Baby Boomer Grandpa and Grandmas, as well as most of us like to travel. We even take our grand kids on trips with us and share the wonders of this great world.
Just because we are away from home doesn’t mean it’s time to let your safety guard down. We still need to be aware of who is around us and what is going on near us. That’s just one of the basic safety steps we need to always be doing. Be Alert.
In today’s world we must be extra alert. Spot a package lying around unattended, then report it.
That’s not to say we should stay home. Let’s get out there and travel every chance we get! Just stay alert and fun will be had by all.
Here are some great tips from a former CIA Agent who’s traveled to places we’d probably never think of going. I’ve been doing a few, so it’s nice to hear that a professional agrees with me. I especially like numbers 3, 7, 8, and 9.
Keep a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, even when you’re not there.
A veteran intelligence operative on how to curb risks during a hotel stay. (Stay away from the top floor, you fools!)
Drew Dwyer, a Marine Corps veteran and former decade-long CIA operative, has traveled far and wide both domestically and internationally, and has participated in covert operations across five continents. (We would tell you more, but…you know.) Having stayed in hundreds of hotels, Dwyer shared his hotel safety check-in tips on SOFREP.com, which we’ve distilled below. Needless to say, bed bugs were the least of his concerns.
1. Acquire or make a copy of the fire escape plan on the back of your door. Most of these just slide out.
2. Do not stay on the ground or the top floor. The ground floor is readily accessible to intruders and the top floor does not allow any room to maneuver.
3. Keep the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, even when you are not there.
4. Always assume the room is bugged. Keep the radio or TV turned on with the volume on low at all times—even when you are not in the room.
5. Keep the drapes/blinds pulled at all times, even when unoccupied.
6. Keep a light on in the room when unoccupied.
7. Keep a small “bug-out bag” packed with must-have items (money, ID, passport, etc.) in the event of an emergency departure.
8. Carry a motion alarm that can be placed over the doorknob. They are about $20 and can be found in most electronics stores.
9. Keep a flashlight next to the bed and within arm’s reach.
Irrespective of this list, it pays to note that hotels are becoming safer by the minute. And while we won’t be adhering to all of these tips anytime soon, there is something to be said for minimizing your risk as a traveler—and these suggestions can certainly help do that. Sometimes, after all, it pays to be James Bond.
A clinical sleep educator shares the best tips in her arsenal for successful in-flight snoozing.
It is the bane of travelers getting on a plane for both business and pleasure—difficulty falling asleep in a seat, especially in coach, and the attendant horrors of jet lag after landing. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can decrease brain performance by 20 percent, so it’s crucial to anyone crossing time zones to rest as much as possible during the flight. Washington, D.C.–based clinical sleep educator and RN Terry Cralle shared her tips for powering down (and getting at least a power nap) on a flight.
Plan ahead. “Planning ahead, though it sounds simple, can be much harder in practice. However, it can make a huge difference in your ability to sleep well before a flight and on it,” says Cralle. If you take the time to do things like pack, plan your transportation to the airport, and organize the things that need to happen at home while you’re away in the days leading up to a flight—not the night before—you will not be nearly as stressed-out, and sleep will come more easily.
Meditate. “Recently, guided-meditation audio apps have been gaining a lot of popularity, and rightly so,” says Cralle. “It has been shown that these gentle talks help the brain to relax quickly, especially so when the listener is prompted to imagine they are using all of their senses. Say, if you are guided to a beach-side scene where you imagine hearing the waves, watching the sky, and smelling flowers and the salt air, it really helps you to disengage and fall asleep.”
Pack lavender oil. “I’m a big fan of lavender oil, it’s so calming, and is a great, simple thing to bring along on a trip,” says Cralle. “A small study was recently done that shows that people who inhaled 100 percent lavender oil before and during sleep had decreased blood pressure and deeper sleep patterns than those who didn’t.” Put a few drops onto your travel pillow, apply it to your temples and wrists once you’ve settled into your seat, and prepare to dream.
Ignore in-flight entertainment. No matter how much you want to see the latest blockbuster, Cralle says, “Skip the movies and TV—the end result of staring at a screen during much your flight means that light is hitting your retinas, and telling your brain and body that it’s daytime, and sleep will be much tougher to achieve.”
Make to-do lists. To train your brain not to race and worry when it’s time for rest, Cralle recommends a simple daily practice. “Write down your to-do list well before bed. You want to get any obligations and important tasks out of your mind and onto paper during the day so that the mind is clear at bedtime.”
