safety.
Color and design – a living has more number of furniture pieces to accommodate than other room. Thus it becomes important to match all of them in terms of colors and design. A modern sofa cannot be expected to compliment the traditional entertainment wall units.
Budget – this is the most important point to be considered. They say that unless you are willing to pay more you cannot expect to get the best. This is not true always! Online home furniture marts have more varieties to offer than the normal stores and all the products listed are available at cheap rates.

Macro Environment Analysis of Allegiant Travel (ALGT)

Demographic:
The increasing numbers of people entering retirement is great news for companies such as Allegiance Travel who services are geared towards leisure travelers. The retired population generally has more flexible schedules and free time for leisure travel. The restaurant industry has known for years that the retired population will adjust their schedules just to save a buck. Look at the success of “early bird specials” all across the country. Allegiant Travel can capitalize on this population’s flexible schedules and interest in finding the best price. Twenty-one percent of leisure travelers were born before 1946 and of this group it is estimated that they each take 4.1 trips per year. In addition, older baby boomers born between 1946-1954 makeups another 15 percent of the leisure travel population. As the U.S. population continues to age and the retired population grows it can be expected that the demand for inexpensive leisure travel will also increase.
Economic:
The economy plays an important role in the health of all companies and very few can say that these last 5 years have been easy. American’s are found to be thriftier now than 5 years ago thanks to the economic recession. In general, the nature of spending has changed in America. A report by Fidelity investments show that personal debt is down and investments are up. This shows that the population on a whole is examining their purchases more closely than they did before the recession. The focus on cutting costs during these uncertain economic times has led to Allegiance Travel’s success over the past 5 years when other airlines were losing money. They have focused on keeping costs down and providing their services at the lowest price point. This focus on innovation and being a price leader has provided Allegiance Travel with a strategic advantage over other larger carriers. Although in most sectors the larger the company the lower the costs due to economies of scale, this is not the case in the airline business.
Socio Cultural:
The travel industry groups travelers into one of two categories either leisure or business. Each type of traveler has very unique needs and different goals in mind apart from the desire to have a safe enjoyable flight experience. It is estimated that leisure travelers account for 3/ 4 of all domestic trips taken in 2011. The regular business traveler is interested in consistent schedules and enjoys the perks of earning points whereas leisure travelers only books a few trips per year and are willing to give up points to secure a lower price. This is the market that Allegiance Travel is focused towards as they are the low cost leader who runs variable schedules throughout the season to ensure flights are always running to their fullest capacity.
Political-Regulatory:
Airlines operating within the United States are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation who regulates civil aviation within the U.S. The Homeland Security Agency also plays an active role in airline travel interacting directly with all passengers prior to boarding the aircraft. The added security precautions mandatory for travelers since 9/11 can be a major factor behind the increased frustrations voiced by travelers. The U.S. Travel Association’s study in 2008 showed that travelers avoided approximately 41 million trips within a 12 month period due to perceived air travel hassle. Although airlines such as Allegiance Travel do not have control over how Homeland Security does their job they are able to lobby for more efficient airport security which can in turn help increase their profits.
Environment:
The rise in environmental consciousness impacts traveler’s decision making. More than 79% of U.S. adults claim to be environmentally-conscious and familiar with carbon footprints and global warming. Although travelers are starting to be more conscientious of their decision making and its impact on the environment they are not yet willing to pay a premium for environmentally-friendly service providers. The current determination is that in general, driving is more Eco-friendly (measuring greenhouse gases) compared to flying. Although gas prices averaged at $3.78 a gallon many travelers may find it cheaper to fly than drive and stay in a hotel. The addition of saving time may also help convince environmentally-conscious travelers to fly rather than drive cross country.
Technology:
The increase of access to information through the internet over the years has created savvy shoppers who can compare dozens of prices quickly online and has created more focus on price competition. The internet has also decreased the dependency on traveler’s utilizing travel agencies to arrange travel as they feel more comfortable booking directly online. This puts Allegiance Travel at an advantage as they are able to offer competitive prices through booking directly with the customers and avoiding any middle men such as websites like Expedia.com or Yahoo.com.
In conclusion, Allegiance Travel is a solid company that is strategically positioned to thrive in any environment. They have shown their agility in changing with the market demand over the past six years. Allegiance Travels focus on servicing the price conscious traveler seems to be a smart approach as they understand that consumers are still hesitant with their spending even as the economy is improving. The expected increase to the retired population in the coming years will also bode well for Allegiance Travel. As long as Allegiance Travel continues to focus on strategic growth that will allow them to move quickly when they see an opportunity or threat coming their way they are set for a successful future.

