Chronicling Europe & The Baltics 2018 – Helsinki Modern Diversity

A Little Romance

Just like the cruises themselves, we as a couple tend to pack a lot into international travels. These trips ironically due to DK’s planning often take place around our anniversary. We’ve managed to celebrate more than one of these milestones as we’ve seen the world. It’s always nice to fit a little romance in while at work and on vacation.

I’m glad to have a husband that understands that my writing work travels with me wherever I go. Fortunately for me, his creativity kicks in on these trips and we both get to work and play. While in Helsinki we got the chance to combine our love for jazz with exploring the city. Rick Braun, Aubrey Logan, the UK Collective, and Rick Marcel provided exceptional onboard entertainment.

The city offered its own inspiration for romantic experiences. In our downtime, we found a terrific café for coffee and dessert. On the tour, we’d learned a lot about the delicious chocolates that locals enjoy. Including these with our treats was a definite no-brainer. Sitting outside and watching the world go by together…is my definition of romance!

Chronicling Europe & The Baltics 2018 – Mixing Jazz in Estonia

A big part of my chronicling of this trip has to do with our shared love for jazz. I must be honest, however, in saying that I came late to the party. My husband grew up in Brooklyn, NY and has a rich history of listening to different styles of jazz. I started my journey by getting my feet wet with artists, such as Kenny G and Dave Koz.

Not long after we went on our first cruise in 2013 with DK, I realized that I was hooked. At the time, new artists like Vincent Ingala were hitting the scene and would soon be on the charts, as well. Industry staples like Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright solidified their place in what many refer to as Smooth Jazz.

There’s no way to separate the music from the destinations that we travel to. They are a mixture, a perfect blend that follows the couple thousand of us cruisers, who are on board for the both of them. Estonia left an impression on me partially because of its natural beauty. This was showcased in a very unassuming way.

There was no way to look at the busy residents and tourists on city streets to know about Tallinn’s history. It wasn’t possible to know that 1,500 islands, beaches, lakes, and forests are a part of the landscape that defines the country. Sitting relaxed in front of a restaurant near the mall, I listened to the sounds of the city.

I collected my thoughts and the inspiration for future writing, while absorbing the memories created in this place.

Chronicling Europe & The Baltics 2018 – The Views of Tallinn

The theme for this year’s cruise was Scandinavia and The Baltic because of the ports of call we would be traveling to. Many of us, who have cruised with Dave Koz and Friends at Sea before, joke that this is more than a terrific way to travel. It is a process from beginning to end that makes dreams come true. I’d never heard of the city of Tallinn but was familiar with the country of Estonia.

Situated along the coast of the Baltic Sea, Estonia is one of three countries that had at one time been a part of the Soviet Union. Today, it is an independent nation which is also a part of the European Union. One of the first things that I noticed, on the chilly morning of our arrival, was the combination of historical and modern structures.

Established as the capital city in medieval times, Estonia is beautiful. Quick commutes to virtually any part of the city makes it convenient for tourists with strict schedules. We visited some of the important attractions and landmarks in the area. These included Old Town, Pirita, and Viimsi. Imagine my surprise when we went in search of a cappuccino and found a fully functional and expansive shopping mall.

The Strawberry Crème Cappuccino was absolutely delicious but it was soon time to return to the ship. Norman Brown, Jonathan Fritzen, and Marcus Anderson were on the lineup for the selection of jazz venues on board and we were ready to enjoy them!

Chronicling Europe 2018 - Reconnecting in Sweden

It’s always nice to be able to reconnect with friends and family members. This is even nicer when the place that you get to do this is in Sweden. One of the unique things about this portion of the cruise with Dave Koz and Friends was that we had family in this part of the world.

I can’t help but repeat that the weather was amazing and warm enough for light clothing. Traveling around the world can make things a bit confusing and challenging. Things like meeting people in a public place with signage in another language. Fortunately this time around, it was quite easy to get together with our family members.

