There's a memorial for that?!?!

Washington, D.C. has always been one of my favorite day trip destinations. Living in the D.C. area, my attachment was formed early on when my elementary school class took frequent field trips to the various landmarks of the city: the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, etc. Now, even into my college years, my friends and I still love nothing better than hopping on the metro and riding into the city to see sights that honestly we've all seen a million times before.

I am thrilled to be heading back home for another voyage to our nation's capital this very weekend, to show the sights to some out of town friends of mine. I have only a few days and a few short hours to show them the city I love, but rather than revisit old sights, I decided that for this trip, my friends were going to get to see some places that most tourists don't even know about.

For example, on my most recent trip into D.C., I discovered the Albert Einstein Memorial. Who knew there was a memorial for that?!?! Though upon visiting the site, I did NOT feel like an Einstein when I couldn't figure out how to open the box containing the information brochures.

But there are plenty more fun things to discover in our nation's capital. To get a better idea of what the city has to offer, click here for more information.

Don't Be This Person

Number One Tip for air travel: GET TO THE AIRPORT ON TIME!!!

In this video, a woman at the HKG airport (That's the Hong Kong International Airport for all of you who don't speak airport code) finds out she has missed her flight and absolutely freaks out because of it. We all get upset when we miss our flights but I think this woman passed upset three gates back.



So whats the moral of this story (or in this case video)? BE ON TIME!!! And don't just be on time, be EARLIER than what you think is on time! Arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight, and at least three hours in advance for an international one. It sounds a bit excessive, but you never know how long the lines at the airport may be, or whether you may get help up at some point of the security process.

Though we may find it funny to watch videos such as the one above, no one wants to be the one who gets filmed. So the next time you travel by air, remember to give yourself plenty of time. Don't be this person!

Flight 3407

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the friends and family of those on board Flight 3407.

Stupid Questions Airline Passengers Ask

I don't know what it is about getting ready to board a plane that makes normally intelligent people turn into complete idiots. Perhaps it's just something about the nature of an airport that makes all common sense fly out of a person's head. Perhaps when they were packing their suitcases they accidentally left their brains at home. Whatever the case may be, for your personal enjoyment I provide here a list of just a few of the more idiotic questions that airline employees receive on a daily basis.

• The flight is delayed because of weather - Passenger:"Well I just talked to my friend in New York and she said its sunny and 80 degrees!" Employee:"Well yes, while the weather might be fine in New York there are severe thunderstorms going on right outside..." ***Note: Also, just because the weather is fine at the origin or destination does not mean that there is no bad weather in the flight path, which can and will delay a flight***
• Passenger:"Can I have a different seat so I'm sitting next to my friend?" Employee: "Actually you can choose anywhere that you would like to sit today, the plane is not full." Passenger:"Yes but can't you just print me another boarding pass, I want to make sure I sit next to my friend." Employee: "Ma'am there's only 9 people flying out on a 50 person jet today so you can sit where ever you would like." Passenger: "Exactly so I want another boarding pass, our seats aren't together and I want to sit with my friend." Employee: ??!??!?!?
• Passenger at Gate: "Hey, excuse me that's my plane right there, I need to get on, let me through!" Employee: "Sir, that is not your flight and we are not ready to board yet." Passenger: "But the plane is moving away, tell them to stop I need to get on!!!" Employee: "Sir that plane is for a completely different airline!"
• The flight is delayed due to bad weather - Passenger: "Do you know when we're going to be able to fly out?" Employee is thinking: Do I look like Mother Nature????
• The flight is delayed due to Air Traffic - Passenger: "But how can there be 'Air Traffic'? Can't the planes just go over top of each other? It's not like there are roads up there!"
• It is hours before the flight is scheduled to depart - Passenger: "Is the plane here yet?"
• Passenger: "Do you know who I AM?" Employee is thinking: No but I certainly hope you do.

Believe it or not these are actual questions that airport employees get asked everyday (and the ones posted here are by no means the most idiotic). So please, when packing your things to come to the airport, don't leave your mind at home. You just might make an airline employee lose theirs.

Say Cheese!!!

