Great news to travelers and the world!! As the world is slowly going back to normal. More countries are opening up to Americans. This means Canada, the Uk, and the Eu are now having more countries accept their tourists as well. Although, I’m still a little salty about my trip to Finland being canceled(EU make Americans travel again!). ps,I’m not trying to get political here. I’m just poking fun at the real reason why the Europe union doesn’t want Americans in their borders. Hint: Cheetos
It’s has been hard for all of us this year. A lot of us have lost our jobs, love ones, and/or homes. These times have been hard to keep positive. Having what you love the most, taking away from you has felt like we lost the ability to move around with freedom. The fact that more countries are now allowing Americans to travel into their borders has brought light into a dark room. It shows we are heading in the right direction.
Make sure to keep a positive mindset in these times. Even though we are heading back to the norm. The virus is still out there. Remember to wash your hands and wear a face mask when you travel.
These are the countries allowing Americans: Albania, Aruba, Armenia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodian, Croatia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, UAE, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, French Polynesia, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Maldives, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, South Korea, St. Barts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos, The UK, Mexico, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Zambia.
Keep in mind, most of the countries have restrictions. You need to show you have tested negative on covid.
That is a lot of countries compared to a few months ago when it was only 14 countries. I don’t recommend traveling internationally until they have a vaccine. One that works and doesn’t cause harmful side effects. I’m really happy the travel industry is on the revival. I haven’t set foot on a plane since I came back from Wuhan in December. Still hard to believe I was there during the time when outbreaks just started. What is crazier is that I have tested negative for the Antibodies. Meaning I never got the virus, truly lucky.
Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe everyone! Wash your hands! Much Love! Sorry for not posting last week. I needed the time to sleep and relax. I wasn’t trying to burn out. Thank you so much for your support!!
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My whole life I always wondered about this. What does being an American mean? I constantly struggled with this. Even when I’m traveling. I get asked, “where am I from?” I would tell them I am American. They would reply with, “but, where are you really from?” Most of the time, there is no malice with that question. Although, I have gotten used to it. There are times, it makes me self-reflect. I was born and raised in the USA. I have family members in the USA military. My grandparents came here 80 years ago and have been living in the same apartment for over 60 years. However, I never felt American. In the last few months, we have seen some of the worst and troubling times in recent history. Businesses closing down, lockdowns, mass graves, social distancing, and protests. Yet, there is no unity. We haven’t been united in these issues.
For those who have been following us for a while, know that I’m Hispanic with African roots. In the Spanish language, Americans are people from the continents of North and South America. As corny as this sounds, United-Statesian is the real term for the people with citizenship to the USA in Spanish. Going with the English term, American means people from the United States of America. These last couple of weeks have shown that the states in the USA are not united. It has become really divided. Divided by opinions, this country has become a place of turmoil.
I love the USA. This is the place where I grew up. Also hopefully. the same place where my kids can grow up. However, I have been thinking about moving to another country lately. The mistreatment of civilians by the police has been shamefully brutal. People just expressing their rights being run over by horses and cop cars. The USA has been bleeding.
Hopefully, as Americans celebrate 4th of July, we should really reflect on what does it mean to be American. This is a country of immigrants from all over the world. The USA is full of diversity. If this post offends you, then you really need to look in the mirror and ask yourself. “What is it that really bothers me about this?” Although change doesn’t happen overnight, it starts with people taking small steps towards a goal. Glad, I am able to have friends from different backgrounds. Also, I am honored to be able to experience/learn through friends: juneteenth. learn about the struggle of eastern European countries, learn about the Islamic culture, the struggles women have in the middle east, Latin American politics, the differences between Asian cultures, the struggles LGBTQ have around the world, and how to be a person that care about others. The USA is diverse. Division only really benefits politicians and the super-rich.
Now when the world thinks about the state of Georgia, they think about peaches and the city of Atlanta. However, this state has a lot to offer. Much more than pecans, peanuts and sweet onions. This state has small gems cities that can be overlooked if you are not care. One of those cities is Valdosta Ga. This post will show you reasons to go to this small city of 56 thousand. These are things to do in Valdosta, Ga.
Explore Grand Bay wetlands
Go fishing in one of Georgia’s swaps. Valdosta, Ga being right over Florida, you will see a lot more swaps and alligators. Of course, not too many alligators because they are scary. The Grand Bay Wetlands is a great way to explore the outdoors and appreciate the american wildlife. You can go hiking on the less wet parts of course, unless you like swimming with gators. In all seriousness, there is a half mile boardwalk that lets you see the swamp up close on foot. Really worth it, if you enjoy outdoor activities.
