Back Home

Okay... I'm not back in my physical home, but back in Western North Carolina (WNC), my heart's home, and it feels good. This is actually just one of a number of trips planned this Summer and on into October.

The reason for this trip to WNC is two fold. The number one reason is because it has finally come time to close my mother's estate... which is bitter sweet. However, the second reason is because my birthday is coming up, and where else would I want to spend my 25th birthday than here in WNC?

While I have not officially lived in NC for a number of years, some of my best childhood memories, and closest childhood friends are based here. So returning for my 1/4 century celebration is the best possible outcome. Turning 25, marks the turning of not just a new chapter, but a new book. The next 25 years of my life will be completely different from the first 25, and I am so ready for the new adventures that are in store.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Try Again

Time to try again. The end of the Spring 2019 semester was a welcomed ending to a difficult past two semesters. My studies have been the biggest factor in my most recent hiatus from travel blogging; however, it is time for me to get back in the blogging game.

Now, I'll still be taking classes over the Summer, but they are all online which is good because I have some big travel plans this summer. So whether you are a faithful blog follower who has been checking back for updates, or you are new to my blog, stayed tuned for some really amazing announcements coming up.

My 2016: In The Air!

My 2016 Flight Map:

Created With: Great Circle Mapper (http://www.greatcirclemapper.net)

It totals 50446km or 31345mi

HAPPY NEW YEARS! :D

When it comes to parenting a blog, I am not the most attentive of parents. Of recent, I have been an absentee parent for a few very major events and milestones: I missed Thanks Giving, My blog's 2nd birthday and even Christmas... oh my!

At least I have returned just in time to celebrate New Years! As a "peace offering, to make up my blog neglect, below are some pictures from my travels in the last year... travels which have been my most extensive to date. Actually, I don't think that they could be much more extensive but, such trips may become much more frequent in the future... God willing!

So, without further delay... especially for those of you who have been waiting since my "Why No Pics?" post, here you go!

OUT WITH 2016 AND IN WITH THE 2017!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERY ONE!
HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

My 100th Post!

WOW! I have been so busy in getting back home after being gone for 7 months that I forgot to keep my blog postings flowing. But, seriously... 100 posts? I can't believe that I have done that much writing.

Vanuatu Update #2

Arrived safely back in Port Vila very early on Friday morning, thanks be to God. Though tiring and very unpredictable, we had another successful medical outreach on the M/V Pacific Hope, the 2nd outreach for the year.

For this outreach, I got placed on the Dental Team doing registration. In total we helped more than 300 people by removing and fixing close to 700 teeth.

I am really eager for the next 2 week  outreach. We leave Port Vila this Saturday and will be serving N.E. Malakula... that is the plan at least.

So many things on this adventure have been uncertain. But, over the last 6 months I have become more and more at peace with not knowing what lies ahead or having to have a plan. However, I can be certain of two things: God loves me, God IS good and if I follow Him, there is no telling where I'll end up!

13th Week in NZ

So as expected, my firat week in auckland has been such a busy week - tours, street outreach/evangelism, team meetings! But, I am enjoying Auckland nonetheless.

The exotic food options here are mindboggling to me. Yea, I have traveled a lot but, to have so many options freely at my finger-tips has been such a great experience for me.

However, despite all the gastronomic and touristic "lures" this city has to offer, I have to keep in mind that I am not here to simply "play around," I am not here formyself. This is a part of my DTS' Outreach Phase and those obligations come first.

Coming to Auckand not as a simple tourist but, as YWAMer fresh out of 12 weeks of lectures has really helped me to be more sensitive to the less fortunate and broken lives around me, the parts of life that I have at times abdicated any Christian obligation to truly aknowlage. Here, I have been letting go of my fear of man and following the Spirit, whether that be just walking up to a random stranger and praying with them for their grandaughter who was is in prison or asking a homeless man if he is hungry and acting upon his need.

