Blueface Destinations has taken travel to the next level!   It is a new millennial, innovative travel company!  This website is unlike anything you have ever experienced before!   Designed to inform, educate, and entertain… it was put in place to provide you with everything you need or want to know about traveling right at your fingertips.  There are travel resources, providing world clocks, tips, travel advice and even currency calculators.  You can also, book all your flights, hotels, rental cars or vacation bundles right on the site!  Using Blueface tools can make booking your trip easier and can turn you from being a regular everyday traveler to a well-informed traveler!
          Let’s just say you want to go on a trip, but you really don’t know where you want to go.  You do however, know that you want to go somewhere cold, with snow and water.  You can go to the ‘Destinations Tab’ on the website; scroll down and pick out a destination or country that is close to the water in a cold climate… Alaska for instance, since Alaska is a part of the United States, you would click to explore the U.S. next, click on Alaska.  It will list all the cities in Alaska.  Pick a city and begin exploring!  By the time you finish exploring you will know what the local airport is, have an overview of the city, local attractions, climate, best way to get around the city, nightlife, attractions, and lots of other great information.  Also on the 'Destinations' tab you can explore travel ideas, various escorted tours, excursions and luxury villas around the world.

​          The ‘Resource Tab’ has your latest travel news around the world.  You can also find the latest weather and situational alerts, giving you a heads up on what’s going on in destinations you may be interested in.  Use these alerts to aid you in making your decision on taking the trip or going someplace else.  A printable travelers’ checklist is also provided on the site, providing you with U.S. embassy, passport information and phone numbers, which you can take with you on your trip.  If you need passport information, there is a direct link providing you with answers to the most common questions asked.  TSA information warns about severe weather conditions and also, provides the TSA prev lane application.  This pre-screening allows you to avoid long security lines. A Blueface traveler is an informed traveler.
          Blueface is also proud to announce the debut of their new! booking engine under the ‘Book Now’ tab.  It allows you to search thousands of hotels, rental cars and flight deals around the world that are hard to beat!  Always select vacations to bundle and get the best prices!  Luxury is what Blueface Destinations does best!  Blueface also offers high-end cruises and of course you can always build your very own custom luxury trip by calling (248) 277-5771.  Blueface is always one level beyond the rest, so why not book with the best!   #IBookWithBlueFace

          One of the biggest gripes from most parents is that children are always playing video games, have no concept of money and rarely have to use their brains, because everything is given to them and I agree.  So, I decided to come up with something interesting, that could get them off the video games and into a real-life experience.  Then it came to me!  Children love to go on vacation, but they don’t always get to do what they want to do, or even go where they want to go.  How about letting your children plan the next family vacation!
          Allow your children to plan the entire vacation, but the catch is…they have a budget!  Let them choose the destination even chose more than one as long as it is within the budget that you give them.  Provide them with the BluefaceDestinations.com to use as a tool.  They can go to the destinations tab, scroll down, click anywhere on the map and it will provide them with a list of cities in the area/country they choose, once they chose a city, it will give them all the details about that city.  Everything from shopping, upcoming events, local attractions, dining, how to get around, currency, and a currency calculator. 

          They also need to figure out how you all will get there…road trip or flight?  Use Google Earth or MapQuest to map out a road trip.  Check hotel rates on the Blueface booking engine and if they need to, they can check flight and rental car prices on there as well.  Also, have them figure out what activities they want to explore while they are there, or are there any famous restaurants they want to go to.  Just a word of advice…I would give them a hotel rating standard to stay within, because when they feel like they are using their own money…they can get real cheap, lol!
          This activity allows them to remove themselves from the normal everyday child’s play and instead give them a chance to use their imagination, learn budgeting, and teach them planning.  You might be completely surprised at what they will come up with.  Have them check-in with you, providing the details of what they have come up with so far and also give them hints like…which countries currency is lower, so that they can get more for their money.  This will give them a sense of reality as it relates to real cost and make them feel a part of something huge that plays out before their very eyes!  Look over their plan and help them with any flaws, but allow them to fix them.  Once they come up with the plan and it’s within the budget, approve it and book the trip!  And, when their friends ask them what they did on their family vacation, they will have a story to tell for years to come.  Enjoy life…it only comes around once!  #iBookWithBlueface

