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Archive for February, 2010
Tips for Getting Scuba Certified
Written by Kristina Wegscheider, DIWYY co-founder and a NAUI-certified scuba diver, who has logged dives in California, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Chile, Tanzania, and Australia.
Imagine being able to descend into the ocean to experience a completely different world. Schools of fish, colorful coral reefs, and other marine life surround you. By getting scuba certified, you can add the adventure of diving into your already amazing vacation plans.
Getting started: Before you can scuba dive, you will need to get certified. There are two worldwide organizations: NAUI and PADI. No matter where you get certified – through a school, through a private divemaster, or at a resort – you will want to make sure their program is accredited by one of these two organizations. Even if you’re land-locked, you may be surprised to find out that you can get certified in your own hometown! To begin your search, inquire at the following places:
-Local community colleges, universities, and community centers which often offer dive training in their on-site swimming pools
-Local dive shops often have their own classes or can refer you to a certified divemaster. In this case, I would recommend conducting a search through the PADI and NAUI websites.
-Resorts often offer their own diving schools and divemasters so you can actually get certified on vacation! You can find a list of accredited dive resorts on the PADI and NAUI websites. Even if you are not staying at the property, you can often arrange to get your certification done at the host resort.
-PADI now offers an eLearning option for the classroom portion of the training but you will need to find a dive center for the other half of your training.
Obtaining your certification: Depending on where you get certified, your dive equipment may be included in the overall price or you may be required to rent it on your own. If you plan on diving frequently, you may want to consider investing in your own equipment.
Your classes will begin with classroom training and will be followed by practicing basic skills like descending, ascending, and hand signals in a controlled environment like a swimming pool. After, you will do a series of dives with a divemaster who will test your skills in the ocean or a lake. After you have passed the written and physical tests, you are officially scuba certified!
Time to dive: Now that you have your certification, you can present your card at any dive shop to be able to dive on one of their boats. If you are traveling solo, you will be paired up with another diver as your buddy or with the divemaster. Be sure to also bring your logbook with you to show record of your previous dives.
Helpful tips:
-Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? You can get a customized mask made with your prescription! You can do a web search under “Prescription Dive Mask”. We found a site with reasonable prices called Seavenger.com.
-Diving is an amazing experience and you will be eager to capture memories of your dives. Consider investing in a waterproof camera or purchase a plastic case designed to cover your regular digital camera. The disposable cameras will also work but you will need to adhere to the depth limitations and ensure you have enough natural lighting.
-There are recommendations for how soon after scuba diving you can fly in an airplane. While the amount of hours is dependent on how many dives you did, how long you were diving, and how deep you went, 24 hours is usually my practice. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) has further information here.
Have more questions? Post them here on in the DIWYY forums in our ‘Scuba Diving‘ category.
In The News
May 17 2010
iSytes Radio
How Social Marketing is the “Online Word of Mouth”
It IS continuing… de mi segunda semana
Written by DIWYY guest writer, Robyn, who recently moved to Antigua, Guatemala from Silicon Valley. We’ll be following her journey through regular blog posts. If you missed her first point, read it here.
The end of week two is about when people thought I’d come home… But I’m still here. This “adventure” is more like a test. One of self-denial and value assessment. And I’m failing. (Ay Dios Mio!) I’m failing bad. Well. Maybe a D-. But certainly not a score worthy of refrigerator real-estate.
First off, I packed poooorly. I didn’t have much to work with considering 98% of my closet is comprised of 4-inch heels and microscopic dresses. I brought the only 3 pairs of flat shoes I own- 2 pairs of sandals and running shoes. My little gold Steven Maddens fell victim to the cobblestone within a week. Thank God the strap snapped within a safe distance to my house. Not sure I could have appreciated the comedy that would have ensued as I tripped my way over filthy (and no doubt germ-ridden) streets- desperately trying to avoid little pools of questionable liquid. And let’s be honest. ANY pool of street liquid is questionable. I brought one the pair of jeans I own that are short enough to wear with flats, a pair of shorts that I’m sure will NOT be worn, a couple rescued-from-the-Goodwill-bag tank tops, a maxi dress or 2, yoga clothes, a wind breaker… Uhh. Not much else. But Antigua is a city where people wear normal clothes! Either hippie-with-dreads-SUPER-second-hand clothes, or normal, what-we-wear-at-home clothes… SO. I pretty much feel underdressed or over showered, but certainly never pretty. Or cute. OR well accessorized. The best I can do is a spritz of my now rationed perfume, a swipe of my vanishing-by-the-day Nars blush and a quick once-over with the little hair straightener I picked up at Wal-Mart. (I know, pathetic.) I’m learning how much value I derive from what people think of me bases on what I look like… wondering how I feel about that.
