Ricky Shetty's Blog, page 2

Cutting Costs while Traveling as a Family of Five

Travel can be expensive… However, it does not have to be. We have been traveling around the world as a family of five for the past 1.5 years continuously. In the past 18 months, we have been to almost 30 countries on 6 continents. Overall, I have personally been to over 80 countries on 6 continents. Our regular readers will know that our big goal is to be the FIRST FAMILY in human history to visit every country in the world (193/193). How do we get cheap flights? How do we fund our travels? How do we cut costs and minimize expenses? Let me tell you! Here’s our 4 steps to travel the world! 1) SAVINGS – before leaving our home town of Vancouver, BC, Canada , we saved, saved, and saved (and saved even more) towards our travel budget! We cut back on dinners and movies out, we cut back on the latest gadgets and the newest clothes and we instead focused on saving for our Travel Dreams. It’s really about prioritizing travel instead of other things in your life. 2) SELLING – we personally ended up selling a lot of stuff so we can fund our long-term travel plans including our house, car, furniture, gadgets, tech equipment, and more. We wanted to travel indefinitely (and here we are 1.5 years later). However, you don’t have to sell everything  but I encourage you to declutter and sell all the excessive things. 3) SPONSORSHIPS – getting sponsored hotels, sightseeing, food, and transport helps a lot in terms of saving money and not having to pay for these things out of pocket all the time. If you haven’t created your own Travel Blog, start it up and build up your readership! Start reaching out to Tourism Boards for Press Trips and Hotels and Resorts for Sponsored Stays. 4) SALARY – we are working 25-30 hours/week still. I have private coaching clients, multiple online courses, kindle books, sponsored blog posts, YouTube Ad revenue, and more. Today, I have been sitting in front of my computer working even with the beautiful blue skies out. We are in the tropical paradise of the Philippines now but we must focus on working still. What are some more creative ways to save on your travel costs? a) TRAVEL HACKING – this strategy of traveling the world on the cheap means you use credit card points and […]

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My Journey to be a TEDx Speaker

It’s been my dream for years to be a TEDx Speaker… This week, I got a HUGE STEP closer to having the dream achieved. I got accepted to be a TEDx Speaker at TEDx Magsaysay Blvd in Tacloban City, Philippines!

Every Patio needs some Love with Outdoor Furniture

We are currently in the Philippines and building a new house for my in-laws (yes, my wife’s mother and father live in the Philippines). Since the house is right on the beach, we are going to make a nice patio with a sea view so they can see some incredible sunsets every evening just past dinner. I’m looking forward to sitting on the patio and watching my kids play while working on Kids Book Series and Online Courses! Do you have a patio or are you considering getting one or making yours better? Here’s an awesome article for those of you who also want to make your patio look amazing!! Every Patio needs some Love with Outdoor Furniture It seems like Canadians wait half the year for warm weather so they can comfortably spend time outdoors. The good news is here:  winter is finally done and patio season is just around the corner. To make the most of the spring and summer, and improve your outdoor space; add  some outdoor furniture.   Get started with patio essentials and  proper seating, to maximize its use, plus  try to avoid common decorating mistakes.   Patio Essentials Lighting – It’s hard to enjoy your social time when it’s too dark  . While no one should have to worry about knocking their knees or tripping on their way to the washroom, bright fluorescent lights would ruin the mood and electrical outlets are scarce. Despite these dilemmas, lighting should be a priority because it affects the overall mood. What you want is intimate lighting through the use of lanterns or even stringed lights. These create an illuminated atmosphere, while keeping the tone casual. Look into solar-powered options as well in order to avoid annoying extension cords. Table – Whether it’s a dining space or a seating area, a table is a necessity for any patio. After all, there is nothing better than being able to enjoy your coffee on your patio in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. A table will keep it safe from being knocked over by passing family members or pets. There are a number of fantastic options available for patio coffee and dining tables. Outdoor rug – If you and your family spend a lot of time outdoors in the summertime, it’s a good idea to make the patio as welcoming as possible. You should see it […]

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The Science of Synchronicity

