Suzi Tells All (About Travel That Is!)

Detailed below is a Q&A with the lovely Suzi Hawk. Miss Hawk is a junior at Ohio University where she studies political science and East Asian studies. She has done her fair share of traveling and shares her experiences in an insightful interview.

Where have you traveled outside of Ohio? I have been to every state east of the Mississippi River, Arkansas, Oklahoma, California, Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Canada, Baja, U.S.Virgin Islands, and China. Describe your most memorable travel experience. I have had many memorable travel experiences. I think my most memorable trip would have to be when I went to San Diego for Christmas my sophomore year of high school. My brother was stationed there while he was in the Navy and he was not going to be able to make it home that year. My mom asked me if I would prefer presents or a trip to see my brother and the obvious answer was my brother. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, in large part because it is a time of the year that I get to spend with family. Christmas would not have been the same if I weren't able to share it with my parents and brother. It is a holiday that presents are no where near the best thing. The time of the year is meant for family. How will travel impact your future career? I'm not entirely sure yet but I am hoping that travel will be one of my job requirements! Describe your intended career. I have tossed around the idea of my future career many times. Currently I am leaning towards a career within the CIA or Department of Defense. They are big aspirations but I am determined to reach my goal within either one of the fields. Right after I graduate I am going to be volunteering for multiple campaigns for the 2010 election. I have also tossed around the idea of working for the Republican Party but am not sure which direction I will end up going in. Do you enjoy traveling and experiencing other cultures? Explain Yes, very much so. The history of other nations amazes me. It is truly spectacular to see the architecture and culture of the countries around the world. There are so many places I want to see and cultures I want to experience because of how different they are from my own. I think it is phenomenal how different cultures truly are. Where was the last place you traveled to? The last place I went was Washington D.C. for a weekend trip. Offer three pieces of travel advice that you have learned from your travels. Learn the basic 'laws' of the country you are going to. Not every country is as lenient on everyday activities as the United States. Things that would not normally be illegal may be in the other country. Pack accordingly to the weather and terrain of your vacationing destination. Finally, have fun! Don't just go somewhere and go to bars or just the beach. Travel around see all that you can. Especially when traveling abroad, get out there and see the sites. Go to the places that you will never see back in the U.S. Describe your worst travel experience. This is a tough one. All vacations have been interesting and good in there own way. I guess I could say the worst was when I was in 6th grade. My parents and I flew to Florida for a week. Had a fabulous trip until we got back to Indianapolis. We were welcomed back by a HUGE snow storm. Luckily we had some coats in the car and we bought hoodies in Florida. But to top off the snow storm, our car broke down! So, I guess the getting back part was the worst! Where would you like to travel to someday? Why? Everywhere, haha! I would say my top five locations of desire are: Egypt (to see the pyramids!), Greece, Australia, Ireland, and India. I want to go to a few of the places because their cultures are so very different from ours. Mainly because I believe that they all look beautiful and have a deep history. What are your feelings about foreign language requirements and college students being encouraged to study/travel abroad? I think that foreign language is a great thing for people to learn, when it is desirable to them. Foreign language is not necessarily retained by the uninterested. So many career paths encourage foreign language skills, but for people who don't need it, I don't think it should be required for them. I highly recommend studying abroad. It is truly a great experience. Especially for students studying foreign language, I think they should study in a country where the dominant language is the language they are studying.

London Love and Travel Adoration in General

It is personal anecdote time! By now, I think it has become quite apparent that traveling is one of my true passions.

There are several reasons why I am passionate about traveling.

First of all, because I have a stable home environment, I feel comfortable being a little out of my comfort zone. I have a home base which grants me the confidence to explore and take risks. Regardless of what happens, I know I have a place waiting for me when I return.

Second of all, I am curious about the world. I adore learning about history and culture. Foreign languages are completely fascinating.

Third of all, I am a very visual person. I need to be able to see things in order to appreciate them. You can read about the Eiffel Tower all you want. Until you have actually been there, you cannot truly fathom the size and impressive sight it offers.

Going along with the visual thing, I am a fashion enthusiast. There is something about foreign fashion that is completely exciting. The specialized shops that these fabulous cities offer are incredible.

There are numerous other reasons for my passion as well, but way too many to list today!

I have traveled to Europe three times thus far. I would like to expand a little on my third and most recent trip.

