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futuraforthekids · 5 years

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MODULE 5 - PLACES+FACES FINAL

Abstract

This report outlines Places+Faces social media methods, strategies and uses. It identifies how this company uses social media effectively and ineffectively, as well as suggesting ways in which they can improve their use of social media.

Introduction

Places+Faces is a striking example of how a brand successfully manages to capture a target audience through the use of various social media platforms. What started as a photography project on Tumblr (placesplusfaces.tumblr.com), has grown into a worldwide creative company which focuses on combining art, music, photography, and clothing into a culture, or rather, a lifestyle. This report will assess Places+Faces use of social media through a consideration of their various social media strategies through the platforms it utilizes such as Instagram (placesplusfaces), Twitter (@placesplusfaces), Facebook (placesplusfaces), Tumblr, Snapchat (placesplusfaces), and YouTube (PlacesPlusFaces). Moreover, it will identify the effective use of the brand’s main social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) and ineffectiveness. In doing so, it will reflect the consensus within the literature on this topic that the main benefits of using social media are visibility, viability, and sustainability (Morales et al., 2017). Finally, this report will suggest ways in which Places+Faces can improve their social media presence and increase brand recognition.

Methodology

Places+Faces mostly use Instagram and Twitter to expand its brand recognition and reach their target audience of 13-28+ year-old individuals who share the same passion for 90s vintage-style photography, and the hip-hop culture. It is through these two main platforms that this report collected its information and conducted its analysis. The brand gained popularity through its style of photography; using famous artists/influencers as models for their cover shoots and video editorials, and vintage film cameras as their primary tool. More importantly, it promotes itself as a lifestyle brand; in that, it is selling a specific lifestyle instead of just their clothing line. The way the two founders approach this is by engaging in different creative fields; they are DJs that host parties all over the globe, photographers, videographers, creative directors, and graphic designers. The brand also creates a sense of urgency whenever a new season from their clothing collection drops; selling out most of their pieces within 15-minutes.

Results and Discussions

By conducting an audit of how Places+Faces uses social media, this report has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the ways that the brand makes use of its various social media platforms. Firstly, one of the greatest strengths of Places+Faces is its unique style of photography and story-telling which they effectively showcase on its Instagram page to draw in, influence, and increase viewership from their target audience. The brand started off by taking pictures of artists during their concerts using vintage film cameras (Nwosu, 2016). This method is also effective since people are interested in knowing which artists are associated with the brand, and it also creates a sensation that they are part of the concert experience.

Secondly, the brand effectively uses Instagram and Twitter to both create a sense of urgency whenever a new issue of its magazine and a new season from their clothing collection drops. They do this by posting on both of these platforms in order to spread the word about the latest drop. The effectiveness of Places+Faces use of social media is clearly reflected in the extremely high demand for their clothing, which triggers them to close the online store, only opening it for limited drops in which they sell out in minutes.

This is a collage of Places+Faces’ editorial for their issue of “P+F Vol. 2,” shot in Tokyo; magazine available in select stores. This picture was posted on their Instagram page to advertise the release of their new magazine.

These tweets are examples of the way the brand uses Twitter to spread the word of upcoming clothing drops and suggest new ideas to its followers.

Another way in which Places+Faces effectively uses social media is through Twitter by engaging in conversations with its customers. In one tweet they posted “I kind of want to start a podcast” pitching this idea to their followers in order to find out if this would be a popular idea or not. Further, they consistently use the hashtag #placesplusfaces in their tweets and Instagram posts to increase the branding, visibility, and promotion of the brand. Hashtags effectively increase word of mouth through its repeated use by the brand’s loyal followers (Kathryn, 2018).

These are snapshots taken from Places+Faces’ Instagram page. You can see the consistent use of the hashtag #placesplusfaces.

Despite the brand’s largely effective use of social media, further research has shown ineffectiveness in their use of social media. They are ineffective in three ways:

Places+Faces does not post content consistently; specifically in platforms such as Twitter and YouTube.

Places+Faces uses too many social media platforms which leads to its inability to be more consistent and create more meaningful content for their primary social media platforms (Instagram and Twitter).

Places+Faces has 0 followings on their Instagram account. It matters who brands follow because similar to how backlinks work in regards to SEOs (Moz, 2019), it refers its audience to Instagram pages with similar content or content that followers of the brand may like; strengthening the brand’s ability to influence what is currently “cool” or “trending.”

Conclusion and Recommendations for Improvement

This report has assessed Places+Faces use of social media. It has discussed the strengths of its use of social media through its unique style of photography, spreading the word about its clothing drops, and using it as a forum to suggest new ideas. It also pointed to the ways in which the brand uses social media ineffectively through inconsistent posting, too many social media platforms, and lack of followings. As a result of these weaknesses, this report has identified ways in which the brand can improve on their social media presence: First, Places+Faces can increase viewership by posting more photographic content on their Instagram page. Instead of exclusively using famous brand influencers, artists, or models in their photographs, the brand should take advantage of the various modelling agencies available in cities where they are most active (London, Paris, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, etc.) given that they already have a good number of loyal supporters. Consistently posting quality content is a critical way to enhance a brand’s social media presence (10 Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Social Media Presence, 2019). Second, Places+Faces could increase brand recognition and visibility by actively engaging with their audience in a meaningful way, for example, engaging with their followers through direct messages, comments, and also interact with other social media accounts on Instagram. This approach increases the loyalty of the brand’s supporters and also increases the willingness of supporters to recommend the brand to friends/family. Finally, Places+Faces regularly feature rappers like Kanye West, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, etc. (Ekpoudom, 2016) in their photographs. The brand should start following artists that they normally feature on their Instagram page, and interact with their fans. This approach helps the brand gain new audiences through these artists’ Instagram page; audiences that may not have been exposed to Places+Faces.

The contents of this report are important to consider as it showcases the ways in which growing businesses can cultivate an effective social media presence, in a world where your social media presence is becoming more and more important.

Bibliography

“10 Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Their Social Media Presence.” Digital Marketing Institute, Digital Marketing Institute, 21 Mar. 2019, digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-ca/blog/10-ways-small-businesses-can-improve-their-social-media-presence.

“Backlinks | Learn SEO.” Moz, 3 Apr. 2019, moz.com/learn/seo/backlinks.

Ekpoudom, Aniefiok. “Meet The London Photographers Who Turned Their Tumblr Into A Global Rap Brand.” The FADER, The FADER, 7 Nov. 2017, www.thefader.com/2016/03/08/placesplusfaces-ciesay-soulz-interview.

Kathryn. “5 Reasons Why Instagram Hashtags Are Important.” Newbird, 27 Feb. 2018, newbirddesign.com/5-reasons-instagram-hashtags-important/.

Morales, Kassandra, et al. "SOCIAL MEDIA: ARE THE BENEFITS WORTH THE RISKS FOR BUSINESS?" International Journal of Business and Public Administration, vol. 14, no. 1, 2017, p. 87+. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A529279231/AONE?u=queensulaw&sid=AONE&xid=7a724313. Accessed 4 Apr. 2019.

Nwosu, Amarachi. “Meet the African Duo Behind the Tumblr Blog-Turned Lifestyle Brand, Places+Faces.” OkayAfrica, OkayAfrica, 2 Oct. 2017, www.okayafrica.com/african-duo-lifestyle brand-place-plus-faces/.

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jhathaway71 · 7 years

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Emmerdale Robron Outcome Conspiracy Theory & Story Direction

FAIR WARNING: This is a long one.

Most everyone has seen the articles regarding the press event on 27-Apr-2017 and if you are anything like me, the articles have either supported or changed your opinion regarding Robert & Aaron and the direction their story will be taking

In a prior blog post, Emmerdale’s Iain MacLeod Interviews, I gave credit to Iain MacLeod for not bowing to pressure in apologizing to the fans for the tragedy that has befallen Robert and Aaron in the form of a cheating/baby story. I also admitted to having a bit of a conspiracy theorist in myself and gave insight to how I saw the mass release of information.

Now, if you are reading this entry I will warn you I will be going full nutter with another conspiracy theory detailing Iain MacLeod’s attempt to correct a public relations problem created because some of the more active and vocal Robron fandom (I’m including myself in that mix) and even the press (20-April-2017 Digital Spy’s 7 times soaps RUINED a perfectly decent couple…that included Robert and Aaron for the very same cheating story being discussed ad nauseum on social media still).

Metro.co.uk released a new article on 30-April-2017 titled “Emmerdale Spoiler’s: Aaron Dingle Discovers That Robert Sugden Slept With Rebecca White”

There was some new information (upcoming release of interviews with Danny, Ryan, and Emily), but it continued to have the quote about the upcoming Robert & Aaron hour long episode to air the beginning of May. (Actually, based on what other articles/writers have stated, I don’t expect this to air until the week of 15-May-2017).

‘We’ve got big Robert and Aaron stuff coming up – there’s a state of the nation type, hour long episode where their relationship is hanging in the balance. I hope it will answer some of the concerns the ardent Robron fans have about the direction that the story is taking.”

