Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 40

Remembering Sept 11

I was in New York this day 21 years ago when the Towers fell. We remember 9/11

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1549217862201400

https://911memorialmuseum.brightcovegallery.com/

Today, 21 years later, our account is dedicated to remembering our 9/11 fallen brothers and sisters. Please join us in our vow to #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/MdErUYQOvf

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 11, 2022

Today is one of remembrance for both victims & survivors of the #September11 attacks, when we honor the tremendous sacrifices of our first responders & recovery workers.

The Tribute in Light is from 3:00 PM to dawn at the @Sept11Memorial: https://t.co/4ijFknIgBz#NeverForget pic.twitter.com/RiLJw7xu59

— New York City 311 (@nyc311) September 11, 2022

During this time of national mourning, we also remember the attacks in New York and elsewhere in the USA which took place 21 years ago today.

We remember all those- including so many from @FDNY– who lost their lives that day.#911Anniversary #11September pic.twitter.com/9uvhwrI7gS

— South Yorkshire Fire (@SYFR) September 11, 2022

Today we remember the 2,996 people who lost their lives 19 years ago today, including the 343 New York City Fire Department (FDNY) personnel & 72 police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

#911Anniversary #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/5d2KTp5VQN

— Mersey Fire (@MerseyFire) September 11, 2020

SEPTEMBER 2022

21 years ago, the world learned a poignant lesson in compassion, generosity, and finding light & community in the darkest of moments. Inspired by the Newfoundlanders who opened their arms, hearts, and homes to strangers without a second thought, for 5 days, we will honor, commemorate, and come together to spread kindness and give back.

“On September 11th, we honor what was lost; on September 12th, we commemorate what we’ve found.”

JOIN US FOR 5 DAYS OF GIVING BACK AND COMMEMORATING.MONDAY, 9.12: PAY IT FORWARD DAYPAY IT FORWARD 9/11
Join Kevin T’s ripple effect by doing 3 acts of kindness in and around your community. Then, pay it forward by inspiring others to do the same. Join Kevin’s mission to do 22,000 good deeds for 2022 and the 11 Days of Kindness & Unity campaign from September 1-11.LITTLE WORDS PROJECT
Little Words Project® aims to inspire and encourage people to be kind to themselves and to pay that kindness forward, one bracelet at a time. Members of our Broadway company made custom Come From Away bracelets to pay forward to people in New York City.DAY OF SERVICE
As we do each year, Come From Away will join 9/11 Day of Service in their ongoing mission to transform the anniversary of 9/11 into a worldwide day of unity and doing good, and to encourage millions of people to remember and pay tribute each 9/11 through good deeds.The Broadway company will be performing the song “Prayer” at the NYC meal packing event. Tune in to this performance on our Facebook Page.Click here to learn more about Day of Service volunteer opportunities in your area.HEART 9/11 PRESENTS THE 2ND ANNUAL 9/12 TRIBUTE
An evening of reflection and resilience to tribute to New York’s 9/11 recovery mission workers and the pandemic’s frontline heroes to benefit HEART 9/11 featuring a special performance from members of Come From Away’s Broadway Company.TUESDAY, 9.13:SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS WITH KINDNESS.ORG
Thanks to Kindness.org’s recent research looking at which kind acts matter most, we’re excited to share some ways you can choose kindness this week — and feel good knowing just how meaningful the impact is.Engage in small acts of kindness throughout the day:
– Give up a seat on the bus or train for someone
– Take care of someone who is sick
– Help someone cross the street
– Be there for someone if they are in trouble
– Buy lunch for someoneCOME FROM AWAY THE CONCERT IN NEWFOUNDLAND
We are honored & humbled to bring Come From Away back to The Rock as part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Come Home celebration! Come From Away in Concert will be presented in Gander Sept 13-15 and St. John’s Sept 19-20.WEDNESDAY, 9.14:LOVE LOT WITH FELT
Share in our gratitude! Just as the Come From Aways thanked the Newfoundlanders, join us is showering them in thanks! Download the Felt app and send a card to Gander Town Hall through the Come From Away Love Lot. All cards will arrive at once.THURSDAY, 9.15:STOP THE WORLD, TAKE A PICTURE & GIVE BACK
Today, we want to encourage you to take a moment to capture the beauty of community while also taking time to reflect on your own. Take some time today to be mindful and then share your photos and tag our partners to spread the word & give back to important causes.Early Childhood Literacy with Dolly Parton’s Imagination LibraryAnimals From Away with Gander SPCAFRIDAY, 9.16: WHAT WE FOUNDJoin us at The Schoenfeld and receive a daffodil bulb to plant in a park and further the project’s mission following the performance in partnership with our friends at New Yorkers for Parks’ Daffodil Project.NY4P’s Daffodil Project is the largest annual volunteer effort in NYC history. It is a living memorial to the victims of September 11 and Covid-19, a platform for citywide parks stewardship and civic engagement, and a celebration of the New Yorkers championing parks equity in their communities. Established in 2001, the Daffodil Project is now in its 21st year.

