My Blog

There are so many people now trying to make a difference in the world and I think that it is just great.  For instance, there is a woman I know who has done a lot of missionary travel with her church group.  They go to areas of the US that need help, for example they have gone to Louisiana about 3 times now.  They go there and while on their mission travel they have been helping rebuild the areas that are still devastated by hurricane Katrina.  They have been able to make a difference, and she says that she is thrilled to be a part of a church that is so actively trying to make a difference.  It requires her to leave her husband and son behind for sometimes as long as a week at a time, but still she says that she has made some excellent friends through the church and that her work with them has touched her in ways she can’t truly explain.

I asked her about how they travel and she told me that they fly to different areas, so they can spend more time once they get there.  She said that they used to drive to each destination, but she said that this greatly reduced the amount of time that they could spend helping others.  She said they recently found out that many airlines offer Church airfares for religious tours and missionary flights that make it extremely affordable to do this sort of charity work.  She told me that although the cost of airfares has risen, overall, the airlines have still offered them a substantial discount.

I have since started attending her church so that I can get more involved.  I like the fact that they have a church that doesn’t just worry about spreading the word of God, but actually putting the word of God into action.  While many churches tend to be very hypocritical, her church shows the type of concern and compassion for other human beings that truly makes the world a better place.  I am honored to be welcomed into a true house of God, where God is not just a thought, a spirit, a word, but also the action that gets the job done.  I am excited at the prospect of being a member of this church and being a positive force in the world today.  Working together we can make a difference.

I have been invited on the most amazing trip anyone could possibly ask for.  I have a friend who is from Sierra Leone and he has been all over Africa in his life.  He is also an amazing musician and poet who studies comparative literature.  So this great guy has offered to help me with my first spiritual quest which will be a trip to the mother land of Africa.  We are going to try to see as much of the continent as possible and all that the individual countries have to offer.  He has been calling up a bunch of people he knows all over the continent to try and get us hooked up with both musicians and various experiences like medicine men and, at my request, safaris.  I have always been mesmerized by two things; animals and music.  So this trip will surely be the perfect trip for a person such as I.  We already have a couple of Tanzania safaris and a couple Botswana safaris set up through various channels.  I have actually been going online to set up some Kenya safaris as well which should be the last ones we will have time for since our trip will only last for three months.  This is going to be an amazing journey and all of it is being paid for by my college grants for experiential research.  I will film this entire trip and record as much music as possible.  In the late fall I will have compiled all of my research and will be asked to present the entire trip in some coherent form.  I want to try and mash it all together in to a video if it works out that way and then just dub the music recorded in to some transitional scenes.  I think that the project alone is going to be worth the trip because it is just an amazing idea in itself.  So we have about three days till the flight leaves and we will be landing in Sierra Leone in five days.  I hope everyone else out there makes the best of their summer, obviously I will have to try harder than others.  Just kidding.  

It is amazing how much getting the student airfares can save you on a flight.  I have been really excited since I found out about this program offered by most of the major airlines.  Most people think that finding a cheap airfare is impossible, but I have found that if you remain determined you can find discount airfares.  Sometimes, it does require you to travel at odd hours, fly stand by, etc.  I have really found that some of these travel sights give you some great tips on how to save money on airfare, hotel accommodations, and even rental cars.  The offer flights, especially if you get a package deal that is all inclusive.  This can save you about $300 on everything.  Through these websites I have been able to locate discount flights really easily.  I find them very helpful and they were even able to help me locate cheap international flights when I needed them.  When I made phone contact with them because I couldn’t find international airfares on their website, they were very helpful and were able to quickly redirect me to the internet page I needed. 

Someone had told me once that these sights were a rip off and that if I used them I would have to worry about my reservations being held for me.  I was a little bit skeptical at first, but I have been using them consistently now for about the past year and a half.  They have been very reliable, easy to use, and their customer service is excellent.  They go above and beyond every time I have need help, they have come through.  Now anytime I need to book a flight or a hotel room, I immediately go to their website and click, click in a few minutes it is all taken care of.  I always get a cheap airfare and a great price on my hotel room.  When I get to my destination, all goes smoothly.  The room or flight reservation has been made competently and exactly as I had requested.  Even to the point of the extras for a hotel room, like a fridge when I go to the beach, this website really takes care of its customers.  So the next time you need to book a flight or reserve a hotel room, be sure to check out an all inclusive travel website, and I am sure you will find that it is the easiest, best trip you have ever taken, and you will save $$$ too, which really helps.

Today is a great day for all of my dreams seem to be coming to fruition.  I have been planning this big trip to go on home building and teacher education program with about fifty students from my department since september and I finally think it has all fallen in to place.  We have had contact with all of the organizations in Europe and Africa where our trip would go to work and help.  The problems we faced were finding cheap international airfares. Up until about a month ago we had absolutely everything figured out except for the airfare.  Our schedule was laid out and we had looked at every major airline we could find.  The problem arose when we compared the prices we would get to our budget.  The two did now come out on the right side of zero.  So we have been checking daily on all of the cheap international flights listings to find any kind of discount airfare.  We had even talked to airlines and they gave us a bit of a discount but it still wasn’t enough. We had basically been stranded before we ever even got to the airport or bought our tickets.  I could find plenty of scattered cheap flights on the days we needed to move, but we have fifty people and that many seats are hard to find at that low a price.  I was actually considering cutting the later registered students because it just didn’t look as if I could get it to work out.  That all changed when I went back to one particular cheap international airfares web site.  I went through my usual routine of entering in all our data and what I saw in front of me was unbelievable.  A whole day’s worth of cheap international flights had opened up and lined up perfectly with what we needed to fill in for. I can’t even begin to say how happy I was at that moment.  Now I am reserved again and ready to get to the work at hand.  I have four finals next week and then it is right off to France for our first teaching workshop.  

