Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Memories · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

I prefer both because they offer such different opportunities yet if I had to pick it would be water. I have loved the water or playing in water since I was a small child and once older I discovered the love of falling asleep being rocked by the water. There’s nothing like waking up to the sunrise drinking a cup of coffee while the water calms you.

I’ve had one bad experience on my friends 40ft boat. One day the weather was beautiful, I was sail boarding when I saw this massive black cloud coming our way. I rushed back to the boat and the waves on the way back to the dock were massive, he dealt with the waves while I was down stairs scared but constantly picking up items that had fallen including myself. I felt like it took forever. So glad he was at the helm.

The mountains are beautiful because the terrain is always different and you can see for miles. I was a hiker at one time but stopped after climbing a 1,000 feet to reach the top of Verna Falls at Yosemite National Park. We were rookies at climbing mountains and the climb reminded me why. You had to hike in circles all the way up, I had only one pole and several times I thought about stopping but knew better. The waterfall made every step worth it.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Daily Writing Prompt · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m an American and I once was proud to say that. I still love America and it is home for me but the politics, division in the country and the rise in physical and cyber crime is very concerning. Almost 10 years ago everything changed with the focus of our government with the biggest impact is neither party working together, they out right refuse. How are they helping Americans grow?

Back to the question. I have looked at other countries as an excersis and have found the countries that live by the values and government style I perfer and way to cold. I’ve thought about Austrailia because I think in many ways we are similar and while visiting Sydney, everyone was so welcoming. It made me think I was back home in Texas.

There are locations that have crossed my mind but in reality every country has it’s issues and living in America is far less expensive than any country I researched. I would not feel right moving away from my home country but wish for some magic to turn America around to better times.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Travel

My Bucket List 2025

I started my first Bucket List in 2015 and updated it in 2021, now it’s time to adjust my list to what I can accomplish with my health conditions. It will include some items that are be pie in the sky yet I believe we have to stretch our mind for the possibilities. Fun days are ahead.

Surfing lessons

Parasail 

Visit Raptor Center 

Complete Ancestry Trees 

Learn more about my Cherokee Indian heritage

NASCAR Ride Along

Hand Knitting

Visit Niagara Falls

Visit Bronx Zoo

Visit many National Parks

Take several courses on Photography

Buy a lens that allows me to take photos of space

Donate Granny’s quilts to the seniors’ center

Visit Ukraine

Fly in F16 and do a roll over

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Blogging · Celebrate Life · Fun · Travel

Sending A Special Thank You To Azerbaijan, Romania, Colombia, Malawi, Gambia, And Kyrgyzstan For Visting My Blog

I get so excited when a new country visiting my blog, it feels like I’m traveling with you. Kyrgyzstan stumped me, I had to look it up. Please cliick on the link to read about the rich history of the country.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

 

I look forward to seing you again and would love it you would leave a comment on how you found my blog.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Blogging · Celebrate Life · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Sending a Big Thank You To Panama, Norway, Palestinian Territories, Norfork Island, Jamaica And South Africa

I get so excited when a new country visits my blog, it feels like I’m traveling with you. I had a short trip to Jamaica but we stayed at all incluive hotel and didn’t venture out. I have wanted to visit Panama for years because my Gramps was stationed at the Panama Canal after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he had good stories from being there.

I appreciate you stopping by to read my post and I hope you will visit again soon.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

 

Melinda

Art · Celebrate Life · Daily Writing Prompt · Fun · Travel

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

I was traveling to the airport to fly to Russia the day of 9/11, the airspace was closed for two weeks and as soon as it was lifted off I went to St. Petersburg, Russia. Traveling alone wasn’t anything new to me but it’s unusual in many countries, I stood out as American but everyone was so gracious to me. I didn’t know the language or anyone who lived there, and I liked it that way.

Walking everywhere, visiting the Hermitage twice, two other museum’s, street artists, went to the ballet, visiting a couple of restaurants outside of the hotel. When I was lost communication was difficult but often a point in the right direction was all that was needed.

I observed the Costra Nostra, mafia, up close since most nights there were enjoying life in a separate lounge area by the bar. One day I stopped into a small restaurant for lunch, a man and women were the only two there. While I was eating my soup and the man walked past when leaving, he looked at me and said American. I guess you had to be there to get the vibe. It was such a joy for me because I’m fascinated by the Mafia.

I remember going into a fur shop, it was freezing cold and I had not packed for the weather. We had no verbal way of communicating but by showing her the type of furs I liked, I left with a beautil silver fox coat. I’m not a fur wearer but as I struggled with the cold, I wanted the warmest coat I could buy.