Bring something comforting. To get great shut-eye on a plane, Cralle says, “You want the environment to be as comfortable and predictable as possible. If you have a travel pillow you love, always pack it when traveling. Its scent and familiarity will give your brain and body a behavioral cue that it’s time to relax and let go.” The same effect can be achieved by a cozy scarf or sweater.
Cover your eyes. “Wear a good-quality eye mask on your flight,” says Cralle. “There are many different models, so even if you think you hate them, if you shop around you’ll likely find one that’s comfortable for you. That little bit of light from a fellow passenger’s iPad two rows up can ruin your ability to fall asleep. The blue light from modern devices is very alerting to the brain, and absolute darkness prompts your body to produce melatonin.”
Step away from the Scotch. While a relaxing adult beverage may be tempting, Cralle advises, “Avoid alcohol. Having a drink in an airport lounge or on the plane is a reflex for many people, especially those who have anxiety around flying. However, it really messes with the quality of your sleep, so, close to bedtime, be conscious about drinking booze and caffeine, of course. Hydrate as much as possible.”
Decrease the decibels. “Though you’ve likely heard this before, earplugs are very important to have for your flight and your hotel stay while you’re traveling,” Cralle explains. “Make sure to pack them in your carry-on, and, again, try different brands and designs until you find the ones that feel good to you.” There is so much ambient noise on a jet—which is something airlines are working on muffling now—that you truly need to block out that sound, as well as screaming babies and unnecessary alerts from the cockpit.
Incorporate cardio. “The relationship between exercise and sleep is very exciting—we are finding that the connection between the two is bi-directional; i.e., if you get enough of one, the other comes much more easily to you,” says Cralle. “The reality is that 40 percent of Americans are sleep-deficient. If you work to add an extra hour of sleep at night, you’ll be much more apt to exercise, and, when you do—especially before a flight—you will be able to doze off much more easily.”
Bank sleep. If in-flight snoozing is simply not an option, due to your utter inability to rest on a plane or because you simply must work while traveling, Cralle points out that a little bit of prep work can help you stave off jet lag. “You actually can bank sleep,” says Cralle. “Prioritize your sleep before a flight, and spend a little extra time sleeping or napping in the week before you depart. Lack of sleep really effects your immune system—and the last thing you want on an important business trip or a long-awaited vacation is to get sick. Banking sleep beforehand will also mitigate the bad effects of jet lag.”
After snow and rain delays, our project has morphed into a nearly complete Tree House.
Our fourth step was to complete the building part with walls, supports to make it tight and strong and adding a ladder that anyone from toddlers to grandmas are able to use. It’s been tested by both and declared “cool”.
Our fifth step was to select the right camo netting that allows the breeze to come through, adds a place to hide, and keeps the littlest ones from falling out. Then we ordered the slide and waited for it to be shipped. We went with the 8ft. model to get a good slope and a good ride on the slide. This slide comes with a hose adapter and place to drill a hole to attach a hose and turn it into a Water slide. The kids are really excited about that.
Supply Delivery System
Also, we installed a pulley system to deliver treats from the house into the tree house. We’ll have an old cowboy style dinner bell (the cast iron triangle kind) for them to ring when they need something. Yes, they’re spoiled.
Interior Decorating
Our local grand daughter has already started her interior decorating. I’m sure every grand child will add their own touch after they arrive this summer. We bought old wooden ammo boxes to store wood scraps (for building and hammering) and they’ve filled one with different size balls (ie. golf balls, a softball).
We’ve told the kids it’s up to them to paint and decorate and add accessories. Can’t wait to see what they come up with.
It’s been fun planning and building and adapting as it was built. Now, let’s hope it was worth it. Although, I’m sure it was. I got to channel my 10 yr old fort and tree house builder. We’ll never see it on Tree House Masters TV (that was never the intention), but it will be featured often in family photos.
Thanks for asking for the updates and photos. Hope you enjoyed coming along with us for the ride. Thanks, John
Anyone who has lived in hugely expensive and/or densely populated cities like New York City, London, Mumbai, Seoul, or Tokyo is no stranger to living in small homes. Here’s a number: According to the Economist, the world’s population will grow from almost 7 billion now to over 9 billion in 2050. (For reference, in 1950 the population was just 2.5 billion — yikes.)
Let’s face it, the more populated this world gets the smaller hotel rooms will become. Not only that, but budget travelers — especially millennials who seek the experience over material goods — are looking to save cash so they can properly hit the streets and explore. There are plenty of options popping up around the world catering to these travel types with expanding brands like Yotel, citizenM, easyHotel, and Pod — along with quirky one-off properties — that provide a clean place to rest thy head. Plus, for you and your travel buddies (or romantic partners), what better way to bond; if you can make it through this, you can make it through anything. Here is a list of 21 tiny, itsy-bitsy hotel rooms you have to see to believe.
