Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Seven Tips for New RV Drivers

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RV LEGO

If you’ve ever wanted to be the captain of your very own boat, but the thought of riding the waves makes you a little nauseous, then an RV might be just right for you. Driving what essentially amounts to an apartment complex on wheels is a lot of fun and a great way to explore America’s highways. However, there are a few things you’re going to have to understand before you feel comfortable barreling down the freeway in 6+ tons of twinky-shaped steel. It would be a good idea to take a defensive driving course before hitting the road so you can learn a few of the basics. Here are seven additional safety tips to help you on your way.

    1. First things first. Although it might feel as light as a feather when you get it out on the open road, the truth is that your RV is incredibly heavy. That means that you’ll be needing some extra distance between you and whatever vehicle is in front of you. Play it safe and be sure to stay several car lengths back. Also, give yourself plenty of stopping distance for things like intersections and crosswalks.
    2. Wide vehicles can be difficult to keep in the center of a lane, especially for inexperienced drivers. A great way to get a feel for where your RV sits on the road is to make a small mark on the side of your windshield and then manoeuvre the vehicle so that the mark lines up with the fogline from your point of view in the driver’s seat. Exit the vehicle (make sure you do this on a deserted road so as not to inconvenience other drivers), and make a note of where this reference places the RV on the road. Adjust the mark and try again, until your RV is in the center of the lane. This may not seem like an important exercise when you’re enjoying wide lanes and empty roads, but as soon as you find yourself in construction zones or surrounded by cars in a traffic jam, you’ll be glad you took the time.clearance
    3. Know exactly how tall the RV is, and be sure to watch for any low clearance structures such as bridges, signs, or even some power lines. If you misjudge the height and get jammed up under an overpass… well, just watch the video.
    4. When you’re merging, be aware that other drivers might become impatient with your large vehicle, and that may lead them to make unwise decisions. Physics is pretty clear about what happens when a smaller body smacks into a large one while traveling at high speeds, but that doesn’t prevent some people from risking their lives to save a few minutes on their commute. So, be the better driver and keep your eyes constantly open. With practice, you’ll learn how to keep your attention on every direction at once.
    5. Making turns in your RV requires a lot more room then it would in a regular car. If you cut it too tight, you could find your back wheels clipping the curb, ripping out shrubbery, or even plowing over signs. The problem is the RV’s length, and the solution is pulling farther out into an intersection before beginning the turn. Be careful, because some smaller cars may not be familiar with the necessary turning radius for RVs, and might attempt to pass on the side while you’re turning.
    6. A large rig such as an RV requires a lot of energy to get up to speed. It also creates massive amounts of wind resistance. However, once you get up to speed, it becomes more difficult to slow down, and you’ll more easily pick up speed on downhill slopes. Take all of this into account, and be prepared to shell out some serious cash at the gas pumps.
    7. When it comes to parking, it’s better to find a few empty spaces farther from the entrance than to attempt to shoehorn your RV into a spot between two cars and then have to crawl out the window. Also, RVs are not emergency vehicles, so don’t park them along red painted curbs.

With just a little bit of time behind the wheel, you’ll get the hang of driving RVs. Just take it slow, pay attention, and above all, be safe. It would also be a good idea to plan out your trip in detail before hand. Here’s a list of 10 Road Trip Stops For Nashville Music Lovers you might want to check out if you’re a country music fan. Have fun!

Images via Bill Ward and Traffic Safety

Prepping to Study Overseas

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Going to a foreign country to study, whether as an undergraduate in a prestigious university or as a high school exchange student, is one of the best ways to get a more holistic education. By going over overseas, you’ll be able to put to practice the saying that real education happens outside of the classroom. And as you mingle with locals and fellow international students, you will surely learn more about the world than you ever would by staying at home.

study abroad sign

However, choosing to study overseas is not a trivial matter. It requires a lot of preparation if you want your stay to be enjoyable and worth the resources you put into your decision.

To help you get things started, here’s a short list of essential matters to take care of before leaving to study abroad:

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Positions You Can Apply for in the Travel Industry

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The travel industry worldwide continues to thrive. With people always on the move, traveling to the different parts of the globe, major players in this sector are enjoying better days despite the competition.

Employment is also steady in the travel industry. In fact, the U.S. Travel Association reported a significant increase in employment in the month of August this year considered to be the highest achieved so far since 2008.

Meanwhile, a study on the Asia Pacific trends showed that travel professionals are doing an important job of influencing business travel policy. The research done by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation also said that employees in the industry are now equipped with various online tools as they work to provide consumers with cost-effective travel opportunities.
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The Benefits of Leisure Traveling

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Leisure traveling is primarily seen as an option to relax and have fun.  That is what leisure is all about.  However, there are other benefits to be derived when one allows oneself of the pleasure that can only come from traveling. 

First and foremost is the reduction of stress.  Being in one environment for too long while saddled with family and job responsibilities can take its toll on anyone.  Traveling once in a while, whether alone or with the family provides the needed break from the monotony of everyday uneventful life.  It rejuvenates a person in such a way that he/she can gain a totally new perspective in life that will make the performance of daily duties not only bearable but actually enjoyable as well. 

Traveling forces you to be more physically active especially if you intend to explore the destination.  It also allows for time to engage in exercise, sports activities, and other healthful and restful activities such as yoga.  Many hotels and accommodations offer these services in-house so there is no excuse not to do anything. 

Travelers are exposed to different cultures, allowing them to discover what they wouldn’t be able to when they stay put in their place of origin.  Traveling is a form of education that is attained in a leisurely manner because learning is absorbed while enjoying one’s self. Learning therefore becomes effortless and practical, leaving lessons clearly in the minds of travelers.

Aside from places to visit, there will be people to meet and who will make the traveling experience more memorable.  Families also tend to rediscover each other while traveling since they have no choice but to be together while in a foreign place.  Leisure traveling provides benefits not only to the mind and the body, but also to our interpersonal relationships with others.

Traveling Without Leaving Home

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If all people had the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world, very few will pass up the chance to do it.  Travel is a learning process that is entirely different from school learning and book reading.  However, if the option to travel physically is not open, what could be the next best thing?

Discovering different places through the Internet can address to a certain degree the desire of non-travelers to discover foreign lands they can only imagine.  Official tourism websites of each country are good sources of information and images.  Travel blogs can also provide more personal accounts of places since most, if not all, are based on actual experiences.

Travelers can attest to the fact that the general information offered by government agencies may not be exactly similar to that of actual experience.  This is why most would-be travelers are advised to check on feedbacks and comments in desired destinations so as to be forewarned of possible risks or be informed of must-see places.   However, readers are likewise reminded not to generalize a view based on a single isolated experience of an exasperated traveler. 

With regular viewing of online information, non-travelers may find themselves actually getting familiar with a place without physically seeing them.  Excellent travel writers have a way of describing a place to their readers that succeeds in transporting them to the place being described.  Our hunger for knowing distant places should not be hindered by physical limitation especially with the advances in technology being provided to us today.  A good way of whiling the time for aspiring travel bloggers is to present the very place where he/she is in.  They can find special places and activities that could be of interest to others.  By the time they are ready to leave home and discover other places, they will have gained the experience of telling travel stories.