Other daily adventures…
The shower. First. You HAVE to remember not to let the water trickle into your mouth. I spent the first few days practically holding my breath in fear of ingestion… I mean. It was like doing cardio. I’d come out of the shower winded because I took so few breaths. Redic. I’ve now reached a more normal level of caution. Also. These “suicide showers”, as they’re known, are heated by an electric coil thing… the higher you turn on the water pressure, the faster the water runs through it, and the colder the water gets. For optimal heat you have to shower under a glorified dribble. And. IMPORTANT. You CANNOT touch the showerhead while it’s on. You WILL get shocked. Not bad enough to kill you… I’m living proof of that. But it’s quite uncomfortable and scary as hell.
The volcanoes. I stare at 3 of them everyday. There are signs and flyers for tours and hikes all over the place. It seemed like the right thing to do. So. I climbed one. An active one. It’s called Pacaya. Aaaand it was terrifying. I mean yes, sure, it’s awesome that I climbed an active volcano. But only because I survived. Had I not, Channel 7’s commercial teaser would have read something like:
“An American girl died this afternoon after being caught in a lava flow on the active volcano she was hiking… We’ll have the exclusive story, including interviews with family and friends who say, ‘She’s not a hiker, we have no idea why she thought she should climb an active volcano.’ More at 11.”
Moments after a guide’s SHOES MELTED to the rocks, and she ripped the gooey rubber and remaining sock portion of her Nike’s from the scalding stones, I started shaking my head and repeating (like a crazy person): “Muy peligroso! Muy, MUY peligroso!” To summit, we crossed a freaking babbling brook of lava. LA-VA. Like, Hot Lava Monster, lava. At one point I looked down through a crack in the rock on which I was standing and could clearly see a neon streak of skin-vaporizing molten. 6 inches under me. I was literally standing half-a-foot above an underground lava aquifer. And let me also tell you- There’s not like, a trail to the peak of this active volcano. Which, by the way, we reached at sunset. (Read: Hiked back down in the dark.) It’s just a super giant pile of ankle slicing, newly formed, black volcanic shards over which we stumbled- in small single-file groups, with gaps in-between each group, because the rock isn’t SOLID ENOUGH to support the weight of too many people. WHAT?!!!
Whatever. I did survive. And I suppose I’m happy I can say that I’ve climbed an active volcano. But I’m certainly not going back for more. (I’d post a picture of me on the volcano but fear, lack of make-up, and a hideous running hat prevented any evidence gathering.)
I also paid about $20(US) for a coffee plantation tour. Overrated. I learned a bit, but nothing I couldn’t read online. I hear the Macadamia Nut farm is much more cool- it’s next on my little hit list. PS- Guatemala exports 85% of their best coffee to… guess who? (Hint: Think Seattle and green straws)
The biggest adventure of all is just learning to acclimate to this new life, the pace (everyone is late for everything, all the time), the culture of a town with clashing cultures and little accountability, and a lifestyle that is so totally different from what I know….
My feet have been filthy since day one and I’ve given up on the idea of anything different. It’s like camping. You just surrender to the dirt. I’ve met some incredible people here, but I miss my friends and the intimacy that comes from being comfortable with people you love. I can feel myself settling in- just a tiny bit. I’m getting lost less and adjusting to regular “life-in-Antigua”. Little things are hard… like if I want black beans for dinner, I needed to start soaking them yesterday. I’m starting to feel sick but it’s not as simple as calling my doctor to make an appointment. And I HAVE TO LEARN TO REMEMBER not to drop the toilet paper in the bowl… don’t get me started.
However, at this point, I can confidently hit the local open-air market a few times a week and negotiate for non-gringa prices on staples like aguacates, tomates, y lechuga. Also. I’ve discovered a little restaurant that sells the most amazing chocolate truffles with chunks of fresh ginger and a dusting of cinnamon. They’re bite-sized, super gooey and vegan. Hello amazing-ness. (I’m also pretty sure they’ve got some crack inside, because since finding these stupid things I’ve been compelled to walk 6 blocks out of my way to consume about 3 of them a week. Officially. Addicted.)
