Packing

Recently, in order to research for this blog, I was looking on YouTube for a video to share on packing advice.  There are tons of them. So many that I decided not to share but to just let you all know that if you want some great advice on how to pack 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag, well just go to YouTube. Take your pick, they are all great.

What I can say about packing is don't fret about it.  I have friends that start packing weeks before their trip. I on the other hand pack a few hours before I am leaving. What is the worse thing that can happen? You might have to buy some new socks or underwear while you are there.  I promise where you are going there will be stores.  Unless you are going to some remote part of Africa on a mission trip then you might want to bring a spare.

Packed for a Medical Mission

One thing that is more important than your underwear is any prescription medication you may be taking.  These will be very difficult to replace when traveling. Even if you aren't very far from home it can be a challenge. It can also be very expensive if your insurance company won't cover the additional refill.

If you are flying and taking prescription medications that you need to carry on the plane with you such as insulin or an epi-pen, you will want to check the regulations for being able to carry on syringes. I personally have not had a problem getting through security with my epi-pen (I need this in case I am exposed to something that causes severe allergic reaction).  It is a good idea to check what the current regulations so you are able to get through security. These regulations can be different in different countries.

Many years ago I flew with my oldest child when she was just a few months old. Since she had been born quite prematurely, she required oxygen and was on an apnea monitor.  At that time, I had to plan with the airline on giving her oxygen that they provided and have new tanks when I arrived at my destination. Now with oxygen concentrators, it is much easier to travel with these supplies.  I reviewed regulations with several airlines and they are all slightly different. So make sure that if you need to travel with oxygen to check with your airline for specific information. According to what I read they will inform you on their regulations and help you calculate the number of batteries needed for your flight.

Jordan's 1st flight at 4 months old.

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Birthdays

In just a few hours I will turn ... well let's just say another year has past.  I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by my age. As they say, it's just a number. And according to a Facebook quiz I took, I only look 19. I don't buy it but I'm sure the fact that my profile pic is of me smiling and appear to be happy, helps me to look younger than my years. Another reason I suppose I look younger, besides good genetics (Thanks Mom!) is that I wake up and find joy in each day.  I think about where I've been, where I am now and where I want to be.

Happy Birthday to me.

I have had many amazing birthday celebrations with friends and family. My children always make me feel special. But I have to admit that my favorite birthday celebration was spent in Romania at a Mardi Gras theme party. I was there on a medical mission trip.  My interpreters surprised me with a cake and sang me happy birthday in both English and Romanian.  It was very touching.  I was thanked for choosing to be with them instead of with my own children on my special day.  And they made it very special.  In the pictures I have included, you can see that it was a great party that just happened to fall on my birthday.  In the last picture we are a little wet. You see it rained on us on the way back to the hotel. Instead of being upset or complaining the rain had ruined our party, we stopped at a late night restaurant for a bite to eat. We all laughed about being drenched and continued to have a good time.  Never let the rain ruin your day.  There is a rainbow on the other side.

The celebration continued after running in the rain

Since I am discussing age, I should also discuss health as it relates to travelling.  Just a couple of pointers that will help you prepare for your trip and avoid the dreaded jet lag. The simplest place to start is to drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine. We've all heard this but when I take my own advice, it really does make a difference.  Another thing that really helps and may sound ridiculous is to wear support hose. When I go on my long trips where I am travelling for 2 days to get to my destination, I especially heed this warning.  From setting long distances, blood pools and there are risks for several circulatory issues such as swelling in the feet and legs and blood clots. If you are at any health risk for blood clots you might want to consider taking a low dose aspirin daily unless contraindicated with any health conditions or medications you are currently taking. If you are on a flight that is very lengthy, get up and move about every 1-2 hours, unless it is unsafe to do so. On over sees flights I have been known to do a little stretching and yoga in the aisle. (Keep in mind that you should discuss any lengthy travel with your primary care provider for any specific advice for you health issues.)

If you have found any value in what I have presented here, please like and share by clicking the buttons below. You can also leave a comment. And if you would like to hear about how to travel to 4 and 5 star locations at wholesale prices leave a comment or go to my contact page. I can even tell you how to travel for free. Sound intriguing? Leave me a comment.

