Through the Eyes of a Traveler

Signs you are a military brat

jc_carpenter — Fri, 6 Jun 2014 13:53:00 GMT

1) References to certain periods of your life are measured in what state you were living in at the time. (ex: I haven't seen snow snce Maryland.)

2) You lived in five places before you were 11.

3) The threat to move again is always imminent.

4) People lose track of how many times you moved.

5) You are a master packer.

6) You have driven 11 hours from Maryland to Georgia with a moving truck, van, 7 people, and a dog and survived.

7) Your dad gets amazing opportunities to travel to Moldova, Germany, and Botswana for work.

8) And you get the opportunity to go with him now that you graduated college.

9) Whenever you go on base, your dad gets saluted.

10) You are a member of USAA bank, and their only physical bank is in Texas, so you have to snail mail in your checks when your employer does not have direct deposit.

Why I like to travel

jc_carpenter — Wed, 4 Jun 2014 14:52:00 GMT

I truly believe that I was meant to live a nomadic life of sorts. I cannot stay in one place for too long, even if it just in my apartment. I can only sit in front of a TV or computer screen for so long before I get bored and need to leave. Even though this is a small example of my wandering lifestyle, it is an indicator of what I want my life to be like. I have always had a love of traveling and discovering new places, and I blame my father for this. My dad instilled a love for travel very early in my life, although I do not think it was intentional. My dad has been in the military for my whole life, and as a resuslt, we moved around the U.S. a lot; I did not live in one place for longer than three years until I was 11. In addition, my dad took us on a family vacation every summer. As a result, I visited every region of the United States. It is these two reasons why I think I was destined to travel.

Mark Twain once said, "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." I cannot agree more with this satement. I believe that it is only through travel that people can understand the vastness of the world around them. We are taught from a very early age that everyone is different, and these differences need to be accepted. However, it is easier to learn that if you experience it for yourself. Through no fault of their own, humans have the notion that the customs and practices from which they came are superior to others. This is not a bad thing, but it is important for people to know that the world is bigger than themselves. Travel is the best teacher of this. It allows you to experience people you never thought you would experience. However, you don't have to travel far or immerse yourslef into an entirely different culture in order to experience this. Sadly, I have never been to a non English-speaking country, so I have not been completely out of my comfort zone, although I plan to do that one day. Perhaps two of the most eye-opening experiences I have had in my travels was on a Native American reserve on a plateau in New Mexico and in England during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Native Americans who live on the plateau try to live life as close as possilbe to their ancestors. They lived in structures with no plumbing or air conditioning and sold hand made pottery. By touring their plateau, I got a glimpse of what life was like for these people before they were relocated to make way for our ancestors. In England, I was lucky enough to be there for the Diamond Jubilee. Even though the day-to-day life of the English are not that different from ours, the way in which they celebrate their nation's leaders and figure heads are much different. Queen Elizabeth II has been queen of England for 60+ years, and the loyalty the British people have towards her was incomprehensible to me as an American. People were camping out for days in advance just to get a decent glimpse of her ride past them on the River Thames. Call me crazy, but I do not think that Americans would ever care enough to camp out for days just to see their president, whatever his political affiliation. Instead, they camp out for days following Black Friday just to get a good deal on the latest gadget or trend.

That is why I travel; the world has so much to offer. It is people, food, religion, geopolitics, and many other aspects that create the wonderful and complex world in which we live, and we must be respectful of all the world gives us.

You know you were raised (but not born) in Savannah when.....

jc_carpenter — Sat, 31 May 2014 01:07:00 GMT

1) Sweet tea is your number one drink of choice.

2) You don't always have a southern accent, but it comes out when you least expect it.

3) You know that St. Patrick's Day is not all it's cracked up to be.

4) When people in north Georgia learn you're from Savannah, they automatically think you live in a beach house.

5) When in actuality, you live in the middle of no where in the middle of the woods.

6) But you really do love the beach.

7) Alligator sightings are just an everyday occurence.

8) You don't know how many friends you have in college until they find out that you are from Savannah, and then all all want to come home with you for a weekend.

9) You are one of the few girls from middle school who did not go to St. Vincent's Academy for high school.

10) And you are one of the few people in high school who went to college out of state.

#pastygirlproblems

jc_carpenter — Wed, 28 May 2014 05:02:00 GMT

As I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, I believe that I was born with salt water in my veins. My earliest memories are of being on the beach, and that love for the surf, sand and sun has stayed with me. I just love the feel of the sun's rays on my skin, and every year, I wait impatiently until it is warm enough to go out into the sun.

