This last week in Chicago has been pretty eventful. I was about to hop out of a cab the other night when a woman frantically jumped in and yelled that she had just been mugged. She also said she was punched in the head and started to file a police report. Since my friend and I were already back to my apartment, I asked the cab driver to wait for us to get inside to be safe (And I live in a good neighborhood). Later this week, I went with the same friend, Kim, to the airport, because she was flying back. Airports are usually stressful, so people are pretty anxious holding their important documents and hoping to make their flight. Maybe the anxiety went straight to this one man’s heart because he just hit the floor, unconscious and not breathing. I had to call the ambulance while others started performing CPR, and everyone else just stared. Needless to say, I have had safety on my mind lately, so I thought to I’d write about safety traveling tips here we go: 8 Tips for Traveling Safely 1. Be aware of your surroundings. 2. Avoid unlicensed drivers. It’s illegal for cab drivers to seek you out in airports before the cab line actually begins. Often, unlicensed drivers will approach you just trying to make a buck. The problem: You’ll find that unregistered drivers are often uninsured. And usually reckless. And take cash only. 3. Have a form of identification on you at all times, especially when traveling alone. If something happens to you, it’s better that your family and/friends, doctors,...etc are notified in the case of an emergency. 4. Keep your money and bank cards in different places. If you lose anything, you’ll have backup. 5. Don’t leave bags unattended, not just at the airport. If you are leaving things in a hotel or hostel, lock up! 6. Vaccinate. Take precautions. Learn about the destinations you’ll be visiting and what immunizations you’ll need. 7. Scan important documents and email them to yourself. 8. Don’t appear lost. Pulling maps out (or GoogleMaps) and appearing obviously lost in public places will make you seem vulnerable easy to take advantage of. Try and be discreet when searching for a location or be prepared before you head towards your route. I hope these safety traveling tips give you some things to think about. Enjoy the world! Thanks for reading! “I would like to see the world. I would like to see it all at once tomorrow.” Written by: Backpack Britt
Hello. I’m Brittany, and I like to travel. I enjoy sharing photos and telling stories about the places I’ve been and the experiences I’ve had. After graduating college, I backpacked Europe alone. Some would say I’m a bold traveler, but I feel like I’m just getting started. I tend to attract colorful situations, so I hope you enjoy what you read!
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In view of the fact that I’ve been suggesting fall travel destinations, I thought I’d include a city I recently visited, two days ago!
Indianapolis, Indiana is a perfect fall destination. We grabbed breakfast at Cafe Patachou such hearty & quality breakfast food. Our server made some local recommendations like checking out Indiana’s parks and art museum. My friend and I found that outside of the beautiful and walkable town, there are plenty of activities to do in this city, but what we enjoyed the most was our walk through the 100 Acres Park. This park is part-playground, part-art-show. Every part of this park was playful, interesting, and interactive, or as our server put it: Instagram Heaven. Our favorite part? The fall weather. The leaves had already started changing, the air was already crisp, and the lake looked still and peaceful. We were able to enjoy the autumn air before the harsh winter came into play! Thanks for reading! “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” Thanksgiving is an ideal time to visit with family while sharing your love for Grandma Lena’s homemade mashed potatoes, but we have a better idea. Wouldn’t it be fun to do a Throwback Thanksgiving where it all began, in Plymouth, Massachusetts?
Where it all began: Maybe. Plymouth, Massachusetts is home to Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Plymouth Plantation. The Plymouth Plantation has received national coverage due to its impressive layout of the original settlers’ town and the fact that they recreate Thanksgiving the way the settlers celebrated it centuries ago! You’ll also find a “full-scale replica” of the Mayflower in this city! Not only would Plymouth, Massachusetts be a fit place to travel for Thanksgiving, we’d recommend hitting Boston while you’re there. Boston is located less than an hour north of Plymouth, another great travel spot! Just a thought. Thanks for reading! “It is better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times.” Autumn is upon us, and there are so many great places across the world that amplify the beauty of the fall. My suggestion? As a person from north Georgia, I’d personally recommend cracking a beer and surrounding yourself in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains by traveling to Asheville, NC.
Asheville is known for being two things. It is the new beer mecca of the world and also the happiest place on earth. If that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will! It’s a place to go to enjoy hiking, scenic drives, incredible food, and a peaceful community. It’s also a mecca for craft beer. When I last visited Asheville just months ago, I went on a craft beer tour. Yes, they have plenty of beer tours. They were generous with their shares and informative with the nature of their beer business. Asheville is also a very sustainable town. Most restaurants order their ingredients from local and organic sources, and most menus contain a glutenfree, vegetarian, and even vegan options. This town has a bit of everything! Thanks for reading! “Getting lost will help you find yourself” Some of the best times to travel are during the holidays, but when we think “holidays”, we tend to focus on our own winter holidays. While we know different cultures celebrate different holidays, we would get so much out of traveling if we experience those foreign holidays first hand. Since our Halloween is coming up, let’s talk Day of the Dead in Mexico!
The history dates back to the Aztecs! Day of the Dead takes place on October 31st through November 2nd as a day of remembering family and friends who have died. To this day, people come together to celebrate the lives they’ve lost. In many parts of Mexico, family and friends hold a big cookout and choose the lost souls’ favorite dishes as part of the remembrance. You’ll be intrigued by their sugar skulls and marigolds that they leave at the private alters they create. Traveling is therapeutic, and by experiencing how others celebrate their losses, you may even gain a different perspective on life and death. Mexico is a beautiful and vibrant country to travel through regardless of the time of year and because it is in close proximity to the US, you’ll be sure to find some great travel deals with us! Thanks for reading! “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” “A goal without a plan is just a wish” may not always be true, but as a travel agency, we understand that planning a good trip puts you in the position to have a more valuable and fulfilled travel experience. So we’d like to remind you of the importance of planning for the future NOW.
