4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While Traveling
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
Making sure you packed everything you need and double-checking the time your flight takes off are two common steps everyone takes when they’re heading out on a big trip. Once you’re busy worrying about the things you’re bringing, it’s easy to forget about what you’re leaving at home.
What about the safety of your home while you’re away? Are you doing everything you can to protect it? If you’re leaving home for an extended period of time, it’s important to take some necessary steps before you walk out the door. Here are some quick and easy tips to keep your mind at ease and make sure everything is safe while you’re away.
Get someone to house sit
Having someone stay at your house is the best thing you can do. There are multiple benefits for not only the maintenance of your home, but making sure it stays secure. Did you know that a typical burglar usually lives within two miles of the home they target? Because they live so close, it’s easy for them to learn about your daily schedule and strike when they know you’re not home, especially when you’re on an extended leave. By having your house occupied, it’s less of a target for burglars.
As far as protecting the maintenance of your home, having someone watch your house can save you from a major problem when you get back. In the event that your pipes freeze, or you accidentally leave an appliance plugged in, it can be disastrous if not caught quickly. Finally, you will get the added bonus of the small, everyday tasks like watering your plants or bringing your mail in.
If you can’t get someone to stay at your house, make sure you stop your mail (a full mailbox is a blatant sign to burglars that someone hasn’t been home for a while) and consider setting your lights on a timer. You should also reach out to a few trustworthy neighbors to keep watch over your house. If they know you’re away and see something out of the ordinary, they can take action right away!
Stay available
Even though vacation is meant to be an opportunity for you to get away and disconnect, it’s important to be available in case of an emergency. Whether you get someone to house sit or you ask your neighbors to keep a watch, you should always give them a mode of contact such as your email, phone number, or even the number where you’re staying. If your goal is to stay away from all technology, just be sure to check in once a day to make sure everything is fine.
Set your home security system alarms
One of the best and easiest ways to protect your home, whether you’re at home or away, is a home security system. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology reported about 60 percent of convicted burglars said the presence of a security system influenced their decision to target another home. Don’t let that other home be yours. There are several companies out there that offer no contract, affordable, and easy to use systems that you can set up yourself. Also, if you’re heading out of the country and you know you won’t have cellular service, you may want to consider temporarily changing your emergency contacts when the home alarm system is triggered. This is where friends, family, and your trustworthy neighbors come into play.
Share your pictures after you get back
Even though it’s incredibly tempting to share how amazing everything is on vacation, try your best to hold off posting on social media before and during your trip (especially if your profiles are public). This broadcasts to the world that you’re planning to be away, or that you’re currently away, and your home is unoccupied. You’d be surprised on the capability for burglars to find out that you’re away, look up your address, and break into your home. Also, you may even gain the added benefit of enjoying and experiencing your vacation without technology!
The next time you’re planning a vacation, take a moment to consider these four simple tips. Not only can they help you relax, but they can ensure that everything is safe at home. Let me know how they work out for you, or any other tips you have, and safe travels!
Here’s a Worry-Free Travel Checklist before you take off:
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