Grand bay wetland
2) Have family friendly fun at Jungle Jym’s
One thing is that we do not talk about much on this blog are places to go with your kids. Jungle Jym’s family fun center has activities to do indoors and outdoors. The place has an 18 hole mini golf course, arcades and bounce areas. A few fun things to do in valdosta ga for kids. Be a kid again with your kids. Join in the bouncy walls, play air hokey and show your kids you still have it. Truly, a great place for bonding.
*Sadly, I read in an article that the owner is racist. He pulled his gun out on a young girl. Please read the reviews before going. Not sure if the claims are true or not.
3) Have fun with nature at Freedom Park
This place is wonderful for getting back in touch with nature and for staying fit. There is plenty to do in Freedom Park. With it’s 250 acres of space, the park has a lot places to hike. The park also has dog parks with sections for small and big breeds dogs. It is a great place to get your dog or dogs out and let them express all that bundled up energy.
Freedom park
4) Go horseback riding at Spanish Moss Stables
Learn how to horse ride, at the Spanish Moss stables. With lessons on horse back riding, you get taught with some of the best teachers of all South Georgia. Already a rider, there levels that one can. If you feel comfortable horseback riding in the open field, you have that choice. It’s great way to experience that country life first hand. The Spanish Moss is also a ranch.
5) Visit the Valdosta Mall
I know shopping can be addictive and can be done anywhere. However, like that saying said, “When in Rome, do as the Romans.” This is the city’s main shopping center. Great place to get what you are looking for. At night time, the mall looks really beautiful. An awesome post for Instagram pictures.
Valdosta Mall
6) Check out the local harvest at the Raisin Cane
The Raisin Cane is the local farmers market. You can get some of the best local product of all South Georgia here. That sweet vidalia onion and of course peaches. It’s truly a great place to have a taste of Georgia’s agriculture. Open Monday through Friday 11 am to 1:30 pm, get your slice of peach cobbler.
7) Have a blast at the Valdosta Wake Compound
Okay, I never been wake boarding. I have friends and family that did this in Dubai out of all place. This is something you can do while visiting Valdosta, Georgia. Wake boarding seems like tons of fun. You get on a wake board and you start getting pulled by a boat. In valdosta, there us a compound just for this water sport. Goes without saying, best time to go is during the warmer months. This is something I’m excited about going one day.
Wake boarding
8) Haira Ghost Tours
Another activity mentioned in last week’s post, if you are into ghost hunting this small city In southern Georgia has a tour for you. I’m starting to see more travelers make this type of travel common. This is mostly due to the travel channel mainly being about ghosts and not travel. Anyways, Georgia has a very strong and deep history. There were a lot of bloody battles fought here. I’m sure you will find a ghost to bring home as a souvenir.
9) Visit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial park
Let’s be real, a lot of rural southern states tend to have communities with racist mentality. Not all people in the south think that way. Just be careful of where you are going at night. Read reviews of places before going. Don’t let ignorance stop you from having a good time. This place has a lot to offer and it would be ashame to not explore it. Remember Georgia is the state where Martin Luther King Jr was born. Make sure to visit that memorial of him in his home state. The one in valdosta is very nice. There are marble stones mentioning some of his many accomplishments!
10) Lose Your Voice By Screaming At Wild Adventures
Every where you go, you will find out where adventure junkies like to hang out. Luckily here, it is the amusement park called Wild Adventures. It’s an amazing park that also owns a water park. Great place to enjoy the outdoors in a family friendly place!
These are 10 fun things to do in valdosta ga!!!
Thank you so much for reading! Much love and safe travels!
Ps. Sorry i have been struggling with the comments. Doing my best to catch up. Please don’t think i don’t care. I enjoy your thoughts!
When we think about Italy, we automatically think of Rome. However, Rome wasn’t the only ancient civilization in Italy. There were actually quite a few. However, none influenced Rome like Etruscan. Hopefully, this post will spread some light on a civilization often living in the shadows of rome.
The Etruscan civilization map brought to you by google
The Etruscans dominated Italy before the rise of rome. In fact, rome was once under the rule of the Etruscans as shown in the picture above. Not much is known of their history because they spoke a language that was not indo-European. The Etruscans were from what is now known as turkey. Which is why thier language was different than their neighbours.
Map of Italy in 400 B.C. brought to you by google
Italy was divided by many civilizations before rome eventually unified them all. However, the Etruscans were one of the first pre-rome Italians to unify mulitple Italian states. Plus, they are probably the one few in history that can say they conquered Rome’s capital.
An Etruscan Tomb brought to you by Google
As mentioned before, most of the Etruscans’ language and culture died out when Rome conquered. Since, most just adopted Latin and Roman customs. Eventually, the Etruscan simulated into Roman society and were forgotten. Within generations, you couldn’t tell the difference from an Etruscan and a Roman.
