Guest post by Kyle Bristow Kyle is an advocate for SERVE THE CHILDREN, a missionary organization that serves schools in Liberia and Central India. He travels all over the world, but holds a special place in his heart for trips that fulfill a bigger purpose. To find out more or to donate go to www.servethechildren.com. I HAVE the honor of kicking off a four-part series on an organization that’s near and dear to my heart called Serve the Children. Serve the Children is an organization that, among other things, helps support three schools in Liberia and a children’s home in central India. I had the privilege of living at the children’s home for four months …
Play the Game: History Culture and Travel of Games
It all started with a game of Backgammon. Since we had never played before it was a battle between us, and a battle to decipher the rules. The first time playing any game can be frustrating. You read the rules, try to figure out a strategy, grow impatient, and just begin. Many times the first round is full of wrong moves, arguments over correct rules, and a surprise win. The more you play the better you get at remembering rules, and you start developing a personal strategy against your opponent. As we learned Backgammon, I discovered a direct connection to travel. The first time traveling can be frustrating as you deal with lots of unknowns. …
How to Bargain in Morocco
Bargaining at a market, with a friend, or anywhere else is an art form and a long-lost skill. We’ve become conditioned to accept what the price tag tells us. But, in many parts of the world bargaining is as common as breathing.
Before there was such a thing as money people bartered for goods. The skills and techniques of bargaining are thousands of years old.
These skills are useful even if you aren’t going to be traveling anywhere. Looking to buy a car? How about something from Craigslist or your local newspaper’s classifieds? Even in the U.S. the art of the haggle is alive and well.
How does the exchange rate affect travel
I’m a by the book kind of guy. Lately I’ve been hooked on date regarding U.S. travelers. Using data from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries and historical exchange rates from the Federal Reserve between the dollar and the euro I put together a few graphs. I wanted to answer the question: Does the exchange rate affect the travel habits of people. Below are my insights and findings: Method: I began by taking the exchange rate between the dollar and euro for January 3rd of every year from 2000 – 2015 Next I took the total number of yearly travelers to Europe from the United States from 2000 – 2015 My aim was to see …
Ullr: The Lord of Winter
The myth of Ullr – pronounced “ooler” Winter weather is one of those uncontrollable, unexplainable phenomenons that people either love or hate. I grew up in South Dakota where winter conditions change from one minute to the next. The sun may be out in the morning, and by noon there is a full on ice storm or blizzard. Just when you think winter is about over, the tulips start popping, and spring is around the corner, SD gets four foot of snow. Like all things out of human control, winter weather has been given a mythical guardian and story. The legend of Ullr stems way back before stories were written down. His name comes …