However, the sun does not love me as much as I love the sun. I inherted the Slovakian complexion; I am blonde haired, blue eyed and very pale. This is not conducive to a heliophillic such as myself. Every summer, I tell myself that I am not going to get sunburned, and every summer I am disappointed. It does not matter how much or how often I apply sunscreen; I get burnt. Just recently, I went on a boat trip on the Mantanzas Bay. I was only out for an hour or so, and I came back with a red back and legs. Sometimes, I even get burnt on one side of my body, and the other side stays white. It's happened more than once, and I don't even know how that happens. One summer, my face turned as red as a lobster and thus began to peel. It was not very attractive. Last summer, my back got burned just from walking around downtown. The only good thing about perpetually getting sunburned is that I know how to treat and handle it. I keep and endless supply of Aloe Vera in my medicine cabinet along with an endless supply of sunscreen. And I aways wear sunglasses and a hat. My saving grace is that once I get good and burnt, that redness turns into a tan. It takes a while, but I can tan, and that makes me different from my red-headed sisters. Now, as a 22-year-old, I accept that I will get fried when I go into the sun, and I just have to laugh about it. I have finally accepted the sad fact that the sun and I are not as good as friends as I think we are.

Top 5 Coffee Places in St. Augustine

jc_carpenter — Tue, 20 May 2014 12:29:00 GMT

For some, coffee is liquid bread; an outlet to keeping them sane for the entire day. St. Augustine offers a wide variety of coffee shops, and for a good reason. Since St. Augustine is home to Flagler College, it has to keep up with the college student's demand for coffee. Here, I am going to attempt to list the top 5 best coffee shops in St. Augustine.

1. Crucial Coffee- Located on Charlotte Street in the heart of downtown, Crucial Coffee is my absolute favorite coffee shop. From iced coffee to smoothies to milkshakes to bubble tea and frozen hot chocolate, Crucial Coffee offers anything you can think of. If the menu doesn't strike your fancy, they have every kind of flavor imaginable, and will custom make your order. This is especially true when it comes to hot chocolate: you can get your original hot chocolate, but if you're feeling a littlle daring, you can get a white chocolate and strawberry frozen hot chocolate or even a thin mint hot chocolate. Even though it is a small building, it has a beautiful outdoor seating area where you can drink your coffee while watching tourists walk by. One visit to this place, it will become obvious why it caters to tourists and locals alike.

2. The Bunnery-Located on St. George St., The Bunnery is a staple in St. Augustine. It is open for breakfast and lunch, and are probably known for their creative coffee menu. They have a special for every new season, and have the best pumpkin spice latte around. What is most impressive about The Bunnery is its presentation. Each drink is carefully made, topped with whipped cream, and served on a saucer. It is cheap, too, and that makes it very popular with the Flalgler College crowd.

3. The Kookaburra- This new coffee place is creating a storm in St. Augustine. This coffee place is owned by Australians and is nestled among various art galleries on Cathedral Place. The Kookaburra serves a wide array of coffee and even has a hot chocolate bar during the winter months. But besides the wonderful coffee, what keeps me coming back is being served by attractive men with Australian accents.

4. Cafe Hildago-This eclectic cafe is also located on St. George St. They not only serve coffee and sandwiches, but also gelato. My favorite thing to get there is an iced chai latte. I don't know what is different about this place, but their chai is so much creamier and richer than the regualr chai. It is decorated with old Spanish flare and provides a peaceful and unique atmosphere.

5. City Perks- This can also be found on St. George St., near the city gates. It has a wide array of drinks, including both coffee and smoothies. Nestled in a corner among small shops, it boasts a beautiful view of a courtyard. If you are ever in St. Augustine during St. Patrick's Day, it serves up a delicious Nutty Irishman latte.

Photos: The Beauty of St. Augustine

jc_carpenter — Sat, 17 May 2014 04:38:00 GMT

Life in the Nation's Oldest City

jc_carpenter — Sat, 17 May 2014 03:27:00 GMT

Not many college students can say that they go to school walking distance from a fort that was built in 1695. Even less can say that their dining hall is surrounded by Tiffany stained glass windows. Nestled between Jacksonville and Daytona, in St. Augustine, Florida, Flagler College provides its students with a truly unique college experience.

In March of my senior in high school, I had a difficult choice to make. I was accepted to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama for fall of 2010. I was also accepted to Flagler, but I couldn't start there until the following January. So I had to make a choice between going straight to Alabama or attend a college in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia for a semester and then transfer to Flagler in the spring. In order to make my decision a little easier, I spent the night in a dorm at Samford and attended classes the next day. A week later, I went to Flagler to meet with the heads of both the English and communication departments. It was there, standing in the West Lawn, that I got an overwhelming sense of clam and home. I even told my mom "this is home," and I decided that staying in Savannah for a semester was well worth it if I meant to go to Flagler.

