Ancient Egypt

Getting a glimpse of Ancient Egypt is definitely something that I would like to do in my life. Touring ancient Egypt is certainly a trip of a lifetime. I would love to see the pyramids although I am afraid of heights. Climbing up stairs to get to the pyramids makes me feel as though I am going to have an anxiety attack. I think, however, that it’s important to conquer fears, or at least temporarily overcome them so that you don’t miss out on life’s beauty. Fear does serve a purpose, however, it keeps us from doing stupid things. What are you afraid of? Has a fear ever kept you from traveling or participating in a travel activity like jet skiing, learning to scuba dive  or parachuting? What fear would you like to conquer?

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The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning, today, Thursday evening until 12:45 in the morning.  The rain can reach 6 inches in the area. People are advised not to drive in areas where water is on the road, according to the National Weather Service. If you are in this area, you should move to higher ground and avoid driving.

I just found out that a tornado hit Southern California. They are saying that the earthquake had a "magnitude of 5.8," according to the Atlanta Journal. The Atlanta Journal also reported that some people were evacuated. We don’t know if there was any damage yet.

  According to Weather.com, a tropical depression is forming along the Southeastern coast. A tropical depression may have maximum sustained winds of 38 mph, according to FEMA. So, if you are traveling near Georgia and South Carolina, be aware of bad weather in the making. In fact, according to Weather.com, flash flood alerts had been sent out for coastal towns in both Georgia and in South Carolina. Swimming may be a hazard in these areas.

If you end up driving during a tropical depression or a severe storm, seek shelter. At the very least, you should pull over onto the shoulder of the road if you are on an interstate or highway during a heavy downpour. Hey, I used to think that it was safe to be in the car during a thunderstorm, but I found out on the FEMA site that rubber tires will not protect you against lightening. The site FEMA, did say that it’s best to be inside of a car than outside of it during a thunderstorm. It will certainly be more comfortable to be in the car than outside of it during a storm in my opinion.

Some people turn on their hazard lights during a storm so that others can see them on the road. Do you do that? What do you think about people who do?

Photo Credit: Photo by Westin Boyd, Flickr Creative Commons License

Every time I mention a trip to the islands a relative (she knows who she is) mentions the American tourist, Natalee Holloway who disappeared from Aruba in 2005. While browsing one day on the Internet, I recall that a lot of Americans said that they would not visit Aruba because of the incident and how it was handled by the government there. In fact, I found an article stating that another American had disappeared from Aruba 7 years before Natalee did. I don’t want to get too political, but I want to put a question out there. If given the chance, money, time, etc., would you visit Aruba?

Aruba is beautiful, and I think that I visited the island on a press trip before the young lady disappeared. I was definitely shaken up by the incident after I heard about it, and I must admit that I haven’t seriously made arrangements to visit again, although after I visited I had vowed that I would return soon. I have serious mixed feelings about this. I don’t think that the problem of kidnapping, or women mysteriously disappearing is an Aruba problem. There are safety issues everywhere. I usually feel safe while traveling, but I am careful and most importantly prayed up as well. I’m saying that because I honestly feel that even people who you think you know can put you into risky situations, and it takes belief in a higher power and faith to keep you safe. Just my beliefs. 

Do you take extra precautions or are you a little more guarded when you reach your travel destination? I’m not talking about airports but in resorts, hotels, or on cruises.

Get to secret to getting through the airport on time, how to handle security checks, and what will make you least likely to be checked while in the airport, prevent jet lag and keep your children entertain while on the plane. Pilot Karen Kahn also discusses how to pack light and the thought process that goes into packing, since many airlines are now charging for extra check-in baggage. Dr. Kahn divulges secrets to handling airport check-in, airport security and flights in this podcast. Dr. Kahn is extremely knowledgeable on this topic, so you don’t want to miss this.

Interview with Pilot Karen Kahn

I also have a mp3 version of the podcast. Be warned. There is about 10 seconds of dead air space in this version.
Interview with Pilot Karen Kahn, mp3

Listen to all of my Radio Shows! You can also choose to listen in live.

Are you looking for something to read while on the beach? I love book reviews and making recommendations for great novels to read over the summer. I recommend Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger. This New York Times bestseller is both a mystery and love story.

Ridley Jones, a freelance journalist had a perfect life. She had no drama, a great career, and a loving family until she did a good deed and received a mysterious letter. That letter, turned her life upside down. The mystery is all about choices should she ignore what she found and just carry on with her life or should she explore the contents of the letter more closely, therefore disrupting her life?

The interesting thing about this novel is that Ridley didn’t know who she could trust. She lost faith in everyone around her, even the people who were closest to her. As we all know, however, sometimes the people who are closest to us and the people who we love the most, cause us the most pain.

Beautiful Lies is 434 pages, not counting the Epilogue, and I read the entire novel, almost non-stop. I love Lisa’s conversational tone and style. The novel is written in first person, from the main character’s perspective. I simply couldn’t put it down! The characters were believable, and the plot was not as transparent as I thought it would be. Normally, I can tell how a mystery will be solved halfway through the novel. However, this novel threw me for a loop! It didn’t end exactly as I thought it would.

Be sure to pack Beautiful Lies in your picnic basket or your beach bag. Just beware, if you like mysteries you will get so wrapped up in this novel that you may forget to enjoy your surroundings. Get in the water, or eat your picnic before you start reading. There have been other book reviews on Beautiful Lies, here’s what what other book reviews stated about the novel.

Have you read this book? What did you think about it? If you haven’t read it, do you think that this book sounds intriguing?