Learn more about the Come From Away Projects here.

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The Bittersweets of Traveling: Life as an Emirates Cabin Crew Member

For four years, I traveled around the globe visiting 70 countries as a cabin crew member with Emirates. Based in Dubai, every flight I embarked on was with a different crew so my day at work was always going to be a mystery since my colleagues were often strangers. Going to work was always unfamiliar territory—even before I landed in a new city!

Emirates was certainly glamorous. We turned heads walking through airports like a pack of intimidating, exotic animals. The famous red hat distinguished us from any other airline and I was always proud to be part of a community of mysterious world travelers.

Of course, there was the not-so-glamorous reality of being a cabin crew member. I was often awake for more than 24 hours, had a poor immune system from the pressurized cabin, and slept through my days off waking only to pee and eat a croissant.

Moreover, during my time in the sky, I was faced with the safety and security threats of flying that we hoped would only exist in training college. I handled medical cases at 38,000 feet, swung from curtains in the cabin as I clung for safety during severe turbulence, and prepared the cabin for a diversion to Vienna from Los Angeles after one of our engines failed. We were all OK though! We landed safely and after the issue was fixed, we got to fly the empty aircraft back to Dubai the next day which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I got to sit in the flight deck for takeoff and landing, watched movies in business class, then slept for the duration of the flight.

Subsequently, my experience at Emirates had many perks and many obstacles. I learned about patience, and that I have none! I learned how to administer first-aid, how to restrain, how to build a life raft, how to control a cabin of 500 hungry people, how to fight fire, how to fight sleep, how to do my makeup with no mirror, how to be a social butterfly, and how to not get lost in a new destination. My recollections are plentiful.

However, the experiences etched the most in my memory are the conversations with my colleagues on the jumpseat in the galley flying over oceans and mountains, and the pleasures we embarked on as a group on our layovers.

One particular multi-sector trip to Cebu-Clark in the Philippines is my absolute go-to memory when I think of my time at Emirates. After most flights, once we checked in to our hotel, many crew would drag their feet and suitcases straight to their rooms to sleep while others pushed themselves to stay awake and explore their new surroundings. But this trip was different.

After a nine-hour flight from Dubai, we landed in Cebu. The collective energy and giddiness among the crew were both contagious and palpable as it surged through the crew bus from the airport to the hotel. Each one of us built a bond with each other and without our uniforms, we looked like a group of best friends, not colleagues. The rarity of this meant all of us wanted to explore together—even the more seasoned crew whose energy was usually low from over 10 years of flying.

Everyone from the Captain and First Officer all the way down the chain of command to the most junior cabin crew wanted to go wild in Cebu! For five days, 17 Emirates crew flew from Dubai to Cebu to Clark and back to Dubai again embarking on all kinds of adventures along the way.

As we hopped out of the bus at the Radisson Blu hotel, the heat was heavy despite it being night and there was a distinct smell of fruit and trees. I loved it! The friendly staff greeted the herd of red hats and loud suitcases that came through the lobby, unintentionally drawing attention.

After explaining the hotel’s amenities and advising us of the time of our wake-up call the next day, the concierge checked us in and we hurried up to our room while agreeing on a time to meet again in the lobby. After a quick shower and checking our phones for messages, we all met back downstairs for dinner. When you meet crew after a flight, you have to be vigilant when searching for them in the lobby sans uniform because many of us look completely different. Hair is down, makeup is off, hidden tattoos are exposed, and septum piercings are pulled down from the nostrils. The real us are often hard to find.