I had the privilege of going to London for a two week study abroad trip during Ohio University's winter intersession in 2007. I went with a group of ten Ohio University students and Professor Jody Lamb to study 19th Century Art History.

It was a truly fabulous experience because we went during the holiday season. London goes crazy for Christmas so the store fronts were gorgeous, as were the decorations everywhere we went.

We stayed at a lovely hotel in the Bloomsbury district which was close to everything. A typical day consisted of spending a few hours at a museum for our class portion of the trip, lunch, sightseeing in the afternoon, a dinner, and then either a night at the theater or pub-hopping.

Some of the museums we visited were the British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Victoria & Albert, and several others.

As for London sights, we went to Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Chinatown, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, etc...So wonderful.

This is basically my little shout-out to the OU Study Abroad Department. They offer all sorts of fabulous opportunities. I knew I would not have the time or money to study abroad for a quarter or even a summer. By offering the winter intersession trips, one is able to complete a course at an accelerated two weeks and explore a city for a more modest price.

So if you have the travel bug nagging at you, check out study abroad opportunities. I am so glad I did!

Traveling in Style and Staying on Budget

Travel to Paris by ~KTMAX on deviantART

When one has particular standards and is not necessarily willing to rough it while traveling, certain issues can arise. This is especially true when that person is on a limited budget and wishes to spend his or her money wisely.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to find acceptable accomodations at a reasonable price without resorting to staying at a hostel. I prefer to stay in a room with a comfortable enough bed and its own bathroom. If I am traveling with friends or acquaintances, I am perfectly happy to share the room.

When traveling, one rarely spends a great deal of time at their hotel because they obviously are exploring whichever city they are in that particular day. I am a firm believer in staying in a decent enough place because it gives you peace of mind.

You are less likely to worry about theft and safety. Also, you know you will be able to get a decent amount of sleep if you have a private place.

I am also a much happier traveler when I am able to take a shower and be clean. Having an electrical outlet is also a plus. Appearance, while not everything, is important to me. I do not wish to look like a slob when traveling so I take a bit of time to make sure my hair is travel-proof and my outfit is not wrinkled.

So while I am certainly not bashing hostels, I myself would prefer to find a reasonably priced hotel when traveling. If I have to pay a bit more, I am willing to do that in order to have a truly enjoyable traveling experience.

For more tips about traveling stylishly and on budget, check out The Budget Babe. It is a really interesting blog about staying on budget.

Mapping Out the Best Spots in London

I have created a map of the top ten places to visit in London. Of course, this is my own opinion but they are recommended nonetheless. Check it out!

Conservatives Travel to D.C. For Annual Trip

Twenty nine conservative students from Ohio University's College Republicans traveled to Washington D.C. this past weekend.

The 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference is what inspired these students to make the 5.5 hour drive to the nation's capital.

The 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC for short is an annual convention for conservative activists across America. CPAC is held at the Omni Shoreham, a lavish hotel in Washington D.C.

Held since 1973, this conference provides an excellent excuse to travel to Washington D.C. and mingle with fellow conservatives.

Washington D.C. is a lively city and highly enjoyable for both the politically active and historically interested. Teeming with monuments, memorials, and museums, the nation's capital is a fascinating place to travel.

This year's Conservative Political Action Conference received a great turnout from conservative activists across the nation. This conference was able to inspire a great deal of traveling to the nation's capital.

The conference was highly successful as it featured noteworthy speeches from prominent conservatives such as Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter.

"There were so many fascinating speakers and their events obviously generated a lot of attendance. Unfortunately, some of the events required waiting in line for over three hours just to get into the conference room," says Suzi Hawk, communications chair for the Ohio University College Republicans.

The popularity of CPAC's keynote speakers certainly hindered some attendees' plans. Even after traveling near and far to get to D.C., some people ended up viewing the speeches on televisions in their hotel rooms.

"Regardless of where we viewed these speeches, they were poignant and hard-hitting. Just the environment of being at CPAC was refreshing and invigorating," says Kristen Bussel, vice president of Ohio University College Republicans.

The Ohio University College Republicans opted to carpool this year to the conference. The journey took approximately 5.5 hours and took the students through the states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.

Carpool tends to be the preferred mode of transportation but charter buses are also occasionally used.

"This is my third year attending CPAC. This annual trip and conference is something I look forward to all year long. Traveling to Washington D.C. each year is definitely a highlight of my college experience," says Melissa Short, president of Ohio University College Republicans.