          According to CNN, on August 21, an earthquake rattled the Italian resort island of Ischia at the peak of tourist season Monday night, killing at least one person and trapping a half dozen others under collapsed homes.  Police said all but one of the people known to be trapped were responding to rescuers and were expected to be extracted alive, including three children. One person, however, wasn't responding, raising worries the death toll could increase, said Giovanni Salerno of the financial police.  (Winfield, 2017)
          What would you do if you were on vacation and this happened to you?  What would you do to survive?  If you are inside, move away from anything that can fall such as heavy paintings, bookcases, mirrors, and windows.  Try to find something sturdy to get under, to block debris from possibly falling on you.  If you are in a car STOP!  Avoid any bridges, or overpasses, it would probably also be safer for you to stay in the car.  If you are out and about in the city, get away from any buildings, power lines, trees or poles and drop to your knees and cover your head with your hands.  If you are on the beach, move away from the water as quickly as possible to avoid a possible tsunami.  If you are in the mountains, be very alert and try to avoid any landslides that may occur.  As soon as possible get back to leveled ground. 

         Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico, El Salvador, Pakistan, Philippines, Ecuador, India, Nepal and Japan are the top 10 cities prone to earthquakes. (Jain, 2014)   Italy is not on the list, but they had one!  The best advice I can give you is to be an informed traveler.  Use the tools on the BluefaceDestinations.com Resources Tab.  It will provide you updates on travel alerts & warnings, latest travel news as well as world climate data, so you can be an informed traveler. Know before you go if there is anything you should be aware of.  This is just one more reason why… “I Book with Blueface!” 

          Healthcare prices are steadily rising in the US and a lot of people are traveling beyond the boarder for procedures and medicine.  It has been estimated that approximately 1.4 million Americans travel abroad for medical care each year.(Braverman, 2016)  There are some serious risks, but the possibility of being able to be healed at a fraction of the cost by far outweighs the risks to most.
          There are many risks, but the one that sticks out like a sore thumb to me, is the language barrier.  If you cannot understand the doctor, staff and can’t read the aftercare instructions, you can possibly place your health in greater danger than you were in prior to coming.  If you don’t know how to speak the native tongue in that country, it might be a good idea to contact a foreign language center there, to see if you could pay someone to translate to you for the day.  Also contact the office and find out if the doctor or some of the staff members speak English.  This can save you a lot of time and help you better prepare. 

          Please also understand that your insurance will not cover any complications involved in your procedure.  It is best for you to purchase medical complication insurance before you go, your travel insurance most likely won’t cover complications that may arise post-surgery either.  Do your research to find out!  Check the hospital ratings and what they are best known for treating, before booking your trip.  Look up the doctor and see if anything has been written about the doctor on the web.  You can find out a lot of information, by conducting thorough research.  Remember…you are not his/her first patient…at least I hope not!  If you are…then keep looking…wrong doctor!   
          Most websites in other countries are available in English or you have the option to translate it into English, so they should be fairly easy to navigate and get the information you need.    If it is possible, find you healthcare professional through a referral.  Have aftercare plans…where will you stay?  How soon afterwards can you travel?  What are the surgery risks?  What medications will you need for post-care?  How long will you have to take that medication?  Look up the medicine to see what it is used for and what complications or issues it may cause.  How clean is the hospital?  How do they sterilize their equipment?  Are the rooms private?  The list can go on and on… This is the one-time in your life where you don’t want any surprises!   Ask as many questions as you can come up with!  Your health is all you have!

Here’s a list of hospitals abroad and what they specialize in.  http://nomadcapitalist.com/2014/01/05/top-5-best-countries-medical-tourism/

         ​I must admit…I absolutely love the ocean.  I love the feel of the breeze that comes off the ocean, the smell of the salt, listening at the waves roll up on shore and seeing the school of minnow’s flow around my feet.  There is only one problem…I can’t swim!!!! I love taking beach vacations and love the water, so I tried to find things that I could do to both enjoy the water and not have to actually know how to swim.

