The ocean mist floats on a breeze smelling of pine and birch. The sunset sparkles across the water as waves crash over the rocky shoreline. The views at Acadia National Park in Maine have inspired artists and dreamers for generations. Isn’t it time for you to see it for yourself? Photo by Nick Stasilli (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
Often, the best way to go traveling is to rent a car and just head on out there. In that way, you can get off the beaten trail and see the world beyond the hotel in your own time and at your own speed. That’s way better than getting stuck in one of those tourist bus groups or trying to see everything with public transportation.
Of course, if you’re going to rent a car while you’re abroad, then you want to make sure that you do so correctly. After all, to get into an accident or get into a bunch of trouble can really put a crick on your vacation. In our experience, a lot of holidays can be ruined by a serious mishap as it throws a wrench in the group cohesion.
For that reason, here are the best tips you can use when renting a car abroad.
You might think that one country’s driving license is as good as another’s, but that isn’t necessarily true. In some countries, they don’t accept driving licenses from other places.
Before you head off, check that your driving license will be accepted where you’re going. For example, US licenses aren’t accepted in a lot of countries, like Italy and Germany. So, check first with the embassy of your target destination.
Even better, get an international driving permit. These pieces of paper will let you drive nearly everywhere without any trouble.
While you’re at it, make sure you check if your car insurance also applies abroad and to other vehicles. If not, then it might be a good idea to get insurance from a company in the country that you’ll be in.
Note that a lot of car rental companies will insist that you have insurance. So, if you do have an insurance policy that will protect you while you’re abroad, take a copy of it so that you can prove you’re insured.
See Also: Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for The Best Auto Insurance in Canada
You’d be amazed what some drivers in other countries get up to.
In many countries, for example, they don’t pay any attention to the dividing lines between lanes. They’ll just drive where there is space. In other places, the rule isn’t that you have right of way based on signage or some kind of agreement, but based on the size of the vehicle you’re driving.
Then, there are countries where there are more potholes than road, where chickens and pigs regularly cross the road and where the people use the road surface to dry their beans or crops.
Driving in these countries can really elevate your heartbeat and stain the enjoyment of everybody in the car. For that reason, make sure to check first what other people have to say about the country you’re going. You can get a lot of ideas online.
This has saved me so much money over the years. Before I go out, I take pictures of everything inside and out. Every scratch, dent or mark I can find, I photograph. I also photograph the rental agent with the car somewhere in the sequence, as well as the fuel gauge and the seats.
Why?
Because the pictures will serve as proof of the car’s condition before you hit the road.
If they say that a dent wasn’t there in the morning, you can show that it most certainly was. You’d be surprised how often they’ll try to get different tourists to pay for the same tactic. Don’t be one of those people. Take pictures of everything. It will save you a lot of heartache in the long run.
Also, make sure that you know how much fuel you had when you started out and that you bring it back with just as much. This can be annoying, but they’ll often give you the car with an empty tank and not give you any kind of compensation when you return it with a full one.
Have you tried navigating with a paper map lately?
Back before the days of GPS and mapping technology, that was a major reason people broke up, you know. Don’t put your relationship under that kind of strain.
There are a lot of mapping apps that you can download straight to your phone. There are even apps which don’t require to be connected online but just work with your GPS.
Take your device with you when you go out. It will mean less time in the car and less chances for you and your partner to yell at each other.
And finally, remember that it’s a holiday and not a fantasy. Just because you’re not back home doesn’t mean you’re suddenly invulnerable.
So many people seem to forget that. The result?
People’s chances of getting into accidents are much higher when they’re in foreign countries.
Don’t end up as a part of that statistic.
Drive safe. Pay attention to how the people in the country drive and try to drive safely like them.
For example, a friend of mine got into an accident because he stopped in front of a zebra crossing to let a person pass in Turkey. The cars behind him hadn’t expected that (they don’t stop for crossings there) and crashed fully into the back of his car.
Obviously, that left for a sticky situation where the Turkish guy was yelling and so was my friend. What’s the point of zebra crossings, if you’re not going to stop for them anyway?
