Vacation vs. Travel

Looking back at all of the trips I have taken, I can’t help but notice that there are two types of trips: vacations and travel. Although to the naked eye, or in this case the inexperienced traveler, there might not be a big difference between the two words, there is a huge difference between the two trip styles.

Photo from mystuffspace.com

When I think of a vacation I see myself on pure-white sand, laying out and enjoying the tropical scenery. Even the word vacation makes my thirst glands excited at the thought of a fruity drink coming their way. Most vacations come after a long school year, or work assignment and are a time for relaxation and reward.

Vacations usually focus around a beach, attraction, or sport. For example many people enjoy skiing while others prefer the thrill of an amusement park, like Disney World, for their annual vacation. Either way, the purpose of a vacation is to enjoy oneself in a worry-free environment.

Photo from sneakerspub.com

The great part about these trips is that generally there isn’t a busy agenda and plans come spontaneously. Also, this is a time most people use to spoil themselves. All-inclusives and five star resorts are a vacation norm.  

Traveling, in my opinion, is completely different than vacationing. Traveling is about learning and experiencing something completely new. When we travel, we must remember to keep our minds open to the unfamiliar. Usually travelers are exploring their destination on a low budget, which means that accommodations and rewards may not be as upscale as they are on vacations.

Travel’s main focus is to explore, immerse, and enjoy a new culture. Rather than having a slow-paced trip, travel is all about seeing and visiting as much as possible in a generally short period of time.

The truth is that although very different, both trip styles are very enjoyable. I personally prefer traveling trips because I love getting out of my comfort zone, being adventurous and trying new things. I hope that this personal explanation of both vacations and travel, help gear you to choosing the right trip for you.  

A Turkish Delight!

The clock is ticking and we are running out of time to plan our summer vacations.

With summer just around the corner, narrowing down the multiple destination options can be quite difficult, so I’ll try to make it a little easier by saying this: Choose Istanbul, Turkey for your summer vacation!

Whether you are in the mood for grabbing a drink at a club on the Bosphorus Strait, visiting the Blue Mosque, or going to a Turkish bath, you are bound to have a great time in this beautiful city. Istanbul is the ideal destination for history lovers because of its remarkable historical background and rich religious significance. Being part of two different continents, both Europe and Asia, shows another way of how Istanbul is unique from other cities.

There are many great shopping spots in Istanbul, but there is nothing like the beautiful, historical and famous, Grand Bazar. Famous people, like Oprah Winfrey, have been known to of spent hours browsing through the oldest covered market in the world. Hagia Sophia is also a very important landmark that must been seen when visiting Istanbul.

Of course as a mainly Muslim city, Istanbul can be quite different from your home country, so there are a few things to remember when visiting this wonderful city. You must remember to be respectful of the culture and dress accordingly. This is an international city, so they do understand and accept “western wear”, but it is a good idea for women to have a shawl with them at all times, just incase they are planning to enter a mosque and need to cover some areas up.  

Every exciting attraction and historical site help make up this beautiful and exotic city that everyone should visit at least once in his or her lifetime. 

Choose Rotary or Don't Choose at All.

Imagine packing up all of your belongings, saying goodbye to your family and friends and leaving for the unknown.

Now, imagine doing this at the ripe age of 15.

In august 2006, I left everything I had ever known and embarked on the greatest journey of my life. I was a foreign exchange student in the country of Denmark for 10 months, and enjoyed every minute of it. During my year abroad, I learned so much about Denmark, my own country, and myself. After my once in a lifetime experience, it seemed that everyone around me was asking me for advice on youth exchange programs and that I had become the expert.

Well, I am not sure if I am an expert or not, but considering this is something that is truly dear to my heart, I decided to change the pace of my regular blogs and write a review of the three leading high school foreign exchange programs while focusing on Rotary Youth Exchange, since it was the organization I went through.

WARNING: I am completely biased, as I am an advocate for the organization (Rotary) that I went through.

Revolution, Revolution for Who?

In a time when “revolution” seems to be the headline in every news story, it’s impossible not to think that anything is achievable. So thought the women of Egypt after successfully overthrowing their dictator earlier this year. With a sense of invincibility in mind, Egyptian women understood the importance of defining their place in the re-construction of the new government and took matters into their own hands. If there was going to be change and progression for the country, then this meant that there would be change for everyone, including women. On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2011, Egyptian women gathered at Tahrir Square for the “Million Women March”.

Women arrived at Tahrir Square believing that their demonstrations would have the same influence that the earlier protests for democracy had had, but their confidence was quickly shaken away when the demonstrators were sent home by violent anti-feminist.

“They said that our role was to stay home and raise presidents, not to run for president,” said Farida Helmy, a 24-year old journalist, according to a, March 8, 2011, article in the Globe and Mail.

Say Adios to Mexico

As the time for Spring Break arrives we can’t help but think about getting into beach-body shape, going shopping for the hottest swimsuit, or buying a Sombrero. Unfortunately, due to horrible circumstances, this year’s Spring Break plans do not include party cities like Cancun, Cabo, or Acapulco.

                                            (Photo: San Marcos Mercury)

Our many winter daydreams about the day that we will finally be doing beer-bongs and drinking margaritas in the hot Mexican sun have been crushed by the growing violence in Mexico. The Texas Department of Public Safety is warning students to not head down to Mexico for Spring Break this year.

Just in 2010 alone, 65 Americans were killed in Mexico. As the drug cartels get a greater hold of the country and the situation gets worse, the possibility of this year’s numbers surpassing 2010’s is feared, but predicted.

Many universities around the nation are also warning their students that the reward is not worth the risk when it comes to this particular situation. The University of Texas at Austin recently sent out an email informing students of the Texas Department of Public Safety warning, which also included some helpful tips, like registering at the U.S. Embassy.

As a result, many U.S. college students have thus chosen to go to U.S. Spring Break hot spots like South Padre Island, Panama City Beach, and Gulf Shores. Still, however, many are upset by the idea that MTV will now have to relocate to a 21 and up environment. The underage drinkers have to resort to being sneaky about their partying or simply enjoy an alcohol-free vacation and wait until things get better in Mexico, where the drinking age is 18.

Hopefully, Mexico’s war with drugs ends soon so the country can go back to being the peaceful, fun and beautiful Mexico that is should be, but for now we must enjoy American sand during Spring Break.