This gave us an opportunity to also see the city through their eyes. Sightseeing with them included off-the-beaten path stops like a royal cathedral and a place for espresso. Shopping and taking home souvenirs for many tourists involves traversing to some of the best streets in the city. We got the chance to visit the Drottninggatan, as well as, Gotgatan areas.

It was possible to buy high-end items and those that were budget-friendly. Walking in Stockholm was nice, easy, and enjoyable with family as the guides.



Chronicling Europe 2018 - We’re Nearly There…Copenhagen

My husband has joked for years that the sun never visits London. Surprise, surprise when we landed at Heathrow, the sun was already there. Being slightly familiar with this airport, we quickly got ourselves in place for the next leg of the journey.

Every single Dave Koz & Friends Cruises provides us with swag and other goodies that display the brand logo. Breezing through this airport is difficult to do without seeing fellow cruisers. This is pretty much our experience on each of the cruises we’ve taken with DK.

Our trips to Rome, Venice, and this year Copenhagen allowed us to bump into others from the states with the same itinerary. Most of us are in the same age group, but you’d think we were teens with all of the giddy looks of excitement.

Those who have traveled on these jazz immersed, international, educational, and totally ROCKIN’ cruises, simply know what’s ahead. And at this point in the airport…WE CAN’T WAIT!



Setting Good Examples for Kids – Inspire the Future

There’s no rule stating that you have to be a perfect example as a parent. In fact, it’s virtually impossible to do so. Your goal, however, should be setting an example that inspires your kids’ future choices.

This could involve sharing your mistakes and successes. Children of different ages have the capacity to understand a great deal. It’s up to us to find easy applications and lessons that relate to daily life.

Young kids can learn from your suggestion to not run without looking. This is a simple lesson that makes sense right where they are. Older kids are sponges for good examples, too.

Sharing why it’s important to stand up for your beliefs may be a broad stance. Inserting lessons specific to you can be truly helpful.

Adopting a Healthy Diet

Kids watch what you do! If you tell them to eat healthy, you’d better be a good example for this, as well. it doesn’t matter whether you are choosing veggies sticks over chips or a salad over a burger.

Parents who adopt healthy diets are setting an example to their kids. Discussions about reasonable choices are good methods for starting the conversation.

Budgeting for Purchases

Relaying the importance of living on a budget to your children could be challenging. A 5-year old understands the correlation between good behavior and getting a sought after toy.

This same child can also learn how to reserve something now for a later date. Tweens and teens are ready for budgeting on a large or small scale. Start with tracking where their allowance goes each month.

Being a Good Friend

Many of our grandparents encouraged us to be a good friend, if we were looking for a good friend. This isn’t a dated message. Showing this through real life examples, parents can explain the efforts they take as a friend.

Sharing these experiences and motivations, at your child’s learning level can help. This like all important things will take time, but can impact the future. Sites, such as Cleverly Changing offer parents an opportunity to not only learn from previous mistakes.

It is possible to visit this site and gain budgeting, parenting, product selections and healthy living tips. These areas are terrific considerations for adopting good examples.

Remember that these are not simply individual lifestyle choices, but ways to model and inspire how our kids may live in the future.

Conversation Builds Relationships

It’s true that some people are just better communicators than others. Some enjoy sparking conversation with virtually anyone. Others may struggle talking with the people that they love the most.


Conversations are a real way to build relationships with friends and family. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to make a speech, far from it.The goal is to express what you feel, as well as, listen to the other person.


Couples, especially have to practice this when trying to strengthen connections. It doesn’t matter whether your desire is to build a good marriage foundation or a solid friendship.


Scheduling a time to talk about big and little issues is one option that can be fruitful for those dealing with the Speed of Life.

Outsource Your Writing Needs - Get Content that Produces!

Many businesses and organizations require relevant content on their websites. Content is displayed on each page of the site, as well as, on blogs. The information found here are what visitors see about you. Their impressions will be based upon what's written and the information provided.


It is important to maintain your website on a regular basis. Unfortunately, staff writers are not in everyone's budget. This is one of the reasons why outsourcing options are effective. Hiring a skilled content writer could be the solution to your problem.


