Easy Steps to Select Quality Home Furniture

Going for a couple of moments to do your homework is among the wisest moves you may make when purchasing any product. This really is most certainly the situation when you’re searching to purchase furniture, whether it’s for the office or home. Some online analysis can rapidly let you know which kind of furniture is most the way you like. After you have whittled lower your requirements, the whole job may become much simpler.
Before you decide to make the leap and purchase your brand-new household furniture, you have to think about a couple of key details. Knowing quality could be a little tricky, but you will find ways it can be done. Considering along a warranty is an efficient method to establish the real quality of the product. The longer a product’s warranty, the greater a manufacturer thinks within the product. Using a warranty as the guide, you are able to bypass a lot of the clever salesmanship that may accompany furniture. Producers that know they’re developing a quality product may have no qualms about including a warranty.
Also make certain that you could see lots of images from the furniture that you’re purchasing. When websites offer you detailed pictures, it shows they have belief within their product. Some furniture retailers even offer you videos on the sites to ensure that you will get much more of a concept of the way the products will appear in your house. Be sure to consider the specs and measure your parking space to guarantee the product will fit nicely.
Changing any product whether it’s a vehicle, some type of computer or furniture is a total waste of your time and effort. Purchasing quality items which will last makes sense, as you will save time searching for substitutes. By doing all of your research and adhering towards the fundamentals, you’ll be able to find quality furniture in a reasonable cost. Prior to you making you buy the car, complete your “due diligence.” Contemplate the photos from the furniture and gain as much information as you possibly can including set up particulars, and warranty.
Online shopping has transformed the planet we reside in along with the right research now we are able to get preferred results.. People frequently make buying mistakes because of insufficient preparation and planning. Within the “dark days” prior to the Internet, it had been much more hard to research items to make certain these were worth your hard earned money. The good thing is that today all that has transformed.

Home Furniture Hire Will Make Any Home Feel Homely

Home furniture hire companies offer a wide range of top quality furniture including dining sets, bar stools, dining tables, dining chairs, oak dining sets, sideboards and everything you need to create a warm and comfortable environment instantly. Whether you are moving to another place or selling a property, you need to be sure that your furniture will arrive there on time. These companies can really help make your move seamless and trouble free. Many people make use of furniture hire to quickly convert their unfurnished properties into fully furnished homes that have a homely atmosphere, in order to increase the rental appeal of their property.
1. Home furniture hire companies usually have large stocks of soft seating chairs, tables, and executive furniture, as well as meeting and conference tables available for long and short term rental for nation-wide delivery. There are contemporary bedroom furniture, living room furniture, leather and fabric sofas and conservatory cane furniture, perfect for your home interior, and will make a statement all on their own.
2. These suppliers have got nearly everything you need to help you settle into your new surroundings immediately. They can really give your development the edge in the marketplace and can play a crucial part in making your property stand out from the crowd. This can be a key aspect in clinching a sale. Whether you simply require home packs, accessories and bespoke requirements or would like to meet a consultant, these companies can provide for all your temporary needs over a wide range of budgets.
3. There are many home furniture hire companies, who can help you present your property professionally and take a hands-on approach to decorate it, especially when you’re trying to sell a property. Property staging can allow you to achieve your goals, would encourage a faster sale as well as a greater return on your investment.
4. Some companies also provide efficient furniture hire for their employees including elegant wardrobes, sumptuous soft furnishings, bold sculptures, classic sofas and other contemporary dining furniture, which can really create the look to satisfy the lifestyle. They also offer flexible lease terms to meet your specific needs.
5. There are teams of professionals who can help you hire furniture on different terms and can make your Show home into a stunning development for your important buyers. All sorts of furniture packs can be hired easily and quickly installed without any effort on your part.
Home furniture hire will allow you to present your development property at its best and to give your property the sort of finish, which your buyers will always appreciate. Buyers always like to see the rooms dressed for best effect and these pieces of furniture are carefully tailored to the look and feel of the property and will present your property in a superb way, without any hassle of transporting the furniture to and from your property. Furniture rental also allows you to add value to the property without having to buy and then dispose of the furniture at a later date.

