Posts

General Travel Tips

Image
It has been incredible to have jobs that allow my family to travel. We definitely learn each time we go somewhere and here are some tips that might help you in the future... Get to the airport earlier than you need to. It seems that 90% of the time, the airport lines go very quick. It is that other 10% that is painful.  When you travel closer to the equator, use more sun protection than you think you need. If you have a few days on the beach, be far more cautious than you think you need to be on Day 1 and back it off from there. Far too many trips are spent in pain as everyone is sunburned and miserable on day 1. Take it easy and get tan on day 2 or 3. We love to research sites to see, but researching how to travel to those sites will save a ton of time. Here in Utah where I live, trains aren't a big thing but they are way nice other places. Uber is easy but isn't always available. Google maps is so nice and will let you know how to get around. Downloading the map offline fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

What to pack when you travel

This is mostly for myself to use as a reference for what to pack so I don't forget stuff. 😊 Basics When it comes down to it, most stuff you could buy when you get there, at a minimum you must have : Government issued ID Cell phone Credit card Then there is a bunch of stuff that will make your trip much better, for each day of your trip, pack. Generally doing 1 of each for each day and then I like throwing in an extra pair of socks and undies just in case: Shirt Socks Underwear Pants/shorts Something to sleep in Then there is random stuff that you'll need: Deodorant Phone charger Floss Toothbrush Toothpaste Mouthwash Q-tips Toenail clippers Tweezers Small sewing kit Gum Sunglasses Hat Pills - Ibuprofen/Tylenol, melatonin, Dramamine, Benadryl, Imodium  tip >$20 in 5s, books, journal, business cards, hardcopy of flight info,  hanky to give, umbrella. sleeping pills for each night *Tip money is probably the biggest thing that I forget that I wish I had. $30 in 5s is very helpf...
Post a Comment
Read more

Travelling to Greece

Image
                            We travelled to Greece during the first week of April, which seemed to be the week before it really got busy. Lots of shops were painting and stocking shelves for the summer. It looked like most of these shops would be closed during the winter and then things get crazy mid-April through the summer.  Since we just missed the busy time, it seemed like we got better prices on most everything. Our Air BnB in Athens, after tax and fees was about 70 euros a night. The one in Santorini was really nice and has its own pool and was up around 100 euros a night for us but would have been around 400 a night in August. Here is some stuff I learned... Greek is not a Latin-based language. Knowing a little French has helped me in Spanish and Italian speaking countries, but is of no help in Greece. Gyro, Soulvaki and Baklava are probably still the only words I can speak in Greek.  From the airport...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 things I learned from getting fired

Image
 Top Ten Things I Learned From Getting Fired A little ways back, I got fired. It wasn't expected. When I got off the with HR, I called my wife who immediately expressed her joy that I didn't have to be there any longer. Hearing how happy she was, really made me switch gears mentally. So many times in life I've heard people say "getting fired from that job ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me"! It was. Here are some things I learned from getting fired... That job wasn't right for you. You didn't like it there and were probably already looking for a new job. It wasn't a good fit. It wasn't right. Sure you would have liked to have found something new at your own pace, but sometimes life gives us a little nudge now and then! If your employer spends a lot of time telling everyone not to leave because even though the grass appears greener on the other side, it isn't. It probably is. Along those same lines, if your employer spends a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How the Democrat party left me

Image
For the first big chunk of my life I felt closely drawn to the Democrat party. It seemed the obvious choice. For anyone who really cared for the poor, people struggling in life or the environment, the Democrat party was your only answer. How could someone really want anything else and feel good about yourself?  Who wouldn't want these things? Who doesn't stand up against the greedy, fat, white Republicans who just want to trample any person or our planet who gets in their way on their path to riches.  My desire for equal rights, economic values and caring for our planet never waned, though as I aged, action towards these efforts were never made by my party. Ever. Sure, there is plenty of talk, but when I take a step back and look at the world, there is no real action happening.  If there is a group pushing for all of these things that I've been wanting for our world, it definitely isn't the Democrats. It hasn't been for a very long time. John F. Kennedy's dream...
Post a Comment
Read more

Socialism?

Image
Socialism is all the rage with many of my progressive friends but I don't get it. Why are so many people in our country looking to change one of the most prosperous countries in history to the type of government that has failed so big, so frequently, so horrendously and at the cost of so many lives? We live in AMERICA people! America! Look around! No, not on social media or TikTok, but out in the real world! Yes, it is "woke" to say that America is bad and greedy and awful. You can easily be considered enlightened if you repeat the same evil message about our country. It is sad.  Our country is amazing. Once you get outside the walls of our social media bubbles that we live in, you'll see how incredible our country is. You'll see why millions flock to our country, many risking their own lives to do so, just to live here. You'll also see that among those here who hate our country, there are zero of them leaving. Shut the TV and phone off then go to or speak wit...
Post a Comment
Read more

A dozen tricks of Big Media

Image
A few years ago, Hillary Clinton used the term "fake news" and the phrase quickly became popular. My guess is that the term stuck because, it's true.  It is common for us to be a little shocked when others believe something "because they saw it online" but at the same time we readily accept everything that comes out of their favorite media outlet. Our favorite outlet is 100% the truth and others are evil people trying to get us to believe a huge array of lies.  Previously, I wrote a blog on the news, which you can find here  What I learned from reading 20 news apps a day , but wanted to continue my train of thought. I still find it fascinating how the media can use such a small portion of what happened and then dramatize the rest to increase viewership. It is equally fascinating that everyone agrees about that, just not with their preferred media outlets.    It is striking to see that if President Biden or President Trump were to run into a burning building and ...
Post a Comment
Read more