          My issue with swimming is that I don’t want to have to hold my breath under water.  I can swim on top of water just fine, but as soon as my face goes under…. yep it’s over! Lol!  So, I figured I would try scuba diving while in St. Thomas!  After all, I would get a scuba mask that is hooked up to an oxygen tank and I would be able to breath freely.  I’m thinking yeah, I can do this!  I hopped on the bus where they gave us a crash course on the way to the ocean.  I had it down and figured “oh this is going to be great!”  I gear up with my scuba mask, flippers, respirator and oxygen tank on my back, get out in the water and go deeper into the ocean. As my body and face become submerged into the water, I start to feel claustrophobic.  Now this is a whole new issue that I was unaware of about my non-swimming issue.  The bubbles from the oxygen tank were coming out as if it were a bubble machine!  I literally had to talk to myself to calm down.  Once I calmed down I started swimming all over and it was then that I realized that I really could swim, I just didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t freely breathe underwater. ​

          The instructor then informed us that there was a part two to the lesson.  I’m thinking…wait a minute, I thought that was it and we could start feeding the fish.  The instructor demonstrated pulling his mask up and letting water in, blowing the water out and breathing normally.  He pointed to the first person and they did it, the next and finally it got to me.  Now I’m thinking…the only reason I signed up for this was because the mask and oxygen would allow me to breathe freely and there is no way that I am going to voluntarily let water into my mask.  So, I shook my head Nooooooo!  He signaled for me to go up, blew the whistle real loud, kicked me out the class and shewed me toward snorkel gear.  I was soak and wet with full scuba gear on, big flippers equipped with a sad pouty face.  This had to be the slowest and longest walk of shame ever.  I did snorkel a little and watched everyone else scuba diving and feeding the fish from afar. 
          You may not be able to do everything that swimmers can, but there are some activities that you can do.  I still went jet skiing, swimming in the pool, sitting in the ocean, snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins and I also went on drunken party boats!  So, don’t give up on your water dreams…there’s still hope and you can still have fun enjoying the water, in your own way!

     ​ Social media is a worldwide tool that opens exposure to people that you would have never had access to, had it not existed.  There has been an uprising, with meeting people on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and an abundance of dating sites.  You usually communicate through chat, but outside of what they post up either about themselves or talk about, you generally don’t have any real information about them.  Conversations can become very engaging and before you know it…you are in a full blown cyber relationship!  But do you really know who you are dealing with?  I am going to share some safety tips that everyone should know before you take things beyond the face!
        Let’s just say, everything is going well and you decide to meet up, but they live in a different city.  Never go to their home on the first meet up, instead let them come to your city and stay in a hotel.  This way you are not out of your comfort zone.  Do not bring them to your house! When you feel more comfortable in knowing who they are and you also know where they live, then it’s ok.  Your home is your nest, it’s where you and your children feel safe.  What if you meet them and they are weird or not at all what you expected them to be?  You can simply go back home and act as if they never existed and feel safe.

​      Also, you want to know exactly what they look like, because pictures can be deceiving.  Use Facetime or Skype so you know, that they at least look like what and who they are portraying to be on social media.  The last thing you need in your life is a real life “Catfish” story!  “Oh yeah that is me….15 years ago!”  Most of the time if they have a Facebook page, they will post lots of pictures!  You can conduct a thorough investigation by going through a Facebook page…it usually has a lot of information on it.   It usually has their birthday, family members, schools they might have gone to, where they work and all sorts of information.  Also, while you are Facetiming /Skyping, look at the background and their surroundings.  Are they at home, in their bedroom when you talk or always outside?  That could be an indication that they might be married, sneaking around or have something to hide.  Pay attention to all the clues!
       If they ask for money…LEAVE THEM ALONE IMMEDIATELY!  It is a scam!  There are unfortunately a lot of vultures looking for lonely prey to cash out on!  They will tell you everything you have ever wanted to hear about how beautiful/handsome you are and how they want to be with you and no one else.  Then they will tell you some sob, sad story about something disastrous that has happened in their life and they need $$$$.  Some will wait for you to offer and others will flat out ask you for money.  They will also attempt to guilt trip you by saying…” if we are going to be together…. trust me…”  Leave that alone…they have just stamped an ATM symbol on your forehead.  If their money is tied up, so is yours!

​     Lastly, Google!  Make sure you Google their name to see what comes up.  Find out if they have any mugshots or past issues with the law and what those issues might have been.  When I move to a new area, I always check out the sex offenders list.  One time I saw people I knew and worked with on that list.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.  Type in key words like wife/husband, the city they live in and you would be surprised what comes up.  Don’t forget to click on images as well, to see what type of pictures are associated with that person.  I understand that there is a chance that we might actually meet our husbands and wives on social media, but always protect yourself first and be safe, when getting beyond the face!