We’ve all been there. You’ve just arrived at your abroad abode, and suddenly it strikes. That familiar feeling of melancholy that comes with being far away from the comfort of your own home. Pair that feeling with culture shock, and you’ve created the perfect recipe for a case of full blown homesickness.

Missing home is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s only natural to feel an affinity for the places you’ve left behind. Still, there are many ways that you can make your new digs feel like your home away from home. Here are a couple tips and tricks to combat the melancholy of homesickness.

Keep It Cozy

A great way to make your new place feel familiar is to make it your own! The best way is to customize the space with your own personal touch. You can do this by purchasing accent pieces, such as throw pillows, blankets, and decorative vases. You’ll be surprised at how one simple item can make a room feel homier. Keep in mind that location matters when it comes to decorating. The tips for decorating your winter lodge will differ greatly from tips for decorating your beach condo. As such, you want to add a personal touch while making your home design mesh with your new location.

Fill Your Digs with Some Familiar Faces

If you don’t have the budget — or the luggage space — for throw pillows, then you can always bring smaller items from your house. Pack some fun photos from home that you can decorate with. This will let you look at familiar faces for when you’re feeling the blues. You can even add character to your new fridge with quirky magnets. All you need are small touches to remind yourself that this is your temporary home away from home.

Keep in Touch, But Not Too in Touch

As humans, we rely on personal contact. Being in touch with your loved ones can fuel you, but too much can actually drain you as well. If you find yourself spending more time talking on the phone than exploring your new habitat, then you’re not fully experiencing the present. Scale back on your phone time by scheduling a weekly Skype call with your loved ones. This will add to the routine of your day, and it will combat the possibility of excessive talk time.

Another great way to keep your loved ones informed is a travel blog. Many wanderers say that a blog is helpful for communication on a much larger scale. They also find the act of writing to be therapeutic in its reflection. If you’re already journaling, why not take the extra step and make a blog?

Find a New Routine

In order to make your new living arrangement feel like home, you can establish a new routine within your environment. When you’re in a new place, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of the location. Language barriers, unfamiliar terrain, and culture shock can all lead to a familiar sensation of dread. Yet, as in all things, the best way to beat this is with baby steps.

The first step of finding normality is to establish a routine within this new location. This can be as simple as drinking coffee in the morning on your trellis. You can also schedule a daily walk through a local garden. As humans, we rely on patterns to establish normality. With an established schedule, you can find uniformity within unfamiliarity.

Thrust Yourself into the Unknown

Sometimes the best way to beat homesickness is to embrace the unfamiliar. Nothing can get you out of a funk like the thrill of going on an adventure! Instead of spending time moping in your home, you could be outside, experiencing the city. Your brain’s synapses will begin firing as it navigates through new territory. Even if you don’t discover something incredible, you’ll have distracted your brain from its general malaise of homesickness. In order to stop missing what you’ve left behind, you need to experience where you are now!

Taking the family on an RV trip can be a great way to see new and interesting places while bonding with your children at the same time. Depending on the length of the trip and the route, an RV adventure with the family can involve visiting several major cities and soaking in all the sights and sounds they have to offer, as well as the regions in between.

With that said, an RV trip is not something to be taken lightly. It involves a certain degree of preparation in order to be an optimum experience for everyone. Planning ahead and considering the tips of other families who have previously gone on an RV adventure can save you time, money, and frustration. With this in mind, here are the top suggestions for planning a great family RV trip:

Pack Fun Activities for Kids of All Ages

If you’re bringing kids on an RV trip, the one thing you absolutely cannot forget to do is bring along activities to keep your children occupied. Consider bringing activities for yourself, as well. Road trips can become long and tedious when there aren’t enough things to keep everyone entertained. In addition to a tablet, if you have one, bring along board and card games, puzzles, books, music, and DVDs.

Scatter Your Stops

One way to make that drive less monotonous is to plan to stop for one activity each day. Taking a break from your drive to stop at a tourist attraction or amusement park can add some excitement to the day and help you build positive memories with your family. Or, plan to pull over somewhere with a pretty view, extend those recently installed day night shades, and enjoy a roadside picnic.

