Travel

October 16, 2013October 17, 2013

When tourism brings exploitation

It’s easier to think about only the positive aspects of travel and ignore the negative impact tourism can sometimes bring. But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

Tourists tend to have money to spend, maybe even more than the local population. It’s not just restaurants and souvenir shops that look to profit from the influx of cash, people who exploit children also follow the tourism money. A larger event brings in more cash-flush visitors looking for a good time and more potential for human trafficking into the area.

Brazil is second only to Thailand in the number of underage prostitutes, an estimated 500,000. Tourism fuels this industry, and Brazil is a popular destination for many reasons, including Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With the addition of two global-scale events – World Cup Soccer in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 – the problem could increase exponentially.

While the Brazilian government has been working to reduce underage prostitution in recent years, there is also a grassroots, primarily volunteer-run network of Brazilian non-governmental agencies, RENAS, which is working to fight sexual violence against minors. Their Bola Na Rede campaign is focused specifically on the World Cup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsCGmkSs8vs

I heard about this from my friend Michel Duarte, who is moving his family back to his home country of Brazil to join this effort. He showed this video about RENAS and the Bola Na Rede campaign at my church. My heart broke when I learned how widespread the problem was and how such beautiful events, like the Olympics, can also bring opportunity for something as horrible as exploiting young girls and boys.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about what we can do, even if we’re not going to Brazil. Financial support is a good start.

Maybe it’s just my overdeveloped sense of responsibility, but I feel maybe there is more.

Cover of a guide to protecting children from sexual violence from the Bola Na Rede’s resources section.

We can stop ignoring the problem and raise awareness. If you know someone going to Brazil, you can let them know they can report human rights abuses, including suspected incidences of underage prostitution, by dialing 100 for a government hotline.

We can also resist the xenophobia that says people of other cultures are less smart, less important, more flawed than we are. When people make comments that stereotype or imply others are lesser beings, it’s easier to ignore the comment and move on. I’ve been guilty of this. Maybe that’s part of the problem, part of the thinking that allows us to believe that children and teens who live faraway are different than our neighbors, that they deserve less dignity than our sisters, daughters, nieces.

Maybe fighting for human rights abroad starts at home.

Visit the Duartes’ page to subscribe to their newsletter and learn more ways to get involved.

I’m participating in Blog Action Day ’13. Read more articles on Human Rights from bloggers around the world at blogactionday.org.

October 3, 2013January 4, 2018

Speaking at BlogHer Pro!

The Golden Gate Bridge over the San Francisco Bay

I am very excited to be speaking at BlogHer Pro in Silicon Valley this month!

If you’re thinking “Wait, didn’t you just get back from BlogHer?!” Yes, I did go to BlogHer ’13, which is for anyone who blogs. BlogHer Pro is focused on people who use their blogs for business.

Myriam Joire and I will be discussing DIY mobile strategy tips like how to make sure your site’s design and content work well across a variety of platforms and how to prepare for whatever comes next in tech and for your site.

When they were planning this session, someone at BlogHer must have said, “Stephanie knows design, but she doesn’t know so much about the actual devices and techy whatnot. I bet she hasn’t updated her phone since iOS 5.* Get on the red phone and call Myriam! She’s like the encyclopedia of mobile gadgetry. She’s probably wearing at least 3 mobile devices right now.”**

Okay, they may not have used those exact words (especially not “techy whatnot”), but I’m very glad they made that call. That is a knowledge base I do not have, and I’m honored to share the stage with Myriam.

So, in just a few weeks, I’m headed out to the Bay Area! I’ll be staying with my sweet friend Sangeeta, who has been trying to get me to come visit for years. (When I was in her area last year, she was in Phoenix. Oh, the irony!) Before and after the conference, I’ll spend a little time catching up with people and visiting San Francisco.

The trickiest thing about it all is the timing.

I’m currently very involved with Ignite Phoenix, and our next event is October 18, which is less than a week before I’m speaking at BlogHer Pro. So this month ~~is going to be~~ is already hectic.

Ignite Phoenix 14 — Photo by Patrick McLeod

But it’s an amazing opportunity, and I know it will be worth it.

Are you thinking about going to BlogHer Pro ’13? Discount code PRO13FF will get you 30% off the conference registration. I’d love to see you there!

—

*Not true. I’m on 5.1.1. Yeah, I should probably upgrade before the conference.

**Hey, it’s happened before.

September 18, 2013

Colorado flooding: How to help

Bear creek before the Colorado flooding.

Bear Creek in August 2013 before the Boulder area flooding.

Since I haven’t written about the details of our Colorado trip yet, you may not realize that most of the area where we spent the first part of the week has now been flooded. I’m seeing photos and videos of places we walked that turned into raging rivers and roads we drove eroded away. My mom’s side of the family is from this area, and many of my extended family members still live there. Thankfully, everyone is okay. The aunt and uncle we stayed with are ripping up soaked carpets and making repairs, but some of their neighbors’ homes were washed away or damaged beyond repair.

It’s hard to believe it. I mean, we were just there a month ago. People were concerned about droughts and wildfires. And now there is too much water.

It feels so close but so far away. I am praying for those affected, but I wish I could put on my work gloves and go help my aunt and uncle rip up carpet. Since I can’t do that and since maybe you’re also wondering how to help, I looked into what else we can do.