One of my big passions during our travels around the world is learning new things. I am also open to new possibilities and I truly believe (and have seen first-hand) that travel is the best education (for our kids but also for us adults. Sometimes, I feel that my wife and I have learned even more than our 3 young children). So, when the opportunity came about to try something new through my good friend Darren Jacklin, I decided to pursue the opportunity further. Darren connected me with Nyali Muir, Transformative Coach, Leadership Trainer and Health & Wellbeing Consultant. Nyali has coached Kenyan Olympic Team on Empowerment, Confidence Building and Culture Change. While I was in Baguio, we had a spontaneous “quick call” which ended up being 2 hours long. Soon after, I found about Nyali’s Research Project about “PATTERN NEW WIRING.” Basically, it means changing your life and results through changing your unconscious thoughts and belief by doing daily meditation and manifestation exercises. I have “never been into meditation.” Maybe you have said the same thing to yourself or similar things like “I can’t meditate” or “I’m too busy to meditate.” It’s important to reframe and reposition it to “I’m too busy NOT to meditate.” So even though I was “busy” and “wasn’t sure if it was for me”, I decided to give it a go! Here’s what happened… We decided to do Weekly Sessions for 8 weeks (2 months) which we then extended to 12 weeks (3 months) every Tuesday at 9 am EST (9 pm for me in the Philippines and 3 pm for Nyali in the United Kingdom). At first, I found it very challenging and difficult to sit still and meditate. In fact, I would get restless, open up my eyes, and my mind would wander. I also had challenges with wifi and internet stability as we were traveling between remote villages and cities and states and countries (Philippines to Taiwan to the Philippines again). However, I decided to “Trust The Process” and kept showing up to the Weekly Sessions as well as doing Daily Meditation at “home” (or at the hotel or hostel or Airbnb where we were staying in). Home is where the heart is (or in this day and age, home is where the wifi is)! For us Digital Nomads, home is our backpacks and the place where we crash temporarily before heading […]

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Street Performers around the World

One of the joys of traveling the world is to observe the local culture from markets, to public transport, to home stays, to understanding the local Busking Culture. We stop for at least one street performance show no matter which city, country, or continent we are in the world. We have seen buskers across Asia, The Middle East, Africa, South America, Central America, The Caribbean, and more. We have a YouTube Playlist with 30+ buskers from around the world so we also decided to highlight some of our favorite performances on this blog post! The categories vary from musicians to drummers to singers to break dancers to comedians to mimes to acrobats to magicians to many more. The amazing thing is that even though they might be communicating in a different language we can still understand the main message through body language and hand gestures alone as well as the audience’s reaction. I prefer to give them our spare change rather than beggars as they are working to making a living (similar to entrepreneurs). It’s also a great way for people to make money while traveling the world. In fact, I just met a young Japanese Guitarist in Taipei, Taiwan who has been traveling for the past fully relying on the money he makes by playing his guitar at the local Night Markets, Farmer Markets, and Public Parks. Sometimes, you need permits but a lot of the times, you can just perform and if the police stop you, they will simply make you pack up and leave (especially when they see you are a foreigner who doesn’t know the local laws). Here are some of our favorite performers from our past 1.5 years of world travel! VANCOUVER, CANADA SEATTLE, UNITED STATES DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES KNYSNA, SOUTH AFRICA SANTIAGO, CHILE VALPARAISO, CHILE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA CANCUN, MEXICO COZUMEL, MEXICO PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO SAN JUAN DEL SUR, NICARAGUA TAIPEI, TAIWAN TAITUNG, TAIWAN

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Organizational Tips for Entrepreneurial Dads

Office Essentials to Keep You Organized Are there days when you wonder why you just can’t get any work done? If you’ve already had your cup of joe but still can’t get any productive, the problem may be your desk or your workspace. New York City professional organizer Lisa Zaslow says the average person can waste an hour a day because of a disorganized desk. Just imagine how stressed you’ll be if you can’t find something important in your own workstation! If organizing your stuff feels like a daunting task for you, a good first step would be a trip to a nearby office supply store or a relevant online shop, where you can find the best organizing tools that will make your work life a whole lot easier. Handy File Organizers One way of prioritizing your workflow is to file your documents accordingly. Doing so is also a great way to avoid getting overwhelmed with the projects at hand and to actually start getting work done. Binders are always handy companions when you want to group files and projects. Since your paperwork is not stacked one on top of the other, you won’t feel too intimidated by the amount of work pending. Lots of Binder Clips Keep a supply of binder clips in your desk drawer as they are very useful tools in grouping things, from the smallest envelopes to the largest folders. You can even use them to keep your wires and cords organized. Carbon fiber money clips can also do the trick, though they are intended to effectively secure your money or credit cards so they better fit inside your pocket. This is a good alternative when you don’t feel like taking a bulky wallet with you whenever you go out. A Good Pen Holder Pens are a staple in an office desk, and you don’t want them lying around everywhere. Chances are, you won’t be able to find one when your desk is buried with stacks of documents and folders. There are lots of pen holders to keep your basic writing tools. You can even spare time for a do-it-yourself pen holder to give your office space a personal touch. A Multitasking Docking Station Does it ever bug you when you have to rummage through your stuff for your phone charger and find the nearest outlet just to be able to charge your device? You know […]

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How to Prepare for a Cross Country Road Trip