Be Selective in Choosing Your Campgrounds

As you plan your motorhome road trip, take the time to research the RV campgrounds along your route and arrange to stop at those with the best amenities. While not every campground will be kid-friendly, some do have swimming pools, game rooms, playgrounds, and scheduled activities to help keep your children from getting bored.

Safety on the Road

While most people may not force their kids to buckle up for the ride in a motorhome, parenting experts recommend taking these safety precautions. Younger children should be restrained in car seats as well. It’s important to remember that the more time you spend on the road, the greater your risks of becoming involved in a highway accident. By keeping your children buckled, you’ll ensure they’ll be safer if something does happen.

Don’t Rely on Fast Food the Whole Time

Aside from it being unhealthy, fast food is expensive and can cut a huge chunk out of your budget, which means you’ll have less money for the activities you really do want to do. Instead, pack healthy snacks, lunch meat and cheeses, crackers, and other items that can easily be stored. This will allow you to save on your total budget, as well as ensuring your kids aren’t ingesting large quantities of refined sugars and unhealthy fats.

Educate Yourself About the RV’s Electric Capacity

Experienced travelers recommend learning the specs for the RV and labeling appliances, so your family can avoid overusing the available power. For instance, most RVs have a 30 amp capability, so using the 15 amp air conditioner in conjunction with three 5 amp appliances may put too large of a burden on your system. If you know your microwave uses 15 amps, turn off the A/C, while it’s in use.

Taking an RV trip with your children can be a great way to spend part of their summer vacation. However, going unprepared could end up costing you in more ways than one. By determining your power needs, keeping an eye on safety issues, and planning ways to keep the long drive interesting, you can ensure your family will have a much more positive experience. Planning ahead and sticking to a schedule and your budget will help everyone have fun on the road.

These days, finding an affordable hotel for your travel accommodations is nearly impossible.

Hotels have been driving up their prices, and that is not even considering the cost of parking, room service, or other amenities. A hotel room is often the big sticking point for why many people cancel their travel plans – they simply cannot afford it.

However, as the tourism industry flourishes, alternative methods of accommodation are becoming more and more common. These alternate locations are typically more affordable, and some even offer similar amenities to hotels. Some are just bare bones essentials, like a bed and a bathroom and a roof over your head, but if you are planning on spending most of your time out exploring, it is the perfect solution.

1. Rent a Condo/Apartment

If you are someone who travels often, particularly to specific areas, then it is worth considering renting a condo or apartment in the location you travel to. Often, places will have affordable housing available for rent, or places you can rent on a temporary basis. For example, a property agents blog from Hua Hin, Thailand, talks about how it is a perfect location for travellers, because of its affordable housing. People can rent or even buy a condo here for when they are visiting, and even rent it out to other travellers later to make an income. Other locations may have similar options available.

2. Hostels

Hostels are a particularly popular choice among millennials and the younger generations because of their affordability. Typically, they offer basic amenities like a bed, a shower, and security. Sometimes you have to share a room with other travellers, but most places offer same-gender and mixed-gender dorms for the various comfort levels. Some even offer private rooms for a higher price that is still often cheaper than a hotel. Hostels have a somewhat bad reputation because of horror stories, but over the last few years, they have grown in popularity and have increased their value and appearances.

3. AirBNB

Some people will rent out their own apartments or homes, or other buildings that they may have, using AirBNB. Sometimes these are even better than hotels, because they will give you a true taste of the city you are visiting. Exercise some caution when it comes to AirBNB, of course – use their rating system and their system of “Superhosts” to find legitimate locations that have great reviews. You can rent anything from a single bedroom in a home to an entire house or apartment, all for less than the cost of a night in a hotel downtown.

4. Camping

If you can “rough it,” camping is a wonderful and cheap option for travellers who are on a budget and like the simpler things in life. Whether you bring your own tent, sleep out under the stars, rent an RV, or whatever you choose, many locations will have campgrounds available for you to spend your nights. Some bigger cities may not have this option, but for those looking for an adventure, it is a great solution.

5. Religious Housing

If you are looking at international travel, consider using Monastery Stays. Some institutions will rent out rooms in the monastery for a little money. If you are looking for luxury, this will not be for you, but if you just need a place to lay your head at night, this is the perfect solution. Most of these will be in the Mediterranean area, but there are various places that do this.