In Antigua we walk everywhere. (Which justifies the truffle consumption.) But to get out of town, the cheapest mode of transportation is on a Chicken bus. It literally took me to the end of the 2nd week to figure out that “Chicken busses” were the black-exhaust producing, old-fashioned school busses that fly around town like the bus driver from The Simpsons is behind the wheel. I kept looking for like, a flat bed truck transporting stacks of caged chickens from town to town. I figured you thumbed one down and climbed on board. Not so much. …I’ve yet to ride on one of these Chicken busses. And probably won’t. I’m absolutely positive they are more peligroso than lava, and for a few bucks more I can take a shuttle anywhere. It’s one adventure I think I’ll skip.
I’m not dreaming in Spanish yet, but I’m starting to think in Quetzales instead of Dollars. (Except when justifying truffle expenditure. I THEN convert to Dollars, shrug my shoulder, and hand over the cash.) I even picked up a job bar tending. No. I don’t have any experience.
I’m lonelier than I’d like to be and much more incomodo… But still. I’m pressing on.
We’ll be following Robyn’s journey with regular posts of her trial and tribulations in Antigua, Guatemala. You can also follow her blog.
Study Abroad Profile: Semester at Sea
Written by DIWYY guest writer, Katie, who studied abroad with Semester at Sea.
What circumnavigates the globe at 20 mph, makes 10 different stops in 10 different cultures and is amidst a countless number of languages in a matter of 91 days? The answer: Semester at Sea.
Each semester, the MV Explorer embarks on another journey on the high seas as a ship full of 700 bright eyed students and faculty set out to explore new horizons. Hong Kong, India, Brazil and South Africa are among a few of the stops that my ship sailed to. I was immersed in unusual languages, foods, cultures, sights, smells and time zones for an unforgettable 13 weeks of my life. I learned a wealth of knowledge including learning how to play the “African drums” aboard the ship while the ocean water sprayed our classroom windows. I also learned what it was like to greet new friends with “Ni hao” in China and “Namaste” in India and mastered the art of going to the bathroom in a “squatty potty”. I discovered the value of adapting and inheriting cultures other than my own, and the importance of respecting each human being on this planet as a fellow pilgrim on the journey, seeing how very similar we all are, below our many outward differences. I know I will be forever changed by the people I crossed paths with, the many ports that I sailed to and the teachers aboard the MV Explorer. If you are up for a wild, nonstop, and life changing study abroad experience, I highly recommend checking out Semester at Sea.
Interested in going? Check out Semester at Sea’s Prospective Student page which has information about upcoming trips, how to apply, costs/financial aid, and what types of classes you can take.
Are you a SAS alum? We’d love to hear your story too! Email kristina@diwyy.com.
Our Story
DIWYY was founded by Jerri Stephenson and Kristina Wegscheider who together have covered more than sixty countries and territories spanning from Antarctica to Japan to Zimbabwe – and they have not even reached age 30. They thrive on exploring new countries, trying new things, and going to places others only dream of. Kristina and Jerri met in 2002 while studying abroad in Australia with the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad. They became instant friends who shared a love of travel and world exploration.
The Do It While You’re Young brand evolved after Jerri and Kristina had several meet-ups throughout the United States. During conversations with other people, the topic of travel would come up often and stories from Jerri and Kristina’s adventures would cause the reaction of “I wish I would have done it when I was your age.” And from there, Jerri and Kristina were unofficially tasked with spreading the travel bug to young women everywhere. The concept of having a book was born years ago when Kristina visited Jerri in Miami, Florida. Instead of enjoying the vibrant culture and beautiful beaches, the girls opted to take up residence at the South Beach Starbuck’s for the weekend to get their ideas onto paper.
About Us
Do It While You’re Young (DIWYY) is a website for young women from the ages of 18-35 designed to inspire and guide readers to travel, study, work, and volunteer abroad. DIWYY was found by Jerri Stephenson and Kristina Wegscheider who together have covered more than sixty countries and territories spanning from Antarctica to Japan to Zimbabwe – and they have not even reached age 30. They thrive on exploring new countries, trying new things, and going to places others only dream of. Kristina and Jerri met in 2002 while studying abroad in Australia with the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad. They became instant friends who shared a love of travel and world exploration.
The Do It While You’re Young brand evolved after Jerri and Kristina had several meet-ups throughout the United States. During conversations with other people, the topic of travel would come up often and stories from Jerri and Kristina’s adventures would cause the reaction of “I wish I would have done it when I was your age.” And from there, Jerri and Kristina were unofficially tasked with spreading the travel bug to young women everywhere. The concept of having a book was born years ago when Kristina visited Jerri in Miami, Florida. Instead of enjoying the vibrant culture and beautiful beaches, the girls opted to take up residence at the South Beach Starbuck’s for the weekend to get their ideas onto paper.