Throughout 2016 they’ll be a diverse array of new and noteworthy hotels opening around the world. From eco-minded mountain hideaways to family-friendly fun next-the-sea, here’s our roundup of seven soon-to-open resorts to keep an eye on…
Following multi-million dollar development, the Ozen resort at Maadhoo is set to take the Maldivian All Inclusive experience up a notch. The ‘Atmosphere Indulgence’ plan promises to be one of the most extensive in the whole of the Maldives. With easy access by speedboat from Male, we’re expecting Ozen to become increasingly popular when it opens later this year. Aside from 41 spacious beach villas, this brand-new resort will boast 49 swoon-worthy overwater villas on stilts, offering sweet seclusion and direct access to the inviting lagoon waters below. Team this with a blissful spa, tantalising dining options and a range of activities from sailing to scuba, Ozen is set to become the ultimate atoll escape.
If keeping the kids happy is your top holiday priority, this resort will definitely tick the box. Designed with families in mind, it’ll have a whopping 8000 sqft of indoor space exclusively dedicated to children’s entertainment, plus a plethora of outdoor playgrounds, catering for children aged 6 months to 16 years old. Age appropriate activities will be available for all; toddlers will proudly produce works of art from pasta and playdoh, whilst teens can happily remove themselves from parental company and try their hand at mixing mocktails, windsurfing, and diving. For grown-ups there’ll be a well-equipped spa to while away the hours when the kids are crashing about at crèche. Parents will also appreciate the super-family-friendly restaurants which’ll feature supervised play areas (ingenious), so mum and dad can leisurely finish their meal whinge-free. Nearby, there’s a sandy beach to keep budding castle-architects content, whilst comfy sun loungers will be in abundance.
Famed and revered for their upscale resorts, Four Seasons will open their first presence in the capital city of the UAE later this year. Four Seasons Abu Dhabi will be grand in their characteristically understated way. Think cool contemporary styling, with really spacious rooms (and we’re talking really spacious here – even by UAE standards). With a prime waterfront location overlooking the superyachts at Al Maryah island, along with various outdoor terraces for sunbathing (rest assured – no plastic sun beds in sight) and a plush rooftop pool terrace with striking views of the surrounding skyscrapers – this hotel will be oozing glamour at every turn.
Perched atop Oman’s fabled Green Mountain, this will be the highest five-star hotel in the Middle East when it opens later this year (in fact, one of the highest in the world), and promises to deliver the highest level of service too. One of the few places in the Arabian Peninsula where summers are cool(ish) and the air is fresh (and it even rains – occasionally – hence the mountain’s ‘green’ nickname as vegetation is able to thrive) this unique setting is perfect for adventure sports. The views across the Al Hajar Mountains will be breathtaking, and thanks to a new tarmac road the area’s craggy cliffs are significantly easier to access than previous years.
This resort is already sort-of-open, but offering reduced rates as the spa and kids clubs will be added later in the year, with grand opening tipped to happen mid-June. The early reviews coming in on social media are good; graced by images of idyllic sunsets, colourful cuisine and watersports on the beach. Word on the street is that the service is excellent, which bodes well if the old adage ‘a hotel is only as good as it’s staff’ is to be believed.
Nestled in the hillside, the brand new Crest Phuket is bang on trend with an emphasis on eco tourism (on a larger scale than you’d expect). The light and airy rooms have been constructed using sustainable materials, and little features are built-in to reduce the carbon footprint of the overall development. There’ll be an organic garden to provide herbs and vegetables for the restaurants. The resort is in a good location, offering seclusion and peace, yet it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to the restaurants and bars of nearby Patong – a free 10 minute shuttle bus will be in operation. Worthy of mention is the size of the private pools accompanying the higher room categories – they’re huge (actually swim-able, not just plunge-able) offering picturesque views across the bay and out to the Andaman Sea beyond.
Aside from the prime piece of sandy (clue’s in the name) beach fronting the resort, this 4* hotel boasts an excellent location just steps away from St Lawrence Gap, Barbados’ nightlife hotspot, home to many of the best restaurants and bars on the island. The resort will come with the all-inclusive paraphernalia you’d expect; on-site eateries, kids club, complimentary watersports, spa, choice of swimming pools and a fitness centre. The condo style rooms will be light, bright and stylishly furnished (no traditional mahogany here) and likely to appeal to young families and couples seeking plenty of fun in the sun.