I began at Flagler in the spring of 2011, and I honestly believe that it was the best decision for me. I like that it is small; all my professors knew be by my name and took an invested interest in seeing my succeed. Even though it is cheesy to say, I learned so much, not just in my degree, but as myself as a person. When I started at Flagler, I was shy and quiet. Three and a half years later, with the help of my friends, I grew out of my shell and grew into self-confidence.

While some people complain that St. Augustine is a boring small town, I do not think that is true. There is always something to do here, you just have to look. Not only is it mere miles from the beach, there is so much history here. I just love strolling down St. George St. with a cup of iced coffee on a sunny day. From there, I make my way to the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort built by the Spanish in 1695. It is located on the bayfront, and if I am lucky enough, I can see dolphins and other marine life in the water as I make my way around the periphery of the fort. Along the bayfront, horse and carriages are stationed on the street for tourists who want to see the city. Perhaps my favoirte part of downtown St. Augustine is getting a drink at one of the many bars and restaraunts St. Augustine offers. My personal favorite is Scarlett O'Hara's. A Gone With the Wind theme, this restaurant is located on the corner of Hypolita St. They serve a wide array of food, from burgers to chicken, to wings, and salads. They have a full service bar and have their own drink menu, whose drinks all have a Gone With the Wind theme. My favorite is its staple drink, the "Scarlett O'Hara."The city also offers a wide array of tourist attractions; it offers ghost tours, trolley tours, museums, and even the Fountain of Youth.

I am very fortunate to have lived in St. Augustine for three and a half years. I just love the atmosphere of both the city and the college. Even though I graudated two weeks ago, it has yet to hit me that it's all over. Even though it went by way too fast, I am confident that the degree Flagler gave me will lead me to success.

Flagler College student finds his calling

jc_carpenter — Wed, 14 May 2014 06:58:00 GMT

Like many college students, Flagler College senior, Lorenzo Deagle, manages both school and work. However, he does not have the run-of-the-mill or ordinary college job. In fact, Deagle has a job unique to St. Augustine; he is a tour guide for Ghost Tours of St. Augustine and Potter’s Wax Museum.

As a tour guide, Deagle’s main responsibility is to dress in period-accurate costumes and lead tour groups. “I lead historical, myth themed and ghost themed walking tours for public groups and elementary school, middle school, high school and college groups,” he said.

Deagle first became interested in a job as a tour guide when he moved to St. Augustine. He entered the tour guide business in the summer of 2011. “I went on a tour with friends and I enjoyed the fact that being a tour guide required a lot of energy, strong communication skills, you have to enjo y human interaction and be good at managing one's time. I realized I had all of these qualifications,” he said.

A member of the top 10% of his class, it was important for Deagle that his job did not interfere with his studies. “Tour schedules are very flexible, and work with my school schedule,” he said.

Deagle has been a tour guide for two years. A seasoned guide, he says that the worst part of leading tours is when the groups are disrespectful. “It is hard when I have school groups with kids who are either rude, unruly, or don't care they are on the tour,” he said. “Or having public groups where the people have been drinking heavily and are not cooperative or are just flat out mean.”

However, despite dealing with uninterested children or drunken adults, Deagle says being a tour guide is rewarding. His favorite part is meeting new people with every new tour. And, like every other tourism business, tips are appreciated.

“It’s a tip earning profession, so there is always the chance of getting a big tip from a good group if the members of the group really get to know their guide and really enjoy the experience,” he said.

Another aspect of being a tour guide is getting the chance to wear the period costumes. Deagle has collected a number of costumes over the past two years, but he does of his favorites. “During the summer, I wear a Scottish kilt for fun. It's a good attention getter and it helps the employees point out to the customer who their guide is,” he said.

For something that started out for fun as a hobby has turned into a life-long passion. Deagle plans on continuing reenacting after he graduates. He does not have plans on quitting the business, and he wants reenacting to be a side hobby when he enters the professional world.

“Being a tour guide has given me skills to be flexible as an interpreter for large groups of people, thus serving as a reenactor and historical interpreter is something right up my alley,” he said.

A St. Augustine leader's passion for seafood

jc_carpenter — Tue, 13 May 2014 06:38:00 GMT

Dominic Mercurio enjoys reminiscing about the seafood of his childhood. He remembers eating peel- and -eat shrimp during family celebrations and the annual blue crab meal for Memorial Day in his native Philadelphia.

Today, after living in St. Augustine for 25 years, Mercurio is chairman of the St. Augustine Lions Club.