For my first official blog post I wish to discuss my number one piece of advice for whenever you may travel: BRING A CAMERA!!!!

Pictures are the prefect way to memorialize your trip. They capture the specifics of the moment, and allow others to share in your experience once they are printed or posted on Facebook. Though in today's digital age, almost everyone from a small child to a great-grandfather may be able to simply point and shoot, a few key tips will help bring your photography from drab to fab.

• Bring extra batteries!!! - If you have a digital camera that runs off of disposable batteries, be sure to bring plenty of extras! When your batteries are running low you may have to use some tricky maneuvers to prolong their life - turning off the display, taking fewer pictures or not reviewing photos after they are taken. These situations make photography much less fun, and they can result in poorer shots. If you're in a touristy area, New York City for example, most of the places you are likely to go will have an extremely inflated price on batteries, knowing you might need them. So don't get ripped off, save yourself some frustration and plan in advance! (Note: for film cameras, bring extra film! The same applies)
  
• Take some candid shots! - Everyone can and does take posed pictures on their trips. "There's me posing in front of the Eiffel Tower! In front of the Washington Memorial! In Times Square!" We get it already! At some point posed pictures become the same thing over and over - your smiling face with a different background in each shot. What makes your pictures unique is if you capture something while it is happening, an unposed, real moment of your experience. Personally one of my favorite pictures is one of my sister taking a picture of a tourist in front of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. It is a unique picture because it captures the natural (my sister) and the posed (the tourist) in one shot. It is a fun little way to play with perspective I think, and is a great example of capturing the natural while taking your pictures.
• Switch photographers every now and then! - Being the avid photographer in my family, it is no surprise that every trip we take I'm the one behind the camera. That's great for my family, as the pictures of them always turn out beautifully framed and visually stunning (if I do say so myself). The problem is that once in a while the photographer would like some pictures taken of herself thank you very much! Don't forget that your designated photographer is a part of the action too. Its a real letdown when all of your hard work gives everyone else beautiful portraits while there may just be one or two hasty shots of yourself. That being said, families and friends, take some time to pass the camera around every now and then, and make sure that everyone is equally represented on film.
• Don't be afraid to go for the "artsy" shot! - Venture from the norm and don't be afraid to try something new if you think it might make a great image. Play around with the perspective and the angle, shift the focus between near objects and far ones, etc. While not all of your experiments will be masterpieces, you'll learn over time and in the process you'll develop enough great pictures to make the effort worthwhile.
• Take a LOT of pictures! - When professional photographers go out and shoot, they don't just take one snapshot of each subject and call it a day. Instead they take dozens of pictures, increasingly the likelihood of finding a good one. It only takes one person blinking to ruin a picture. To prevent losing a memory due to some tiny flaw be sure to take multiple shots. If your camera is digital, you can always delete the bad pictures later. It is always better to be safe rather than sorry.
• Make sure to have adequate memory! - Get a memory card that is capable of containing more than the amount of pictures you plan on taking. It is always better to have more memory than you might need. If you think you might only take 100 pictures, go ahead and upgrade to a card that can contain 250 or 500 pictures instead. You never know what might happen as you reach that 100th picture. What if you happen across a celebrity, or a UFO starts to land?!?! You don't want to risk opportunity passing you by as you sort through which pictures to delete! So please, spend the extra $5 and get the next step up when buying your memory card. It will save you from pain and heartache in the future.
  

Keep these tips in mind the next time you find yourself behind the camera, and you'll be amazed at what a difference they'll make when your pictures are developed. Just a few small adjustments can make a world of difference in turning photography from a chore into a fun,exciting way to remember your vacation.

Intro To The Blog 101

Hi All! This is just a brief introduction to my blog, to introduce myself and what this is all about. I am "The Blogger", a college student who absolutely loves anything and everything related to travel. My goal with this blog is to pass on some of my insights and ideas to you, the lovely readers that happen across this page. If you want a specific article posted here, just let me know. If not you can expect all sorts of goodies, with travel tips, destination ideas and some basic general musings. I hope that this blog is to your liking, and that you can take away some fun ideas for your next trip!
Enjoy!