6. Academic Houses

When the campuses are empty and students are home, some universities and colleges rent out their spare rooms to travellers for low costs. The rooms will be like dorm rooms, rather bare and only providing the essentials. However, for the traveller on a budget who just needs a safe place to sleep at night, this is the perfect solution.

There are all sorts of alternative forms of travel accommodations, if you know where to look. Hopefully this list enables you to travel to your heart’s content – without breaking the bank.

The Dead Sea is one of the most famous bodies of water on the planet. Even if you don’t know where the Dead Sea is (between Israel and Jordan), you have likely heard of it before. Not only is it a site of great historical and biblical interest, the lake itself, for it is a lake, has a number of unique properties. These properties mostly arise from the hyper-salinity of the lake; its salt content is so high that it dramatically increases the buoyancy of people on its surface.

Is Scuba Diving Even Possible?

Yes! Although many divers assume that the buoyancy of the diver on the lake’s surface would make actually descending beneath it impossible. Admittedly, and unsurprisingly, diving in the Dead Sea is very different to diving anywhere else. For one thing, divers in the Dead Sea, in order to account for the extreme salinity, have to load themselves up with 100 pounds of extra weight. Full face masks are also required, again because of the extreme salinity.

What is There to See?

The conditions in the Dead Sea are unsuitable for supporting marine life, you therefore won’t find any coral, rays, or even fish under these waters. However, the sights you will find make the experience more than worthwhile. Divers who have experienced the depths of the Dead Sea describe the waters as appearing to be filled with floating ice-like crystals.

As you may have guessed, these crystals are in fact the salt for which the lake is famed. When conditions are optimal, being submerged in the Dead Sea is like being submerged in a lake filled with glistening diamonds.

Diving Tours

The diving tours of the Dead Sea are a relatively recent development. Those who are familiar with the region won’t be surprised to learn that these tours are an Israeli innovation – the Israeli’s love their extreme sports. Avraham Bresler is one of the operators of such tours. He took his first plunge into the Dead Sea some 20 years ago, when he was being paid to purge an air pocket in one of the underground pipes running through the seabed.

He was so taken aback by the beauty of the underwater landscape, and the surprisingly pleasant diving conditions, that he became convinced tourists would pay good money to be able to experience it for themselves. It turns out he was right. Not only do the salt deposits give the whole lake a completely unique appearance from beneath the surface, the water itself is pleasantly, and surprisingly, warm.

Diving in the Dead Sea is by no means easy, however. Divers are required to log at least 50 hours of diving beforehand, but for those who are confident divers, there is nowhere else on Earth like the Dead Sea.

Anyone looking for a completely unique experience will find it at the Dead Sea. Scuba diving in this lake is an unforgettable experience, and when you’ve completed your dive, there is a huge amount to be seen and done on the lake’s shores.

Looking to travel? There are a lot of ways to get around and see all you can see. For a list of ideas for vacations made easy, check out the below.

The Best Ways to Get Around (That Aren’t a Taxi)

Whether it’s taking the trains throughout Germany or opting for an Iceland car rental service, how you get around can change the entire dynamic of your trip. Plus, getting away from taxis lets you travel at your own pace.

Trains and Trollies

Trains are an excellent way to explore a country via slow travel. You won’t get there relatively fast but the experience and sights are mesmerizing. Trains are incredibly cheap in most areas of the world fitting the bill for those not wanting to spend a lot getting around. Or,  they can scale to luxury — with higher prices, of course — but offering tons of amenities like dining carts, sleeper carriages, lounges, and more.

Along with trains are the trollies and street cars you could use to get around the city. Most cities offer 1-day travel passes making it easy to hop on and off the streetcars as much as you want. This is perhaps one of the better ways to see the inner cities and outskirts when doing day trips. 

Helicopters and Hot Air Balloons

It might sound outlandish but a helicopter ride could combine your need to get around with a breathtaking experience worth adding to your travel journal! Want to go a bit cheaper? You could try a hot air balloon ride. 

Tours of these kinds can cost around $500 in many places throughout the world. But, you can also find private charters letting you choose when and where to go if you’ve got big bucks. 

Rental Cars and P2P Rentals

Rental cars are the ultimate at-your-own-pace choice for getting around your destinations. You can find these rental options at most airports and close to central hubs. Pricing varies where you’re traveling but it’s worth the money especially since you can venture any direction you please.