Marketing Public Library Services in Sierra Leone

Introduction
The concept of instituting marketing principles to non-profit institutions such as library and information Services is no longer a controversy. Organizations operate in an environment of change. Today we live in a global market for many goods and services in which technology, purchasing power and many factors change on a regular basis. One of the key functions of marketing is to find out how these changes affect clientele’s wants and needs and to develop organizational strategies and plans that will ensure that the library meets these challenges (Dransfield and Needham, 1995). It is therefore not surprising that public librarians are joining the marketing bandwagon. This article explores the marketing activities in the operations of the Sierra Leone Public Library services.
Public Libraries
A Public Library is funded wholly and partly from public funds and the use of which is not restricted to any class persons in the community but freely available to all. It is a major agency of enlightenment for adults, providing for children the recorded experiences of others which will help them grow into adults.
Usherhood (1981) defined Public Library as an organization established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some form of or other community organization. It provides access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through a range of resources and services and equally available to members of the public community regardless of race, nationality, economic and employment status and educational attainment.
The Sierra Leone Library Board (SLLB)
The Sierra Leone Library Board (SLLB) was established by Ordinance in June, 1959. The setting up of the Board was envisaged in the Government’s White Paper on Educational Development in 1958 and its functions outlined therein as follows:
• To provide a national/public library Service;
• To support and reinforce program of adult and fundamental education;
• To provide effective services for children and young adults including requisite services to schools;
• To provide much needed information and references services;
• To provide where needed adequate services for special groups, that is women and girls, language groups.
The Central Library is designed to give public services to Freetown and also to function as headquarter of the National/Public Library services and to provide accommodation for a growing collection of book and non-book materials in the country. It does all technical processing of stock for the Regional and Branch Libraries and has an Adult Lending Reference and a Children’s department.
Libraries are charged with responsibility to provide information service to support educational, recreation and personal endeavors of the members of their respective communities and the Sierra Leone Library Board is not an exception to that. The following services are provided at the Sierra Leone Library Board to Clientele:
Children Services
The Sierra Leone Library Board provides information services to children by the provision of books and other materials for children which are often housed in a special section known as the Children’s Library. A special service for children known as child orientated educational program specially designed for younger library users is included in the children’s library services. They also provide services to children through storytelling, drama/play and reading aloud.
Book Borrowing and Lending Service
The main task of Sierra Leone Library Board is to provide the public with access to books and periodicals. The Sierra Leone Library Board typically offers access to a variety of books which are available for borrowing by anyone with the appropriate library card.
Current Awareness Service
At the Sierra Leone Library Board, current awareness service is aimed at bringing to the notice of potential users, newly available documents and information services. This is done by collating information and producing new secondary sources, circulating current periodicals or other documents acquired and producing and distributing one or more forms of bulletins.
Selective Dissemination of Information
A more personal information service is being run at the Sierra Leone Library Board in which the library constantly notifies library users about particular information/materials matching them in a profile of the information needs and research pre-occupation of their clientele. This is done by either bringing references to relevant items to the notice of their clients and by obtaining copies and then supply the documents themselves to library users.
Outreach Services
The Sierra Leone Library Board provides outreach information services which is committed to developing library outreach program for non-users, the undeserved, and people with special needs in the communities in restricted areas.
Computer and Internet Services
In an attempt to bridge the digital divide, information resources and government services are being provided online by the Sierra Leone Library Board. This is done by providing access to the Internet and public computers for users who otherwise would not be able to connect to these services.
Library Marketing
Marketing is often viewed as a set of strategies and techniques that belongs to administrators outside of librarianship. But, librarians are also involved in the marketing process. The essence of marketing involves finding out users needs and want, then setting out to meet these needs.
Marketing according to Weingand (1995) “can be viewed as a process of exchange and a way to foster partnership between the library and its community” (p.296). In order to maintain the relationship between the public library and the community, marketing strategies have to be employed as effective tool.
Marketing in the public library means more than simply promotion or selling. It is more concerned about user needs. Marketing the Public Library is a social and managerial process by which products and services as well as values are exchanged in order to fulfill individuals or group needs. Marketing refers to those instruments through which information, both raw and processed, are transmitted to its members. Promotion or campaigning is but two activities in the broader exercise of marketing
Planning Library Marketing Program
The continued existence of libraries, if not their survivals, may well depend upon the use of marketing and planning strategies, communicated through effective public relations, to significantly alter the perceived role and position of the library in society.