Name: Kristina Wegscheider
Role: Co-founder/Editor/Writer
Hometown: San Jose, CA
U.S. States Visited: 24
Countries Visited: 45
Continent Count: 7
Education: Bachelor’s in Mass Communication from U.C. Berkeley; currently pursuing Master’s in Human Resources from Chapman University
Travel Specialties: Balancing a full-time job with a full travel schedule, Studying abroad, Frequent flyer miles
When she is not traveling, she is: running, biking, watching movies, dining with friends and writing about travel.
Contact: kristina@diwyy.com
Name: Jerri Stephenson
Role: Co-founder/Social Media Guru
Hometown: Houston, TX
U.S. States Visited: 34
Countries Visited: 28
Continent Count: 6
Education: Bachelor’s in Management and Marketing from Abilene Christian University; completing pre-reqs to apply to medical school
Travel Specialties: Working abroad, studying abroad, backpacking
When she is not traveling, she is: running, going to the beach, Twittering, doing yoga, and thinking about the next trip.
Contact: jerri@diwyy.com
DIWYY has an amazing group of talented contributors and advisors that help keep us running. Check out these awesome women that we couldn’t do without!
Our Experts
Name: Morgan Wiley
Role: Advisor
Hometown: San Jose, CA
U.S. States Visited: 22
Countries Visited: 18
Continent Count: 4
Education: Bachelor’s in Communications from Point Loma Nazarene University
Travel Specialties: Volunteering abroad, Studying abroad
When she is not traveling, she is: hiking, volunteering and doing yoga.
Contact: morgan@diwyy.com
Name: Christine Radvanyi
Role: Advisor
Hometown: Kaiserslautern, Germany & Texas
U.S. States Visited: 22
Countries Visited: 20
Continent Count: 4
Education: Currently attending University of Phoenix for Business
Travel Specialties: Traveling, Working, and Living in Europe
When she is not traveling, she is: working, reading, running, and doing online research.
Contact: christine@diwyy.com
Destination Details: Chicago
As told by DIWYY guest writer, Patricia, who grew up in Chicago and continues to make trips back.
Getting There: Chicago has two airports, Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Chicago Midway (MDW). Upon arrival, you can take the train or a taxi into downtown.
Accomodation Recommendations: I usually stay with friends or family, but if you can afford it, book a reservation with a hotel located downtown. Most of Chicago’s shopping and attractions are located downtown, so it’s best to stay there. You can find great hotel deals on Priceline.com and Hotels.com. Also, if you want other travelers’ reviews on hotels, go to TripAdvisor. The last hotel I made reservations with, the Omni Chicago Hotel, was due to advice/recommendations from these websites. I admit, I had an awesome stay at the Omni.
Patricia’s Recommendations for things to do: From museums to professional sports events to neighborhood festivals to world class dining – there is plenty to do and see in Chicago. This can also make it very difficult to plan a trip itinerary, so I would recommend checking out the many tours the city has to offer.
During my last trip, I brought along two friends who had never been to city. So I researched tours that showcased Chicago’s history, culture, and architecture. The first tour I booked was with Bobby’s Bike Hike. Bobby’s features four different biking tours that range from 4-8 miles in length, so it’s a great way to sightsee and get your exercise. The tour that my friends and I chose was The Obama Bike Tour, which took us all around the Hyde Park neighborhood where President Obama and his family resided. We not only saw the President’s former hangouts, such as his favorite restaurant Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop and the lecture hall he taught in at the University of Chicago Law School, but we also spotted Muhammad Ali’s childhood home, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and the site of the first nuclear reaction.
The next tour we went on was a walking tour of modern skyscrapers. We decided to book this tour with the Chicago Architectural Foundation (CAF) because of the stunning downtown high-rises, as well as the happy hour drink that came at the end of the tour. While the tour was very informative, it was also difficult to hear our docent due to the noise (cars honking, El train passing the tracks, etc.). I did notice that the last group had tour headsets, so I’d inquire with the CAF about guided tours with headsets. If you’d rather not deal with wearing a headset, I’d suggest trying their boat tours.
The last and best tour we took was the Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour with Chicago Food Planet. Food tours are wonderful because you get to sample food from various restaurants without having to spend a lot of money. The food that we tasted on this particular tour was delicious and generously portioned: George’s Hot Dogs gave us each an entire Chicago-style hotdog; Hot Chocolate offered a medium-sized cup of iced hot chocolate with a homemade marshmallow; The Goddess & Grocer handed out pasta salad, Piece dished out slices of handcrafted pizza and beer, Sultan’s Market served falafel pita sandwiches, and iCream scooped delicious frozen treats. You definitely won’t go home hungry after this tour! In addition to the food, I appreciated the tour guide’s thorough explanations about local architecture and businesses while walking through the neighborhood.