Birthday Flowers from one of my beautiful interpreters, Alexandria

Rainbows

Smokey Mountains

 During my many travels, none were quite as heartbreaking as the realization of a 4 year old that her parents can't get her everything she wants.  As a little girl, I rarely heard the word "no" from my parents.  Maybe I was a little spoiled, maybe I just was a happy kid that didn't ask for much. When I was 4, my family went on vacation through the Great Smokey Mountains. It was there that I saw my first rainbow. I thought it was magical. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  My mother used to tell the story that I asked her to get it for me and when she told me that wasn't possible, I was crushed. I don't think they had ever said no to me before. I couldn't comprehend why I couldn't have it. So I spent the rest of the day sullen and mad.  All the family photos from that day have me with my arms all crossed and a huge frown on my face.

I wish that I had a picture of that first rainbow but back then there were no cell phones or digital cameras. The road was narrow and my parents did stop to take a picture.  Most of the family pictures have faded and are stored away in my attic. But the memory is ingrained in me. Even after all these years, when I see a rainbow it takes my breath away. I feel like that 4 year old seeing one for the first time.

Copper Mountains

There are places on this earth that will give you that feeling. I'm sure each of you have a happy memory of something beautiful. Someplace that reminds of being a small child where the possibilities are endless. A place where you can keep a rainbow. Even if it is but a memory.

Iceberg Rainbow

When you are thinking about where to travel, don't forget to share your memories of childhood travels with your children. Take them someplace that has a special meaning to you. The Great Smokey Mountains is a magical place for me. Where is your magical place?

Rainbow, Asturias, Spain

As you can see I have a passion for all types of travel...even to go a few miles away to a park or to trek across the earth to a far away country. Curious to know how I make money with travel? Send me a message on my contact page. If you have a passion for travel and would like to know more about travel at wholesale cost, comment below or go to my contact page on my website canditaylor.com and ask me how I do it. If you found value in what I have shared, like and share this page with others.

Bucket List

The other day I read an article about something that made me a little sad. According to this article, the famous Love Lock's (ParisLove Locks Bridge) from the bridge in Paris near Notre Damn is being removed. I was quite fortunate to see this when I was in Paris in the Fall of 2014.  It was quite amazing to think that all those people place locks on the bridge to seal their love.  I wondered how many of these people are still together or even still alive. There were thousands of locks placed on the bridge. All with names and dates written on them.

This is a tradition that dates back at least 100 years. It is looked upon by some as vandalism but for me it was a living piece of art.  I do understand that because of the weight of the padlocks, the historic bridge was at risk.  The sensible side of me completely understands. But the romantic in me is saddened by their removal.

Love Locks

What really made me think about this in relation to bucket lists, was my youngest daughter made a Facebook post that simply stated she'll have to take visiting the Love Lock Bridge in Paris off her bucket list since it is no longer there.  I'm sure there are other historical places that are gone for no one else to see. I have mentioned having a bucket list in another post. I encourage you to make one if you haven't already done so. If you have one, review it. Check to see if there is anything in danger of disappearing before you have the chance to go. When you visit a place on your list, mark it off and then add something else to your list. It should be a lifelong endeavor.  Take control of your life and start living now.  Don't wait for the "right" time.

If you would like to know how to take trips of a lifetime that are affordable so you can go to more places than you imagined, leave a comment and I will be in contact with you. You can also go to my webpage canditaylor.com and leave a message on my contact page.

A Wedding on the Bridge

Celebrate Living

Amsterdam train station

To get inspiration for my ramblings, I typically look through my photo albums.  This picture was taken in October of 2011.  This is me with one of my dearest friends and travel companions, Lisa. On this particular trip we were celebrating life.  You see, at the time my then husband (now ex) had been undergoing treatment for Leukemia for 2 years.  She was by my side the entire time and I will probably never be able to repay her for her unwavering dedication to our friendship.  To top it off, at the one year mark, she too was diagnosed with cancer and I was able to return the favor to be by her side. My ex was still on chemotherapy and she need help with post surgical care and support with her radiation therapy.  This may sound like a sad story but thankfully both had a happy ending and are very healthy today.  But with everything going on in our lives, on this day we chose to smile and celebrate life.  

Frankfort, Germany

We spent time seeing the country side and had a wonderful host family that made sure we got to see many things that were not on the normal tourist agenda ie a sheep farm and a working windmill built in 1860. We were treated to traditional German food and fresh from the market eggs and bread. I bravely sampled all the traditional Oktoberfest beers. Throughout our stay we traveled by planes, trains and automobiles. We even traveled by boat, rode bikes and walked. We laughed about almost everything....especially me trying to read a menu in German, while talking Spanish to our waiter from Italy. 