Travel and Personal Growth

Set in the 1960s, the new Pan Am ABC drama series brings to life, the glamour of air travels, beautiful air stewardesses, and the possibilities of adventures and explorations of the big wide world we live in. My husband and I took one of the last flights on Pan Am in September 1991 from JFK Airport to San Francisco before it collapsed and closed on December 4th 1991.
Airlines come and go, Pan Am and Trans World Airlines are long gone…but we are still traveling. Air travel today is so different from yester years. For those who have traveled before 2001…air travel will never be the same.
Today, more than ever, even with the economic downturn, airports are still full of passengers and cruise ships are sold out…we are still traveling…
The U.S. Travel Association has interesting statistics about the tourism industry. Every minute in the U.S., $1.4 million is spent in the travel industry and the top 5 growth markets for visitors in the next few years are from the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and South Korea with the Chinese taking the lead.
1 out of 9 jobs in the U.S. depends on tourism and by 2020, the country plans to create 1.3 million jobs by increasing visitors to the United States. That will be one of the ways to have economic stimulus.
Apart from shopping, dining, city sightseeing, visiting historical sites and amusement/theme parks (those are main reasons why tourists come to the U.S.) – why do we travel?
I think travel experiences contribute to our personal growth. Let’s take a look at it:
According to an article in selfgrowth personal growth or self-improvement refers to self-guided improvement-economically, intellectually, or emotionally-most frequently with a substantial psychological or spiritual basis.
Here are 5 different areas of our lives that have changed because of travel experiences:
Travel improves our palette: Other than rice, beans and chicken, travel takes us to eateries that are out of this world. For some non-adventurous eaters, travel will make us move out from our usual staples of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.
There are the crepes in Paris for lunch. My kids had no clue about the different types of crepes…all they knew were the ones they get from the International House of Pancakes. After a trip to Paris, they learned to make savory crepes au jambon et fromage and the sweet version crepes au chocolat with Nutella spread.
It also helps them add a variety to their food adventure and try new things. Most cultures appreciate guests to consume food served. It is a sign of impoliteness to reject food and to not eat it.
Travel helps us respect foods of all cultures.
Travel improves our appreciation of diversity in religion and culture: Before we travel, all information was from books and internet. Travel takes us to places that have different religions. For example, Malaysia is a Muslim country. At about 5 in the morning, every morning, the loudspeaker started broadcasting morning prayers to the neighborhood without fail and 4 more times throughout the day. You see most Muslim women having head coverings and wearing long skirts and long shirts to cover their body.
It helps us accept differences of cultures and religions…there are the Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus all living together in the same neighborhood. Travel helps us appreciate the freedom of worship in the United States.
Travel improves our language skills and helps us learn a new language: According to Biblica the bible has been translated to 2,287 languages. There are thousands of languages and dialects worldwide. Imagine what we can learn through traveling. Most Europeans speak more than one language.
Travel experiences in different countries allowed my children to hear English spoken in different accents…but they are all speaking the English language. They are different in Singapore, Australia, England and even Tennessee.
Having written and spoken knowledge of more than one language gives us more advantages in the business world and more job options.
Travel improves our understanding of people around the world: The world is created differently. Some of us live in arid lands with hardly any vegetation, some in the deltas surrounded by rice fields and some are in big metropolis like Sao Paulo or New York City. With diverse lands come diverse economic differences…some live in a modern developed land and some are still using a family motorcycle with 5 family members on it.
Traveling to Managua, Nicaragua, helped my daughter understand the needs outside of her comfort zone. Going to the deep eco resort of Northern Costa Rica helped me appreciate the street lights in the US.
We are creatures of habits…what we are not exposed to, we will not yearn for or feel at a lost. For example, to a Costa Rican living in non-street lights…walking in the dark is normal. They will not feel insecure in the dark. They are used to the environment. But one like me, who is used to street lights, did not feel comfortable walking in the dark.
Travel improves our understanding of our earthly possessions: When we see that many have little to live with, we understand the amount that we possess. Travel has led me to live a non-cluttered lifestyle and appreciate minimal possessions.
After all, we either choose to buy more stuff or choose to have the money to travel. The choices in life. For us, we chose travel experience as part of our personal growth and education for our children.
Mark Twain wrote a travel book in the 1860s called Innocents Abroad, an account of his trip to Europe and the Holy Land. He quoted, Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts….(you have to read the rest of the quote in Twain’s book).