Category: Life Hacks

All sorts of memory myths exist. They suggest that either you have it or you don’t. "I’m not good with names. I have a lousy memory. You’re so forgetful." If you’re not careful, having a terrible memory can become the running joke in your life.

But the truth is that memory is a skill. It’s learned and practiced. It can improve with age. Here’s how to master your memory now.

1. Watch What You Eat

The excessive saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol consumption that come standard in the Standard American Diet (SAD) negatively impact long-term memory and cognitive function. 

Swap the less healthy foods for whole foods, mostly plants that are nutrient-dense with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Around the world, diets rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish have been shown to protect the brain from memory loss and enhance memory function. 

2. Exercise for Long and Short-term Memory Improvements

Exercising delivers instant, short-term memory results. Get your blood pumping before a big test or job interview to improve your memory recall and performance. It does this both by reducing stress and increasing oxygen to memory centers. 

Over the long term, regular aerobic exercise increases the size of the hippocampus and the production of new neurons (brain cells) that form learning and memory pathways in the brain.

Both depression and aging can shrink the hippocampus. But exercise appears to stop and reverse this effect.

3. Develop Effective Stress Response

Stress doesn’t happen to you. Stress is how your body, mind, and emotions respond to a stressor. Learn and practice how you react to stress with deep breathing, counting to 10, and other stress management strategies.

High stress impairs higher cognitive functions like memory. And studies show managing it improves episodic memory.

Episodic memory is remembering what happened correctly. This reduces your risk of falling for gaslighting behaviors where someone tells you you’re "remembering it wrong".

4. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in concentration, short-term memory learning, long-term memory storage, and memory recall later when needed. Lack of sleep can even change your perception of an event which could create false memories. 

To master memory, it looks like first, you need to secure your ZZZs.

5. Practice Good Memory Technique

With the above four in place, it’s time to focus on how people remember. Memory is not a complete log of your life. The brain only remembers what it thinks is important at that moment. It discards the rest—within a few minutes.

So, if you can’t remember names or where you parked, you’re likely not indicating to your brain that this is important. This often happens because you’re focused on something else, such as a bad past experience or a screaming child. So, learning to practice mindfulness at any moment helps. 

Try this Mindful Memory Mastery technique. Regardless of what you need to remember, follow these four quick steps:

1. Take a moment to make associations.
2. Organize information in your mind.
3. Say important details aloud. 
4. Actively recall the thing you want to remember a couple of minutes later. 

You just told the brain, "This is important. Remember it!". The brain takes note and stores this memory somewhere you can recall it later. This is how to master your memory.

 

 

 

After completing extensive training, doing an extensive employment search, and perfecting your resume, you may feel as though you are running out of steam as you sit down to compose a cover letter for your dream job application. You may be tempted to rush through this process without giving it much thought.

 

But your cover letter is far more than a simple formality. While resumes are generally quite dry and broadly focused, cover letters allow you to introduce yourself with a highly personal feel, place your qualifications in context, and explain your passion for a particular position, company, or field of work. Most importantly, your cover letter has to be mistake-free and strike just the right tone.

 

For help doing all of this and more, let’s examine each component of the ideal cover letter beginning at the beginning.

 

1. Header

 

Although they have different opinions about its size and graphic design qualities, most experts agree that your cover letter should begin with an eye-catching header that prominently features your contact information at the very top of the page. Items to include in this header include your full name, your existing job tile, your email address, and your telephone number.

 

2. Salutation

 

Begin the cover letter proper by greeting your target hiring manager by name with a simple “Dear _______.” Conduct research to find this individual’s full, formal name, and never use impersonal and generic salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”

 

3. Opening Paragraph

 

After your greeting, grab the hiring manager’s attention by immediately stating how you will benefit your target company in a single sentence. For example, “As a lifelong enthusiast of Apple and an experienced programmer a background in team leadership, I was thrilled to see your posting for the Lead Programmer position.’ Follow this statement with two or three of your most impressive and relevant accomplishments.

 

4. Middle Paragraph

 

Knowing that you have wowed your reader with a short list of what you have to offer, you can now go into a bit more detail. Explain exactly why you are the perfect candidate for the job in your middle paragraph. But remember that brevity is essential in a good cover letter, so don’t ramble on and on.

 

5. Final Paragraph

 

Beyond the first impression that you make with your introduction, your parting words in your final paragraph provide your best chance to make a positive impact. Wrap up and summarize the main idea you wish to convey about yourself. Be courteous but take care not to project neediness. Concentrate on the value you will bring and conclude with a call-to-action such as asking the hiring manager to meet with you.

 

6. Formal Closing

 

Similar to your salutation, your closing should bookend your cover letter in a professionally warm but relatively formal way. Beyond the standard “Sincerely,” you may want to consider closings such as “Best regards” and “Respectfully yours." While adding a handwritten signature above your typewritten name is optional, it is often wise to do so, particularly if your target company and/or hiring manager is relatively traditional.