An Etruscan an pot brought to you by Google
What we know about the Etruscans’ culture is through tombs, art and what they left behind. A lot of their pottery was heavy influenced by Greece. They even had gods similar to the greek. The Etruscan religion had some influence to the Roman gods as well. Romans learned how to build arches from the Etruscans. The Etruscans even laid a foundation for the roman sewers. The city of Roman and the Roman architecture are imprints left behind by the Etruscans.
Thank you so much for reading!!! Much love and safe travels!!
Never been to Ireland nor had an interest in really going, besides seeing Dublin. However, when you see cheap tickets to Ireland it’s hard to say no. Only paid 250 for the roundtrip flight. After a crazy day, I was off to the land of the green leprechaun.
Shannon airport photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
It took about 5 and a half hours from JFK to reach the Shannon airport. It’s a rather small airport. Still gives you that classic European vibe. It was interesting to see signs in English and gaelic. One tip to know is that flying into Shannon is usually alot cheaper than flying into Dublin. I compared the prices before and after buying my tickets. You will usually save about 200 dollars, if you fly into Shannon.
Irish flag outside of the Shannon Airport photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Got outside and it was a weird feeling to finally see Ireland. For some reason, I expected Ireland to be that sterotype the media throws at us. I was expecting Irish music blasting and a pub nearby with people partying to sunrise. Yeah, in Shannon you don’t really get that unless you go to downtown, the main streets and/or the tourist sites. The place is pretty quiet and calm. It’s more like a suburb than a major City.
Irish road toll stop photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
I got on the shuttle bus that would take me into the main part of the city. It was about three euros and it was going to be a short ride. Irish people in general are friendly. Most of the time they are very helpful. Had no idea there were different types of shuttles from the airport. In case your Wi-Fi connection is off, you can always ask an airport staff and they would be more than happy to explain the different routes with the corresponding numbers. However, the locals from Shannon aren’t as nice as the people from Dublin. So, you might find someone having a bad day.
The green grass next to the Highway photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
The green grass of Ireland. Makes you think twice about what the green on the Irish flag means.
The ride to Shannon’s transportation hub was probably the longest 30 mins ride of my life. I was so excited to be in Ireland. Made me wonder how I would look to the other people on the bus. An Afo-hispanic/American in the middle of Ireland sitting impatiently like I had to go to the bathroom. Luckily for me, everybody minded their own business. All thanks to smart phones. Whether or not that is a good thing for the progress of humanity, we can only find out in the future.
Thank you so much for reading!!! Much love and safe travels!!
As we open our presents on this day, I would love to show you all the beauty of New York City at this time. Going to NYC during Christmas time should be on everybody’s bucket list. Hopefully, my photos will capture this beauty.
The Christmas themed shopping photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Something about NYC captures the Christmas spirit. Maybe it’s the fact that I used to travel here as a kid around this time or just the beauty of the buildings. Either way, Im sure through the photos you can see how transparent the Christmas spirit can be. Or at least, you can see why NYC captures that spirit.
Looking at the decorations photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Been to Rockefeller park so many times during Christmas. I decided to go to the World trade Center this year to look around and take photos. Since, this place was rebuilt in recent years. I figured why not? It’s been opened for about 5 to 7 years now. Defintely, worth the subway ride.
The light tunnels photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Every year, they have a new design for Christmas. So it’s never the same. What you see in these photos will mostly only be seen this year. These are memories that are worth treasuring in your mind.
oculus world trade center entrance photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
It’s hard not to walk around with a smile on your face. Families from around the world enjoying their time with the decorations. The small carts selling gingerbread cookies and other Christmas goods. Sure, this is capitalism at it’s best; However, all the Santa post cards would make the child in you smile.
Freedom tower with Christmas theme photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and spend time with your love ones! Stay safe!!
Didn’t think I was going to survive on this. Well, maybe I’m being a little dramatic right now. However, the story I’m about to tell you will make you feel uncomfortable with this motel brand.
On the way to Richmond, Virginia photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
We were going to Richmond, Virginia for a business event. All the nearby hotels were full. The only choice was Motel 6. I have used them in the past when I went on a road trip across the USA. However, nothing could prepare me for what was in store.
Entrance to motel 6 photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
When I got to my room, noticed I was not alone. Two cockroaches made thier presences known when I moved my pillow. I was not bothered by it too much; however, it was a clear sign this isn’t a well kept motel.
A few hours pasted by, heard people screaming in the other room. Unfortunately, I was hearing stds being exchanged.
Motel 6 sign photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Eventually, I heard a fight broke out next door. From what I overheard, the prostitute’s client got into a fight with her pimp. I felt so unsafe and uncomfortable. The police came with what looked like guns. Apparently, it was much more than just prostitution. It seems like drugs were involved. While all this was happening next door, I was trying to fall asleep with my two new cockroach friends.