1. Donate money. Financial contributions are hugely helpful and flexible. Here are some organizations helping with relief in the Boulder area. Pick your fave. They all do good work.

Salvation Army, Intermountain Division – under “How would you like us to use your gift?” you can designate “emergency disaster services,” if you wish. Note: This is probably a general fund for all their disaster relief work. Page does not state your gift will go specifically to the Boulder-area flooding.
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund – Note: This is probably a general fund for all their disaster relief work. Page does not state your gift will go specifically to the Boulder-area flooding.
The Foothills United Way Flood Relief Fund was “created to help those affected by the recent flooding in Boulder and Broomfield Counties.”

Flooded Colorado neighborhood. Photo taken on September 12, 2013 by cw_anderson.

2. Donate time and/or stuff. If you’re in the Denver area, you can volunteer or drop off donate options.

Boulder County Flood Recovery Hub – Click “I want to give” or “I want to volunteer,” and they will try to connect you with an organization that has a need for your items or volunteer time. They also list community updates with volunteer needs, donation drop-off locations, etc. (H/T Lori Holden.)
The Salvation Army in Boulder at 1701 33rd St is accepting donations of items. The YMCA of Boulder Valley, currently a Red Cross Shelter, has said they were in need of the items below and asked that they be brought to the Salvation Army:
- new towels
- new blankets
- new socks
- dry shoes
- packaged food

3. Donate space. Airbnb’s Disaster Response program is designed to make it easy to offer your extra room(s), guest apartment, etc. to disaster victims for free. They will waive their fees and still offer hosts their property damage insurance via their Host Guarantee program.

Picnic table in Bear Creek Lake, September 14, 2013 by Kent Kanouse.

To stay current on which areas are affected, Google’s Colorado Floods Crisis Map shows where there is water on the roads, closures, and evacuation notices, as well as links to other resources.

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013

5 tips to make trip packing easier

If you’re not a hardcore traveler with the packing precision of George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, then getting ready for a trip can be a challenge.

Here are a few hints that I’ve found make it easier for us infrequent flyers.

1. Pack early. Instead of staying up late packing the night before a trip (which I used to always do), I schedule time to start packing 2-3 days ahead of time. This leaves less to do at the last minute, and, hopefully, gives you a little more rest. If you find you’re missing something, you have a chance to run to the store . (Or not – see #5.) Some people pack even earlier, but this is what works for me.

2. When in doubt, try it on. Make sure everything fits and matches as well as you remember and that you have all the accessories you need.

3. If you think of it, act on it. As soon as something crosses your mind that you have to remember to bring or to do before you leave, do it immediately or jot it down. Put the item in or on top of your suitcase or in the purse/wallet you’ll be taking with you if you don’t want to leave without it. The thought may not surface again in your memory until you’re on the road.

4. Stay packed. If there are things you always pack and have extras of, why not keep them packed? I keep travel-sized toiletries, some Q-tips, moleskin (not the journal – the stuff that prevents blisters), sanitary supplies, bobby pins, a compact mirror, and an extra hair band or two in my travel bag all the time. That’s stuff I don’t have to worry about remembering, and it gives me a head start on packing.

5. Don’t overthink it. When I was taking too long to get packed for family road trips as a teenager, my dad would say “There are stores everywhere.” If you forget it, chances are you can buy it (or borrow it) somewhere along the way.

What packing tips work for you?

August 28, 2013October 30, 2020

How to press flowers while traveling

Pressing wildflowers is a great way to remember the landscape you’ve traveled. You create a simple souvenir, a keepsake with more dimension than a photo.

Before you go/materials list:

1. Find a book you don’t mind destroying. You can use an outdated catalog or phone book, but just make sure it’s not too bulky to pack! This will be your portable flower press.

2. Find a rubber band that will fit around the book to keep it shut or several clips (or clothespins) that can hold a group of pages together.

On the road:

3. Look for leaves or “flatter” flowers with fewer layers (think daisies over roses) along the road, trails, or other places you visit. Pick a one or two or a few. Note where you found it/them or take a photo of the spot, so you can remember later. You may want to pick a flower for each day of your trip. After you pick one, I’d recommend doing a quick check for bugs. And, of course, don’t go picking on plants where it’s prohibited, like National Parks or people’s gardens.

4. Set the flower on top of one of your book pages. (If you’re picking one each day, you can press the first day’s flower in Chapter One, the second day’s in Chapter Two, etc. Or just make a note on whichever page you press the flower on.) Carefully close the book over the flower, so it’s positioned the way you want it to be pressed. You can put a few flowers on a page, but don’t put them on adjacent pages.

5. Band the book or clip a handful of pages around the flower to keep anything from falling out. Stick the book under your luggage, in between large items in your pack, or wherever you can put the most pressure on it.

6. If you add more flowers, place them in a different part of the book, so you aren’t moving the first one and are allowing additional pressure/weight between them. (Again, starting near the front and working your way back might be helpful.) Also, you want plenty of pages in between to absorb any moisture the flowers release while drying.

7. Give them a few weeks. When ready, flowers will be thin, dry and papery. If you get home before they’re ready, stick the book at the bottom of a stack of books or some heavy object that you won’t be moving around. Just don’t forget about them!

8. Pressed flowers and leaves would be a beautiful addition to your trip scrapbook or framed with your travel photos! They’ll be pretty fragile, so you may want to put behind glass, slip into plastic sleeves, or cover with contact paper.