And though he had insurance and it was covered, his vacation was still not as much fun as it could have been.
Don’t let that happen to you. Understand how the people drive and know what to expect.
See Also: Top 10 Cheap European Car Hire Destinations
The post 5 Really Useful Tips For Renting A Car Abroad appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Every author has a story beyond the one that they put down on paper. The Barnes & Noble Podcast goes between the lines with today’s most interesting writers, exploring what inspires them, what confounds them, and what they were thinking when they wrote the books we’re talking about.
In this episode of the podcast, we talk with two very different writers about how one kind of art can fuel another. First, the actor and writer Krysten Ritter talks with our interviewer Josh Perilo about her psychological thriller Bonfire – whose main character shares some character traits with the detective Ritter plays on the Netflix series Jessica Jones. Then, Miwa Messer is joined by the award-winning young adult author Jason Reynolds in a conversation about his new novel Long Way Down, and how Reynolds uses poetry to make a page-turning story sing.
It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small-town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.
A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE
Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.
And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.
Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.
Click here to see all books by Jason Reynolds.
Like this podcast? Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher to discover intriguing new conversations every week.
The post The B&N Podcast: Krysten Ritter and Jason Reynolds appeared first on The Barnes & Noble Review.
The Barnes & Noble Review http://ift.tt/2ikZksr
Who needs heroin or cocaine when you can just take it in the ears?
As effective as any drug, music can have an immediate effect on how you feel. In an instant, the right song can trigger emotions that either energize or depress you.
In this article, you’re going to learn how music affects your productivity and how you can use it to your advantage.
Music involves patterns, rhythmic patterns to be exact.
When you successfully anticipate what you’ll hear next, your brain gets a feel of the future. It thinks to itself, “Hey, if I know what’s coming up, there’s no reason to feel anxious.”
Have you ever wondered why children’s music and nursery rhymes are like crack to kids, while most adults can’t stand them?
The patterns in the music are too easy for adults to predict, so they get bored. Their brains are yawning. Kids, on the other hand, love nursery rhymes because they get a kick out of figuring out what comes next.
Music can take you wherever you want to go as long as you know where you’re starting. It’s a “point A” to “point B” kind of thing.
You have to be in tune with how you’re feeling and when you are, music can be a powerful tool.
What type of music do you listen to when you’re trying to fall asleep?
To go from pumped-up to chilled-out, you should be playing a song that’s mellow, slow, and soothing.
Want to take it all the way to dreamland? Keep it calm and instrumental. Lyrics make your brain feel like someone’s trying to get your attention.
Fast-tempo instrumental music is best for crushing work and staying on the productivity train. The fast pace takes you from relaxed to energized.
Once again, lyrics can be distracting. When I’m trying to write, I don’t listen to the same rap music that pumps me up for a game of basketball. Those two activities require different mindsets for me to perform well.
When I write, I listen to high bpm (beats-per-minute) EDM music (instrumental of course). It gets me energized without disturbing my focus.
See Also: This Type Of Music Can Increase Your Productivity
Ask yourself how you feel when you’re doing your best work.
Are your thoughts flowing freely or are you distracted and stifled?
Doing quality work is about reducing mental friction. Get the junk out of the way, the worrying about the outcome, the distractions, and you’ll have an easier time getting in the flow.
Create a list of music that you can use in different situations. Remember, the same type of music that gets you in the zone when you’re happy won’t necessarily work when you’re feeling depressed. Make four categories.
Fill each category with ten artists and then make four separate playlists with your favorite songs. The next time you need inspiration, they’ll be waiting in the wings, ready to go.
If you’re the kind of person whose mood changes throughout the day, your list will have a wider variety of musical styles and emotional tones. Finding what works for you is a process of trial and error.
Move!
Dancing happens when you let your body respond to the rhythm of the song without your brain getting in the way.
I find that when I can’t get my creative juices flowing, I can break through that early mental resistance by letting my body loose first.