In a real sense, Public Relation is the promotion component of a full marketing plan of library program. It can be seen as the communicated module which serves the promotion function; conversely, it may be easily depicted as a philosophical relationship between library and community which serves as a guiding light for promotion activities.
Both communication and research skills serve well in the marketing planning process of which Public Relations is an important component. Specific skills and knowledge are also needed in marketing planning programs for libraries. It goes without saying that both ongoing marketing planning and programs, and in particular, how the needs of different groups of users differ from each other. Library and information services are complex entities, as are the human users and potential users of these services.
Planning, promotion and campaigning are but all activities in the boarder exercise of marketing. User studies therefore, have a very wide range of uses in relation to the planning of library marketing programs of a service. They contribute in the planning, promotion and development of library services. In their contribution they help in the understanding of different user group behavior and their needs, and can assist in effective campaigning and planning process.
Three steps to planning library marketing programs are:
• Knowing what your beliefs are and therefore what you want to achieve;
• Communicating these beliefs as practical objectives to the people with whom you work, in order that these objectives can be fulfilled; and
• Creating a vehicle which allows this to happen. This can only be achieved by defining the basic components and through organization.
Methods of marketing in Sierra Leone Library Board
Book Displays and Exhibitions
Displays and exhibitions are widely used in most public libraries as a marketing strategy to sell their products or items. The SLLB displays jackets of new books which are not yet included in the lending department for easy access by users and to increase usage. It is also a means of drawing the attention of users and non-users to particular aspects of library resources and services.
Printed materials and Publications
In order to make a very good image of the public library and for public librarians to establish better communication between the library and users, publicity programs are put in place by the management of the Sierra Leone Library Board through news release. The management also considers annual reports and newspapers as basic publicity techniques. Publications such as bibliographies, guides and brochures are used by the library to communicate with the wider public.
Public Relations Office
Public relations according to Usherhood (1981) is concerned with gaining of public support for an activity, cause, movement or institution. It is a process that furthers mental understanding and cooperation between a government; or any organization and its various public. The Sierra Leone Library Board has a Public Relations Office charged with the responsibility to enhance a smooth system of communication.
User Education/Readers Advisory Service
This could be described as training a group of users in the effective use of the library and its resources. It is used to stimulate the users to make greater use of the library and introduces library staff to clientele who might be reluctant to seek their assistance. This is the principal means through which library staff can learn about readers’ needs, opinions and habits. Good communication with readers enables staff to inform and influence readers.
The Media
These involve printed and audio-visual forms of communication and any necessary equipment to render them usable. The Press, radio and television are important means of publicizing information service, since they offer potential of reaching many people from all walks of life. The media are cultivated so that messages are distributed with regularity. Publicity mechanism such as news releases, special events and brochures can also be employed.
The Social Media Groups (SMG)
The Sierra Leone Library Board makes use of the Social media groups such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Watsapp’ as an effective way for publicity in order to put their messages across to users of their services.
Challenges of Marketing Library and Information Services at the SLLB
A lot of challenges have militated against the effective planning and implementation of library marketing programs at SLLB. The following are some of the challenges:
• Inadequate Staff: Although staff numbers have been maintained, the ratio of professional staff is very low. The library is manned mostly by paraprofessionals who mostly lack the skills to plan and implement marketing programs.
• Finance: The library depends heavily on government subsidy. The government has no specific or substantial funds for the running of the library thus the library administration has to foot most of the bills that have to do with marketing. The irregular flow of funds has served as a barrier to the progress of marketing library and information services at the SLLB.
• Lack of standard printed materials and publications: The SLLB lacks most standard printed materials and publications due to poor planning of marketing programs. This negligence has made the library handicapped of public relations tools in the form of printed materials and publications such as newsletters, questionnaires, diaries and calendars.
• Displays are improper and exhibitions seem almost absent: The library depends mostly on donations and most of the books are acquired without jackets. Therefore displaying book jackets in inconsistent. In fact exhibition programs are yet to survive as they are only recently introduced. The library lacks relevant display and exhibition materials to mount these activities.
• Inability to organize frequent Radio Programs: The SLLB lacks media communication facilities. The library cannot frequently organize radio programs on its own because of lack of funds. The absence of radio programs stands out as an acute problem to the progress of marketing programs in the library.
Conclusively, marketing is the instrument that libraries use to transform their aims and objectives into operational plans of action. In most developing countries’ public libraries such as the SLLB, marketing strategies cannot operate properly due to the existence of bottlenecks in planning programs. Good marketing programs actualize the plans and measures necessary for the achievement of goals and objectives.