When the cheating episode aired 16-March-2017, the uproar on Twitter and other social media was swift and brutal, exponentially worse than when the initial teaser released 1-March-2017. The reactions varied just as the reasons behind the emotions we Robert & Aaron fans experienced. I can only say that my personal reaction has “evolved” from the start through the present.

The one thing that stood out about the episode in question and the aftermath was the lack of any meaningful responses from the Production staff and Emmerdale social media as a whole. Danny Miller & Adam Thomas had tweeted supportive type messages to the fans, but no other “official” response from the Emmerdale boss other than Robert and Aaron being together in the end.

And while we have consistently heard from Emmerdale they do not discuss current or future storylines, their own actions of holding press events (A total of 3 since February) and quotes about future story direction not just for Robert and Aaron, but Emma’s murder story, Cain & Moira potentially reuniting, Rhona/Pierce to name a few discredit that statement. A more accurate assessment would be “We only discuss current and future storylines as it would help to create buzz and increase with viewership numbers and mitigate viewer churn due to story progression/dissatisfaction and anger.”

The weeks that followed continued to be a dry spell for the most part with few exceptions as it related to Robert & Aaron until just this past week or so when the press event featuring Iain MacLeod and 14 of the shows stars was held. For those counting, that is approximately 6 weeks of stonewalling on this divisive story since the episode in question aired, and 8 weeks from when the original “Will He Or Not” teaser released which prompted the Emmerdale social media to defend the unknown but assumed direction of the story with a Shakespeare quote and a promise of more to come.

Articles were even written about Emmerdale’s attempt to calm the Robron fandom down on 1-March-2017 with the potential direction of the story.

Iain MacLeod introduced the idea of having Rebecca White joining the village in February 2016. He was quoted in an article shortly after becoming the showrunner the introduction of a new character would need at least 9 to 12 months of story. Rebecca White’s introduction was in October 2016 and based on his quote one could surmise he fully intended to use her for the cheating plot he wanted to tell for whatever reason.

Iain MacLeod has continually stated his support for Robert and Aaron as a couple and provided insight that they would have a bumpy road with their relationship, but he saw them as end game. Starting with Rebecca White’s introduction in October 2016 and her first attempt at getting the “love of her life” Robert Sugden from Aaron Dingle and every attempt thereafter, Iain’s ultimate ‘end game’ was for Robert and Rebecca to betray Aaron giving him the chance to bring the power couple known as Robron back together again.

Though the story progression was slow beginning on 14-October-2016 with her first pass with an attempted kiss, next with her successfully kissing Robert on 15-November-2017, to finally succeeding in seducing him on 16-March-2017 (Regardless of what Iain MacLeod states (28-April-2017) about her being Robert’s victim, the story, the scenes and the dialog about their history that has been shown in the episodes until the pregnancy reveal and abortion demand contradict his revisionist style comments and are only supported once the abortion demand aired when her character history with Robert is made unbelievably changed in that episode).

The buildup seen onscreen for this event and his previous statements about a rocky future with Robert and Aaron not necessarily taking the easiest route from point A to point B, but them ultimately being the love of each other’s lives now appears as an attempt to soften the blow for the direction he was taking with these characters. For that same reasoning, this entire cheating storyline was to separate the characters only for them to be brought back together under his watch with subtle changes in their dynamic and personalities.

Iain MacLeod’s statement regarding a second “legal” or “official” wedding has been consistent as a possibility with him stating he would be daft or an idiot not to take ‘two bites of the cherry’. It’s the evolution of his statement though from being as an abstract possibility with no firm plans on 19-February-2017 to a definite upcoming event that is currently not in storyline stage on 28-April-2017.

I’ve previously said this new “official” wedding was nothing more than damage control. Only now I see it as part of the original plan implemented by the showrunner using the soap rag press to entice those ‘ardent’ Robron viewers to stick around. Not dissimilar to how he used the press to soften the blow for the cheating/baby story with statements of his vision of Robert and Aaron being together in the end.

The last time Robert and Aaron graced our screens was when they were speeding out of the village on 13-April-2017 in Robert’s Porsche on their way to visit Chas and Liv in Mauritius. The story to this point and the exit scene would have been storylined and potentially filmed before the air date of the cheating incident on 16-March-2017. Emmerdale filming is generally about 4 weeks in advance of the air date.

The current dry spell of Robert and Aaron on our screens with the explanation of the impromptu trip to Mauritius was necessary for both actors planned time off. Just based on posts and rumours on social media and forums, both actors would not be available together for filming until the first or second week of April which would put their next appearance on screen roughly the week of 15-May-2017.

All of this brings me to my #RobEccaGate conspiracy theory.

While it is entirely possible there are no changes to the story going forward for Robert, Aaron and Rebecca…I am of the conspiratorial mind to think and even believe we will not be seeing what was originally story lined and scripted as a more protracted story of separation leading to their eventual reunion.

Though this may increase production costs to change direction and rescript a story in only 6 short weeks (March 1 fan outburst regarding spoiler to April 15 actor returns for May 15 episode airing), it is not unheard of given other outside factors (the original wedding was brought forward to allow characters Chas & Liv to participate, thus bringing the prison and cheating storyline forward). In this case, the general climate within the more vocally dissatisfied fandom necessitating the change of direction and shortening the fallout of a reveal and possibly changing the narrative for public relation concerns.

Why would ITV and Iain MacLeod have an hour long episode focusing on the troubled duo with a cheating/baby story just to provide “answers to concerns the ardent Robron fans have about the direction that the story is taking” weeks if not months after the initial outburst and subsequent further anger once the act itself aired?

Announcing a state of the nation type, hour long episode (as opposed to a normal Thursday double episode) where their (Robert & Aaron) relationship is hanging in the balance when no other important story has garnered this type of treatment is suspect. An hour-long episode was not dedicated to the Ashley’s dementia or Aaron’s prison (both received ½ hour specials), or Rhona’s rape story that have been at the forefront of other Emmerdale stories recently.

With the Emmerdale boss being quoted a multitude of times since taking over as showrunner that he was rooting for and even sees Robert and Aaron ultimately coming together through all the bumps, twists and turns it would be unnecessary to have an hour long episode just to reassure the ardent Robron fans with the story progression.

Furthermore, his revisionist statement regarding Rebecca White and quote that “Robert and Rebecca have no romantic future together” would at best be redundant given his vocal support for Robert and Aaron as a soap supercouple continuing together on the show as soulmates.

It is both his revisionist version of Rebecca and his reassurances of Robert and Rebecca no longer having a romantic future that give pause for additional speculation. With the whole Robert got Rebecca pregnant (confirmed by Iain’s quote when defending her and demonizing Robert), she will remain within the orbit of Robert and Aaron in an ongoing basis as she has had little to no interaction or uses (other than build up with the supporting related characters to the love triangle/cheating plot) with other inhabitants of the village outside her family from introduction to the cheating reveal until recently (Ross & Vic).

Further, that same revisionist history will give Aaron reason to sympathize with her and no longer see her as a rival for Robert’s romantic and sexual attention. This lays the groundwork for them to actually be friends in the future which is necessary from a business prospective as outlined below. And once Aaron and Rebecca are friends, and Aaron and Robert reconciled (if they even separate), Rebecca and Robert being friends by association before actually bonding as plutonic friends and eventually forgiving each other.

The new article from Metro of 30-April-2017 promises additional information to be released just before the big reveal with Danny Miller, Ryan Hawley, and Emily Head all being present and interviewed during the press event to detail the story up to that point and where the story will head in the future.

While we do not know how long Emily Head’s contract is, if it was a minimum of a year she would need to be in Emmerdale through October 2017. With Rebecca being pregnant with Robert’s baby, it would be more likely she has a 2-year contract taking her through October 2018 along with her on screen sister’s actress Louise Maywood (It was reported by a soap magazine Louise Maywood recently signed another 2 year contract taking her from being introduced October 2014 possibly exiting October 2018, unless a new contract is offered).

(9-August-2017 Update: Louise Maywood contract extension was for 1 additional year which would have her exiting October 2017. If Emily Head’s contract is also 1 year, her exit would also be October 2017)

If only for the reason of fulfilling the contract with her, Emmerdale needs for the Robron fans to accept she will be involved in the show and with Robert and Aaron through the remainder of the baby story and beyond (unless there is an abortion which I doubt, only because Radio Times article was titled “Emmerdale: Robron’s future revealed – and it involves Rebecca’s baby…” This could be a mistake as there were no real details about a baby in the article itself). Rebecca needs to have something to do and some villagers to interact with now that she has completed her mission as a plot device to come between Robert and Aaron until her contract ends.

Continuing the role of conspiracy theory nutter, my thought process was for the original direction of the story to have Robert and Aaron separate completely. And while they would not be an official couple, we would see the pair reunite slowly with a reunion no sooner than three months out (July/August 2017) or later than 6 months out (October/November 2017). I was basing this on a statement I cannot find that said something about both Aaron and Robert needed be alone to work through their individual issues before they could work on their issues together.