Want to save a bit of money? Some locations have caught on with peer-to-peer car rentals. This lets you rent cars directly from their owners often providing an awesome selection to your style. Just understand the local traffic laws, though, so you’re not footing the bill by joyriding a bit too hard.

Bikes and Scooters/Mopeds

There are two neat ways to do this:

• Buy a cheap, used bike when you get there
• See if they have one of those bike/scooter rental services

Bikes are amazing for getting around because you can zip and zag areas other transports can’t do. It’s a healthy way to explore the new areas, too. Buying a used bike may cost you less than a few times using a taxi. Plus, you could always sell or donate it once you’re set to leave.

Scooters/mopeds are equally fun but you should be careful traversing the local traffic. Prices aren’t too bad, either.

How Will You Get Around?

Taxis are neat for a quick hop around, but you’re missing out if you’re dodging alternative transportation — especially car rentals and public transport. You’ll see so much more. So, how do you plan you get around?

When you’re planning to be on the road for an extended period of time, you want to be comfortable. So, you plan and pack all the essentials and then some especially when traveling with family. But as you’re planning, you realize that you didn’t budget for any of this stuff.

Well, no worries because there are things you can get on-the-cheap to help improve your road trip experience for you and your family.

Here are 12 frugal and easy family road trip essentials.

1. A pour-over coffee maker

Instead of hitting up Starbuck’s every time you want coffee, consider bringing a portable pour-over coffee maker. These are typically inexpensive and you can use them to make one cup or more. All you need is boiled water and coffee grinds. And if you’re truly tied to the car, you can get a portable coffee maker that plugs into your vehicle.

1. Portable mugs

If you’re brewing coffee on the go, you’ll need a vessel to drink it out of. Don’t forget to bring portable plastic mugs. Bonus points for insulation.

1. A reusable water bottle

You can pack a cooler full of drinks, but that’ll take up a lot of space in your vehicle. Instead, consider a reusable water bottle. You’ll be able to get water anywhere you go, and you’ll definitely have more legroom in the car.

1. A spork

The old spork can come in handy when you’re eating on the road. Whether you’re eating soup or stir-fry, your spork can handle the job. For those who may be unaware, a spork is a combination of a spoon and fork. Imagine a spoon with rigid edges like a fork.

1. A paring knife

Knives always come in handy when you’re away from home. On a road trip especially, you can use your knife to cut any number of foods. For example, you can save money by hitting up the grocery store for a block of cheese instead of buying a pre-cut cheese platter.

1. A smartphone holder

Unless you have a system like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, consider investing in a device to hold your smartphone in your line of sight while you’re driving. Most of us use our smartphones for navigation, and this will help you see where you’re going.

1. A separate GPS device

GPS devices may seem so-early-2000s, but they can come in handy on a road trip. The GPS will give you a better picture of the road and may be more reliable than your phone’s connection. And fortunately, these have really come down in price in recent years.

1. A car charger

You probably already have a phone charger that you can plug into your car. Get two. This item is so important that you’ll want a backup. Yes, you can plug your phone into the USB port, but that’s typically a slower charge.

1. Earbuds for all

Not everyone shares your taste in music. And while you’ll want to bond during the trip, there may also be times when you want to tune everyone else out. For these moments, make sure everyone has their own earbuds.

1. Car organizer

Have you ever attempted to rummage around in the back seat with your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road? That’s about when you start wishing you were more organized. Fortunately, it’s easy to find cheap ideas to keep your vehicle organized. You can invest in a car organizer, or you can create something to keep your car organized. Even hanging extra bags with a 3M clip can help you keep trash from piling up, so you can get to your stuff.

1. UV window shade

If you’re traveling in the Summer, this item is a must. You may even be able to turn the A/C down if you can keep the sun from blaring down on your family. Consider two shades for the back seat to keep your car nice and cool during the trip.

1. Hand sanitizer

This last item is so simple, but it can really save you some time. If you don’t have to wash your hands every time someone wants to eat, you’ll make record time to your destination. You may also save on gas from going out of your way to find yet another rest stop.

Road trips can be fun, but they can also get pricey. Keep your items down to the bare essentials and enjoy the open road!