Why Taxi Service is Better Than Your Own Car

Taxi services serve people. The fleet of yellow-checkered cabs is the pride of the New York City. For years, these legendary cabs have been taking people to their destination. Roads look incomplete without these taxis.
Ways To Hire A Cab Taxi
There are two ways to hire a taxi:
*Take an empty taxi right off the street. The cab services have taxis in various parts of the city for people who need to use them.
*Dial a number of taxi service. These are call-in services. Tell them the address from where you want to be picked and the place to be dropped. The dispatcher connects to the special radio system of the taxi company and finds a taxi that is the closest to your address. The taxi reaches you in 5-10 minutes. It is far more convenient. You can book a taxi service without leaving the comfort of your home.
Certain taxi services accept advance reservations. One such is the limousine service. If, you have a wedding to attend next week, you can reserve a limo a week prior to the occasion.
Taxi Rates
Rates depend on the standard initial fare of the particular area. This includes the cost of hiring a taxi, tariff rate, travel distance, waiting time in traffic jams, and at the curbside for you.
If you do not own a vehicle, you can find numerous taxi cabs at airport terminals or outside hotels. You must know the base air taxi rates to and from the airport to important places of the city, to the heart of the city and suburbs. The general rate is $45. A taxi service will usually charge according to the miles traveled. This keeps the dealing clear.
Benefits Of Hiring A Taxi
Most of the taxi drivers are knowledgeable about the city. They are familiar with the traffic situations and know how to get you to your destination quickly and safely. You might worry about how you will reach the far end of the town. But for a taxi driver, it’s no big deal. You save a lot of trouble and time by hiring a taxi service.
Besides, in a metropolitan city, taxis are a good Eco-friendly option to travel. It’s best to park your car in the garage and hail a taxi. You can also car-pool. You can travel with your friends or colleagues in one taxi.
Another benefit of hiring a taxi is that you are saved from the headache of finding a place to park. Parking space is fast emerging as a big problem. Although taxis may not match the luxury of traveling in your own car, they offer a convenient and quicker traveling solution within the city. With the regulation of taxi service industry, taxi fares have become higher but they ensure that the driver has a valid license and permit for his cab. You only need to raise a hand while standing on the sidewalk and a taxi will arrive!

Dental Care For the Poor

We all know that dentists are highly specialized doctors who deal with all kinds of dental issues; however, his expertise does not limit to only teeth but may also cure other issues related to the mouth such as sore mouth, swollen gums etc.
It is widely believed that visiting a dentist more often for a routine check up is always better than visiting him for any dental issue. Though the fees charged by dentists are high there are some dental care services that may charge you nominal fee and help in getting treated at a low cost.
For those people who find it difficult to pay for their dental checkups, there are dental care organizations where cheap or free of cost dental checkups are done.. Even universities have offers for the poor to take care of their dental issues at a low price or for free. Often projects and camps are conducted by students who are doing the studies of dentistry to offer free or reasonable aid to people suffering from dental problems but can not afford dental care.
You may also come across numerous plans and communities established only for the welfare of poor who are not able to afford dental checkup. There are several NGOs and governmental organizations that can help in curing your dental problems for free or at a nominal cost. There are thousands of recognized dentist who participate in such charity based dental checkup events.
Those people who cannot afford regular dental checkup due to unfavorable financial conditions, it is suggested to opt for dental discount plans. Such plans may be available with most of the dentists. You may receive your membership card which you need to show to your dentist whenever you visit him.
Finding a proper dentist who offers cheap dental care service in your locality, may not be that tough. You may seek advice from your friends and relatives about cheap dental care programs. You may even check in business directories for reasonable or free dental checkup.
There are fair chances that you may find details of some good and reasonable dentist. A search on the internet for low cost dentist or free dental care can help you find affordable dental treatment service in your vicinity.

