Jessie Voigts's Blog, page 265
June 18, 2015
Visiting the House of the Mother Mary
A place of peace, serenity, and hope. I felt all of these – and a gentle wash of kindness – as I ventured up the path toward the House of the Virgin Mary, or Mother Mary (Meryem Ana), located just a few miles away from the busyness of the ruins at Ephesus, Turkey.
It was a hot day in spring, and we had a very important stop before exploring Ephesus. We were visiting a place of pilgrimage for many global religions – that of the House of Mother Mary.
History ha...
June 17, 2015
One of Central America’s most scenic road trips: Antigua to Atitlan
Guatemala is not as popular as Mexico among tourists headed into Central America, but it’s slowly gaining fame for its vibrant cultural opportunities, interesting historical significance, and breathtaking scenery. Many who visit take the opportunity to use local transportation -hopping on the Guatemalan buses and wandering the countryside adventurously, or booking a tour through the numerous companies that can be found in Guatemala City and Antigua. But there...
Move Over Seattle. San Francisco is Rising to be Coffee King
Move over Seattle, San Francisco is on your caffeinated heels. Coffee is the lifeblood of most Americans, with 83 percent considering themselves coffee-drinkers.Whether you want coffee in the morning or afternoon, from a coffee shop or a regular eatery that offers coffee, chains like Starbucks are becoming just as commonplace as McDonald's. But, San Franvisco urges you to cut the chains and try out some of these top local coffee houses in the area next time yo...
June 16, 2015
When New Speakers of a Foreign Language Are Reluctant to Converse
Fifteen years ago, when I retired from my career as a motion picture executive, I tried my hand teaching English to a group of Japanese visual arts students who were spending a year studying abroad in Los Angeles. Much of their behavior, I knew, was based on their culture of shame, so I wasn’t surprised by their reluctance to respond to my questions, fearful as they were that their classmates might see them as stupid if their English was less than flawless. “...
June 15, 2015
Florida Culture for the Week of June 15, 2015 by Josh Garrick
Florida Culture for the Week of June 15, 2015 by Josh Garrick
Now to June 29 – Revue Salutes Rogers and Hammerstein
The word on Whistle A Happy Tune: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein, presented by the Breakthrough Theater in Winter Park is terrific. It should be. The Revue is drawing from the works of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who basically created the American Musical as we know it. ‘Influential’ is an understatement. They created the great...
June 14, 2015
#StudyAbroadBecause It Makes the World a Better Place
Traveling has always been a passion of Laura Victorelli’s, a senior political science major at the University of Pittsburgh. She credits that traveling has guided many aspects of her life. Originally born in Roanoke, Virginia but moved to Pittsburgh when she was four years old, Laura has always known that she wanted to learn about the world around her as much as possible. She’s traveled to southern Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, and Jordan. In a...
June 12, 2015
National Geographic Kids Almanac: Read This!
I've got the coolest book to share with you. It's the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016, and it's full of awesomeness.
There is everything in here, from cool events in 2016 to animals, history, dinosaurs, adventures, pizza, a sky calendar, and animal rescues. I love it because there are so many things in it, it would take days to read the whole thing. I like to randomly go to one page, read it, and then randomly go to another. It's so interesting, and I a...
June 11, 2015
#WidenYourWorld: Most Influential Travel Bloggers Share the Best of Turkey
I was part of a group ofWhite House Travel BloggersthatTurkish Airlinesflew in to experience Turkey (thank you, eternally!) – andI fell in love. With Turkey, Istanbul, the Aegean, the places we stayed and the food we ate, and that famous Turkish hospitality and friendly, interesting people.
But it isn't just me - ALL of us that went fell in love with Turkey. I asked my fellow travel bloggers - the Most Influential Travel Bloggers -to share their best photos a...
June 9, 2015
#StudyAbroadBecause it expands you
My name is Emily Johnson and I've been living abroad for the past ten years. I started my journey in Poland where I studied for my M.A. in Eastern and Central European Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Being passionate about culture and the study of societies, after the completion of my degree I moved south, to Istanbul, Turkey, where I still reside and teach at university. My life is filled with oddities and resounding challenges, but I am also...
Love Theme Parks? Unusual 1 day excursions from Paris
Picture this: Paris, summer, happiness, much good food, reading (all those bookstores!), and…city crowds? If you’re a bit tired of the city (and even with Paris, this is possible) and you’ve already visited Versailles, Normandy, and Giverny, there are several unusual and adventurous one day excursions from Paris – easily doable, within a short drive, and full of fun. If you and your family need a break from castles, monuments, and attractions, then it’s time f...