The CPAC attendees also travel to Washington D.C. to partake in sightseeing and experiencing what the city has to offer.

"Visiting the National Museum of American History, viewing the Washington Monument, and eating at fabulous restaurants completely complemented the CPAC experience this year," says Tanya Rennicker, secretary for Ohio University College Republicans.

For more information about CPAC, please visit http://www.cpac.org/

getting there

Traveling tends to be an enjoyable experience, particularly once you arrive at your destination. The actual process and journey it takes to get to that end destination can be a bit stressful though. While I am not as well-traveled as others, I certainly have had my fair share of travel/journey experiences.

When it comes to successful travel, it is a good idea to keep certain things in mind. There are certain skills or knowledge that allow for a seamless trip. Obviously being prepared and flexible are necessary qualities of a successful traveler. There are some other tips that I have learned from my travel experiences. While some of these tips may seem obvious, they can be easily forgotten when one is actually in the process of traveling.

For this post, I will be discussing travel by car. These journeys usually take place within a single country. For this I will focus on American travel by car because that is obviously what I am most familiar with. Some things I keep in mind or do when traveling by car are:

1. Have a map, directions, GPS, whatever. Obvious, I know. However, never assume you know where you are going. It also pays to be a smart traveler. Don't go east when you are obviously needing to head west. I actually know some people who have done this on more than one occasion.

2. If you are the driver, sleep before you begin the trip. You will need to be alert. Finalize travel arrangements before the trip takes place. By this, I mean discuss with the passengers about gas money payment, luggage space, parking prices, switching off drivers, etc...

3. If you are the passenger, be considerate of the driver. Do not distract. Pay for your share of the gas money. Also, it is a good idea to bring something to entertain yourself during the drive. An iPod, magazines, books, etc... are always good choices.

4. Plan out stops for the trip so everything can run smoothly.

5. Enjoy the ride!

happy packing!

Photo credit: Arturo Elena

Packing for trips is no easy task. Even if you claim to be a professional, it certainly can cause stress for an impending trip.

I for one have a love/hate relationship with packing. I love it because packing means I am traveling somewhere. Obviously, I enjoy traveling. That goes without mentioning.

I hate it, however, because I tend to pack either too much or little. Often, I will have packers' remorse and regret not bringing certain items. This is when I start shopping and then I am in real trouble...

Anyway, with my Florida trip looming ahead and my traveling to Washington D.C. next week, I have some packing to accomplish.

Of course, I will be packing for two different climates and two different purposes.

The purpose of my trip to Washington D.C. is to attend a conservative conference called CPAC where I will network with prominent politicians, authors, and other important people. This will be my third CPAC trip and I always enjoy it. I will be traveling with my fellow College Republicans via cars and we will be staying at the luxurious Omni Shoreham hotel. While most of the days will be spent at the conference listening to speakers or networking at the job fair, we will also be exploring D.C. in order to visit the monuments and museums.

For this particular trip, the packing can be quite tricky. Business professional is the required dress code for the event so that means I will be packing business suits, dresses, heels, and pearls. Sightseeing, however, will require jeans, comfortable shoes, coats, etc... Of course, we will also be going out which will require fancier tops, nicer jeans, and so on and so forth.

As for my trip to Tampa, that will be for pure fun and relaxation. I will certainly need that after finals and these last few stressful weeks of winter quarter. Laying out, shopping, eating delicious food, and spending time with my aunt and friends will be heaven. We will be flying to Florida and staying with my aunt the majority of the time.

Packing will most likely be more fun and certainly less complex for this particular trip. Swimsuits, sunglasses, sundresses, and sandals will be the required dress code.

Some general packing rules I abide by are as follows:

1. Bring clothes you can wear more than once.
2. Limit shoes to three or four pairs maximum
3. Establish a color theme. Mine is pink and black.

More will follow but for now, happy packing!

a picture is worth a thousand words and i have thirty!

Featured above is a slideshow showcasing some selected pictures from my European travels.

Enjoy!

as if i needed another website obsession...

Art Credit to Amihan of deviantART

Being a travel enthusiast, I enjoy searching for websites that match my fancy. Simply running a Google search for travel sites will return 135 million hits. The important thing is to figure out how to disseminate what is quality and what is not.