Now, if Robert and Aaron even separate at all (I don’t think they will officially break up or separate) they will be reunited by the end of May and will work through their issues together. Rebecca will continue to be present in both Robert and Aaron’s life, but it will start off strained until an actual friendship is formed as outlined above and forced on the viewers by no later than June 2017. She will no longer be portrayed as a threat and Aaron’s insecurities with Robert and her (or anyone else) will become non-existent by the middle of June as will any of his other mental health concerns (end of June).

During the big reveal and within the weeks after, the production staff will clean up the unintended portrayal and/or perception* of an incorrect stereotype that a bisexual always cheats. The original intent (reason or “context”) having already been aired of his desire to hurt Aaron and lashing out in the worst possible way will be reinforced again during this brief time of the big reveal and a few weeks thereafter as they try to wrap up the cheating aspect of this story as quickly as possible.

So, there you have it..my nutter conspiracy theory on why and what I think Emmerdale originally had planned as a longer more drawn out cliché’d cheating/baby story to a shorter, quick resolution to put this public relations mess behind them as much as possible given the baby drama remaining and fulfillment of Emily Head’s contract.

I very well could be wrong about this entire situation, including duration and outcomes with Robert, Aaron and including Rebecca. Unfortunately, we will never know if the story direction and duration was changed for any reasons.

The thing that may possibly indicate if a story change in the scope of duration and outcomes would be if after the reveal, these characters have little story for the next few months as the Production staff revamp the overall storyline and expand/develop new stories to fill in what was brought forward and quickly resolved based on my conspiracy theory. Again, not a guarantee but we shall soon see.

The only thing we can safely know and be certain of is the story will unfold on our screens with Danny Miller and Ryan Hawley delivering their usual outstanding and heart wrenching performances we’ve come to expect that pulled us to them individually and kept us watching with their chemistry allowing us to believe in them as soulmates.

Dates and quotes from Iain MacLeod:

21-October-2016 “‘The audience are rooting for them (Robert & Aaron) and so am I fundamentally. There are a lot of Robron fans on the team, we are properly rooting for them.’ 19-February-2017 ‘You will see it inferred that it’s not an “official wedding” so a little sneaky part of me thought we could have two bites of the cherry here if possible. Although there are no firm plans for part two in place, it feels like, in time, they will want to sign and seal the deal legally. 19-February-2017 ‘Part of good drama is to understand want the audience wants and make them wait for it and not necessarily give them the easiest route from A to B. Robert and Aaron have survived a hell of a lot of challenges over the years and it will continue to be like that. But I think ultimately whatever happens, I feel that they are the love of each others’s lives.

‘Whatever else might happen, the long term destination will eventually see them coming back together whatever they go through. I do feel a certain amount of pressure from the Robron fans. You don’t meet fans that are that passionate that often. I don’t engage on social media – I survey it from behind a curtain!’

28-March-2017 "The fact that the first wedding wasn't legal definitely gives us the option to do another Robron wedding. I would have to be pretty daft not to do that."

28-March-2017 ‘I totally get that everyone thinks, like I have, “Get away from Aaron” but if that was my friend or sister I wouldn’t be thinking she’s the baddie, I’d kind of be thinking that Robert is.’ 4-April-2017 ‘There will be more bumps, thrills and spills along the way but yeah, my view is that they individually and collectively meant the vows that they said in that wedding episode but it’s never going to be a straight road with those guys; it’s going to be bumpy and tricky but ultimately they will definitely make it out the other side.’ 28-April-2017 ‘We’ve got big Robert and Aaron stuff coming up – there’s a state of the nation type, hour long episode where their relationship is hanging in the balance. I hope it will answer some of the concerns the ardent Robron fans have about the direction that the story is taking.”

28-April-2017 ‘At some point there will be a second wedding, we’ve not storylined it yet but we deliberately didn’t make their first wedding official because only an idiot would rule out the possibility of there being two Robron weddings. 28-April-2017 ‘Despite what some people may feel on Twitter, I’m not an idiot, so we’ll definitely be getting an official church/register office/Vegas romantic wedding that will hopefully be heart-warming, joyous and everything everyone wants it to be.’

28-April-2017 ‘First of all, Robert and Rebecca have no romantic future together.’

28-April-2017 ‘Hopefully she’ll redeem herself in the audience’s eyes in the coming months and they will see she’s been trampled by Robert a little bit. It’s all a bit tragic. Robert might be the love of her life in her mind but she’s got enough dignity to know that’s never going to happen, she’s not going to go chasing after him and he’s not getting back into bed with her. ‘

*For the record, I use the term perception regarding bisexual Robert being portrayed as a cheater because I don’t believe that was the intent of Emmerdale production. I do believe this perception was and is entirely their fault for the planned story direction and dialog as it relates to Robert’s bisexuality since October 2016.

After months of hearing Robert tell Aaron “Just because I’m bisexual doesn’t mean I’ll cheat”, to have him turn around and cheat regardless of context supports that perception and negative stereotype. And though the production team wanted the viewers to feel that Robert and Aaron were over in each other’s eyes, the only thing to really support that position and narrative for Robert was him telling Rebecca “We’re over” meaning Aaron and him, shortly before the act in question. That statement alone doesn’t change the portrayal of a bisexual being a cheater, especially given Robert and Rebecca’s and Chas’ later dialog multiple times about “cheating” on Aaron.

#Emmerdale #Robron #Ryan Hawley #Danny Miller #Robert Sugden #Aaron Dingle #Rebecca White #Conspiracy Theories

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ladystylestores · 4 years

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How World of Warcraft has evolved with the Internet

Blizzard

“Games are very rapidly solved these days,” says Ion Hazzikostas, the game director of World of Warcraft.

Hazzikostas, known to the World of Warcraft community as Watcher, has developed the 16-year-old massively multiplayer online role-playing game since 2008. On a call with WIRED, he reminisced about how, early in the history of games, before raid walk-through videos, data-mining dumps, and Easter egg maps, opacity was a double-edged sword. To explain, he swerved over to Street Fighter.

“You’d have a whole competitive hierarchy in a local arcade, a local videogame store, where there was some character that was perceived as the best or the strongest because some person in the neighborhood was great with them,” he says. But in the next town over, arcade regulars battled with different tricks, different strategies, a different hierarchy of characters. Information was fragmented, localized.

“The reality is that almost everybody was playing the game wrong,” says Hazzikostas.

These days, before a new Street Fighter releases players have researched and number-crunched with the gusto of a rocket science research lab, assembling tier lists and theorizing optimal move combos immediately posted on Reddit and YouTube. “The internet as a whole, the world as a whole, has refined the process of accelerating and socializing information, figuring out problems.” For Hazzikostas, tasked with stretching World of Warcraft into a larger and larger virtual universe, and sustaining an increasingly elusive sense of awe, that accessibility of information is both a curse and a blessing.

In its early days—fittingly for the fantasy genre—World of Warcraft’s magic was deeply intertwined with its sense of mystery. It was countless gamers’ first MMORPG; back then, the pull it had on millions of players was in part due to the vastness of its world and the long, rocky path to top level glory. To find a party, you’d stand in the city center and /shout until someone agreed to come with you. To teleport to another city, you’d track down and pay a mage. To attempt a raid, groups of dedicated players relied on the age-old method of trial and error. (This contributed to the viral “Leeroy Jenkins” meme, in which a player of that name abruptly sprints into a dungeon midway through a meticulous strategy explanation.)

“There were no rules. There was no right or wrong way to play. Just you and your pet wolf, as a hunter, trying to make your way in the world and figure things out from there,” says Hazzikostas.

Swimming around in this deep, cloudy sea, players had to search blindly for open hands to hold. This feeling of being teleported into an antagonistic, unknowable world forced players to use each other as buoys.

After 30 minutes of yelling “LFG SHAMAN LVL 40” before landing in a party, Hazzikostas says, players were “much more likely to be tolerant of each other’s faults. You probably weren’t going to kick your healer who made a mistake from the group, because then you’d be back to spamming chat for 30 more minutes.” If the healer kept everyone alive and was even a little nice, you’d be more likely to add them to your friends list for faster leveling next time. Strong networks of friends emerged from this, players who’d shift from discussing spell rotations to significant others, in text chat, third-party voice chat, or over the phone.

“There’s an inverse relationship between friction and the strength of bonds that are formed as a result of that friction or to overcome that friction,” says Hazzikostas.

Streamlined

Over the course of its life, World of Warcraft, like other still-relevant MMORPGs, has streamlined. Developers smoothed out the bumps slowing down players’ pathways to the high-octane stuff—live-or-die raids and fanciful new landscapes—with automatic party-finders, quest markers, simplified gameplay systems and the like. Leveling is fast, and is slated to become 60 or 70 percent faster with World of Warcraft’s upcoming Shadowlands expansion. Players led much of this change, with aggressively aggregated information on forums, wikis, and walkthroughs, and the culture of optimized grinding that’s now become the norm.