My time in Auckland has so far been a truly been a life changing experience for me. Maybe us YWAMers here in this city now are of small consequence on a large scale but, to the individuals who's lives we have touched, we've left massive impacts or God's love perminantly marked.

Low Cost Airfare - By: Jacky Uy

By: Jacky Uy

1. Comparison shopping is the first tip for finding low cost airfare. Purchasing tickets online, through airfare consolidators, and through travel agents are the most common sources for purchasing tickets. If you have time, shopping through all of three of these is the easiest way to get a lower priced ticket.The time of day, company you are flying with, the destination city, and so many more factors need to be considered in getting low cost airfare. Here are some factors that affect the price on an airline ticket.

2. Purchase tickets in advance. Usually, you can get low cost airfare fourteen days or more before the date of the flight. Typically, you will pay higher prices if you book them within fourteen days and the prices progressively get more expensive the longer you wait to purchase the airline tickets.

3. Another method for finding low cost airfare is by choosing an airline that will fly you close to your destination city by not directly into it. Airlines that fly to smaller cities have no choice but to offer cheaper price. Otherwise, the smaller cities would have no use for airports, which is where a lot of imports and exports take place for local businesses. So, you can take a plane to a smaller city and rent a car to take 30 or 100 miles to your destination. You will still be saving money, as most people rent cars when they reach their destination. You may even get a cheaper rate on the rental car for the same reason. Smaller cities, cheaper prices.

4. Flying during the evening and early morning hours will help acquire low cost airfare. Most late night and early morning flights have a few available seats and offer them at discounted rates for these hours. Not very many like to travel during these hours, so it makes perfect sense.

5. Try not to fly on important dates, such as holidays, and don't fly on the weekends. Holidays and weekends mean money for the airline industry, so they have a tendency to mark up the prices. It is difficult to receive low cost airfare on any holiday or on any weekend day. So, try to go to your destination well before the holiday or well after and try to fly in the middle of the week, Tuesday or Wednesday.

6. Flying to destinations, when the destinations spots are not in demand is another way to find cheap airline tickets. For example, you would probably want to look at tickets to Florida destinations in the middle of summer for Northern states because the tickets to Florida are not in demand. In order to keep the airplanes flying there, the airlines have to offer discounts to the customers.

7. Frequent Flyer miles are a wonderful way to save money on airfare. If you know that you will be traveling by airplane frequently or even once a year, you may want to pay a higher price for the tickets that offer frequent flyer miles. You can purchase the airlines tickets to your destinations until you have acquired enough miles to get a ticket or pair of tickets free. This costs more upfront, but if you add up the costs over time, you will see that overall you receive lower prices by doing this. Low cost airfare is much easier when you travel frequently and frequent flyer miles offer another advantage to travelers.

8. If you allow your flight to have a layover, you will find low cost airfare. Layovers, while mostly inconvenient to the traveler, offer a much cheaper price to that same traveler. Major problems with layovers include loss of baggage, too short of a layover could mean missed plane, and separation from family member that could result in one person or two being left behind. This can also be a problem if you are traveling with small children. You have to make sure you allot extra time to get your family from the arrival gate to the departure gate to make sure you do not miss your flight.All of these tips will help you save money on airline tickets. The main thing to do is to weigh out your options and chose the right tickets and flight for you. The tips above should help guide you if you are looking to make a great trip without paying a lot out. Hotels are expensive enough, take as much as you can from low cost airfare

About The Author:

Jacky Uy writes for http://www.cheapairfareguide.info where you can find out more about cheap airfare guides and other topics.

Article Source: http://articlecity.com

Happy 1st Birthday... To My Travel Blog Of Course!

To be totally honest, I cannot believe that it has been a year since I started this travel blog. I am so excited for future travels, my YWAM DTS in New Zealand (http://bit.ly/1Ncg7Tj) is just next month... God, time is flying!

Some current stats:

Total Page Views: 1850
Number of Visiting Nations: 25+
Blog Posts: 65 (including this one)


My First Blog Post:

"A New Adventure"

"While I have traveled the world, this "Travel Blog" stuff is totally new to me. However, I will not shy away from a new adventure. I might not be the most traveled person in this world but, hey... I got info to share and stories to tell."