The Newest Fashion Trends in Town

Other term commonly used in referring modern fashion is the contemporary style. Modern attires are being released from time to time as famous celebrities and models wear their trendy outfits. Magazines have so many updates when talking about fashion. Most trendy designs are coming from the Western part of the globe as they become very famous in Hollywood while walking in the Hall of Fame. No wonder that other countries adopt the western designs nowadays.
There is always a trend when it comes to bags, shoes, dress, jewelry and clothes. You as an individual might love the traditional way or the contemporary style. But today, the latest fashion trend is bringing back the traditional fashion and incorporating it to the modern style. It gives a more unique and elegant look. As you can observed, so many fashion styles in the late 70s and 80s that were already gone but they are back now as part of the contemporary designs that are being promoted by famous models and celebrities. Fashion styles in the west are constantly changing. Some dresses will be available today but not tomorrow. New styles will come and the old one will disappear. This is how fashion style works in the market. They come and go. The most common outfit for women in America is blouse and jeans. They usually use sweater or jackets to make it more attractive. An additional of stylish scarf are being used also especially when winter start following autumn. For more official designs, you can actually refer to an online website which talks solely about fashion trends. There is also variety of magazines who offers different ideas about the latest fashion style. If you are not sure about selecting your outfit or in doubt about your choice, you can consult some experts who are more confident and reliable when it comes to this field. Color combination’s of clothes are very popular today. Just make sure that you are using colors in harmony.
When it comes to men’s wear, popular attire includes the male cardigans, T-shirts, comfortable jeans, silk or colored scarf, wardrobe and other accessories. Seasons move fast as well as the fashion trend so that it will catch up to the changing season that is why everyone buys clothes according to the weather. Just keep in mind to choose styles and colors that are suitable to your taste. It is best to opt for clothes that can be used any time of the day. Even T-shirts and jeans are constantly changing depending on the season too. T-shirts have been present in fashion industry for a very long period of time and until now, T-shirts are still in trend. Everybody loves to wear T-shirts. It is very simple yet attractive with its various unique designs. There are some T-shirts with different prints that make it more good looking. Most of the models today, whether kid, teens or adults, wear T-shirts in their advertisements or shows. Adding some accessories, coat or a scarf to a shirt will turn it to another style that everybody can’t resist.