We have traveled together on numerous occasions but this trip will always be very special in my heart. We celebrated living. I would love to hear some examples of how you have celebrated living. Leave a comment to share your experiences.  

In my profile, I mention that I am on a mission to share my experiences with the world.  I would also love to share the opportunity of travel to world. I'd be happy to tell you more. Contact me by commenting here or go to the contact page on my website.

Make The Best Out Any Situation

My philosophy on traveling is that the journey is part of the adventure and fun should begin when you leave the home.  I also truly believe that in life nothing is perfect and neither are most travel experiences.  I say laughter will help any situation.  Even a horrible flight can be comical. Look around at all the other people being angry and the sullen faces.  It is funny really how some will handle the stress.  Just keep in mind that this is vacation and it is supposed to be fun!

Once I was traveling to Gulf Port, MS from Kansas, City, MO.  I had a layover in Memphis, TN. The weather was horrible and they were considering canceling the flight.  Keep in mind, it would have been for our safety that the flight would be canceled.  I watched one gentlemen scream at the poor gate attendant as if she had any say in the decision. The rest of us positioned ourselves to watch the comedy/drama unfold.  I know it shouldn't be funny when someone is angry but I just keep thinking about all the wasted energy yelling at someone when honestly they have no more control than you do. The funniest part was the look on the gate attendants face as she politely ignored his rantings.  The more she smiled and went about her business the more he screamed.  Just imagine if Baby Huey was having a temper tantrum like a 2 year old. (If you don't know who Baby Huey is, Google it. Just means you are to young to remember good cartoons.)

No matter the experience, make it memorable!

Many years ago, I went on a weekend trip to Hermann, MO and stayed at a bed and breakfast. It was a lovely weekend. but the food was less than average as a whole. One restaurant was actually horrible. When I say bad, I swear the best part of my meal was the croutons on my salad and they were actually delicious. Even though the food wasn't good, I would still recommend going to Hermann because we had so much fun on the winery and museum tours.  The city is beautiful and the people were very friendly. And surely the food has improved since then.

Hermann, MO

Not completely true. I'd still want to share my experiences!

Comments are welcome and encouraged. Besides leaving a comment here, you can email me directly to get information on discounts and even free travel. This is my email: candace.rn.ct@gmail.com .

Memorial Day

In the honor of Memorial Day, I do hope that each of you took just a moment to reflect on what this holiday is all about.  As a former military dependent that spent 20 plus years living on or near a military base, I have seen first hand the sacrifices that our military members face.  I have family members in all of the services: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.  I have had friends injured in combat and others that gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life.  I bow my head and remember these sacrifices.  Since I personally knew some of these people, I can say that if they were alive today, they would raise their glasses with me and salute their fallen brothers and sisters. Thanks to each of you from the bottom of my heart.

In keeping the spirit of the holiday, let's talk about vacationing to places that celebrate the military. Now I know that cemeteries aren't necessarily the most thought of places to visit but if you have ever been to a National Cemetery, they are beautiful and so rich in history.  If you are ever able to go to Washington DC, Arlington Cemetery should be on the top of the list of places to visit.  I have seen the changing of the guards at the Unknown Solder's grave several times and am always awe struck. Indescribable the sense of respect and honor.

Another absolute favorite place in this category is the USS Arizona in Hawaii. Again, not what most people think of when they plan a vacation to the beach, but this is a must see. The experience will live in your heart forever.

I lived on Guam for a couple of years and there were many historic World War II sites. Once while site seeing with my kids, a Japanese gentleman approached me to ask if we could get a picture of his granddaughter with my daughters on an old Japanese canon.  He had been stationed on Guam when it was occupied by Japan.  For me it is a picture of progress and forgiveness.

WWI Japanese gun, Agat Beach, Guam

If you scuba, Guam is an amazing place to dive.  There are multiple ship wrecks. By far the most impressive is the spot where 2 ships from 2 different wars actually touch.  It is only place in the world with a ship wreck from 2 world wars. Each of these sites are amazing on their own but to be able to touch both ships at the same time is a awesome experience.

There are so many military historical sites.  I wish I could review them all for you. And give you all the details.  For me the fun of going to these sites, is hearing the stories from people that were there when it happened. It gives history a human factor and is much for memorable that a book. For those sites that are from the distant past, read the historic markers. There's often tidbits of information that doesn't make it to the history books.