According to its mission, the Lions Club is a worldwide philanthropic club whose main focus is on service to the community. It is the St. Augustine chapter that is in charge of the planning and execution of the seafood festival.

Mercurio took over the planning of the seafood festival in 1999.

“I felt the festival could grow much larger than it was, so when asked by my club to lead the festival, I accepted the challenge,” he said.

While Mercurio is now an avid seafood lover, he admits it was not always his favorite. “I acquired the taste in my teens, but my childhood memory of seafood would have to be fish sticks,” he said.

As leader of the St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival, Mercurio refuses to give away his favorite seafood vendor at the festival. “That’s an answer that has to remain a secret,” he said. “However, each one is unique and offers different types of seafood and preparations. Where else can you have chargrilled octopus, championship chowder, and seafood medley on the same day?”

However, the seafood festival is not all about indulging oneself in seafood for an entire weekend. The planning of the three day event takes time and organization. Mercurio is in charge of finding vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, and requiring the right permits, insurances, and licenses.

Despite the hard work, Mercurio said it pays off.

“My favorite part of the festival is seeing it all come together and providing a family friendly event for the community,” he said.

Photos: I Just Wanna Soak up the Sun

jc_carpenter — Tue, 13 May 2014 06:17:00 GMT

Carpenter Family Vacation

jc_carpenter — Tue, 13 May 2014 05:45:00 GMT

Everyone thinks that going on a vacation with extended family will be a bonding experience, a way to bring the family under one roof for a couple of days. Who wouldn't say no to a week in cabin in the mountains of northern Georgia with grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousin, sisters, and parents? We had a list of things we wanted to do: from horse back riding to tubing down a river, we were all loooking forward to spending time together as a family. However, that was not how it turned out.

The summer of 2007 is never mentioned in the Carpenter household, and for good reason. For the seven days we spent together, all 10 of us passed around a horrible 24 hour stomach bug. My sister was sick before we left, and she gave it to everyone. One by one, the virus trickled down and infected each one of us. Whomever was sick for the day was forced to stay behind in bed, and when it was either me or one of my sisters, my mom insisted that she stay behind to take care of us. Needless to say, we did not get the quality family time we were looking for. Our only saving grace was that this bug was literally only 24 hours. So, even when a man was down, he or she was only down for 24 hours, and was able to partake in daily activities and adventures a day later.

We learned our lesson: it has been almost eight years, and our entire family has never gone on vacation for an extended amount of time again.

Photos: Traveling pictures

jc_carpenter — Mon, 12 May 2014 14:47:00 GMT

Flagler students live the dream on study abroad trip

jc_carpenter — Mon, 12 May 2014 14:37:00 GMT

In May 2011, Michael Butler, associate professor of history, Ph.D., took a group of 33 Flagler College students to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. For 12 days, 33 students took to the streets of Killarney, Dublin, Belfast, Derry, Edinburgh, York and London, seeing what each city had to offer and enjoying once in a lifetime experiences along the way.

Students on the trip can now say they were on London Bridge with a group of 1.25 million people to watch Queen Elizabeth II sail by on the River Thames for her Diamond Jubilee, and some can even say that they shook the hand of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

Climbing on Ring Forts, kissing the Blarney Stone, walking through the remains of an underground medieval city, attending High Tea and gawking over the crown jewels of England were only some of the highlights of the trip. However, none of this would have been possible had it not been for the leadership of Butler.

Butler was responsible for planning the logistics. It took over a year to plan, and he did his own research to make sure everyone was going to enjoy their time abroad.

“The reason for my planning is to maximize every minute in the foreign country,” Butler said. “We didn’t do anything because it was cool. There is a purpose for everything.”

For example, he knew that the group was going to be in London during the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II, so he made sure that they had a spot in city center.

Butler has been leading study abroad trips since 2003, and this trip was his ninth excursion overseas. He said he likes taking students abroad because he likes to see student’s reactions when they see something for the first time that they thought they never would get to see.

Stephanie Garrison was one of the 33 students who went overseas.

“I’ve always wanted to travel abroad, especially to England. The England, Ireland and Scotland trip was really once in a lifetime. It will never happen again,” she said.

Each student had his or her favorite part of the trip that made it unique to them, and some of them, like Kelsey Peryam, were not expecting some of stops to impress them as much as they did.

“Scotland was like a hidden gem,” Peryam said. “I wasn’t expecting to be so in awe with the place. I expected it to be a quick stop on our way to London. But instead, I got to go to one of the the most beautiful countries, where I will be visiting again soon.”