There are certainly some lackluster websites in cyberspace. There are also ones that are startingly inaccurate. However, when I find a truly remarkable one, I am ecstatic.

Which brings me to this post, of course. I ran a Google search and discovered some real gems. To be a successful travel website, at least in my personal opinion, there must be a level of interactivity, eye-catching graphics, audience-captivation, and an abundance of information packaged in a unique way.

http://www.virtourist.com/ is a fabulous travel website. This particular site offers lots of information and the usability aspect is great. The main page features a world map. From there, you can choose where you want to go. The site allows for a wide variety of search options. You can search by continent, country, or city. It is essentially a virtual version of a trip around the world. Each location features valuable information, gorgeous photos, and historical recaps that are absolutely intriguing.

Each location has a tour guide who essentially "guides" you to each landmark in a particular city. This is a certainly an interesting feature. Another feature that appealed to the journalist in me is the link that takes you to the best newspapers in each city around the world.

Virtourist features a lot of Google ads but they do not clutter the site's pages, which is certainly a nice aspect. Rather, the ads work almost as additional searches for airlines, hotels, and other travel-related things.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this website will quickly become one of my favorites. Easy to use, absolutely interesting, captivating pictures, and valuable information make for a terrific travel website.

fun in the sun!

Copyright Lesley Scott

With spring break right around the corner, I cannot help but yearn for sun, surf, and sand. I truly loathe winter. Other than Christmas, it is a horrible season. Warm weather and sunshine makes me happy. Another thing that makes me happy is traveling. Of course, that goes without mentioning. However, I enjoy traveling for a multitude of purposes. Sometimes I travel for educational purposes. Other times for mere curiosity. Once a year, I travel to Washington D.C. to network. When I am lucky, I travel for sheer relaxation and pleasure.

I am completely looking forward to my spring break this year. Most years I stay at home and work. This year, however, I will be spending a blissful week in Tampa, Florida. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for gorgeous weather. We will be flying into Orlando initially. That night we will go to Downtown Disney. Yes, I am a college student and I am thrilled to be able to infuse some aspect of Disney into my trip.

The rest of the trip will be spent at my aunt's house in Tampa. With a pool in the backyard and being minutes from the beach, this trip will be the epitome of relaxation.

What is it about vacations to places with warm weather that excite us so? Obviously the temperature is an appealing aspect. But traveling to simply relax and take a break from reality has to be a big part of it. Face it. Traveling to foreign countries and exotic places can be stressful. Enjoyable, certainly, but stressful. There are so many tasks involved in planning one of those trips.

Vacations to locations such as Florida, South Carolina, California, etc... tend to be more simple to plan. Once you have transportation and accomodations arranged, the rest is smooth sailing.

spot a cool blog...

Pictured above is my friend Erin and I in front of the Louvre in Paris. Being a travel enthusiast, I often look back at pictures from my trips. I really need to travel again soon to get some more pictures.

Anyway, what brings me to tonight's post is the discovery of a most interesting blog. I felt like Googling other travel blogs to see what else is out there on the topic. While I have not found many blogs that are similar in content to my blog, there are certainly a lot of travel blogs in cyberspace. A lot tend to read more like brochures you might find at a travel agency, one particular blog caught my eye.

http://travel.spotcoolstuff.com/ is quite interesting. It is certainly not your ordinary blog about travel information. Rather, it features cool and unique travel spots in different locations around the world. The blog also features very specific activities you can do in these locations. Some interesting examples I found in my perusing of the blog are spending the night in a museum in New York, staying in a hotel that is suspended above Paris, traveling through a replica of the human body in the Netherlands, going to a monkey spa in Japan, eating breakfast with a giraffe in Kenya, and many other bizarre things.

Another interesting feature of Spot Cool Stuff is that it lists various links of different categories. So if you are looking for unique restaurants, you can zero in on that particular topic. The blog also features a shopping section so you can book flights and hotels from that web site.

Probably my favorite aspect of Spot Cool Stuff is the pictures and animation the blog provides. A picture really does say a thousand words. And these pictures are gorgeous.

The only qualms I have with the blog are that it primarily focuses on travel within the United States. I personally prefer a greater mix between foreign and domestic travel. Also, the entries tend to be more informative than insightful. It would be nice to have more reviews of the activities and locations.