I have sure come a long way in one year! To the FUTURE!!! :D

Why Did I Start A Travel Blog?

With this blog nearing it's first birthday, some may ask, "Why did you start a travel blog?"  The answer to that question is two fold: #1: I felt God telling me to do it. #2: I love to travel and I do so fairly often.

However, with those two reasons aside I still did not make a move until I saw the video below. Once I saw the video, I tapped into reasons "#1" and "#2" and just went with it!

 

Making Sure Your Valuables Stay Yours - By: Jennifer Conlin

I have been pick-pocketed only once in my extensive traveling life. It was in Los Angeles on Hollywood Boulevard, where the thief managed to undo my backpack, grab my wallet and never even touch the arm of my husband draped around my shoulder. A few years later, near Westminster Abbey in London, two girls “accidentally” bumped into my mother, as well as her large purse, apologizing to us profusely as they walked away with her wallet.

Read full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/fashion/pants-designed-to-outsmart-pickpockets.html?_r=0

10 Absolutely Annoying Things About Traveling - By: Ade Olumofin

Note from Sam "1, 2, 9 & 10 are the ones that REALLY resonate with me!"

1. Airport Security

This has to be the most annoying aspect of travel. It is obvious security officials at airports have a tough job to do. They are supposed to be the first line of defense against a possible attack on an airplane. However, with the way one gets treated when going through airport security, some paranoia starts to set in because one is left to wonder if these security officials secretly despise you for having enough discretionary income to go on a vacation. With burly airport officials barking orders at you like; "Take off your shoes!!", "Put your bags through the screener again!!", "Sorry you have to dispose of your water bottle!!!" thus making it an unpleasant experience for anyone traveling. It only adds insult to injury to find out later that during random audits of the efficiency of the airport security process, 95% of banned items make it past the screeners. You begin to feel justified in your paranoia and wish you are able to afford a private jet sooner rather than later.

2. Meeting Someone Awesome On The Last Day Of Your Vacation

You are sitting down in the common area of your hostel or the lobby of your hotel, a stranger comes over and you guys strike up a conversation, you find out this person is actually kinda cool. They find out you are at the end of your vacation and invite you out to explore the city one more time. You guys have a blast and they just went from kinda cool to "brother from another mother or sister from another mister". The problem is that the person is from Canada and you are from... say Thailand. If this person lived in the same city as you maybe this would have been your new best friend. Unfortunately, they live 6,000 miles away and apart from adding them on Facebook and creeping on their photos afterwards you will most likely never have much contact with them again.

3. Not Understanding The Local Language

It is usually a gesture of goodwill and some cultural sensitivity to learn a few phrases of the local language of your destination of choice, but if you are on a multi-country tour you start mixing up phrases from different languages and then you sound even more silly than you would have if you did not bother trying at all.

4. Justifying Your Visit To Curious Locals

This happens to me a lot when I visit the more traditionally isolated parts of the planet. During my last trip to one of the Baltic states, the locals seemed genuinely surprised that anyone would travel so far to visit their country. I was queried relentlessly by the locals trying to see if there were any ulterior motives for me wanting to visit their country. Give a brother a break! I am just curious.

5. Getting Scammed

There is nothing that ruins travel plans like getting scammed while you are on vacation. The Eastern European states are notorious for attractive girls waiting outside bars for young testosterone riddled men, and then getting them to buy drinks for these women. This usually leads to the men getting charged a ton of money and then getting threatened for payment. The scenario usually takes a dark turn where the men find themselves at the mercy of overbearing bouncers staring them down angrily while they withdraw hefty sums from their ATM accounts to pay for the drinks they supposedly purchased at the club. Another scam that is tiring comes from taxi drivers in foreign countries charging hapless tourists exorbitant rates for rides to and from anywhere in your destination country.