Hollywood director Roberto Rodriguez was interviewed on the Tim Ferriss Show’s podcast a couple of years ago. On the topic of creative flow, he said that his primary job when directing is to help the actors “get out of their own way”.
According to Rodriguez, creativity is something that flows through you rather than comes from you. To be productive, you have to clear the way for the magic to happen. Dancing can be as simple as tapping your feet and bobbing your head. You don’t have to do a full dance routine. Let the music transform you.
So, let it!
Before I started making playlists for different occasions, I usually ended up not even playing music. Whenever I was pressed for time, it was too hard to pull myself away from the task at hand to decide what to play.
When I would finally pick something, half the time, the music would annoy me by distracting and slowing me down. Now, I have my hand-dandy playlists ready to rock, and kicking it into high gear is as easy as pressing play.
The post How Music Affects Your Productivity appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
You’re reading Erin’s Things: November 28, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
This week I’ve discovered some cool light installations, a way to cook with one of the best and as always a little art and music to inspire. What made you a little happier last week? Leave a message in the comments below!
MIKE KELLEY – One of the most ambitious and influential artists of our time, the late Mike Kelley’s work ‘Mike Kelley: Kandors 1999-2011’ is organized in collaboration with the Mike Kelley Foundation is now on display in an exhibit at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Los Angeles. This is the first exhibit in Mike Kelley’s hometown. The exhibit will be held through until January 2018. His sculptures are described as visually opulent and technically ambitious, presenting illuminated cities and hand blown bottles that rework the imagery and mythology of the popular American comic book superhero Superman. There are mini versions of Kandor, Superman’s hometown, all lit from within in this supernatural collection. It is written that his ‘works are a meditation on power, loss and memory’. Isn’t that enough reason to make this your cultural outing this weekend?
ALICE WATERS ONLINE COOKING CLASS– This James Beard awarded chef started the farm to table revolution, founding the restaurant Chez Panisse, she prided herself on local, organic ingredients- not knowing it would spark a movement. She is now beginning her first ever online class, where she opens her kitchen in order to teach us everything from picking seasonal ingredients to cooking healthy meals in order to change your life, all from your own home. You receive a 10 class workshop, a workbook to follow and even an option to upload your own videos to get feedback from the class and a select few from Alice herself! Let’s get cooking!
AMIR’S GARDEN – After a brush with fire ravaged a Griffith Park hillside in the 1970’s, hiking fan Amir Dialameh from Iran, decided to fix it. Grabbing his own tools her decided to remove at least 200 burnt trees on his own- and replanting some wonderful jacaranda trees, rose bushes, geraniums, oleander and yuccas. Sit on benches, near planters, and appreciate the lush garden he meticulously created over 12 years. It makes your next hiking workout finish with an outstanding view.
DESCANSO GARDENS – ENCHANTED FOREST OF LIGHT – Every year at Descanso Gardens in La Canata, California (near Pasadena), there is a gorgeous light festival that you can enjoy with a one mile stroll through the gardens. There is a timed ticket you buy as you enjoy the captivating interactive experience. This is the type of even that makes one believe in those stories of majestic and magical forests. Take your significant other, and/or your family for an unforgettable nighttime event.
KARINE POLWART – If listening to meticulously crafted melodies, powerful lyrics with contemporary relevance and a striking voice is your thing, then Karine Polwart is your artist. With many solo albums under her belt, this Scottish artist is a fireside storyteller who happens to be a 4 time winner of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, twice for Best Original Song. She collaborates, records and tours, always finding time to teach and write for community based, educational projects. Wind Resistance is her critically acclaimed debut for the theatre for which she wrote, musically directed and performed. She is unstoppable, lucky us!
Have a great week and be well!
Erin
You’ve read Erin’s Things: November 28, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
>
I’m so excited to share one of the most remarkable trips I’ve ever taken with you all. It started through a jet lagged foggy haze Down Under. I just wrapped a weeklong shoot in California (see some of that trip on my Carhartt blog here), and I had a few new lenses in tow. My […]
Architecture and design has evolved throughout the centuries, offering a range of beauty and structure. From the intricate details of gothic architecture to the livable standards of mid-century modern homes, there’s been a constant focus on aesthetic, which has been reinforced by iconic architects, such as Antoni Gaudí and Frank Lloyd Wright. What’s gained more attention in recent years, however, is translating that opulence, sophistication, attention to detail, and (ultimately) livable quality into a smaller structure—a tiny house.