After some time, arrests were made. Didn’t think it was going to ever end. I was annoyed that I paid the motel for this experience. Had to call the corporate number to get a refund. Never again will I stay at a Motel 6.
I was soon to be saying goodbye to Assisi for a second time. With a lot of culture connections to this part of Italy, leaving it behind would be hard again. This is something that gets harder the more times you do.
Church at Assisi photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
The clam and sophisticated atmosphere is hard to match. The european small town vibe mixed with the Italian culture is diffcult to let go. In a poetic way, even the clouds were sad. Since it started to rain later on in the day.
Outside of the church of Assisi photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
I was excited to be going to another part of Italy. However, I wanted to move here. Away from the stress, the hustle and bustle was nowhere to be seen.
On the hiking trial of hills of Assisi photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Hiking the mountains of Assisi is an activity that should be on every list. You get to walk the steps of Saint Francis. If you are Christian, it’s really awesome to see how this staint lived. For non-Christians, it’s a great way to see the city from a higher point of view. The mountain trial is for everybody.
The city of Assisi from the hills photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
As we ended our hike, it was time to hit the road. Assisi was going to be another memory. One that will always be on my mind when I want to relax.
As my time in Dubai was ending, I kept trying to find something to do. This is something that’s abnormal for me. I don’t really care about jewelery. Never interested me to show people what I have. So I never go to a jeweller. I got convinced to go visit the famous gold souk by my local friend.
My new friend photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
On my way there, I met this very smart cat. To get away from the heat, it slept inside the air-conditioned subway station. I just wanted to give it water. Life must be tough for a furry animal in the Middle Eastern heat. Had to say goodbye to my new friend. Sometimes, I wish I could adopt street cats. Especially, from forgien places.
The entrance of the gold souk photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Stepped out of the station and that wave of intense humidity hit me. I was sweating so much. It made me look like I just took a shower. Uncomfortably, I made it to the entrance of the souk.
Walking inside the souk photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Once inside the souk, you get blasted by the smell of spices. The noises of people trying to sell you their goods were in the air. The souk felt like a subway train going towards Manhattan. Everybody is trying to sell you something. Unwanted soliciting everywhere. It comes with the territory.
Poster of bollywood stars photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
The further I walked, you notice the Indian influence. There were a lot of Indian celebrities images. Dubai does have a large Indian community. Didn’t expect to see Bollywood Stars posters here. Didn’t even know who that person was until showed my Indian friend this photo.
One of the many jewellers photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
The jewellery shops were so beautiful. Being a proud window shopper here. I just came to the souk for sightseeing and not buying. Glad, I made the trip here. It made me wonder how this place used to be before Dubai became so international. I was a little disappointed, since the souk lacked that Middle Eastern authenticity you see on television. I was hoping people would be speaking more arabic and less English. I don’t really like complaining, I’m just pointing that out. Regardless, I still enjoyed my time.
Going to this Italian city always pulls my heartstrings. Growing up in the San Francisco bay area, Assisi has a lot of connections to the business hub of that metropolitan region. This is the place where St. Francis lived. The one San Francisco, California is named after. All of the buildings, of course, do not look the same. However, you can still see how the two areas look alike. Especially, when you leave San Francisco and go out to the outskirts. Spanish and Italian architecture has many Similares.
A street in Assisi photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Every turn we took, it was almost like walking into another piece of history. The buildings making your mind wander. How old are these homes? If walls could talk, what historical stories could they tell us? So much beauty to take in. The moment was hard to put in words. Think of going to a place where everything just spills out an essence you can’t really describe. Most of Italy is like this. There is just something magical about this country.
Homes in Assisi, Italy photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
Italy is really a country you could visit many times and never get bored. The second time around made me realize that this country is unique. I always thought Italy was overrated until I came here in person. Sometimes it makes you second guess yourself. At times, I thought I was watching an old Western movie. Other times, I thought I was back in time during the Roman golden age. Yet, you are reminded it’s real life. The moment when someone walks past, while you are lost in your head. Lost in all the historic events that you read in history books. There is always another level of appreciation for seeing this country in person.
On a hill in Assisi, Italy photo courtesy of Hugo Morel
I just wanted to thank everyone for all your positive feedback on when I shared my story. I can not say thank you enough for giving me a voice. Also, for letting me be able to share you all this beautiful blue ball we call earth. It’s such a humbling experience knowing I have support from all over the world and I am helping others. I hope to continue to be a light that can bring more inspiration to those in need. Wouldn’t be doing this without you all!
P.s. don’t want to be dramatic but I teared up reading the comments.