If you’re thinking of traveling during the holidays, it’s not premature to book your flights now. In fact, you were better off booking them before labor day. That’s how early you should be on your game if you’re trying to book a nice flight at a decent price for the holidays. Want to keep a spontaneous bone in your body? Spin the wheel that chooses a destination based on chance! Then get back to us. We’ll make sure you make the most out of your holiday! Thanks for reading! Traveling solo is exhilarating, but during the holidays, it’s nice to be anything but alone. Green Earth Travel wants to talk about the perks of traveling with your family as well as where to go during the season!
Perks: Family Holiday Travel Packages are often cost efficient. Cruise lines during their “off season,” for instance, will offer off season prices! Traveling with your family makes for a great holiday gift! Surprising your gang with a trip to a place they’ve never been will ensure lasting experiences and memories, which are priceless. When traveling with a group, you’ll find more value to the prices of hotels and activities you’ll partake on the trip than you would if traveling solo. In most traveling cases, the more the merrier! Recommendation: Travel outside your comfort zone. Coming from personal experience, there is something so amazing in experiencing first hand how other cultures celebrate holidays, decorate their towns and homes...etc. Travel has a lot to do with time, and since you are likely to have flexibility during the holiday season, we suggest you take advantage of it by traveling far and wide! Just a tip: Flight prices spike around Thanksgiving, so if you’re going to travel for the holidays, it’s best to start planning now! Thanks for reading! Where were you 13 years ago on this day?
Donna Zeigfinger, founder of Green Earth Travel, was making an airline reservation for a new client. 30 minutes later, she cancelled. Donna also had a client, Lisa, stuck in Canada. She had to take a bus home. Donna worried about one client thinking he was flying that day. Luckily, he was not. Living up north, Donna also worried about her personal friends and family. She contacted her loved ones while they were contacting her. In the midst of all the chaos, she had a tough time balancing her worries that day. As for me, my mother checked my siblings and myself out of school because my brother was coughing blood. The TV in the main office had the news on. We all watched the second plane hit the tower live. I watched some awful things that day. With no family or friend ties up north, I still felt more sadness and fear than I ever had before. I was only 11. Where were you? What were you doing? #Worldtradecenter #September112001 Children can be hysterical, adorable, and even inspiring, but there are some places that bring out their antsy and rather demanding side, especially when it comes to travel. It’s only natural to desire a childless getaway, and for the sake of this topic, we want to recommend destinations and travel ideas that are more fit for adults. Honeymoon destinations: You don’t need to be in love, or even with your significant other to enjoy some of the best honeymoon destinations in the world. As it turns out, these cities make for some of the best adult getaways. Cities like Paris, Italy, and Berlin, known for their museums, street art in some cases, and dark history, are the ones to take advantage of while your away from the kids. And because these cities are known for accommodating honeymooners, it’s a synch to find some great spots of luxury as well. Anti‐tourism: Outside of honeymoon destinations, avoid tourist destinations altogether. They cater to families. BnBs: You won’t feel so guilty if you vacation to a place that simply doesn’t allow children. Some of the nicest BnBs, for instance, are decorated in valuable antiques. As a result, they don’t want little ones running around and simply won’t allow them. Resorts: Some of the most premier resorts in the world have age requirements. 16‐18 minimum. We hope you enjoyed those travel tips because every once in a while, it’s healthy to get away and relax without any added responsibility. And you deserve it! Thanks for reading! I love packing for a trip. It builds anticipation and excitement for the journey ahead, but it can be stressful because there is often a fear that you’ve forgotten something or the space in your luggage is too tiny to make sense of. Fear not. Green Earth Travel has some packing tips that will help organize your suitcase efficiently. Just follow our lead... 1. Skip travel size products. They’re rarely worth the value they are trying to convey. Purchase travel sized bottles instead and fill them up yourself with products you already use and love! A more sustainable idea is to use empty bottles that you already own. 2. Invest in a quality water bottle. When you’re traveling, you’re bound to get thirsty, and touristy places love to up-sell water bottles. Bring your own bottle and fill it up along the way. It’s an economical item to pack. Even better, purchase a bottle that has a filter built into the cap. You can find these at most convenient stores. 3. Pack the right clothes. Pack items that serve more than one purpose. Packing a jacket and a raincoat for instance will be heavier and take up more room than packing a windbreaker alone. 4. Roll it up! Heavier items can be folded and placed towards the bottom of the bag, but trust me when I say, rolling shirts is going to save space you didn’t know you had. 5. Packing light is packing right. Don’t pack your bag to the max. Leave space in your luggage for souvenirs and mementos that you’ll pick up along the way. It will save you from having to checkin a bag on the plane (if you’re flying) and it’s just more efficient. |
AuthorWriter and Blogger Brittany Lucero studied both PR and Fine Art and graduated with honors at Reinhardt university. Upon completion of her certifications, and after saving funds earned from nanny and restaurant jobs, she took two months to travel Europe alone. Since then, Brittany has made her way to several countries, including Thailand, Iceland, Japan, and recently, Ireland. Through her experiences traveling, she discovered another passion of hers: whiskey-making. From the Bourbon Trail to Japan, she's explored this subject, and currently wears many hats in her role at a local, organic distillery in Chicago while still finding time to travel- of course. Archives
September 2017
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