Tiny houses have been growing in popularity this past decade. Even though 400 square feet of living space may sound cramped and uninviting, there’s an appeal for many to live in these compact abodes. One particular benefit is an ease of travel. There are a number of tiny houses on wheels that let tiny home owners pick up and travel to a new location, whenever they want. In fact, there’s a whole movement of people converting school buses in mobile tiny homes.
Even if you’re not looking to live a nomadic lifestyle, there are cool tiny houses that let you live off-the-grid. Environmentally-conscious people opt for a tiny house to lower their carbon footprint. Best of all, they don’t have to sacrifice design or style in order to do so. Tiny houses come in all shapes and forms around the world. Whether you’re looking for a stylish tiny apartment in Paris, a whimsical caravan in Portland, a futuristic treehouse in Canada, a modern yurt in Colorado, or even a mobile castle truck in New Zealand, there’s a tiny house for all types!
And if you need inspiration throughout the upcoming year, the publishers at Amber Lotus have released a 2018 calendar full of tiny houses from all across the globe. The calendar can be purchased directly through their website.
Tiny Houses: Shop
10+ Tiny Houses That Are Dream Homes You Can Buy on Amazon
Quaint and Quirky Tiny House on Wheels Lets Owners Live Off-the-Grid
College Student Builds Tiny House to Graduate Debt-Free
Seniors Are Buying Tiny Homes to Live Their Golden Years Off the Grid
The post 12 Extraordinary Tiny Houses From Around the World appeared first on My Modern Met.
Born and raised in Reykjavík, photographer Axel Sigurðarson was lucky enough to grow up exploring the magnificent Icelandic Highlands—a location that many landscape photographers only dream of. On a road trip to Holuhraun, a large lava field just north of the Vatnajökull ice cap, Sigurðarson managed to capture the spectacular eruption of Bárðarbunga. It was the largest volcanic eruption in Iceland since 1783, which lasted from August 29, 2014 to February 27, 2015.
The resulting series of photographs document nature’s incredible fury from both land and air. Sigurðarson’s aerial views show red hot molten rock, blasts of lava, huge clouds of dust and gas, and an airplane dwarfed against the epic backdrop. On land, Sigurðarson photographed numerous scientists he met along the way, including renowned Seismologist Ragnar “Skjálfti” Stefánsson, who was conducting on-site research at the time.
Find more of Sigurðarson’s extraordinary work via his website and Instagram.
Axel Sigurðarson: Website | Instagram | Behance
Cinematic Photos Captured in Naturally Dramatic and Diverse Landscapes of Iceland
Breathtaking Architectural Concept for a Cliffside Retreat in Iceland
Storybook Landscape Photos Celebrate the Enchanting Beauty of Iceland
Wanderlust-Inducing Images Capture Majestic Views of Iceland
Camera Drone Captures Gorgeous Aerial Shots of Iceland’s Diverse Terrain
The post Photographer Captures Iceland’s Largest Volcanic Eruption in Over 200 Years appeared first on My Modern Met.
By the final scene, a great quantity of blood will have been splashed across the screen, yet despite the impressive amount of mayhem and gore on view, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is an unusually literary film. Martin McDonagh, who began his career as a playwright, is intensely concerned with language. In fact, Three Billboards is partly about the power of language—specifically, the outrage and havoc caused by the few words that Mildred chooses to display. Just before Mildred’s first conversation with Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones) begins, we may notice that Red is reading a book by Flannery O’Connor. It’s by no means a casual or accidental choice. One feels O’Connor’s spirit hovering over the film, and not only because, like her fiction, it is set in the rural South and leavens a deep seriousness with broad and often grotesque humor.
Sig Nordal 