We start out having a plan, a dream, a goal to achieve something great. With all the twists and changes that life sends us, sometimes, we get lost and lose our inspiration.
Here’s some great advice I found that will help you get back on track.
Be in nature at least once a month. It’s in nature that we find inspiration. It’s where we remove ourselves from the noise of our day to day lives, find clarity, and focus.
If you’re constantly “in it”, you’ll find your mind will clutter, and your inspiration will flee. Venture to the great out doors and let adventure inspire you.
2. Surround yourself with motivated people
You are the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most. If you hang our with millionaire’s, odds are you’re one as well. If you hang out with motivated people, you’re probably a motivated person as well.
Be very cognizant of who you hang out with. Choose your friends wisely. They’re influence on you is unavoidable.
3. Never think you’re “there”
I’ll always think that I have to improve on my writing – and that I have a long way to go to being a good writer. It keeps me inspired to learn and grow. If I thought I was a good writer I’d not only be lying to myself, but I’d be allowing laziness to peer its head into my life.
Laziness is the devil. Don’t think you’re great, be great.
4. Don’t attempt insignificant feats
Do you get excited by small goals that you know you can accomplish with ease? Of course not. It’s the big, audacious, bold goals and dreams that excite you, so don’t waste your time with the small stuff. Think bigger and be bigger.
5. Be healthy
Be healthy and active. If you’re healthy you’ll have more energy, and if you have more energy you’ll find that you’re far more motivated and inspired than you are if you’re tired and sluggish.
Take pride in your health and your work. Being healthy is a tool that you can use to your advantage, or something that can work against you. What’s great is it’s completely up to you.
6. Read often
Great men have always been voracious readers. Napoleon was, as is Gates, and so was Jobs. If you want to be inspired, pick up a book, it never fails. If a paperback book slows you down then you can always listen to self development audio books.
7. Have tunnel vision
Don’t have a back-up plan, a floor, or a ceiling. Failure shouldn’t be an option, nor should you put a limit on your success.
Focus on one goal, and let that one goal be the only thing that matters.
8. Get excited by adversity
It’s in struggle that we grow. Get excited about this. Too many allow adversity crush their enthusiasm and motivation, but it shouldn’t. It’s a challenge, and challenges are exciting.
Rise to them. Don’t get pushed back by anything.
9. Love problem solving
The road to success is, essentially, one big problem you have to solve. Let that problem excite you. Don’t look at your long, arduous road to success as a negative, instead look at it as a positive journey.
Your mindset will dictate how inspired you are and whether or not you remain consistently inspired and focused.
10. Remove negative people from your life entirely
Negative people are the cancer of society, but they don’t need to be a negative influence on your life. Just get rid of them, and get rid of them now!
If you’re only surrounded by inspired people, you to will be inspired, motivated, and happy.
11. Write 3 things you’re thankful for everyday
We far too often focus only on what we don’t have, rather than everything we do have. The problem with that approach is that happiness will forever elude our grasp.
If our happiness and motivation is contingent on a future accomplishment, when we accomplish what we’ve set out to do, we’ll then make our happiness contingent on an even greater accomplishment. Thus, happiness will always be out of our grasp.
Be happy and thankful first, then let that enthusiasm and energy inspire you to accomplish greatness.
12. Practice success
Practice success by identifying the little goals that you accomplish in your life. Write down your accomplishments, even if they’re small like going for a run or writing an article for a publication.
Practice success everyday and you’ll live life as a successful person.
13. Be a fighter
I love a man who grins when he fights. Winston Churchill
I love that quote. It reminds me of the song Fighter, by Bruce Springsteen. Enjoy adversity. Welcome it. Adversity is what will make you stronger. It’s only through great adversity that great men and women reach accomplish what they’ve set out to accomplish.
If success was easy, everyone would be there. Get inspired by your struggles just like a fighter gets motivated to step into the ring and see what he’s made of.
14. Eat healthy
Eating unhealthy leads to depression and obesity. It’s nearly impossible to be inspired when your body is uninspiring or you’re depressed.
As a simple rule for eating healthy, eat only things that you can pick or kill. Your diet should be made up of things that come from the earth. Stay away from anything man-made or packaged.
15. Study greatness
There are patterns to success. The more you study great people, the more you’ll see these patterns and incorporate them in your own life. Don’t, however, merely read about great people, study their lives. If you can, read about what others close to them have said, read articles about how they accomplished greatness.
Greatness inspires. The more you see that success can, indeed, happen, the more you’ll be inspired to accomplish your own audacious goals.
You can even read inspirational quotes, that will be sure to motivate you and shift you into the right frame of mind to be openly inspired.