Update Site Pages


If your site pages are outdated, they are not producing for you. Changing information or even showcasing new products and services is important. You should want your traffic to fully understand what you offer. Outsource this work to a freelance content writer for tailored wording.


Start a Blog


Blogs are not simply a way to communicate through social media. Corporations and successful businesses around the world utilize blogs as tools. They bring increased interest to the business and can affect sales. It is possible to hire content writers to regularly provide posts for your site's blog.


Post Articles


Articles are one of the most effective Search Engine Optimization tools. These articles are displayed and dispersed in various locations online. They are written to describe your site and services. At the same time, these articles include links back to your specific pages. Having these available could change business metrics altogether.


Thinking about what your business does, whether it provides services or products, is critical. This is the information that you want out there about you. It is extremely important that this information is displayed on your website. Simply existing online will not make your site productive.


Followed by Web Content Matters

Teen Conversations: Important Parental Moves

It's true that parents and teens often speak a different language!


This shouldn't discourage either from conversation. It is important not only to the relationship of the family. Keeping these lines of communication active promotes expression in the future.


Teens learn how to think critically and to verbalize their positions. Topics of these conversations can vary. The primary objective is to use the time wisely. Although the Speed of Life is challenging to families, it is essential that they maintain relationships in a healthy way. Conversation is a good tool for this!


Daily Lives


Some teens need to be encouraged to talk about the issues that trouble them. The things that occur daily are a part of these concerns. Setting aside time specifically for these conversations, shows interest and concern.


Current Events


There are confusing things happening in society. This is true for both parents and teens. Discussing current events nationally and internationally can help. The goal is not to figure out the world's problems. It's simply to pursue understanding and spark more conversation. 


The Future


The future is one of the things that troubles teens the most. Parents don't always understand because they've conquered their fears in some ways. Teens need and want direction for attaining the goals, whether short term or long term. Conversation could mean the difference between success and failure.


Let's start talking more. . .


followed by Web Content Matters

Work Outside of the Box

In recent years there have been millions of job seekers deposited into the unemployment arena. Many of these people are those who have worked in the same industry for decades. Things were very different when they last had to look for work. Technology, for example, did not present so many options.

The internet itself is not simply a way to look for employment. It has become, in many instances, an employer for those ready for unique work opportunities. There are many different types of job options that are available online. It does take a bit of research to find out what’s out there. You will also need to apply flexibility to what you consider work to be. Let’s take a look at some of the earning options the internet presents.

Article Writing


Freelance writing is definitely one of the hidden opportunities that are available. There are many sites that connect writers with clients. Elance and oDesk are two examples in this category. Some clients are affiliated with magazines, websites and blogs. They are looking for someone to provide web content for their niche industry. Articles are used to steer traffic to sites or to sell products.

Blog Writing

There are a variety of different blogs on the internet. Some of these are related to companies, organizations and institutions. Blog owners don’t often have the time to produce current content. Blog writers come in and answer this particular need. Blogs are generally shorter than articles and tend to require posts of 350 to 400 words each.

Resume Writing

There are general freelance sites that provide resume writing services. You will also discover through searches specific sites only for resumes. These sites pay writers per resume and cover letter provides. This type of work is done based upon your own schedule and availability. The average fee for a resume is $20-$25 for the writer.

Customer Service

Small businesses often look for help as it relates to customer service. They are unable to pay a full-time salary but will outsource services. These jobs may require answering calls (routed to home phones), taking orders, making appointments and other clerical tasks. Some of the projects in this category are issued per contract. Contracts can last weekly, monthly or even longer.

 

 

 

Read to Communicate

We all remember being assigned a questionable book in school. There were times when we were surprised to find out that the book was exceptional. I can think back to certain titles that served to introduce a whole new world to me. Today, reading is a debated topic to many people. Because we’ve taken so many shortcuts in communications, reading has fallen by the wayside in some minds.