WWI cemetery Botosani, Romania

Navy Memorial near Tower of London

Civil War Battle Ground Chalk Bluff near St. Francis, AR 

When you are ready to plan a trip that includes historical landmarks, take time to research what you want to see.  Stop and check out sites along the way even if they aren't on your list of must sees. Don't forget to look in your own back yard.  Just a couple of years ago, I went to a park a few miles from the house where I grew up and discovered that it was an old civil war site.

You can contact me by leaving a comment here if you have questions about where to find places to go. And as always, I can help you find ways to travel with discounts to 5 star locations changing your opinion of what is affordable for you and your family.

Where Will You Go?

Part of my quest in life is to teach people not to be afraid of change; that change is a beautiful and necessary part of life,  One of the ways I work to reach this quest is by sharing with others how to 5 star travel with discounts and to do so safely. Even the wealthiest person I know loves a good discount! 

Ft. Morgan, AL

I had the opportunity to speak with a young man today about travel.  I knew that he was looking for something in life that was better than where he is now. That he is looking toward the future.  He shared with me that he had never traveled anywhere outside a few miles radius of home.  For me this is so sad.  It made me truly appreciate the experiences I have had not only traveling for work but vacations as well.  I often forget that so many others have never seen the mountains or the ocean.  Some have never seen the desert or the canyons.  This just fuels my desire to share with the world my experiences. One of the reasons people don't travel is because they don't think they can afford it. More often it is simply because they never have. 

My advice to this young man was to dream and believe that he has it in him to make anything possible.  We talked about financial planning/income potential options (contact me personally for details at candace.rn.ct@gmail.com).  In 30 minutes he was able to see that the world was his to explore.  His attitude toward travel changed from "that's what other people do" to "I will do that soon". 

Thanks for reading and I hope that you are able to dream and begin to plan for that next or even that very first vacation.

Grand Canyon, AZ

Please, Thank you and You're Welcome

Good afternoon my fellow travelers.  Today I want to share a few thoughts about learning customs and courtesies when traveling outside of your own comfort zone.  Be it 2 states over or oceans away, you should not only research the sites you want to see while in the vacations spot of your choosing, but look at some customs of the area. Learn to be a polite traveler.  Learn to say please and thank you.  I know this sounds simple. We all learned this when we were about 3 years old by our mothers.  The truth is I have heard many a weary traveler return home and complain about their entire experience because the "locals are so rude".  These same people make the same complaints no matter where they go.  Maybe it's not the "locals".  Did you ever think of that?

This past fall I got the opportunity to travel to Paris, France for a couple of days.  I was a little nervous because I have always been told that the people in Paris are rude.  As with all my travel experiences, I took the time to learn just 3 simple words in the local language: Please, Thank you, and You're Welcome.  I did not become fluent in French.  Just those 3 simple words.  Let me tell you, no one was rude.  In fact, we had people on the train volunteering to help us read the map and find short cuts to the sites we were heading out to see.  One gentlemen even took the time to inform us of all the "local" sites that aren't on the map.  We saw museums and parks that were beautiful and not full of other tourists.  Because we found short cuts on the train, were able to spend more time at the places we had on our list and see places we didn't know existed.

It was the most amazing few days of vacation, all because I took the time to be nice. I have numerous examples of this but I'll leave some stories for another day.  All comments are welcome but remember to be nice.

The Eiffel Tower 

Introduction.

Good evening all.  Just a little information to introduce myself.  Why should you read my blog? I hope I have some interesting and fun facts to make travel and vacations easier.  Life is stressful enough. Vacations are suppose to be an escape from life's stresses. Vacations should rejuvenate the soul and refresh the spirit.

C2B-CNT, LLC is a marketing and consulting company. As owner and CEO, I have assisted others to learn methods for thinking outside the box in order to stand out and increase profitability. I teach others to not be afraid of change. C2B, Caterpillar to Butterfly, is based on the ideal that change is beautiful and a necessary part of life.

After nearly 30 years of nursing I have retired from bedside patient care to pursue dreams of travel to premier destinations. As a former military dependent I had the opportunity to live in and travel to many worldwide locations. I have also enjoyed travelling to meet my overwhelming need to give back by participating with medical missions.

                                          Field of sunflowers in northern Romania.

I will be sharing tidbits of information that I have learned to not only make travel easier but safer as well.  My goal is to open the mind to visiting places you might not have thought about.  If you don't have a travel bucket list, it is my hope you will start one.  If you do have one, lets add new places. I want to take my experiences and share them with the world making 5 star travel affordable to everyone.