It’s those few who are consistently inspired by a greater purpose beyond their own gain that shape the world we live in. So how do we join these few in forging not only our own successful endeavors, but seeing such profound success that the world benefits as well?
The Tree House now has floors. Notice we cut a generous opening around the tree as it continues to grow and we want to give it lots of room. Several 2×4 braces are underneath for strength, to prevent sagging and for all around support from wobbling. Don’t want the floors moving like there’s an earthquake when the grand kids are up there. We have braces between the upright 4×4’s and the frame the floor is resting on.
The Walls are going up
There will be walls on two sides. We’ll cut small “port holes and windows” in them so the shorter/younger kids can peak out. We’ll let them decide what shape and where they are as we want to get them involved as much as possible. The other sides will be camo mesh netting (we’re testing it, left of the ladder) that doesn’t stretch, we can see threw, and will keep them from falling off the edge.
1st Porthole
As with any new project or new build it’s important to get customer and user input along the way to a finished Tree House. Below, is the first test by our users. We know we passed all expectation we one of them said, “Grandpa, this is the best tree house in the WORLD!” And to think it’s not even done, lots more little things coming before it’s finished. Now I’m motivate to make it even better. We’re working on a slide, and a Supplies (food, treats and tows) Delivery System (SDS), and a cowboy dinner bell. The wooden crate or box with the green splash of paint actually a military surplus ammo box, one of three I got for $4 each.
User Testing
Next we’ll add the camo mesh netting, more bracing, a ladder, a bench or two, hopefully a telescope, and the slide (a hose can be connected to make a water slide, shhhsh, don’t tell the kids yet) and more.
Stand by for more, thanks for stopping by, hope it gives you some ideas, thanks, John
Welcome back to our tree house building “documentary” Step 3, Part 1.
The Layout
We’ve done all the planning and measuring, now it’s time to begin the work. First, you want to layout the basic shape to the measurements you made. We put the pier blocks where the corners are to be and temporarily laid the wood frame.
Pier Blocks
We set the pier blocks in sand and leveled them then screwed on our 4×4 s.
Support Posts
This is how we attached the 4x4s for to hold up the floor.
The Frame is in Place
Here’s a view looking down on the entire frame for the floor.
The next post will be about installing the floors, then the walls, then the steps or ladder.
Step 2 Planning Stage –This is one of your most important stage. As I mentioned, for a fun, usable and successful tree house build, many elements need to be considered in the planning stage. Such as, is it the right tree, will the tree support a structure up in the tree? If not, you’ll need to build it from the ground and sort of lifting it into the tree. Also, consider how much room you have, how close are you to your boundry line, how close to the house or property next door, what age and size of people will be using it, what activities do they want to do in it? Play, spy on things outside of it, have tea parties, play “army”, will they want to camp out and sleep in it, read books, have quiet time, how high off the ground, safety features, how will they get in and out, do you want a slide, a firemans’ pole, a ladder, a ships steering wheel, a periscope, a basket on a pulley to lift things, ie. lunch, into the tree, a chalkboard, benches, a desk, shelves, a bird house or two, peep holes, port holes, windows -open, plastic, glass.
This would be a good time to choose a theme, such as Pirate, Fairy House, Combat Bunker, Explorers Lookout, Fort, Harry Potter, a Disney movie, or Boys/Girls Club house, Airplane cockpit, Sailing Ship Crows Nest or just about any theme you can imagine or want.
Consider the structure and how it will be built. What materials will you use? How strong and sturdy do you want it? Who is going to help you with the heavy lifting? How much will it cost. And, don’t for get to check local building ordinances for building restrictions.
My first step in Planning was to search the web for tree house examples. I looked at the type and size of trees used, whether it was built with the ground as the base or was it up in the tree. I looked at how to get in and out, material used and designs.
Once I had a good idea of what I wanted, I photographed my tree and printed it out.
Tree Photo Drawing
Then I was able to draw my design (either on the print with pens, etc. or in a drawing program like Paper 53 for the iPad) right on the photo to see what it will look like. This made it feel like a real project and I was able to make changes until it was what I wanted. When it was drawn I was able to show it to family and ask for suggestions and what they thought it should look like. This was very helpful. Below, is my first, initial plan. I’ve made changes since then and expect to make more.
Initial Plan
After making the initial plan and drawing I went out to the tree and measured where the structure will actually be. Then I got out the graph paper and plotted everything out.
Detailed Plan
Once the family and everyone agrees as best they can, it’s time to start a budget and supply list, go shopping and get to work.
After that, it’s time to begin the actual building. Let the fun begin!!
My next post will be about Building It with lots of photos.