We ate at the Feria restaurant in the hotel where they served a range of cuisines like local Filipino dishes, sushi, Indian, and Western food for pasta and burger lovers. Since I’m a vegetarian, I devoured a build-your-own pasta and inhaled a few local San Miguel beers. During dinner, we planned a trip for the next day and only two crew decided not to join us in order to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

After a decent rest, we arose at 4 am for the four-hour bus drive to Kawasan Falls with our energetic, local tour guide, and that’s when I really saw Cebu. Deep in the vegetation and local streets, I saw farmers, families, stray animals, workers, scooters, and tuk tuks galore. I heard birds I’d never heard before, listened to back and forths between locals, and passed many signs of the Christian faith that I didn’t know had been worshipped in Cebu for 500 years.

Eventually, we arrived at Kawasan Falls, one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines, and embarked on a three-hour canyoneering trek through the jungle. Part of it included jumping off cliffs into the water which I was apprehensive about due to my fear of heights. However, to my surprise, I volunteered to be the first to jump 35 feet agreeing to put my colleagues’ fear at ease before my own!

Most of the crew jumped but two walked down a rocky slope to meet us at the bottom—one of whom was the First Officer who also had a fear of heights. The irony! But later, we came upon a small cliff that the FO agreed to jump off. We all cheered him on and I still remember how proud he looked afterward.

Then we came across a 50-foot waterfall that terrified us all. It was optional but our adrenaline levels were high so about 10 of us took the leap of faith. After trudging through rivers, jumping off waterfalls, and cascading down slides made from eroded rock, we ended the excursion by paddling under a heavy waterfall on a wooden raft. Many of us couldn’t handle the loud noise of this giant waterfall but nonetheless, we were in awe of Mother Nature’s powerful characteristics. Here I was with 14 strangers from 14 different countries, decked out in life jackets and helmets, volunteering for daredevil activities, and having the time of my life.

We were all worried that we wouldn’t make it back in time for our wake-up call since the bus ride was so long. We chatted about scandals we all heard of crew going on tours during layovers and not making it back to the hotel in time for pickup and they got fired so we were all hoping that our bus driver got us back in time for our flight to Clark.

After driving flat to the mat, we made it to the hotel with less than an hour to the wake-up call which gave us time to shower and get ready for the hour-long flight to Clark. At this point, it didn’t feel like I was going to work. It felt like hanging out with friends. We arrived at the Widus Hotel in Clark which resembled a Las Vegas resort with a huge casino adjacent to the lobby. As soon as we checked in, we met downstairs for dinner and drinks in Salt Restaurant. We sat at a long table to fit all the crew, and to other patrons, we must have looked like the most eclectic group of friends. We were of various ages from different countries with colorfully diverse accents speaking in aviation lingo.

On this trip, I learned so much about Filipino culture, customs, landscape, food, and humor. I drank fresh coconut water from a coconut that fell from a tree in front of me, visited the stunning Taoist temple in Cebu city, and chatted with locals to learn about their heritage. However, I experienced something else on this trip that wasn’t related to the destination. I met a version of myself that I wasn’t familiar with but that I liked—social, fun, daring, inquisitive, and adventurous. I also discovered the power of human connection and the vivacious energy that my team bounced off each other.

For many travelers, the somber beauty of traveling is missing the destination when you return home. While this is true for me too, it was the people that galvanized the excitement on layovers. Once the passengers disembarked the aircraft, we posed for a group photo not to post on Instagram, but to remember the faces of the people that made our travels that much more enjoyable.

We were strangers that morning in the briefing room in Dubai, but we became best friends by the afternoon as we flew over the Bay of Bengal. The sad unspoken truth between us all lingered as we knew that once we landed back in the U.A.E., we would never all be in the same room with each other again—and we never were. We would move on to the next flight with a different set of crew and new faces and do the same thing all over again.

Sophie Dunne is a writer, editor, and podcast host. She co-hosts shifting her experience | she. with her wife, Tiana, and is the author of Company Alone and reflect. When she’s not writing or traveling, Sophie is usually researching women in history and their stories that are often overlooked.