Please note that these tours are typically offered late Spring – early Fall; so if you’re visiting during the cold Winter months I’d recommend purchasing the Chicago CityPass where you get admission into five of the city’s most popular indoor attractions. Also, if you’re interested in art, admission is free at the Art Institute of Chicago every Thursday from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is free every Tuesday.
Getting around town: The CTA is the best way to get around the city. CTA buses and trains can get you very close to your destination. You may buy 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, and 30-day transit passes online. If you’d rather purchase passes in-person, try the airport or grocery stores (Dominick’s, Jewel, etc.). To me, the easiest location to pick up a CTA pass is the currency exchange located on Chicago Ave. and Rush St. (close to the Chicago red line stop).
Language tips: Everyone in Chicago pretty much speaks English. But if you want to sound like a true Chicagoan, remember to exaggerate your vowels!
Other Advice: If you plan to fly to Chicago, arrive at the Midway Airport instead of O’Hare Airport. Flights are much cheaper to and from Midway. And, if you choose public transportation to get to your hotel, the El train’s orange line from Midway to downtown is more scenic than the blue line from O’Hare.
Another tip is to check out the Metromix Chicago website. Metromix has A LOT of event reviews and listings, so you’ll know what’s happening on the day, week, or month you’re visiting!
24 Hours in Paris
Written by DIWYY co-founder, Kristina Wegscheider. Email her at kristina@diwyy.com.
I logged into Delta.com one day and noticed that my flight from Salt Lake City to San Jose was taking off at 4:00pm; unfortunately, my Paris-Salt Lake City flight landed at like 4:30pm. A flight change by a computer suddenly had me questioning how I was going to get home. I called Delta and spoke to an agent:
Me: I noticed that I won’t be able to make the last leg of my trip home.
Delta Agent: We can have you overnight in Paris and get home the next day.
Me: There are worse things in the world.
So, by a sudden change of fate, I found myself with nearly 24 hours to explore the City of Lights. With a goal of maximizing my time, I created a plan and executed upon it. Here’s how I managed this short but sweet adventure:
Getting to the City Center: I arrived by plane at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and wanted to opt for the train to save money. Prior to my trip, I had found this awesome website that takes you step-by-step from the terminal to the city center. Armed with a print-out, I was fully prepared for the ticket buying process as well as finding the right train. I also had printed out a train timetable.
Hotel: I needed a hotel for one night and opted for the Hotel Europe Saint Severin Paris located in the Latin Quarter near Plaza Saint-Michel. It had a great location with a plethora of restaurants at its doorstep. After 10 days of eating couscous in Tunisia, I literally inhaled a falafel pita at Le Gyros down the street. Under 5 Euro and delicious.
Sightseeing: Time was limited and my French is practically non-existent so I was elated when a friend from a previous tour I went on recommended New Europe Tours. They offer free walking tours in English of several European hotspots. The Paris tour is 3 ½ hours covering all the major sites like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. Unfortunately, the 4pm tour was cancelled the day I was there due to insufficient turnout (Note: New Europe Paris says the 11am and 1pm tours are the most popular and almost always run). So now, I found myself without plans. Luckily, I befriended another girl who had shown up for the tour and, armed with a map and a Metro pass, we saw all the sights ourselves. Paris is super easy to get around and you can see all the major sites, even if you have limited time.
Tips:
-If you can get your hands on some Euros prior to your trip, it will make buying your train ticket much easier (the machines don’t accept US credit cards). If you have notes, there is a change machine adjacent to the ticket machines as the ticket machines only accept Euro coins.
-Budget 10 Euro each way for the train and another 5 Euro for Metro passes (the single use ones are valid for 2 hours at a time). If you eat on a budget, you shouldn’t need more than 20-30 Euro for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
-If the Louvre/Mona Lisa are at the top of your list, consider pre-buying your ticket online ahead of time.
-French people are very friendly and helpful. I needed directions a few times and almost everyone knew enough English to point me in the right direction.
-Bring a French-English dictionary for menu translations.
-Arm yourself with a good pair of walking shoes and comfy yet stylish clothes. A messenger style bag will complete your look.
-If you go in January (or any winter month like I did), bring warm clothes! I learned that my “California pea coat” is not meant for Paris in winter. As a result, my strategy shifted to the wear-as-many-clothing-items-at-one-time-method which somewhat worked. Gloves, a warm hat, tights, wool socks and scarf are also necessities for a winter trip to Paris.