 

 

7. Consider a Postscript

 

After closing with your name, you may want to consider adding a single-sentence postscript if you have any particularly urgent or pertinent information to convey. You may want to write this postscript by hand, particularly if you have already given your cover letter a handwritten touch by signing your name. Regardless, you should set off your postscript with the standard abbreviation “P.S.” and use it to stress your unique value proposition.

It’s hard to know what to say when someone has died. But you feel the urge to say something to support and sympathize. Follow this guide to composing a message of condolence to navigate that delicate situation and bring comfort to the grieving. 

1. Use the Deceased Person’s Name

Unless there is some cultural reason not to, saying, writing, and reading a person’s name after they’ve gone can bring comfort. It’s like they’re still here in our hearts.

2. Lead with Your Sympathy

Sympathy in writing is a direct acknowledgment that the person you’re speaking with has suffered a loss. It stays focused on the grieving person and does not try to relate their experiences to yours. 

Yes: I’m sorry for your loss.

Yes: I’m so sorry to hear your mom died.

No: When I lost my dog, I lost my best friend. I imagine you feel the same about your mom.

3. Say Something Nice

Even if you didn’t like the deceased person, it’s proper etiquette to say something nice about them right after they’ve passed. If you think hard enough, you can think of something that sounds believable. And of course, if you knew and loved this person too, it’s easier to find something. 

If you didn’t know the person, you might say "I heard such good things about them". If you can’t say this with good conscience, just leave this part out. 

4. Add a Personal Detail

If you knew the deceased, mention something special about them that might bring the grieving person joy in their sorrow. This shows that you’ve thought out your message. 

5. Use Language the Grieving Would Use

Some people say "died". Others say "passed away", "transitioned", or they may have a specific cultural-religious way to refer to death. While you are trying to be direct, it’s okay to use this alternate term in your message if the recipient would.

6. Point Out the Recipients’ Strength and Resilience

After losing someone, the grieving person may feel lost, hopeless, and suddenly alone. So next, remind them of a personal strength that will help them get through this. 

"Even in difficult times, I’ve always known you to… be resilient, see the glass as half full, see the silver lining, have faith that it’s all in the plan, persevere."

Choose one. You don’t need multiples. 

7. Share a Memory

While you shouldn’t relate this loss to yourself too early in the message, after the above is expressed, it is okay to make this about you. Better yet, if you have a good memory of you, the grieving, and the deceased, you can start with.: "The other day I was thinking about when we all…"

8. Offer Support

You should say this directly. "If there is anything I can do, please let me know."

But if this is a person who doesn’t let other people help them, say something like, "You’ve always been there for me. And now, I want to do anything I can to help you."

Only say that if it’s true and you can follow through. The last thing you want to do is sound disingenuous. 

9. Use a Sympathetic Closing

When signing-off, you might say the following before your name:

• With love.
• Thinking of you.
• I’m here if you want to talk.

 

 

 

 

As you look forward to retirement, it’s important to remember the importance of taking charge of your state pension. It’s easy to overlook this aspect of planning for retirement, however, missing out on your benefits in retirement could have costly consequences. Knowing how to take control of your state pension can help ensure that you don’t miss out on key benefits that could make a major difference in your well-being when you retire. 

Your state pension should be one of the most integral aspects of retirement planning. Whether you are already at the stage where you’re starting to consider retiring or if it is still many years away, understanding the basics of your state pension is key. Each country has its own system and understanding those details can help make sure that you have a comfortable retirement. 

The first step in making sure that you don’t miss out on your state pension benefits is to understand what they are and how they work. This includes researching any changes that may have been made recently as regulations can sometimes change from year to year. It’s also important to determine whether or not there is an age limit for claiming certain benefits, understand how much money per month will be allocated for each benefit, and find out how much money one needs to qualify for these pensions. Knowing all this information ahead of time will help ensure that when it comes time to start collecting benefits, there won’t be any surprises waiting a few years down the road. 

Another great way to make sure that you don’t miss out on any benefits is by taking advantage of resources like seminars or classes aimed at helping people plan for their future before they decide to retire. These programs are usually offered through financial institutions or even local governments and offer valuable advice about how best to manage finances in order for one to receive their full benefit amount without having any large discrepancies between promised amounts and actual payments received once retired. 

Finally, staying consistent with making contributions throughout one’s working years will also ensure greater returns upon reaching retirement age. For example, if every year since beginning employment continued contributions were made towards a private pension fund then more money would be received during retirement due solely from these regular contributions than if someone started late into contributing yet planned on having higher contribution amounts later into life or just prior to retiring altogether. 