Road trips are such a fun vacation for the whole family, especially when they take you coast to coast! Cross country road trips are what family memories are made of, but how can you prepare for this awesome vacation? Let’s look at everything you should prepare for a cross-country road trip. With these tips, you’re sure to have a successful getaway! Get the Car Ready Before your road trip, make sure your car maintenance is in check. Making sure everything is running smoothly will keep you safe on the road and help prevent any last-minute emergency expenses (which no one needs when they’re stuck in the middle of the country!). A regular car maintenance check is a great place to start before you hit the road. A qualified mechanic will check your fluids, such as oil, transmission fluid, and more, make sure your tires and alignment are in great shape, and look at your brakes. All of these are crucial things to check before a long cross-country trip. In addition to turning to the professionals, educate yourself on everything there is to know about how your car works. If something happens, you should know basics like how to change a tire, pop the hood and identify trouble, or check the oil. Know Your Trip We all have GPS on our phones anyway, but planning your route ahead of time will save you some stress when you actually head out, especially for those areas where you might not have cell phone reception. Bring a physical map to be even more prepared for your cross-country trip! Even if your car has travel technology, it never hurts to have a fail-proof map of the area you’re travelling in. Plan out things like your stops, where you’ll get gas, where you can sleep, and any attractions along the way. Book the Hotels Like mentioned above, planning your hotels out ahead of time is crucial for a cross-country road trip. While sleeping at a rest stop is everyone’s idea of luxury (see the sarcasm), knowing where you’re going to crash ahead of time is invaluable on your trip. Save yourself and your family the stress by planning ahead so when the time comes, you can just sit back and relax and focus on driving. Even if you don’t know exactly where you’re staying, places to stop are great landmarks to mark your progress. If you […]

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Best Places to See in Malta for Families

BEST PLACES TO SEE IN MALTA FOR FAMILIES Traveling with family is so much better than doing it solo. I mean, who wouldn’t want to share those memorable and fun experiences with the most special people in your lives? Not only will it bring the family closer together, but it will also give you the simple pleasures of relaxation. If you’re planning your next family getaway, you might want to consider booking a flight to Malta. This charming tropical destination offers tons of amazing sights and activities perfect for all ages. From beautiful beaches and historical sites to friendly English-speaking locals, this small country is a sure hit for a family holiday. FAMILY-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS IN MALTA For those of you who want to enjoy a true Maltese experience with the whole family, there are many local destinations out there that are sure to give you that unforgettable vacation. Check out some of our top choices that will sure to bring out the best in your next family trip. •    ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF NATURE IN LOWER BARRAKKA GARDENS If you want to bring your family closer to the environment, why not consider visiting the Lower Barrakka Gardens? Located in Valletta, Malta, this world-famous garden offers stunning views of nature and other prominent icons of the country, such as the Grand Harbour and the old city. Visitors are sure to enjoy the garden’s relaxing ambiance, especially with its gorgeous shade trees, Roman-style fountains, and impressive monuments. It is also connected to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, which can be accessed after a short walk down the hill. •    EXPLORE THE HISTORIC FORT RINELLA Want to teach your family about Malta’s rich history? Try visiting the historic Fort Rinella. Also known as Rinella Battery, this fort was built by the British in 1878 for the purpose of protecting shipping lanes to India through the Mediterranean. Upon visiting this place, you will get to see firsthand one of the two surviving Armstrong 100-ton guns. To give you a better picture of its history, volunteers re-enact some essential highlights, such soldiers’ uniforms, fighting style, warfare tactics, and firing of a cannon – an enjoyable and educational experience, especially for the kids. •    BASK IN THE BEAUTY OF COMINO’S BLUE LAGOON Your Malta travel experience will never be complete without visiting one of its renowned paradise, the Blue Lagoon. Located in Comino, this […]

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What You Should Expect When Taking Your First Family Road Trip

What You Should Expect When Taking Your First Family Road Trip According to Travel Agent Central, 66 percent of Americans plan to travel over the summer months, and of those parents who will be traveling with children, 57 percent feel stressed about the prospect of a family road trip. One of the specific issues parents worry about is finding travel centers, rest areas, gas stations, restaurants, etc. which have fresh food options. More Millennial parents worry about this issue (65 percent) than Gen X parents (51 percent) or Baby Boomer parents (42 percent). Clean restrooms are also an issue for parents who are planning a road trip, as is whether the hotels and restaurants along the way are family-friendly. If you plan ahead and know what to expect on your first family road trip, it is almost a sure bet that your trip will go much more smoothly. Some tips for your upcoming family road trip include: Make Sure Your Car is in Tip-Top Condition—Before you hit the highways, take your car in for a checkup to ensure your brakes, air conditioner, tire pressure, oil and windshield wipers are all in good condition. Just in case, make sure you have emergency items, such as jumper cables, a flashlight, flares, water and snacks, tire repair, a first aid kit, a small air compressor and other necessary tools. Ensure Your Child’s Car Seat is Properly Installed—It is very important that you know your car seat prior to strapping your child in and heading out for a road trip. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children should travel in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible—ideally until they are two years old. Transitioning a child to a forward-facing car seat too soon is a common mistake made by parents as well as having the straps on the car seat harness much too loose (there should be no slack in a car seat harness). Keep the children in the vehicle’s rear seat as long as possible—The American Academy of Pediatrics also found that children under the age of 3 have a 43 percent lower risk of injury when restrained in the center of the rear seat. Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions to the letter and if you are still having problems, visit www.safekids.org to locate an inspection station close by. Have Plenty of Background Knowledge About Where You Are Going Aside from […]

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