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#3 Travel Influencer: Niver’s News: Aug 2022

August News 2022 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel:I hope that this summer you have been able to get outside and recharge. I am grateful for all of the good things that have happened in August.Thank you Afluencer! I am honored to be your #3 Travel Influencer of 2022.

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Thank you to the Jewish Journal for including me in print 23 times since Sept 2021–when they started in print again!Thank you to PennClubLA for three incredible events this summer!

The annual summer PennClubLA and the Wharton Alumni Club of Southern California party was held at the wonderful Mulholland Tennis Club!

The Penn Women Summer Networking 2022 hosted by The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women was SWEET! Thanks to Susan Sarich, Founder and CEO, SusieCakes and Brooke Jaffe, VP of Public Affairs and Strategy Penske Media

AND we touched the FUTURE on a PennClubLA alumni tour at SpaceX!

What is my favorite SUMMER CELEBRATION? The Hollywood Bowl! I went THREE TIMES to see:

Ricky Martin “Livin’ La Vida Loca” with my parents in his Hollywood Bowl debut with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

John Fogerty-who was INCREDIBLE and even performed with his entire family including his dog!

We also saw BACK TO THE FUTURE!

I loved returning to the Pantages Theater for Moulin Rouge! Thank you to Lisa Block for going with me!

I love when Rabbi Naomi Levy and the Nashuva Band celebrate Summer Shabbat at Santa Monica Beach!

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?

Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have over 1.6 million views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,648,000 views)

Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,640 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE

Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow  on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.

Fortune Cookie SAID:

“Every flower blooms in its own sweet time.”

“Miles are covered one step at a time.”

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Thank you @afluencerlyfe I am honored to be your #3 #tra...

Thank you @afluencerlyfe I am honored to be your #3 #travel #influencer of 2022! #Grateful #traveler https://t.co/BR6wUyjLix

— Lisa Niver (@LisaNiver) August 7, 2022

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Thank you Afluencer: I am a Top 10 Travel Influencer of 2...

Thank you Afluencer: I am a Top 10 Travel Influencer of 2021

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Thank you Afluencer: I am your #3 Travel Influencer of 2022

40 Top Travel Influencers of 2022 Thank you Afluencer! I am honored to be your #3 Travel Influencer of 2022.

From the world’s most stunning coastlines, rejuvenating getaways, and steamy colorful springs, to beautiful cityscapes and dreamy starry night skies – discover the world alongside these passionate travel influencers.

From the USA, Lisa Niver is an impressive award-winning travel expert and writer that has explored 102 countries and 6 continents.

One of her recent accomplishments was her nomination as a finalist for the 64th Southern California Journalism Awards including the 2021 Online Technology Reporter of the year, bringing her total number of nominations as a finalist to 20 and wins to 5!

She is also an on-camera host at KTLA TV where she talks about travel.

Lisa has sailed the seas to exotic locations for 7 years, and she has also embarked on a self-reinvention journey to discover herself as she backpacked through Asia for 3 years.

With such an outstanding profile, Lisa is a notable influential travel professional.

Did we mention that after just 3 months of being on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts, Lisa had over 500,000 views? Let’s take a look at the impressive content that’s only increasing in popularity.

Content

On Instagram, Lisa’s content is organically presented – sharing her life travel experiences with thoughtful and inspiring captions.

From cultural experiences with local children in Indonesia, a visit to the world’s biggest Buddhist monument, temples in Cambodia, skiing in Utah, to brave snorkeling with jellyfish in Palau.

With images and videos, Lisa’s travel content will certainly captivate you enough to inspire interest to explore these places and live these experiences for yourself.

Blog

For more depth into Lisa’s global adventures, visit her We Said Go Travel blog.  Here is where the strength of her travel influence can be found.  Home to her blog are stories, adventures, and travel info. Like her “Tell Me More About” series, and posts like “I Remember When:  We Went Cruising”, and “My Sonoma Adventure:  Redwoods, Hiking & Wine”.

YouTube

On her YouTube channel, Lisa shares a series of stylish videos on each place she visits – providing aspiring travelers with more than enough inspo on where to go, what to do, and where to stay.  You bet videos like “Dive with Volcano Island Divers” will influence your own adventure to Tanna, Vanuatu.

Collabs

Among many features, Lisa has been published in top travel publications.  Such as American Airways, National Geographic, Robb Report, Saturday Evening Post, Scuba Diver Life, Sierra Club, and Ski Utah – just to name a few. It’s no wonder she made it to our list of top travel influencers!