“Epic raid bosses were something only a small percentage of the playerbase got to experience,” says Hazzikostas of the early days of World of Warcraft. “Today, a large share—something like over half—were able to defeat the biggest multiplayer raid encounters the game has.”

World of Warcraft players are much, much better than they were back in the game’s early days. “Today, people are almost trained to min-max,” says Hazzikostas, referring to the play strategy of minimizing weaknesses and maximizing strengths. “The community pushes people in that direction, especially socially. Even if it’s not your preferred playstyle, the people who may want you in your group or may not, are holding you to some of those standards. Once it’s knowable, you’re expected to know.” The answer to any mystery is a Google search away.

Nobody would trade the accessibility of information today for half a year stuck below level 40. But the resulting game—and the MMORPG genre, which took cues from World of Warcraft’s success—started to feel a little mercenary starting in the late aughts. The game is more casual, because both developers and players made it that way, so building player-to-player connections isn’t as vital. Although World of Warcraft included level-syncing and server-hopping to make it easier to play with preexisting friends, online strangers plugged into a party here or there became disposable.

Classic

In August 2019, a litmus test launched for how player behavior has changed over World of Warcraft’s lifetime. World of Warcraft Classic is a separate game capturing World of Warcraft as it was close to its release in 2006. Gameplay is fantastically inefficient. (“Meditative,” says Hazzikostas). To get somewhere, you probably have to hoof it. To track down the troll you’re supposed to give the tiger skins to, you have to run around and search. Even though ample guides and walkthroughs exist for World of Warcraft Classic, the game simply isn’t made to be blasted through at top speed. As a result, questing feels less like a means to an end than an end in itself.

Personally, I can’t play World of Warcraft Classic without add-ons—modern overlays that bring quality-of-life changes to the interface. On a second monitor, I Google specialized maps and leveling guides while ping-ponging my character from quest to quest with the other hand, never interacting with strangers. Every now and then, while I’m swinging an ax against a raptor, a player might come up and ask whether I can help them complete the same quest. We ax down five or eight more raptors, and when we’re done, we part ways.

When I told Hazzikostas that World of Warcraft Classic felt lonely, he described how, back in the day, much of the novelty of the game was the ability to talk to strangers online. He recalled his first time doing so, while running a dungeon, and the Texan and English accents he encountered over voice chat. “Today, that’s the default,” he says. “Today, almost every multiplayer console or PC game has voice chat, friend lists, social networking systems built into it. They’re almost inescapable. That’s not a unique selling point of World of Warcraft.”

Although there isn’t the same desperation to connect, and challenges are deconstructed the day they’re released, the core of original World of Warcraft still holds up in World of Warcraft Classic, depending on what you define as the core. It’s still a place where people gather, a fantasy-washed social media network. It’s a slow-paced role-playing game with an ambient social element. And if you’re playing with established friends, there’s still the potential for an emotional buy-in.

“It’s amazing how some of the old tropes you never quite get away from,” says Hazzikostas. “I actually have a coworker who was one of the original developers on a World of Warcraft, whose name you’d definitely recognize if I said it, whose own personal WoW Classic group split up at level 60 over loot drama in Blackrock. This is a group of developers who played the game 15 years ago, worked on the game 15 years ago.”

“Unexplored spaces”

When I asked Hazzikostas what sort of MMORPG he most wanted to exist if he wasn’t working on World of Warcraft, he paused for a second to think. “Something that surprises me, anew with the promise of unexplored spaces,” he said. “One of the biggest things that’s exciting about the concept of an MMO is going into an unexplored, undiscovered world. It’s almost the promise of something that somehow breaks all the rules we were talking about when it comes to how players understand and deconstruct systems.”

Citing Sword Art Online and Ready Player One, Hazzikostas described how today, with so much being knowable or seconds away from known, the core escapist fantasy behind the MMORPG genre is going somewhere so vast that it contains things we can’t even imagine.

“We have an incredibly passionate community we couldn’t be more grateful for, but we’re still always chasing that mystery, that fantasy of the unexplored and undiscovered.”

This story originally appeared on wired.com.

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youtubemarketing1234 · 7 months

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In this episode, we're talking "All About the Upcoming Tourism Forum in Rocky Point!" Explore the vibrant and scenic world of Rocky Point as we dive into details about the upcoming tourism forum set to take place in this beautiful coastal destination. Discover the agenda, influential speakers, and exciting events that will shape the future of tourism in this remarkable location.

A Rocky Point tourism forum would likely be a platform or event where people gather to discuss and exchange information about tourism in Rocky Point, which could refer to a few different places.

Puerto Peñasco, Mexico: Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Peñasco, is a popular tourist destination in Mexico, especially for people from the southwestern United States. It's located on the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and is known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. A tourism forum for Rocky Point in Mexico might focus on topics like accommodation options, things to do, dining, safety, travel tips, and local culture.

Rocky Point, New York, USA: There is also a community called Rocky Point in New York, which has its own local tourism and attractions, although on a smaller scale compared to a Mexican resort town. A tourism forum for this location might discuss local events, businesses, parks, and activities.

#rockypointupcomingforum#rockypointtourismforum#rockypointmexico#rockypoint#rockypointupdateforum#rockypointtourism#rockypointnewforum#rockypointevents2023#rockypointnews#realestatetourismforum#buyingpropertyinmexico#realestate#realestateinvestment#realestatetourists#mexicorealestate#lorettasernowski#ricardoborquez#blancavaldez

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 6 years

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Looking Back on 2017: A Rollercoaster Year

These round-up posts are a great way for us to finally reflect on the year that has just passed by. When travelling around, moving from country to country, events and memories start to blend together. By physically sitting here and writing about the year that’s about to end, it’s a great opportunity for me to think about all that Nick and I have experienced, and accomplished in 2017.

Since 2012, I’ve created these wrap-up posts:

2012 was “A Very Memorable Year”

2013 was “A Year of Firsts”

2014 “Started and Ended With Mexico”

2015 was “A Year of Spontaneity”

2016 was ” A Year of Big Decisions”

For this year, there are numerous ways I could describe it: exciting, adventurous, emotional, rocky…, but I think the main term that is appropriate for the year is “roller coaster”. It was definitely a year of ups and downs. Actually, I could also call this article the “year of miles” because we took so many flights, trains, buses and car rides!

Sipping on some coconuts and watching sunset in Canggu Bali

This was our travel route this year:

Argentina -> Uruguay -> Argentina -> Chile -> Argentina -> Turkey -> Scotland -> England -> Greece -> Kyrgyzstan -> Thailand -> Indonesia -> Canada -> Indonesia -> Japan -> Mexico

2017 started out in South America…

Argentina

Argentina is an incredibly diverse country filled with deserts, glaciers, jungles, cities, and the ocean. This was where we spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and we had high hopes for the bustling capital city of Buenos Aires – a place we thought would delight us with its tango dancing, delectable steaks, and overall city vibe.

But, unfortunately, we were underwhelmed during our month long stay and had a love / hate (dislike) relationship with Buenos Aires. You can read more about our feelings on the city here.

Thankfully, we were not disappointed with the rest of the country of Argentina whatsoever! We went on a 10 day road trip through the desert and wine region of Salta, including Cafayate, Cachi, Purmamarca, Tilcara and the salt flats. The scenery during that trip was unbelievable, and the wine was superb.

Happy New Year!! We were the only ones to countdown to midnight in Buenos Aires…but oh well

Travelling Salta: A Culture-Rich Region of Argentina

Road Trip in Northwestern Argentina: Salta to Cafayate

Road Trip in Northwestern Argentina: Cafayate to Tilcara and the Salt Flats

Cafayate – It’s All About The Wine!

We also checked out the university city of Mendoza, which is most famous for its wineries (ever heard of Norton and Trapiche?) and the nearby Aconcagua Mountain, which is the highest mountain outside of Asia. Argentina is home to Patagonia, which offers beautiful mountain landscapes, dazzling glaciers and awesome hiking opportunities. We visited this southern part of Argentina and explored El Calafate and El Chalten, both offering stunning natural wonders.

The hiking in El Chalten was awesome!

By this point, we had experienced the capital city, the deserts, the wine region and Patagonia. But, we weren’t finished yet. Last up was the Lake District, a popular destination for camping, hiking, boating and fishing. Starting in Bariloche, we road tripped through Villa La Angostura, San Martin de los Andes, the Limay River and Lake Lolog.

We spent around 2.5 months in Argentina, and although this is an expensive country to visit, it’s worth every penny. From the steaks, wine, glaciers & mountains, to the desert landscapes and welcoming locals, Argentina truly has it all.

Click here to see our videos from Argengina, and click here to see all of our articles.

Road tripping around Cafayate area was amazing!