Taking charge now when it comes taking control over one’s state pension will ultimately result in greater long-term potential gains which will go towards living out a comfortable lifestyle during those golden years when work days have become distant memories upon passing into pleasant dreams filled with memories rather than anxieties and stress born from financial matters concerning such complex systems as pensions related topics often deal with and thus require close attention each step along the way to achieving peace and comfort once retired – both mentally as well as monetarily speaking!

After years of low prices, the cost of paper is on the rise for the first time in over a decade. If you’ve gotten used to keeping your paper budget low, now is definitely the time to start thinking about how to get better value out of every purchase. Fortunately, you can do that quite effectively by using these five tips whenever you need to stock up on paper.

Look to Small Paper Mills for Deals

Large paper mills get all the action due to their competitive prices, huge inventory, and widespread warehouse operations. But if you’re not anywhere near their warehouses, shipping costs will eat up your potential savings, leaving you back at square one.

If that’s the case, you can save money on paper by purchasing your goods from small paper mills instead. For the most savings, buy one truckload of paper at a time to avoid paying a stop-off fee.

Get a One Year Pricing Agreement

Paper prices will likely rise in the coming months, so lock in the current low prices by signing up for a one-year pricing agreement. Your supplier will then be contracted to sell you paper at the set price for the next 12 months.

To get this agreement, you’ll need to abide by the terms of the contract as well, which usually entails buying a minimum amount of paper in that time. To avoid issues, crunch the numbers to see how much paper you need and then negotiate the contract terms with that figure in mind.

Choose a Lighter Paper Weight

There’s no doubt about it: Heavyweight paper costs a lot more than lighter paper stock. By switching to a lighter paper weight, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars on every shipment.

Try just going down one level first to gauge the feel of the paper and assess its suitability for your project. If that works out, you may be able to go even lighter in the future, especially if you don’t really notice the difference with the first adjustment.

Switch Up Paper Brands as Needed

If you’re stuck on a brand, you’re out of luck when that paper is out of stock. You may end up having to pay more to get your brand of choice or even run out of paper before you can get more.

Many companies produce nearly identical types of paper, so open your mind to the possibilities. By opening the doors to new brands, you can look for better deals year-round and won’t ever end up without the paper you need to move forward with your day-to-day operations.  

Run a Test Before Making a Big Purchase

Seeking out great deals does you no good if you’re not able to use the paper to create high-quality prints. You can avoid having problems down the road by only buying a small amount of paper to start and running a quick print test.

You can then purchase a bulk amount without worry once you see what the paper can do. Use a spreadsheet to take notes on each paper brand, type, and size as you run each test to create a handy guide on what’s safe to buy.

If you can employ all these tactics, you’ll get the absolute best value when buying paper. But even putting one to two to work for you will help minimize your paper budget. So, go ahead and see which options work best for you and then move forward with confidence that you’re on the right track.

Currency speculation is the act of buying and selling currencies in order to make a profit. It is a high-risk, high-reward activity that can be very lucrative for those who are successful, but also very dangerous for those who are not. Today we will explore some tips for making money in currency speculation, as well as the reasons why you should think carefully before trying. 

Tip #1: Understand the Basics of Forex Trading 

Before you can start making money in currency speculation, you need to understand the basics of forex trading. This includes knowing how currencies are traded, what factors influence their value, and how to read charts and graphs. There are many resources available online that can help you learn about forex trading, including courses, webinars, and blogs. 

Tip #2: Develop a Trading Strategy 

A successful currency speculator needs to have a well-developed trading strategy. This includes setting goals, identifying trading opportunities, and managing risk. There are many different trading strategies that you can use, such as trend following, swing trading, and scalping. It is important to choose a strategy that suits your personality, trading style, and risk tolerance. 

Tip #3: Use Technical Analysis 

Technical analysis is a method of analyzing market data to identify trading opportunities. It involves using charts, graphs, and other tools to analyze historical price and volume data in order to predict future price movements. Technical analysis can be a powerful tool for currency speculators, but it requires a deep understanding of market trends and the ability to interpret complex data. 

Tip #4: Monitor Economic Indicators 

Economic indicators are data points that reflect the health of a country’s economy. These indicators can have a significant impact on the value of a currency. As a currency speculator, it is important to stay up-to-date on economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, and employment figures in order to identify trading opportunities. 

Tip #5: Manage Risk 

Currency speculation is a high-risk activity, and it is important to manage your risk carefully. This includes setting stop-loss orders to limit your losses, diversifying your portfolio to spread your risk across multiple currencies, and using leverage responsibly. It is also important to have a plan for managing your emotions and avoiding impulsive decisions that could lead to large losses. 

While currency speculation can be a lucrative activity for those who are successful, there are many reasons why you should think carefully before trying it. 

First, currency speculation is a high-risk activity. The forex market is highly volatile, and currency values can change rapidly in response to economic and political events. This means that currency speculators need to be prepared for the possibility of significant losses. 