Buying Home Furniture Online From American Furniture Stores

Buying from American furniture stores is not just being patriotic, but makes sense, particularly if you are buying home furniture online. Even if not, furniture made in America from solid hardwoods such as maple, cherry, hickory and Oak from firms such as Nichols & Stone, Cambridge Mills and Simply Amish is of high quality wherever you buy it.
So why American, and why not import fine English furniture or French classic designs for your home? Some will prefer these of course, but it is hard to beat the solidity of American furniture made using traditional carpentry techniques with traditional American woods. Take quarter sawn oak, for example.
This comes from the same tree as ordinary oak, but the plank is sawn radially into the annual rings. If you imagine a radius drawn from the center of a cross-section of the trunk out to the bark, an ordinary plank is cut across that radius while a quarter sawn oak plank is cut down the radius. It is more expensive because you get fewer planks that way, but the grain is even and the resultant plank of wood less liable to warp.
Many American furniture manufacturers and cabinet makers employ quarter sawn oak for their furniture. Another particularly American wood is the American black walnut. This is a true walnut, unlike the African walnut which is a species of mahogany. So buying American furniture means that you are also buying sustainable American woods, which is good for the environment.
Quality of Craftsmanship
When you buy from American furniture firms such as Cambridge Mills, Nichols & Stone, American Craftsman or Simply Amish, you are buying experience and craftsmanship. Their products are crafted using proper joints, not just glued and screwed together like too much of today’s home furniture.
Yes, glue and screws might come up with a solid structure initially, but how long will it last? Nor just that, but if they cut corners with basic construction where else are they cutting corners? Is their wood properly cured and seasoned, or will it start warping in a few months? Has the seating on your sofa been properly upholstered, with well-tied springs and strong webbing, or will it start falling to pieces after a couple of years? Or is it actually just foam!
The quality of craftsmanship that you get from many American furniture stores can be second to none – or it can be the worst. It is up to you to select your furniture from recognized American furniture stores that are renowned for their quality and standard of craftsmanship. Stores like those mentioned above, or Southwood, Stickley, Sherrill and The Custom Shoppe – all American and all highly regarded.
Buying Home Furniture Online
Many of America’s best furniture manufacturers specialize in their work. It figures that craftsmen who can produce beautiful tables and chairs might not be so good at armoires or beds. Master upholsterers can make a sofa the most comfortable thing you have sat on, but would not know how to produce high quality functional home office furniture.
When buying home furniture, you may not just want to buy furniture for one room – perhaps you want a variety of pieces, which might involve a trip to several furniture stores or even several shopping malls. That is very time-consuming, and we don’t all have unlimited spare time on our hands.
This is where buying home furniture online makes perfect sense. Many online home furniture stores offer the products of a number of different American furniture firms. You can select your furniture from a variety of styles and also choose the firm that specializes in the type of furniture you are seeking. For example, you can purchase a beautiful sleigh bed from Simply Amish and the mattress from Jamison, both marketed on the same online furniture website.
You could also use one of the customization services. Many online home furniture firms offer online room planners. The Custom Shoppe is a perfect example. You enter the dimensions of your room, no matter how irregular, and the empty room plan comes up on your screen. You can then add scale representations of various furniture pieces, so you can find out exactly how and where each piece would fit.
You can choose your sectionals online to suit your room shape. The problem with sectionals is choosing the components most suited to your needs. By combining a room planner with the firm’s range of sectional products, you can buy home furniture online that makes best use of the space available to you – including corners. Buying home furniture online from American furniture stores makes sense, and there are many online that you can use.

How Often Should I Travel?