Uruguay

Not knowing a thing about Uruguay, once we realized that we could travel there by boat in about 2 hours from Buenos Aires, we added it to our South American itinerary.

Uruguay surprised us with its quiet towns, liberal ways and pretty architecture. Although we only spent a week in the country, we really enjoyed sauntering through Colonia and sipping on Uruguayan wine. The capital city of Montevideo also surprised us with its long seaside promenade, funky street art, mate culture and beautiful old town.

Click here to see our videos from Uruguay, and click here to see our articles.

We went to a tango show in Montevideo and it was excellent

Chile

I’ve been interested in this country ever since a childhood friend visited with her family when we were kids. Although Chile neighbours with Argentina, the imposing Andes mountain range separates the two countries, allowing Chile to have a culture and style all its own.

We started out in the Capital City of Santiago where we met up with fellow travel bloggers AJ & Thalita who we had been online friends with, but hadn’t met in person. As expected, we had an awesome time. In the city we also watched street performers, went on a walking tour and checked out the fish market. We actually really liked Santiago and wished that we had chosen to spend a month there, rather than Buenos Aires (sorry BA).

Dancing on the streets of Santiago. This city had a great vibe.

By this point, we had been moving around for almost 3 months straight without stopping for longer than 7 days. Nick was worrying about work deadlines, and the lower back problems I was having in Argentina were continuing. Sitting on busses wasn’t helping things, plus with an upcoming 8 day trek in Patagonia planned, I needed to do something…and fast.

We decided to stop for 2 weeks and rent a little Airbnb in the city of Valparaiso. With colourful homes, awesome street art, incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and an overall “cool” (if a little bit sketchy) vibe, we ended up really liking this place. I went to physiotherapy during the mornings, we worked in the afternoons, and spent the evenings sipping on wine and enjoying the view from our apartment.

With a view like this one, it’s hard to get any work done!

Although we had a good time in the cities, the main reason we came to Chile was to tackle the “O” Circuit Trek in Torres del Paine National Park. Together with our friends Jarryd & Alesha, we loaded up our backpacks and hit the trail to embark on an epic 8 day camping and trekking trip through the mountains of Patagonia!

The 4 of us were constantly in awe of the natural beauty surrounding us. I would consider this trek to be difficult, but if you can manage it, it’s incredibly rewarding. Read more about our trip here:

Our Experience on the Famous “O” Circuit Trek in Patagonia

The Ultimate Guide to Trekking and Camping on The “O” Circuit in Torres del Paine

What To Pack For a Trekking and Camping Trip in Torres del Paine

The Frances Valley on the Torres del Paine trek is stunning!

We spent 5 weeks travelling in Chile and had some wonderful experiences. But, as with most places, there’s still much more of this country that we would like to see.

Click here to see our videos from Chile, and click here for our articles.

Leaving South America

We were in South America from November 10, 2016 to April 13, 2017. Those 5 months were filled with outdoor adventures, exciting cities, cool culture, and of course, a lot of fantastic wine! Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile were amazing countries, but it was time for our South American journey to end, and move on…to Europe.

Turkey

Istanbul is one of our favourite cities in the world. And if you’ve been following our journey for the past couple of years, you’ll know that we spoke at the World Tourism Forum about bloggers working together with travel brands. This year, we weren’t speaking, but we were invited to Istanbul again to attend the INFLOW Travel Summit.

Not only was the event a lot of fun, but we were able to meet some of our favourite bloggers in person for the first time – Dave & Deb of The Planet D! Plus, we were able to reconnect with old friends, meet new people, stay in swanky accommodation and attend a lot of fun parties.

Meeting up with old friends and making new ones in Istanbul

Not to mention the fact that we were flown Business Class with Turkish Airlines. This was our first time sitting at the front of the plane, and it definitely made being in economy a lot more difficult to handle when we inevitably had to return to the back of the plane on our own dime. The business trip to Istanbul was a quick 6 days and from there we headed off to the UK.

Scotland & England

This time, we weren’t going to the UK to travel around on our own, we were there to meet up with my Dad and his wife and go on a fun road trip from Edinburgh to London. This was the first time we met any of our family members abroad. Usually they will come and join us somewhere, but since Dad and Kathy are retired, they had their own trip planned and we came to crash their travels!

We had been to England a couple of times in the past, but it was our first time in Scotland. Edinburgh was an excellent introduction to the country, but the most memorable part of Scotland was meeting my Dad’s cousins (and their kids) for the first time.

Me with my second cousins, or cousins removed, or whatever! Good times

We only spent a short period of time in Scotland, but we’re certain that we’ll return to see more. The road trip continued with stops in Jedburgh, Melrose, Newcastle, Durham, York, Nottingham, Coventry, Baginton, The Cotswolds, and finally, London.

After we parted ways with my family, Nick and I spent some time in London catching up with our good friend Jason who we travelled with in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and fellow bloggers James & Sarah (The Whole World Or Nothing).

The Melrose Abby in Scotland was gorgeous!

After sightseeing and visiting in London, we made our way to the seaside city of Brighton where we chilled out in a nice, centrally located Airbnb. We wandered around the “Lanes”, I worked more on my back issues (this time seeing a chiropractor), and we caught up with old friends! We always have a lot of fun when we’re in the UK, and always seem to have a lot of pints 😉

Then… We Didn’t Know Where To Go

Up until this point, we had our year somewhat planned. It wasn’t planned in terms of cities we would visit, but we had a rough outline of the countries we wanted to travel to. And, we knew exactly when we needed to be in Istanbul, Kyrgyzstan and Scotland.

While we were sitting in Brighton, we were trying to figure out where to go next. This shouldn’t be a difficult decision, but for some reason it was.

Our 10 year anniversary was coming up and we wanted to spend it somewhere a little more romantic (and warmer) than the UK – not to mention, England is a bit on the pricey side, and the ales are too tempting!

After being in the UK for 3 weeks, it was time to move on

We hummed and hawed for about a week while hanging out in Brighton and just couldn’t think of anywhere. Feeling a bit frustrated with ourselves for having not planned anything special for our 10 year anniversary, it finally came to us.

Greece!

Greece

Greece has to be one of the most romantic destinations on Earth. Sure, we had been there in the past, but this time around we visited different islands than the ones back in 2012. We flew from London to Zakynthos and started our wonderful 1 month anniversary trip

First up were the Ionian Islands of Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Corfu.

We stayed in beautiful accommodations, explored the islands by car, ate our weight in Greek food, learned about the culture and lazed on some of the best beaches in Greece. Each of the islands had something special to offer, and although they are neighbours, each one was unique.

Shipwreck beach as seen from above – Zakynthos Island, Greece

Zakynthos, Greece: Our Last Minute Travel Decision

15 Cool Things To Do in Zakynthos, Greece

Discovering The Magic of Kefalonia: Our 5 Day Travel Guide

Corfu, Greece: Celebrating Our 10 Year Anniversary in Style

Best Things To Do in Corfu, Greece’s Ionian Star

From the Ionian Islands, we flew to the eastern and lesser-known islands of Greece: Chios and Lesvos. These two culturally rich islands have a lot to offer, with hardly any tourists around. We joined a cycling tour, a cooking class, a scuba dive trip and a sailing trip. We explored each island with a rental car and loved meeting the local people.

We loved the unique architecture and designs in Pyrgi Chios

As with all of the destinations in Greece, the food and scenery were fantastic.

I think of all the spots in Greece that we’ve been, Chios is our favourite island to date. Its culture, beaches, history, people and activities are amazing.

Although we had a wonderful time in Greece, we both knew that we were travelling too fast and rather than feeling relaxed and refreshed at the end of the trip, we were a bit stressed and overwhelmed. Plus, Nick had a brutal cold (his 4th of the year) and we both had horrible allergies. We love Greece, but apparently we’re allergic to it!

Myrtos Beach in Kefalonia is unreal!

Kyrgyzstan

It seems random to go from Greece to Kyrgyzstan, but we had a press trip planned with USAID – BGI, Discover Kyrgyzstan and our friends from NOMADasaurus. Since our first trip to Kyrgyzstan in 2013, we’ve been in love with the culture and nature in the country. Naturally, being invited to promote a new trekking route in Kyrgyzstan was a dream trip for us.

Not only were we visiting a country that we love, travelling with our friends, and plotting out a new trekking route in Jyrgalan, but we were getting paid for it. It was the ideal marketing campaign for us personally, and it worked perfectly for the adventurous travellers who read our blog! After 2 weeks in Kyrgyzstan, we were moving on again.

The scenery on “our” trek in Jyrgalan was incredible

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan: A How-To Guide For The Keskenkija Trail

Trekking in Jyrgalan: Our Experience Marking The New Keskenkija Trail

Top 10 Things To Do in Karakol (That Don’t Involve Trekking)

Thailand

We hadn’t touched down in Southeast Asia since 2012 and were excited to be back in the region. Thailand has always held a special place in our hearts as it was the first stop on our very first backpacking trip. We landed in Bangkok and reminisced about our previous travels to the buzzing capital.