I could talk for hours about my trip especially the Astoria hotel, one of two five star hotels in the city. From the moment the Mercedes picked up at the airport, the entire staff welcoming me when I arrived to how they helped and protected me. I’ve never experienced a city like St.Petersburg and look for the day I can return.

My trip of a lifetime to date.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Family · Fun · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Photos Of Yosemite National Park

The valley with Yosimite Falls in the background.

 

The trials to Hetch Hechty are worth the effort

Merced River’s heavy flow is coming from Verna Falls

Verna Falls Yosemite National Park-Hiking it was a killer.

 

Different elevations of Yosemite

 

Hetch Hetchy Trail

 

Waterfall Spray on Hetch Hetchy trail

Half Dome

Nice sunset as we left the park one day

WP is wonky this morning and several descriptions of the photos will not align.

After all these years, I still have many to edit. Look for more photos in the future.

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Daily Writing Prompt · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

For me to travel to Jordan, the conflict in the Middle East would have to change dramatically. I’ve wanted to see Jordan since I saw a feature on the Travel Channel. The awe-inspiring Petra, Dead Sea salt baths and the people are so inviting. They are so generous by taken in so many refugee’s.

The list of places and countries to travel to is long but with planes falling out of the sky every day, I’m not flying.

St. Petersburg, Russia

What a great view out of my hotel window.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Preparing To Travel: What Do You Need To Think About

There are a number of things you need to know before embarking on a travel adventure. For many people, going on a trip is something they’ve always wanted to do, but it’s not something you can simply just start without any preparation. You need to do a lot of planning and research, and you also need to learn how to control your expectations. Because every location and journey is unique, it’s important to brush up on the essentials before you go; read on to find out more. 

Saving Money 

If you want to spend less money when traveling, you need to learn how to save money. There are a lot of things that might add up if you approach your adventure like a typical vacation, so it’s vital to spend some time thinking about what’s most important to you. To save money, you may have to give up staying in posh hotels and dining out every night.

Reducing the amount of luggage you bring, learning how to get inexpensive flights, and even traveling in the off-season can all help you save money when you travel. When you’re planning a trip, it’s a good idea to look for ways to save money and tailor your trip accordingly. 

Pack Carefully 

What you can and cannot do while you’re gone will be dictated by how you pack, so prepare accordingly. Of course, if you’re just going to stay in one hotel, it doesn’t hurt to bring a few extra things with you since you won’t be dragging them around from place to place. If, on the other hand, you want to travel, you’ll want to learn to pack light since you don’t want to be carrying heavy baggage from place to place and run the risk of losing things on the way.

It’s difficult to pack lightly if you’ve never done it before, but a general guideline is to bring just what you need, bearing in mind that you can purchase some items at your destination if you really need to. Check that you have adequate room for your crucial papers and gadgets that you will need while you are there. You’ll most likely need your phone, a power bank, a camera, and a travel adapter to charge all of your electronics. If you’re planning on camping or hiking, you’ll also need your specialist equipment from ECOGEAR FX

Important Documents 

Depending on where you’re going and the country you’re coming from, you’ll require a different set of paperwork. You may be required to travel with a certain passport and a visa in some cases. If you don’t do your homework in advance, your trip will be a disaster; you might not even get to go in the first place. You should always double-check your understanding of the requirements before proceeding so you aren’t disappointed and don’t lose a lot of money. 

Also, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of your papers in a separate location just in case. On top of this, always have all your passport information and additional passport photos with you on any trip. This could save you a lot of trouble if yours goes missing. Having a backup plan in case you lose your passport while traveling might make things a lot less stressful.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

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Celebrate Life · Fun · Men & Womens Health · Travel

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
Describe your most memorable vacation.

I was on the way to the airport to fly to St. Petersburg, Russia when 9/11 happened, we heard about the disaster on the radio. Back home I called my gramps to ask him if he thought this was the beggining of WW3, he replied it to soon to tell.

The airspace was closed for two weeks before I could make the trip. What was so surprising is people from around the globe were coming up to me to say how sorry they were, some were offering hugs, it was comforting.

The city was more than In could ever ask for, the people, the food, the art, the architecture, the ballet, I could go on. I was told that most women do not travel alone so people would know I was American. The hotel staff took great care of me including calling the restaurants to let them I was coming and to look for me.

View out of my room

I was not alarmed or scared the entire time. Traveling back to St. Petersburg is a desire of mine, the political situation would have to change greatly.

Happy travels.

Melinda

Looking for the Light