6. Overcrowded Hostel Dorms

Anyone who is an avid budget traveler has probably experienced this. You walk into your hostel dorm and it is like the United Nations of "sweat, smelly feet and bad odors". To top it all off, the cute British girl that seemed interested in you when you first arrived has found a more interesting guy from France and now they are having sex on your top bunk. Ouch!! After two weeks of this, you decide maybe it is a good idea to cut the trip short and [A]irbnb it from this point on.

7. Getting Lost

Even with the advent of mobile apps like Here or Google Maps it is still possible to get ridiculously lost while overseas. The street signs could be in a language you don't understand or the city could just be constructed in a way that leaves anyone new to it confused. Getting lost is never any fun and could reduce even the most worldly traveler in a pool of tears every now and then.

8. DELAYED FLIGHTS, TRAINS, OR BUSES

We need not say more, but still, this has to be the most frustrating part of travel, well apart from not having infinite cash to travel permanently. There is nothing fun at all about having to wait around in the airport for a flight that is delayed or canceled.

9. Not Being Able To Travel On A Permanent Basis

There are tons of people still trying to figure this one out. You go overseas and you just don't want your trip to end so you start trying to figure out a way to make it permanent. You start a travel blog and hope you get enough traffic to sustain your lifestyle on the road only to see a balance of $7.48 in your AdWords account after a year of writing top quality blog posts. How about just working for a travel magazine on a freelance basis. You find that is maybe a good idea until they tell you they want to pay you in tweets. You finally realize gallivanting around the globe on a permanent basis is a privilege only a few will ever get to enjoy and then you return home and settle for 14 days a year just like everyone else.

10. AND LASTLY... DREADING A VACATION COMING TO AN END

You had a blast while you were traveling, you got to find out that despite what the news and maybe your parents have to say, the world is actually full of awesome people, great cultures, food, and an almost infinite amount of things to see. Then you realize you have to go back to your mundane life back home and then you start counting the hours, minutes, and seconds hoping somehow the good times won't end. Sadly they do and you have to board the flight or train back home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ade_Olumofin/2189351

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9181862

Jet Lag 101 - By: Sabrina Toth

One of the worst things about air travel is having to deal with jet lag and the consequences it has on our business trips and vacations. There are a myriad of articles on the Internet that deal specifically with how to cope with jet lag. Not all the tips, even those in this article, will help everyone since we're all so different from each other. However, it pays to try them out at least once to see what works or does not work for you. I think you'd be surprised to discover a new way of dealing with this pesky consequence of travel.

It's pretty obvious when I write that being well-rested before you travel will help you deal with the jet lag. Personally, sleeping on the plane ride to my destination helps me. There are those that swear by eye masks and earplugs. While I am not one of them, give it a try and see if it works for you. For others, it works to simulate whatever time it is at their destination. If you decide to do that, try to stay awake by either working, watching a movie, reading a book, or whatever else keeps you awake. Just remember to be courteous to your fellow travelers while you do this since no one wants to be that annoying person on the plane that keeps everyone else from sleeping.

If you're traveling for work and can arrive a few days earlier, do so. This will certainly help you get some rest and adapt to the time difference before you have to get down to business. If you can't, see if you can schedule the meeting for later in the day or the next morning after your arrival. Even if it's a vacation, try to see if you can plan for an extra day at the beginning to rest up before diving into all the sightseeing and activities you want to do during the trip.

If you are a frequent traveler, jet lag has somehow become part of your life. Don't let that stop you from traveling comfortably. If it is a real concern for you, speak with your doctor or get a specialist. They can give you better advice and help alleviate jet lag and the consequences that come from this pesky side effect of traveling the world.

Jet lag doesn't have to be a pesky nuisance when you travel. Learn what works for you in order to alleviate even some of the effects so that you can give your business trip or your holiday all the attention it deserves.

Sabrina Toth is a certified travel associate and owner of Toth International. For help with your travel needs, contact us at Sabrina@tothinternational.com. You can also check out our website at http://www.tothinternational.com or like us on Facebook.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9096259