It was my birthday 2 days later and I spent it enjoying breakfast in bed, shopping at markets and eating street food. We topped the day off with sunset drinks at the awesome Moon Bar with expansive views of the city. We also met up with our good friends Johnny Ward and Jen & Stevo – fun times all around in Bangkok!

Happy Birthday to me at Moon Bar in Bangkok

After the excitement from my birthday and being in Bangkok wore off, we again knew that we needed to stop somewhere to unpack for a bit, enjoy some downtime, and get caught up on work. And once again, we were frustrated. This time, not for lack of planning, sore lower back, brutal colds, fast paced travel, or uncontrollable allergies, but at how long it took us to find a place that we liked.

We spent days and days searching online for something in our price range, and in the style that we wanted. In fact, we started looking for places on Koh Samui way back in South America! Eventually, after sporadically looking in the months that followed, we gave up and hoped that if we looked closer to the date, we would find something suitable.

Finally, while we were in Bangkok, we solidified a deal with a property manager on Koh Samui island. We rented “Ginger Villa” for 6 weeks and couldn’t have been happier with the place.

In the past, we had rented a home in San Pancho, a lakeside casita in Guatemala, and apartments in Malta, Croatia, Argentina and Chile (plus, we’ve housesat at some pretty luxurious accommodations in the Caribbean).

But, this was the first private pool villa that we had ever rented for ourselves, and it was perfect. We hired a motorbike for the duration of our stay and explored the lush island. We lazed on the pretty beaches, and ate meals at some of our favourite street stalls and beach side restaurants. But, for the most part, we hung out at our pool and enjoyed the jungle view.

Our villa in Koh Samui. Even though we did get a lot of work done, it was hard to concentrate sometimes!

An Invitation to Indonesia

During our stay in Thailand, we received an invitation from the Tourism Board of Indonesia to take part in a two week scuba diving trip. Now, if you know anything about Indonesia, you’ll know that the dive sites here are world class, but are difficult to reach.

Only one of us was invited on the trip and it was up to us to decide who would go. In some cases, if we had to choose between us, neither of us would attend. But, Nick is a scuba diver and this paid trip was too good of an opportunity to pass up! Being paid to do something you love is what it’s all about.

The scuba diving in Komodo is awesome!

So, we flew from Thailand to Indonesia and rented a little guesthouse for me in Canggu Bali. While Nick was away diving, I would stay in Canggu and try to find a villa for us to rent for the next 2 months. This beach town is known as being a digital nomad hotspot with an entrepreneurial vibe and it’s somewhere that we felt would be a good place to spend some time.

What actually ended up happening was I got very sick while Nick was away and barely even left the guesthouse. It was the first time we had properly been apart for more than 48 hours in 10 years, and everyone was joking that we can’t handle being separated! Which is probably true 😉

Needless to say, the scuba dive trip was epic. The group of divers and the crew were great, the dive sites were incredible and the experience of diving from a liveaboard boat is one Nick will never forget.

Can you even believe this view? Raja Ampat is unreal

Getting Paid To Scuba Dive: My Experience Working With The Indonesia Tourism Board

Scuba Diving in Alor: The Ultimate Diver’s Guide

Diving in Komodo: Dragons, Dolphins & Mantas

Diving in Raja Ampat: The Richest Marine Biodiversity on Earth

Canggu, Bali

Once Nick returned, the two of us set off to try to find a villa. The search was long and drawn out and filled with some rundown villas at exorbitant prices – one owner was asking $1500 USD for a place that had mould all over the walls. He tried to tell us that this was normal in Bali…

Again, we were feeling a bit defeated when it came to finding a place, and again, we were shown to relax and trust that something will work out for us. It always does.

Eventually about 2 weeks later, we found a modern 2 bedroom, private pool villa in an excellent location! We were so happy with the accommodation. The place was massive and it included cleaning 3 times a week, pool maintenance 3 times a week, fast WiFi and linen changes weekly.

The outside of our villa in Canggu Bali – we loved this place!

This is where we lived and worked for the next 2 months. The vibe in Canggu was exactly what we were looking for. We were surrounded by likeminded people and met many inspiring remote workers. Our friends Nikki & Michelle from Cheeky Passports stayed with us for a week, plus we became good friends with Tom and Anna (Adventure In You) and had lots of fun together – maybe a little too much fun at times 😉

In Canggu there were awesome restaurants serving up all kinds of cuisine, and some funky cafes too. The beach was beautiful and watching sunset and surfers was our favourite pastime.

View from one of our favourite restaurants in Canggu (Milu By Nook)

Canada

Unexpectedly, I had to return to Canada to console my brother during a crisis. It was the first time I had flown alone since being with Nick, let alone flying from Bali to Edmonton which takes 38 hours including layovers. But, I was ready for the challenge and my travel days (there and back to Bali) ran smoothly.

The circumstances for my visit were awful, but being with my brother and parents was nice nonetheless.

As it was when Nick left me for his scuba diving trip, when I went to Canada Nick got incredibly sick with stomach issues and a brutal cold that lingered for about a month. As a result, he had a considerable amount of blood work done and as far as doctors can tell, there’s nothing wrong.

Japan

Nick is a sushi fanatic. He doesn’t just like sushi, he loves it and can eat around 35 pieces of nigiri in one sitting – plus miso soup, and maybe a roll or two!

It just so happened that our villa rental was up on November 19th, which is also Nick’s birthday. So, I planned a 2 week trip to Japan for Nick’s big day. We flew out on a red eye flight and arrived in Japan on the morning of the 19th.

Of course, we had sushi for lunch and Nick was in his happy place

Sushi!! Happy Birthday Nick

Since we only had 2 weeks, we kept the amount of destinations to a minimum and visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Takayama (with day trips to Shirakawago and Fukuyama). It was a great mix of a cosmopolitan city, the mountains, historical sites and small villages.

We ate endless amounts of Japanese food, went on some great walking tours, joined a sushi making class, cycled around Kyoto, stayed in a traditional Ryokan with onsen…and much more.

It was Nick’s favourite birthday to date.

Travelling by train was great in Japan, it’s our favourite mode of transport by far

Mexico

As I’m writing this, we’re currently in Mexico. I’m staring out at the brilliant blue sky and swaying palm trees. Iguanas and squirrels are chasing each other, woodpeckers are pecking at the palm trees and mariachi music is blaring from the nearby bar.

I’m not even sure how many times we’ve been to Mexico, but I know we’ve spent over 6 months here. This time around, we’re in the country to visit with friends and family. We have 15 different family members coming to meet us in Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta (mostly at different times), and 2 sets of friends that we’re meeting in Sayulita and Puerto Escondido

Manzanillo is where we’ll close out 2017 and ring in the new year…with tacos, beers and margaritas.

Manzanillo is on the west coast, which means there are some awesome sunsets!

Going Forward

Looking back, it was a great year filled with amazing destinations. But, it was also a bit of a roller coaster ride in terms of emotions and health.

We’ve had a few realizations this year, with the main one being that we want to be surrounded by a community of friends. Meeting up with all of our blogging / travelling friends this year really solidified that idea. It’s so great to be surrounded by likeminded people and we’re hoping to spend more time in the same destinations as our friends and family in the coming year.

The second thing we realized is that we need to pay more attention to our health, and put it at the forefront of what’s important to us. We’re not 20 years old anymore! Nick had numerous colds and some stomach issues this year, my back problems were (are) pretty bad and we both don’t exercise nearly enough.

Going forward into 2018, we have a few things that we’ll be working on healthwise, businesswise and in our personal lives. While we’re here in Mexico we’ll be figuring out where we need to be in 2018 and the actions we need to take to complete our goals! One thing’s for sure, we’ll be abroad and exploring somewhere new in this wonderful world.

As always, thank you so much for reading our website, commenting on our posts, emailing us, and engaging with us on social media. We love hearing from our readers and helping out in any way that we can. We really appreciate all of your support and we’re happy to have you along for the ride

Happy New Year! Here’s to a travel-filled, happy 2018

– The Goats (Dariece & Nick)

The post Looking Back on 2017: A Rollercoaster Year appeared first on Goats On The Road.

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jamieyabsley2-blog · 6 years

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I Passion It.