Thank you @afluencerlyfe I am honored to be your #3 #travel #influencer of 2022! #Grateful #traveler https://t.co/BR6wUyjLix

— Lisa Niver (@LisaNiver) August 7, 2022

Thank you Afluencer: I am a Top 10 Travel Influencer of 2021

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Celebrations from Los Angeles to Iceland: Niver’s News: July 2022

July News 2022 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel:THANK YOU Los Angeles Press Club! I was a finalist at the 64th Southern California Journalism Awards for book critic! This was my 20th nomination and I have won 5 times! VIDEO from the event This summer I went to my 102nd country! Iceland–where I have always wanted to go!  Iceland articles and videos:

Roaming Around Reykjavik

Feeling Icelandic at Sky Lagoon Iceland 

Reykjavik, Iceland videos June 2022: https://bit.ly/2022iceland 

Road Trip to Denali, Alaska: articles and video

Anchorage to Talkeetna : Dream Trip to Denali 

Bucket List Adventure to Denali, Alaska

Alaska videos

Did you want to know MORE about my Scuba Show Talk: “Diving off the COVID Rust?” Watch it here:

What is my favorite SUMMER CELEBRATION? A concert at the Hollywood Bowl! and I LOVED seeing Ricky Martin with my parents. “Global superstar Ricky Martin in his Hollywood Bowl debut with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Conductor Gustavo Dudamel for a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime concert. An exhilarating night of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and many other international hits with the King of Latin Pop!”

Lisa, Judi and Frank Niver at the Hollywood Bowl for Ricky Martin!

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WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?

Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have over 1.6 million views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,625,000 views)

Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,590 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE

Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow  on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.

Fortune Cookie SAID:

“A person of words and not deeds is like a garden full of weeds.

“All the effort you are making will ultimately pay off.”

Lisa Niver at Sky Lagoon Iceland, June 21, 2022

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Thank you Los Angeles Press Club! 2022 Gala

Thank you Los Angeles Press Club!

I am honored that from 2017 to 2022, in the Southern California Journalism Awards and National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, I have won five times and been a finalist twenty times for a variety of broadcast, print and digital categories!

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UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 25: (L-R) Lisa Niver and BJ Korros attend the Los Angeles Press Club 64th Annual Journalism Awards Dinner at Sheraton Universal Hotel on June 25, 2022 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)

NIVER’s AWARDS and NOMINATIONS: 2022 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for BOOK CRITICISM2021 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards2021 Winner: Southern California Journalism Awards for  TECHNOLOGY REPORTING 2021 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for BOOK CRITICISM2020 Winner: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic. See all of Lisa’s book reviews here.2020 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic2020 Winner: Southern California Journalism Awards for print magazine article: Hemispheres Magazine for United Airlines2020 Five Time Finalist: Southern California Journalism awards2019 Winner: NAEJ Award for KTLA TV segment2019 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards in three categoriesCategory H2a. Soft News: Ms. Magazine: Polar Bears Can’t Vote So You Have ToCategory F6a. Soft News Feature – Under 5 Minutes—Film/TV: KTLA TV Oscars Countdown to Gold with Lisa NiverCategory C1b. Business, Music/Tech/Art: My Wharton Magazine article: Four Female Founders Share Their Origin Stories2019 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for Broadcast Television Lifestyle Segment: Ogden Ski Getaway2018 Finalist for three categories of Southern California Journalism Awards:SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY REPORTING: Smithsonian TRAVEL REPORTING: Popsugar FitnessPERSONALITY PROFILE: Saturday Evening Post2017 2nd place winner for Southern California Journalism Award Print Column “A journey to freedom over three Passovers” and finalist for Travel Reporting.More about Lisa Niver: https://lisaniver.com/awards/

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 16: BJ Korros and Lisa Niver attend the Los Angeles Press Club’s 63rd Annual Journalism Awards Dinner at Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles on October 16, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'L2v_PusiRVlYT8Dd6g_qIA',sig:'YPB7c2DlsbNhba-UjIc9mRJTeGHYnUXkO1GpJqrL2WA=',w:'382px',h:'594px',items:'1346998530',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});

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