Compared to other places in Europe, Italy is a very reasonable place to live.  Depending on where you want to live, there are plenty of varied choices in Italy.  From the beautiful architecture in the city of Rome to the rolling hills of Tuscany, what ever you desire can probably be found somewhere in Italy, with its very diverse cultures and landscape.

I have been online and have researched all kinds of accommodations in Italy.  The areas I researched were Sardinia, Venice, Rome, Tuscany, and Florence.

If you are interested in the beach, then Sardinia is the city for you.  Sardinia is an island right off the coast of Italy.  This quaint community has beaches all around, some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see.  The people are very friendly and there are many little town shops.  This area is not a big tourist area, and therefore Lucca apartments are pretty reasonable.

Venice is the city built on water.  This area is filled with canals and gondolas to transport you like taxis from one place to another.  It is a very different place to live, but beautiful.  Venice apartments are a little more expensive, then those in Sardinia.

Rome, of course, is one of the biggest tourist areas in Italy.  It is beautiful, but has a lot more hustle and bustle than some of the other areas in Italy that I have researched.  Rome apartments tend to be smaller and have a little less pizzazz then some of the others.  If a bigger city feel is what you are after, however, then Rome is the right city for you.

Finally, Florence is the area to go if you are an art and wine connoisseur.  Filled with art galleries and wine tastings this area is definitely a site to see.  Florence apartments are very well decorated with lots of elegance, very similar to the city they are in.  There is a certain amount of charm that one would expect in this artists town. 

No matter what area of Italy you choose, whether moving to or visiting, you will not be disappointed.  The people are very friendly, and the accommodations are more than reasonable.  They are very tastefully done with a class that only Italy has to offer.  This is truly one of the most amazing countries in the entire world.  Be sure to take a trip there, you won’t be sorry.

I have just been working on a paper for class on Italy. I had to research Italy from a visitors perspective, and I was amazed. I had never wanted to travel abroad before. Foreign travel always seemed a little unnecessary to me. Well, quite frankly I never knew what beauty lie in the land of Italy.

I went online and discovered the beauty of Tuscany with its rolling hills and winding roads. The beautiful little cottages and castles covered in ivy that lie at every turn in the road. Quite a sight to see.

I looked into Venice and beautiful canals that pass like road through this incredible one of a kind city. Gondolas lining the canals to take the people where they want to go. Quaint little bridges to cross the canals are all over the place. This is a one of a kind city.

Then I looked at Rome, and the beautiful architecture. The Colosseum is truly an amazing structure.

While researching I got to see some beautiful Italy apartments and Italy villas that just draw you in. I started thinking what a great place to go, so much to see and do. So different from anything here in the US.

And then I found it, the most amazing place in Italy an island called Sardinia. This place was not very touristy. They did have Sardinia apartments and Sardinia villas to rent for a vacation, but this area was more set aside. It had beautiful beaches, but was not a built up area, and in this area you would stay amongst the Italians who lived there. You could visit their villages and shops with lots of things to do, but just everyday kinda things.

I never knew that Italy was so beautiful and had so much to see. I also saw some prices while I was online looking and although it wouldn’t be cheap to go, it wouldn’t cost that much. The biggest cost I believe would be the airfare which obviously to Europe can get a little pricey.

I think now that I would love to take a trip to Italy, but it would have to be a long trip as there is too much there to see in a week. It makes me wonder what other mysteries lie over in Europe and what I am missing out on.

Top Cruising Destinations for 2008

Heading aboard a boat for a week long cruise in one of the world’s many seas often carries a reputation for expense and luxury. However, with more providers coming up with bargain packages, and the range of destinations growing wider, there has never been a better time to enjoy a low cost cruise. They’re often a perfect escape from everyday life, with the vast expanses of water providing a necessary gulf for getting away from it all. Also, they’re perfect for a romantic escape if you’re prepared to fork out a bit more than the standard city break or countryside retreat. If you’re looking to go cruising in2008, check out this quick list for some of the best seas to set sail on.

Antarctica

The sinking of the cruise ship MS Explorer brought a particularly bright spotlight on the growth in Antarctic cruises over the past few years. It did not, however, stem the enthusiasm for going on a cruise in this remarkable region. From a ship with a sturdy hull you’ll be able to see the harsh snow covered landscapes of the Earth’s southern most landmass across expanses of clear freezing waters. The tip of the iceberg comes with the vast amount of unique wildlife to see in the region, from colonies of seals to cruising whales. Just look out for icebergs!

China

Olympic fever is going to hit China later on this year, and it’s also a great place to take a cruise. Cruise ships regularly visit the large port cities of Shanghai and Xingang, while the panoramic skyline of Hong Kong is also a very popular. Hong Kong and Shanghai are over 750 miles apart, and there is plenty to see on the beautiful east coast. You may even get to head down the Yangtze River, one of many stunning landmarks in this country. 

Egypt

Egypt has the advantage of being quite close to home while being slightly warmer than the destination above! You can take a cruise from the beautiful coral reefs and clear waters of Sharm el Sheikh, take a trip through the Red Sea, or head through the Suez canal to the Mediterranean. As well as having a superb climate throughout much of the year, many of the top classical sites are accessible if you’re going on a cruise. Many cruise packages offer transfers to the classical sites of Cairo and Luxor, so going to Egypt but not seeing the Pyramids of Giza is extremely unlikely.

“If you’re looking to bag a bargain this year then take a look at Travelzoo for cheap flights. This travel website pools together some of the best bargains on the internet for a wide range of holidays. If you’re in need of travel insurance, then take a look at Go Travel for yearly cover at a low cost.