Nattawut Uamkruea, blog writer and also sound gear manufacturer that zealous in vacuum pipe, audio & songs. The degree to which you prep are going to directly impact the effectiveness of your conference. There are no other items of organisation on the plan, therefore this ends the professional component of the conference. Through converting your Arabic pep talks, quotes, arguments, appointment dialogues right into a readable English issue, you acquire the authority to engage along with the most ideal dealers all throughout the planet. LONDON - Bank from England introduces fee choice, launches its latest inflation record and releases the minutes from the appointment - 1200 GMT. Most of the times certainly there will certainly not be phone company so you must have meeting places prepared ahead of time. Organizations put prime usefulness on leadership abilities given that wonderful forerunners may make or damage organisations. I discovered it incredibly hard the very first pair of times, as I was actually not in top form, however a bit simpler the 3rd opportunity. We hope you will certainly join our next conference which will certainly go to this very same room simultaneously next full week. 5 cost effective places on zoo grounds, a number of with high-speed World wide web accessibility; best for service or even private appointment demands. Freelance court reporting is actually a wonderful choice for the person who wants to be somewhere other everyday, and desires to have a flexible schedule. The upcoming MBAA Rocky Hill District conference will certainly be November 9th, 2000 at the Coors Brewing Firm which are going to be actually conducted as a shared conference along with the regional ASBC team. This is our fourth Yearly Shareholders Fulfilling and the very first time we've in fact possessed it in our workplace. Whatever size conference you are actually considering, Missouri possesses the space to satisfy your requirements. The end results are actually that you begin promptly as well as end on time whileaccomplishing your meeting agenda. Trump has actually loaded best posts within his administration along with military generals, featuring his chief from team, resigned General John Kelly, and nationwide safety agent, Helpmate General H.R. McMaster. Component of Trump's inspiration for meeting the pope was actually to amplify exactly how the 3 major religions ought to move versus the threat off Islamist militants. The Encountering are going to be joined through reps from Forty Five International Communist as well as Personnels events which have actually affirmed their involvement. As soon as comprehensive, customers would certainly see just the toll-free amounts (ordered appropriately for their region) when making a http://testeddiet-onlineblog.info/bustelle-%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%97%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%82/ reservation for an appointment. Going to and/or participating in on-line forums may be an excellent means for you for more information about how you must market, item advancement, and your target market. I began participating in meetings early on, taking conference moments as well as operating powerpoint slides for my supervisor.

For example, the meeting may concern acknowledgment or project functionality appraisal. Actually she is actually possessing an essential conference on that day, and also answered him that she do not have the potential to find on the time. One keep in mind is actually that unlike the Ah Counter, Grammarians never point out audio speakers or even role takers through name when offering their record at the end of the conference. If you carry out certainly not put in the cams simply putting the indications up is actually still a great defense, also. Contract Complying with - You can possess both lawyers dispute out stipulations to the agreement, yet that is finest if both the purchaser as well as dealer exist.

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hermelindakenner-blog · 6 years

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30 Icebreaker Questions For Job Appointments.

I hire you once again, to promise yourselves to assist one another-- not merely versus taxation, but against condition. Our springtime as well as summer season powers were pointed in the direction of various other things - passing exams; conference deadlines; arts and crafts; journeying; or whatever else occupied our thoughts. On top of that, a lot of workers will definitely enjoy a lunch time meeting occasionally as a means to break up the monotony from a regular or even structured job time. End up being understood for doing what you'll mention you'll carry out in great time for the assessment at the upcoming appointment. Having this information accessible will certainly allow you to retain command over the meeting control procedure as well as faster cope with any type of crises that might occur. Ask each person to offer a 30-second overview that includes their name, business, and also why they pertained to the conference. These scenic tours are an excellent possibility for you to have fun and also interact along with the hostel staff as well as attendees. When it happens to the dating culture, there are actually some excellent points that both lifestyles possess in common. Within a full week, send out the conference minutes to all that went to (and also perhaps a superior which needs to be kept in the loophole), taking care to place all contracts and opportunity tables in creating. As there are so many online video development companies on the market, picking the most effective one that can produce excellent quality Atlanta ga meeting videos may be a laborious. Freelance court coverage is a wonderful choice for the person that desires to be actually someplace different everyday, and also intends to have a versatile schedule. The following MBAA Rocky Mountain range District conference will be November 9th, 2000 at the Coors Developing Business which will certainly be actually conducted as a shared appointment along with the local area ASBC group. visit this website link is our 4th Yearly Investors Satisfying and the very first time our experts've really had that in our workplace. Whatever dimension conference you are actually intending, Missouri has the area to support your necessities. The end results are actually that you begin on schedule and also end on opportunity whileaccomplishing your conference program. The moment the meeting room is tapped the services of, after that one must assess in order to just how the room must be established for the greatest impact as well as outcome that are demanded. Firstly, consistently bear in mind that exactly what is actually thought about an excellent incentive may differ baseding upon the private and also those situations. Each thing talked about in an appointment or even each plan thing that was actually covered possesses a brief keep in mind called a minute. The troubles were actually exercised, leading to financiers excellent problem, yet the upcoming year the Great Britain brought in routine report breaking crossings off Liverpool to New York City. Engaging and/or going to in on the internet forums can be a fantastic way for you to read more regarding exactly how you should market, product growth, as well as your target market. I began joining conferences beforehand, taking meeting minutes and running powerpoint slides for my supervisor.

Nehru as well as Gandhi preferred one wonderful nonreligious nation, yet there was actually an idea that Hindu and Muslim individuals can not live together. This is actually such a terrific tool to educate and also promote follow through a much needed to have component of achieving objectives and success, effectively performed my close friend, WELL DONE! All the same, I found yourself appointment an individual I would probably never ever have actually run in to at the supermarket or even a bar, and also I am actually incredibly pleased. Along with the FOMC meeting currently responsible for us, I count on the macro backdrop for gold to transform increasingly bullish, pressing GLD much higher.

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rodrigofatnowna-blog · 7 years

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Great Equation From Enjoyable, Health And also Journey

When it comes to sporting activities there are actually a few crucial factors that can certainly not as well as should certainly not be ignored, especially if that is actually an adventure sport like mountain range cycling. Views from Kenya as well as the Masaai Steppe, the Sinkhole Highlands, as well as the Eastern Arc Range of mountains broaden coming from the top, as well as unlike various other comparable tops, you don't need to have ropes or climbing devices to create it to the leading. All climbers are suggested to possess an aerial begin, that is actually, a climb that starts before or at first illumination. Well, electricity bikes perform provide countless benefits over an usual bike, however folding power bike deal much more. Large chunky tires developed for sloppy tracks are actually not the best for metropolitan area roads, a gear selection developed for high mountain pitches may not optimal for metropolitan locations, as well as although area bicycling may be tough on a bike, this is actually certainly not virtually as difficult as using on a mountain - and also hence structures could be overly strong (and for this reason hefty). Sometimes that will simply put on the true framework - the rest of the products that visit make up a total bike is going to be actually made by various other example, possibly the best known title in gear systems for great deals of mountain bike companies is actually Shimano. Along with as many as 11.5 million skiers making use of the pitches every year, you may also deal with when to find for your Rocky Hill snowboarding trip. On June 29, 2009, 8 blind mountain climbers made that to the top from the hill in a battle to borrow for 52 careless children in Arizona. TMI intends to proceed cultivating substitutions in between mountain range citizens as well as scientists around the world. Make a decision how and where you want to ride, at that point opt for a mtb that accommodates your private type, instead of that from the purchases staff. The Himalayan mountain range is the youngest and the highest possible of all on this planet. Womens Mtb along with details alteration is providing them option to translate with gentlemens. As a result of this, The Reddish Cross as well as The Norwegian Trekking Association have modified the mountain code. If you cherished this short article as well as you would want to acquire more info about yellow pages online indonesia (http://lesatta-dietanecessario.info/) i implore you to pay a visit to the webpage. Acquiring road bikes are actually commonly a problem for most people and there is actually frequently a terrific confusion as well as several questions left debatable regarding the bike that is right for you after you have gone through reviews as well as visit various forums. A great collection of mountain climbers will definitely endless up in relief, as an alternative, this will definitely end up you begging for some pain reliever since your core will definitely be actually shedding. Our team likewise possess Kona Stinky downhill bikes should you want to tackle the DH path. Is the impressive variety from superstars people can easily find at evening while climbing it if there is one trait that everybody commentates regarding Kili. Untouched by lightweight contamination that blights the Western Globe, the sky at night on Kilimanjaro is absolutely some of the excellent - and unrecognized- tourist attractions from going up Africa's best hill. Then they came up against an authorities watch on hill bikes, which once more led to even more capturing, without accidents. These electric battery powered bikes are actually currently coming to be a trend among the youngsters and also people which get on a tight spending plan to conserve amount of money and also opportunity for exchanging. Mountain navigating, cross-country racing, hassle-free riding or lift accessibility downhill are all using designs accessible to you. The roadway along with length regarding 11.8 Miles is actually quite renowned in New Atlanta georgia, much of the cyclist individuals as well as girls possess an experience through their bikes with this roadway. Servicing from mtb is essential because they have the tendency to wear out faster than assumed, as they are subjected to all type of rough weather condition as well as tough terrains. Bear in mind in comparison to any individual which views the view off atop a hill has actually gotten that viewpoint, as well as attributes has spent them in full for that job. Aconcagua is the highest mountain range beyond Asia and also is actually a considerable improve in climbing. Nevertheless, for those that definitely want a problem and also to have the capacity to do a mountain range climb that will truly modify their lives, a bit a lot more may be involved. Writer of the legendary Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, renowned satirist Douglas Adams, raised to the mountain range dressed in a rhinoceros outfit. Along with an elevation from over 1,873 gauges, lotus Height is actually the highest optimal on Huangshan Mountain range. These could feature your mountain going up equipment, first aid kit, guide or maybe the food items that you will definitely consume. Situated in southerly Russia near Georgia, the cold weather requires extra advanced alpinism equipment. Glencoe Mountain range Retreat is simplied to supply Kona mtb for hire, our company possess a range of cross country bikes to match all dimensions, featuring youngsters bikes. Back on sound ground, Rob as well as I feared to leave behind the mountain rainfalls as well as clouds. Folks will certainly frequently set off to dominate their personal Kilimanjaro, but do not have the ideal equipment. Gears - Due to the diverse as well as varied terrain come across on routes, mtb have a lot of gearwheels, typically 16 to 27. Nonetheless the equipments on mountain bikes are in a considerably lesser variation compared to that from road bikes. The initial person to go up the mountain range in a wheelchair is South African Bernard Goosen. Early climbers in Germany and also Great Britain were actually enthusiastic about this sporting activity as well as specified outstanding criteria from mountaineering. The Principle's education and learning model that combines scholarly understanding along with neighborhood building was cultivated in our Appalachian system and also has actually been exported to other mountain range regions. For competition, nothing at all beats the Anthem collection, practically, it is just one of the fastest mountain bikes around the world and also the Anthem XO was actually voted What Mountain bicycle's 2009 Bike of the Year. So purchase all the required things and equipment you must have for mountain climbing. Views of Kenya and the Masaai Steppe, the Sinkhole Highlands, and also the Eastern Arc Mountain Range expand off the peak, as well as unlike various other similar heights, you do not need ropes or even climbing up equipment to earn it to the top. All climbers are urged to have an alpine begin, that is actually, a climb that begins prior to or initially lighting. Well, power bikes perform deliver countless perks over an usual bike, but folding electricity bike provide even more. Not just is this an action from kindness to the concierge who needs to lug every one of your stuff, they aren't officially enabled to lug tools that presses over 15 kilograms. Our sportsmens, through extreme dryland instruction beforehand, get to the mountain range fit as well as all set to begin their technological process. Dulang-Dulang is the second-highest mountain range in the Philippines at 9,639 feet above sea level. Glencoe Mountain range Resort is the ideal place to start a roadway cycling course off, with a circuit of 80 miles round previous Ballachullish, Glen Etive and Tyndrum and also various other routes to pick from, once you have actually controlled the roadways you can refuel and also relax in our coffee shop. There are actually Huge mtb designed for any type of sort of cycling you take part in, along with bikes created for all areas from the sporting activity to make sure that you may go coming from cross country eventually, to downhill the upcoming. Nevertheless, full revocation mountain bicycle carry out outperform hardtails on hillsides that are composed of tough surface.