I once found myself in London sitting on the floor of a friend’s flat, debating my next move. I had been traveling for a couple months and couldn’t decide whether I wanted to visit Morocco or Istanbul next. I had never been to either and both were well out of my normal comfort zone, a combination of criteria that should have insured a feeling of excitement no matter which route I chose.
Instead, both options felt boring to me. I knew, cultural differences and random unexpected experiences aside, what to expect from my next destination, wherever it was. No matter which location I decided on I would end up in a routine similar to the one I had been on while traveling the past couple of months. No matter how odd the destination I arrived at I knew I’d be able to find my way and do just fine for myself.
I realized I couldn’t choose between the two options because I quite frankly didn’t care to go to either of them. The growth I experienced on this trip seemed to be at a plateau and no amount of culture shock seemed like it would jolt me back onto the fast track of enhanced personal revelation.
Debunking the Myth of Eternally Vagabonding
After a couple months on the road I was tired of traveling and just wanted to go home. Though “going home” presented its own problems as I didn’t have a home to return to. I left with the aim of traveling indefinitely, yet even when I had been back in the States I moved often, leaving one location for another every couple months, sometimes within the same city, sometimes across the country.
Now, sitting in London, totally ungrateful for the opportunities at my fingertips, I wanted a real home. I thought endless traveling would be right for me but I was wrong, and it became clear the notion of vagabonding indefinitely wasn’t right for everyone. In fact, in all my travels I’ve realized the notion of constant, consistent, endless travel isn’t right for just about anyone. For most of us, travel is a special experience and not the way of life we desire for our day-to-day existence.
A Quick Caveat
If most of us weren’t made to travel indefinitely, than how often should we travel, and for how long should we leave home?
The answer to this question will always be intensely personal and depends on individual factors that are both ephemeral (personal disposition, relationships back home) and entirely tangible (money, work, mortgages and leases). For the rest of this article I’m assuming you’re in the fortunate position of being able to travel whenever you want, for as long as you want.
What’s the Point of Travel?
Before you can answer how often you should travel you need to first answer why you want to travel.
Do you get bored when you stay in one place for more than three months at a time? Do you love surfing and do you want to explore the world’s best beaches? Are you intensely interested in food and do you have a laundry list of native cuisines and restaurants you want to munch on? Do you simply want to see more of the world? Or do you simply want to expand your understanding of the world by experiencing as much of it firsthand as you can? Everyone has a different reason to travel, and knowing why you want to explore the world is a good first step towards figuring out how often you should leave home.
In my opinion there’s really only one reason for travel, a single reason that lies at the heart of every specific explanation you can give for your wander lust. People want to travel because they want to grow.
We travel to grow- to grow our ideas of other countries, to grow our ideas of the world, to grow our ideas of what it means to be human, and most of all to grow our conception of who we are and what we want out of life.
Thinking in Cycles
If we travel to grow then it makes a whole lot of sense why indefinite travel tends to lose its appeal over time. After a couple of months of traveling you will hit a peak. You will have learned everything you’re going to learn from the trip you’re on and you will have settled into a new routine, a new set of expectations, a new perspective that will eventually become just as rigid as the one you developed back home.
Humans are adaptable, and while the thought of being able to live out of a single bag in a country where no one speaks your language may seem like the height of adventure before you leave home, after a couple months backpacking in Cambodia you’ll settle in to a life that once seemed an insurmountable challenge.
Once you hit that wall in your travels you’ll return home and find home life to be challenging and foreign and filled with opportunities for growth and appreciation you never noticed before you left on your adventure. And then, after a few months pass you by, you’ll feel locked into a stultifying routine once more and ache to push yourself by hitting the road once more.
The answer to how often you should travel sits within the rhythms of growth and adaptation lying within all of us.
Finding the Right Pattern
While everyone is unique and everyone follows slightly different flows of exploration and consolidation there are a two patterns for alternating between travel and home life that seem to strike a chord within the greatest number of people.

  • 2-3 months at home followed by 4-6 weeks traveling. Spending 2-3 months at home gives you the time you need to focus intensely on work, on home life, on building relationships, on seeing friends and family, and other similarly domestic activities. 2-3 months in one place also tends to be the amount of time it takes until the average traveler starts to feel the itch to explore once more. 4-6 weeks of traveling is a good amount of time to gain a good feel for one or two locations, making this pattern good for people who are happy seeing a small handful of new locations every year.
  • 6-9 months at home followed by 2-3 months of traveling. This pattern lets you focus very deeply on a specific work project or other type of consolidation-oriented task whose completion you then reward with an extended period of perspective shaking overseas travel. Even the most ardent travel nut seems to find it relatively easy to stay in one place for 6-9 months when they have a passion-driven project to focus on. Once you leave home again 2-3 months is enough time traveling to either get very deep in a new culture (it’s an especially good time frame for learning a language) or to visit a couple new countries in one trip.

No matter which pattern you choose, no matter if you make up your own pattern, just know that travel is part of a larger life cycle, so find the right cycle that meets your particular needs for both adventure and security.