All in all, Spot Cool Stuff's travel section is an interesting find. Definitely worth visiting again, I would say.

study/intern abroad in london or paris!

Copyright: Tracy Watson

So I was at work today, and of course I come across a fabulous opportunity that involves travel. I work for the communication internship coordinator at my college and put together newsletters for the communication and journalism students. I get presented with a lot of different internship and study abroad programs that I have to advertise to my peers. A lot of the information tends to be pretty mundane and not that spectacular. Today, however, was different. I sifted through some information about The American InterCollegiate University. of course, I had to look past the price tage. Being a poor college student is certainly never fun. However, what this university offers is truly incredible.

They present the opportunity to go to either London or Paris for a 5, 10, or 11 week program. There are a variety of disciplines you can pursue with the program. They offer courses in fashion journalism, fashion photography, visual communications, journalism & media communications, advertising & media marketing, international business, and so much more. The opportunity to study such unique topics is a refreshing one. Most courses I see being offered abroad tend to be very cookie-cutter in design.

Another interesting aspect of this program is that it offers a part time internship in conjunction with the courses. Many programs offer an either/or option. This just seems like a fabulous opportunity.

It is unlikely that I will have the chance to study abroad again before I graduate, but if I had both the time and money...oh, the possibilities.

It does go to show that there are wonderful programs out there. If you want to add that academic aspect to traveling, why not join a program like American InterCollegiate University?

For more information, please visit http://www.studyabroad.aiuniv.edu/

a fabulous opportunity

Looking to travel abroad safely and affordably? Watch the above video about EF Tours. It is a fabulous company that arranges international travel tours for students. They have a specific program called College Break which is obviously geared toward college students.

EF Tours offers different set trips to a wide variety of countries. These trips all vary in location, length and price. I highly suggest you visit http://www.efcollegebreak.com/ to learn more about the amazing opportunities that EF Tours offers. They have a great search feature where you can specify where you want to go, how many days you want to travel, and which time of year you want to travel. The website also features a break down of what the company will do for you in terms of planning your trip. Like I said, check it out!

EF Tours keeps in mind that college students tend to be on a budget. They offer very attractive package prices that are quite suprisingly low considering what is included. A typical package includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accomodations, transfers, scheduled tours, tour guide, and much more.

I have personally traveled with EF Tours twice. The first time was about 5 years ago and I then traveled again with them about 3 years ago. While I did not partake in the College Break program (I wasn't in college yet!), I did experience the trips geared toward high school students. They are set up very much the same as the College Break program, however. I went on the London, Paris, and Italy trip twice. It was an amazing experience because EF Tours really does take care of everything. This allows you, the traveler, to truly enjoy your time and experience as much as possible. A lot of the stress is eliminated because the tour guide coordinates everything for you.

If you have never traveled outside of the US before, I highly suggest planning your trip with EF Tours. It is a wonderful learning experience and a great way to see the world. Even if you are a more seasoned traveler, this company offers some of the greatest deals on international travel.

As I suggested before, check out this fabulous opportunity!

a journey begins with a single step...

To get things started, allow me to state the purpose of this blog. Due to the fact that I am a travel enthusiast, I decided to create a blog highlighting the joys of travel for the 18-30 year old demographic. I anticipate that the audience will be predominantly female, due to the fact that I will mostly be including tips for female travelers in regards to packing, safety, etc... I will mostly focus on travel for college students, but also discuss travel options for those who have graduated from the academic world. This blog will feature travel tips, ideas, and travel testimonials. This blog will discuss both domestic and foreign travel. It will also feature information about low budget and more moderately-priced trips.

I myself have had some experience with traveling. In terms of domestic travel in the United States, I have been to the following major cities: San Jose, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Nashville, Washington D.C., Chicago, Orlando and Philadelphia. I have also vacationed frequently to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina., which is certainly one of my favorite vacation spots. Outside of the USA, I have been to England, France, and Italy.

The list of places I hope to travel to is quite extensive. Places in the United States that I would like to visit are Hawaii, New York City, Los Angeles, Texas, and a myriad of other locations. As for outside the US borders, the list is endless. Greece, Spain, China, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia...

Traveling can be a highly enjoyable experience, but also a stressful one. Because I have my own share of travel mistakes and calamities, I will offer some advice so that others can avoid the troubles I have had. This blog will be an all-encompassing guide to all things travel for the college set.

So, let's get going!