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matilda4955631-blog · 7 years

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SOLDIER SUMMIT, UTAH Related Articles

When my friend Rob and I went to the amazing land of Costa Rica, experiencing a live volcano was on best of our program. The males inevitably carried out the fat-tired, durable mounted, clunky bikes from times gone by. A quick opportunity later on, a few of the travelers built organisations, generating as well as creating mountain bicycle. As opposed to seeing an issue and also giving up, established for yourself an intermediary objective, a midway point on your trip up the mountain range. There would not typically be a charge created for providing the raw granite as the fabricator would certainly have its own devices for that. Level bars possess their own collection of levers, normally called mountain bicycle levers or even BMX levers. Decrease the rate of your upcoming vacation through looking at a mountain range log cabin for lease. With mtb, it is regular for people to update parts once they come to be an extra well established rider for that reason, that is important to obtain a high quality frame on which to construct. Their significant rate of interest is actually absolutely the Whistler Blackcomb Bike Park in Canada, where motorcyclists can rent Kona bikes.

In spite of its own glorification from thrill-seeking, the information that runs through Mountain like rivulets over rocks is that our greatest heights are actually areas to become respected as well as appreciated. They look at the hill and determine that, due to the fact that they aren't half method up this actually, that is actually too far to climb up. There are actually adapters that may be utilized to aid in cross-compatibility, yet not all brakes team up with all bikes. Even though you and also your family have your very own roadway bikes, this's worth looking at employing mountain bikes for a handful of days from your holiday to ensure that you can easily explore a few of the numerous impressive off-road bike paths around France. As our experts were sending out our thankfulness to as well as admiration from the mountain, the mountain range emerged again along with a blast twice as higher as the mountain on its own. Buying roadway bikes are actually often a challenge for lots of people and also there is actually frequently a fantastic complication as well as lots of questions left behind unanswered concerning the bike that corrects for you after you have actually read assessments as well as browse through several online forums. A good collection of climber will certainly never end up in comfort, rather, this is going to end up you scrounging for some pain medication given that your center will be melting. Our team additionally have Kona Stinky downhill bikes should you want to tackle the DH path. Our weather condition formulas are completely assessed as well as proven to operate effectively for thousands of mountain ski retreats and browse rests; having said that, the data source from hill sites may include errors at this onset. This is actually the 4th tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago as well as is one of the largest naturally varied sites on the planet. Nevertheless, for those which actually prefer a problem as well as to have the capability to carry out a mountain range climb that will genuinely alter their lives, a bit extra may be involved. Writer of the celebrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe collection, popular satirist Douglas Adams, added to the hill dressed in a rhinoceros ensemble. With an elevation of over 1,873 gauges, lotus Height is actually the greatest top on Huangshan Mountain. Within that variety there are other ranges, and also the most ideal mtb brands will certainly use the greatest as well as most expensive gear system. It'ses a good idea off reviewing testimonials off purchasers of the stationary bikes you are interested in. For most individuals, the number of workout sessions you receive along with the bike is not specifically significant. The majority of our company can easily certainly not dominate the mountain range within two days from our holiday, a feat better left to the specialist mountain climbers. Light in weight tough tail bikes without rear suspension may pedal a lot more efficiently, but total revocation styles offer far better control and also more comfort. If you fit in this group, you will prosper along with the typical sized mountain range panel that is produced to accomplish it all. An all-natural wonder at your first blush, the mountain range uses you a distinct knowledge in experiences up overhead to land. The Mandarin Government has lately started setting up more secure walkways as well as handholds, but there are still upright measures, hairless hill deals with as well as narrow timber pathways to cross. This usually demands more than a day to descend to the foundation from the mountain the moment you have actually reached the top. You probably want a mountain panel made for freeriding if that is even more your type. Solution: Complete revocation mountain range bikesare much more relaxed than their versions. Downhill cycling involves higher anxiety degrees as well as the bicycle rider has to regularly keep management using his bikes main and also back suspension while at the same time aiming to balance themself and also the bike. You likewise have the chance to go up Mt Kenya, which is actually the best mountain in Kenya. Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest possible mountain range peak concerns the Himalaya range of mountains. The tracks are a mix from Property Rover monitor goes up and organic mountain range cycling on noticeable routes. Often that is going to only put on the genuine framework - the remainder of the things that head to comprise a total bike is going to be actually created by other instance, perhaps the greatest known name in gear bodies for lots of mountain bicycle brands is Shimano. With as several as 11.5 thousand skiers using the inclines each year, you could also deal with when to find for your Rocky Hill ski excursion. On June 29, 2009, 8 blind mountain climbers created it to the leading from the hill in a problem to borrow for 52 careless youngsters in Arizona. If you cherished this article therefore you would like to get more info about yellow pages online phone book (Full Piece of writing) i implore you to visit our site. TMI considers to proceed fostering exchanges between mountain citizens and experts around the globe. The males inevitably executed the fat-tired, sturdy bordered, cumbersome bikes off times passed. A quick opportunity later, a few of the adventurers cultivated services, manufacturing and also generating mtb. As opposed to offering and also viewing an issue up, set on your own a more advanced goal, a midway point on your adventure up the hill. There wouldn't ordinarily be actually a fee developed for delivering the raw granite as the producer would certainly have its own tools for that. Standard bars possess their own collection from levers, generally named mountain bicycle levers or BMX levers. Decrease the pace of your following trip through looking at a mountain range cabin for rent. With mtb, this is actually usual for folks to update parts once they become an even more reputable rider consequently, it is vital to get a first class structure on which to create. Their significant passion is actually absolutely the Whistler Blackcomb Bike Park in Canada, where bikers can rent Kona bikes. These could possibly feature your mountain climbing up tools, first aid kit, quick guide or perhaps the food items that you will certainly consume. Found in southern Russia near Georgia, the cold weather calls for extra advanced mountaineering equipment. Glencoe Mountain Retreat is actually simplied to deliver Kona mountain bicycle for hire, we have a range of cross nation bikes to match all measurements, including kids bikes. Back on strong ground, Rob as well as I feared to leave the mountain rainfalls as well as clouds.

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