Family Healthcare: The Dangers Of A Heart Attack & How To Avoid It

A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely.
If you know the symptoms and the risk factors of a heart attack, you can avoid having one and live a safer, healthier, longer and happier life
Heart attack has been reported to be the number one killer disease among adult Americans aged 50 yrs and older.
Typical symptoms of a heart attack include a crushing pain in the chest, sweating, difficulty breathing, weakness and pain in the arms, particularly the left.
Here are some family healthcare insights on how to prevent heart attacks.
Symptoms one could attribute to something else can cause devastating delays in seeking treatment.
These include feelings of indigestion, back shoulder and neck pain and nausea.
Early signs of trouble may appear during physical activity and disappear with rest.
Any numbness or tingling of the fingers or toes, dizziness, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing should not be ignored.
It is not enough to know the symptoms of a heart attack, which can be wide-ranging and confusing.
It appears that most Americans are oblivious of the risk factors of a heart attack.
It is very important also to know the risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and family history.
Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of surveys show that certain personal characteristics and lifestyles can lead to increased danger of a heart attack.
These danger signs are called “risk factors.”
These well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.
Attempts at modifying risk factors most certainly have contributed to the declining death rate from heart attacks in the United States.
While a few decades ago, U.S. death rates from heart attacks were on the rise, but today’s figures show that incidents of heart attacks have comparatively fallen dramatically.
And, overall, heart-related problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.
This decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable percentage is related to modification of risk factors.
New drugs can stop or limit the damage of a heart attack, but only if the patient gets help immediately, experts say.
Once the flow of blood to a portion of the heart is blocked for several hours, the damage is irreversible.
Medical technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate. More drugs and medical technology are available than ever before and the entire population is now more aware of the seriousness of heart attacks.
There has been an increased interest in learning CPR and many community organizations now offer this valuable training.
Of particular concern by doctors and researchers is the role that the American diet plays in the health of one’s heart.
Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some of the reasons for this are known, but others are not.
The major causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories and inadequate exercise.
When caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises the blood cholesterol.
Thus, obesity contributes to higher coronary risk in a variety of ways.
Many of the major risk factors for a heart attack are silent and much of the responsibility for their detection lies with each of us as individuals.
Regular checkups are particularly necessary if there is a family history of heart attacks of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.
May these family healthcare insights help you live a healthy and happy life.

Build Your Own Fashion Style With Custom Belt Buckles

Building your own fashion style can be a fun way for you to really get in touch with your personality and allow others to get to know you through your style as well. One unique way to express yourself through your style is by wearing a custom-made buckle for your belt.
Having an attractive, stylish buckle can really complete an outfit. They come in all sorts of different styles, sizes and materials, so you can be sure to find many different looks to choose from. If you’re into the popular Jersey Shore “guido” look, you can get a nice looking, big metal belt buckle with an Ed Hardy kind of pattern on it that will have you looking awesome while you’re fist pumping at the club.
Another idea is getting some kind of symbol on your belt that describes your personality or heritage. For example, if you identify closely with your Asian heritage, it would be a nice representative of both your heritage and your personality to choose a powerful word in a symbol from your country’s language. Another idea would be a Union Jack, if you’re British, or a flag of the country you’re from would also be a good idea to represent your heritage in a unique and fashionable way.
A belt buckle can really tell a story about you. You can express your philosophies on life by choosing an appropriate symbol for your buckle. For example, if you adhere to Christianity, you can choose a cross symbol for your belt or the Christian fish symbol. A peace sign would be another example of a life philosophy represented through your fashion style.
To make a complete fashion statement, it would be a good idea to choose buckles that match items of clothing that you already have. For example, if you have one of those popular Superman t-shirts, it would be a nice touch to add a stylish Superman belt buckle to your belt when you wear the shirt also. You can coordinate your buckle with prominent colors in your wardrobe as well. If you mostly wear purple colors than it would be a fashionable choice to choose purple belt buckles or perhaps other shades that would compliment the purple.
Vintage belt buckles such as old soda bottle caps and game symbols such as Nintendo controllers and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots are other cool and quirky types of buckles you can wear with your outfits to reveal a quirky side of your personality. These belt buckles show people that you have an appreciation for the classics and can allow people to identify with you and be able to easily start up a conversation with you.
You can also rep your favorite sports team with your belt buckle and wear it on game days with a matching jersey. Whether you’re a Yankee or Red Sox fan, you can have either of your teams’ symbols right on your belt buckle and let people know who you support. This could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on where you are, so I’d advise you to stay cautious.