The things that we read are instrumental to how we communicate. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a song writer or a delivery person. Verbal and written communication intrudes into most peoples’ lives. Our ability to solve problems, think critically, or relate to others has to do with our experiences. Physical experiences travel and materials that we’ve read enhance how effectively we communicate to others.

Speech Patterns


The way that we use speech can be related to what we’ve read. Those who love the news and read it daily are capable to discuss it. This doesn’t mean that their opinions are unique or correct. It simply means that these individuals utilize what goes into their consciousness. The patterns of speech used by anyone can show their interests and understanding.

Empathize

Reading diverse materials about different topics can broaden your ability to empathize with others. You don’t literally have to travel across the globe to learn about people living in remote places. The more that you learn through reading, the easier it is to understand who these people are and how they live.

Connect

There are millions of pieces of material on the internet at any given time. Reading things that interest you can serve to connect you to other people. Examining topics, issues and history is an effective way to relate to the world. Connecting shows a desire to expand both knowledge and understanding.

Start Planning Your Cruise Vacation

I know that it's only the beginning of the year! It is never too early to start planning for your cruise vacation. This is the perfect time to look at the destinations that interest you. It is also a time to bargain shop for the best deals. There are a number of things that will factor into your cruise selection.

The size of your party is definitely one of these considerations. This will determine the number of cabins that you need. Airfare, ports of call, excursions and various other things will be important to your trip. Cruises usually include many of the top details that concern travelers. Let's take a look at some of these details.

Dining

A part of your cruise components will be complimentary dining. There will be a number of dining options included in the cost of the cruise. Along with these you will discover luxury dining locations onboard that require an additional cost.

Entertainment

Most large ships these days have staff that provide a wide array of entertainment shows. These may be musical performances or variety shows. You will find something entertaining onboard for everyone in your party.

Activity

Every ship, no matter the size offers activity choices. These take place both indoors and outdoors. Sports offerings, swimming pools and spas are generally onboard. Passengers can select from free activities and those that cost.

Booking sites like Cruise Voyant offer you the option to select cruises by many criteria. You can choose based upon price, destination, packaging or theme cruises.

Read Books with a Message

People who love to read often have a specific genre that interests them. There are a number of different reasons to read. Some people are simply avid readers and like to devour whatever they can get their hands on. Reading is their hobby. Depending on your job, reading may be a responsibility related to work.

Often we read because we like to learn something new. This is true whether the book is fiction or non-fiction. Books that have a message can fit into virtually any category. Among the books that you read, include books with a message. You don’t necessarily have to agree with the message to benefit from the book’s information. Broadening your horizons, as well as, developing critical thinking is a result of this reading.

Books on delicate issues
An example in this category is the book,
The Persistence of the Color Line by Randall Kennedy. Here readers are able to approach issues of race. Books of this sort are great for sparking conversation. They are bold in addressing topics that are considered taboo in many circles. You may find that you are able to expand your thinking from what you read.

What Are They Thinking? 1

The more time that I spend with teenagers, the more I'm certain that the world has it wrong. There seems to be some blanket stereotype that teens are only concerned with themselves. Many adults think (wrongly) that this age group is interested in just a few things. Things like celebrity, music, and movies do interest this group by-and-large.

Teens are just as diverse, however, as adults are. They normally adopt some of the same interests that their parents do. This doesn't mean that they come to the same conclusions about current issues. It simply means that if you aren't a well-rounded parent, it's hard to expect your children to be. The influence that you have and the example that you set does matter.

From a bit of recent research, I found some intriguing topics that teens said they thought about regularly. Here are some of these topics:

* 2012 Presidential Election
* Results of Raising the Debt Ceiling
* Funding for School Budgets

These topics include issues that will impact the future of teens. Not only do they listen to news outlets for this information, they discuss it with each other. There are many deep thinkers in the millions of teenagers in our country. These are individuals that are multi-faceted, talented, and engaged. We need to take advantage of this and mature the art of conversation in them. Be a sounding board, and you'll be surprised at what you'll hear.