However, Garrison’s favorite part was wandering around London and taking part in celebrating the queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“[In London], I got to witness an historic event that was being broadcast around the entire world,” she said.

However, in preparation for the hop across the pond, students had to take at least one class during the summer term. Throughout April and May, quizzes and essays were due every week. There was talk of teaching abroad, but Butler disagreed.

“I can give a lecture on Ireland here,” Butler said. “Why would I lecture on Ireland when Ireland is out the door?”

Study abroad trips do not come cheap, however, and the students had to make financial sacrifices in order to go on the trip. But Peryam said that the experiences are worth the sacrifices.

“It is worth more than any begging you have to do,” she said. “The experience was more than I could ever ask for. I made new friends, saw things that I could never hope to see and learned more than anyone could have ever imagined in a hands on way.”

Island in the Sun

jc_carpenter — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:12:00 GMT

Imagine being surrounded by a sea of blue, literally. Imagine looking out of your window into a sky of orange and yellow against the blue water as the sun sets on the Atlantic Ocean. This was the scene of my Royal Carribbean cruise to the Bahamas for spring break of 2013. Jacques Cousteau once said "the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." While I have always had a love and wonder of the sea, I was even more apparent while being surrounded by it. There was nothing more peaceful to me than soaking up the sun rays while the waves can be heard lapping up against the side of the boat.

The two days I spent in the Bahamas allowed me to recharge my batteries. I was a junior in college at the time. I had just added a minor and was taking 19 credit hours to play catch up. The Bahamian surf and sand became an outlet through which I was able to forget the stress of classes. My first day on the island consisted of touring the city of Nassau. Rather than secluding myself on the private beaches of the Atlantis Resort, I took a bus tour of the city. This allowed me to experience the culture of the native people and experience other areas of the city I ordinarily would not have seen. I got to visit Fort Charlotte, Fort Fincastle, the Queen Staircase, a cigar facotry, and many more. It was an interesting experience in Nassau because, while it is not part of the United States, the people there still spoke English and used American currency. There were even American businesses like McDonalds and Guuci. Perhaps one of the biggest culture shock I exprienced in Nassua was in the straw market. There were so many sights, smells and noises all concentrated to one place that it was a sensory overload in the beginning. Vendors were selling everything from tshirts to jewlery to handmade crafts and everything in between. In addtion, prices were not set in stone, and the vendors expected haggling. I am not a very assertive person, so I never became comfortable wth that custom.

As a heliophilc and avid beach lover, I always wanted to go on a cruise to the Bahamas, and it did not disappoint. The Royal Carribbean crew went above and beyond the call of duty and made sure myself and every other guest had an exceptional vacation. The ship provided a wide array of activites for everyone of every age; from yoga classes to childcare to a kiddy pool and midnight pool party complete with a DJ, there was something for everyone and there was never a dull moment. The three days I spent on the island was an eye opening experience that I will always remember.

One in a group of millions

jc_carpenter — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:32:37 GMT

The summer of 2011 was the first time I went out of the country. Through the history program at Flagler College, I went to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. It truly was an eye-opening experience. Although I traveled extensively throughout the United States, there was something special and unique about experiencing a different culture and history that was different from my own.

When I went to the United Kingdom, I saw and did things I never thought I would ever have the chance to; I took a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry, listened to a live Irish band at Temple Bar in Dublin, visited the Titanic Museum in Belfast, took a tour of an underground road in Edinburgh and attended high tea in York.

However, what the most memorable part of the trip was the three days I spent in London. My time in London just so happened to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. I can now say that I stood on Tower Bridge in a group of 1.25 million people to watch Queen Elizabeth sail by on the River Thames. Not even the cold and rain could dampen my spirits and joy of being able to partake in such a unique event. Packed on the bridge like a package of sardines, I felt an overwhelming sense of national pride and community. I began to compare it to the United States. I could not come up with any sort of scenario or national event that would even come close to what I experienced in London. I do not think that even Fourth of July celebrations could be comparable to the queen's Diamond Jubilee. At that moment, the English people were proud to be English and did everything in their power to display their pride. Some were even camping on the bridge for days just to get a good spot to view the queen. In America, people camp out in line for days to get the newest gadget on Black Friday.

It was there, standing in the group of millions of people, that I truly began to appreciate the grand history of England. It was ingrained in me in school that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" and that England has a history of kings, queens, knights and colonialism. However, it is not until I actually traveled there and experienced it for myself that I understood the vastness of England and the United Kingdom as a whole.

I will never forget the day I spent on Tower Bridge in London. As an American, I got to experience a different sense of national pride outside of my own country. I am grateful that I could take part in an event that will never happen again.