Second, currency speculation requires a deep understanding of market trends and economic indicators. It is not enough to simply guess which way a currency will move – successful currency speculators need to have a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence currency values. 

Third, currency speculation can be time-consuming and stressful. Currency speculators need to be constantly monitoring the market and adjusting their trading strategies in response to changing conditions. This can be a demanding and stressful activity that is not suited to everyone. 

In conclusion, currency speculation can be a profitable activity for those who are successful, but it is not for everyone. Before attempting to make money in currency speculation, it is important to understand the basics of forex trading, develop a trading strategy, use technical analysis, monitor economic indicators, and manage risk carefully. It is also important to think carefully about the risks and demands of currency speculation before deciding to pursue it as an activity. With the right approach, currency speculation can be a rewarding and exciting way to make money, but it requires dedication, hard work, and a willingness to take risks.

Being able to do quick mental math calculations can be a useful skill in many areas of life, from calculating the tip on a restaurant bill to making quick business decisions. While some people are naturally good at mental math, most of us can benefit from some tips and tricks to improve our skills. Here are some strategies you can use to do better calculations in your head. 

Round Numbers 

One of the easiest ways to do quick mental math is to round numbers. For example, if you need to calculate 27 x 13, you could round 27 to 30 and 13 to 10, which would give you 300 as the approximate answer. You could then adjust for the difference by subtracting 3 x 13 from the total (which is 39), giving you a final answer of 351. 

Break Numbers Down 

Breaking numbers down into smaller components can also make mental math easier. For example, if you need to calculate 46 x 5, you could break 46 down into 40 + 6 and then multiply each part by 5. This would give you 200 (40 x 5) and 30 (6 x 5), which you could add together to get a final answer of 230. 

Use Known Facts 

Using known facts can also help with mental math. For example, if you know that 7 x 7 = 49, you can use that fact to calculate 7 x 8. Since 8 is one more than 7, the answer would be 49 + 7, which is 56. 

Use Shortcuts 

There are many shortcuts that can make mental math easier. For example, if you need to calculate a percentage, you could multiply the number by 10 and then divide by 2. So, to calculate 20% of 50, you could multiply 50 by 10 (which is 500) and then divide by 2 (which is 250). This gives you the answer of 10. 

Practice, Practice, Practice 

Like any skill, mental math requires practice to improve. Try doing mental math exercises every day to build up your skills. You can find practice exercises online or create your own by picking a set of numbers and doing different calculations with them. 

Use Visualization 

Visualization can be a helpful tool for mental math. For example, if you need to calculate 9 x 7, you could visualize 9 as three groups of three and 7 as one group of seven. You could then add up the three groups of 21 to get 63, which is the answer. 

Avoid Distractions 

Distractions can make mental math more difficult, so try to do your calculations in a quiet place where you can concentrate. If you’re in a noisy environment, try using earplugs or headphones to block out the sound. 

Break Down the Problem 

If a problem seems too complicated to do in your head, try breaking it down into smaller parts. For example, if you need to calculate 143 x 27, you could break it down into (100 x 27) + (40 x 27) + (3 x 27). This would give you 2700 + 1080 + 81, which you could add together to get the answer of 3861. 

Use Estimation 

Estimation can be a helpful tool for mental math, especially if you’re trying to get a rough idea of a number. For example, if you need to calculate 63 x 15, you could estimate that 60 x 15 is 900 and then add 3 x 15 to get 945, which is a close approximation of the actual answer.

In conclusion, able to do quick mental math can be a valuable skill in many areas of life. By using these strategies, you can improve your ability to do calculations in your head. Whether you’re trying to calculate a tip, make quick business decisions, or just impress your friends, practicing mental math can help you become more efficient and confident with numbers.

The world is filled with a lot of tragedy and sorrow, and with a never-ending list of social media platforms and 24-hour news networks, we’re exposed to the downside of life more often than ever before. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t amazing aspects fo life on Earth, though, especially with the way that most people treat each other.

One of the things that makes humanity so beautiful is that many will go out of their way to make someone’s day better. Whether it be their closest friend or someone that they don’t even know, there are plenty of random acts of kindness around us. If you want to brighten someone’s day, here are 10 ideas for your next random act of kindness.

Cook Them Their Favorite Meal

The age-old saying “the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach” came to be for a reason. Cooking a special meal for someone you love, or even a stranger down on their luck can make all the difference in someone’s day. 

Do Their Chores

Chores are a necessary, but monotonous part of our day. Our busy lives sometimes make keeping up with chores a total pain. If you want to make someone smile, taking over their chore duty for the day will surely do the trick. 

Give Them Flowers

Flowers are just for Valentine’s Day and funerals. Flowers are always a great idea, for any day, any time, and any person. Give a special man in your life flowers for a change, or maybe even a total stranger. Flowers are more than their beauty alone. They’re a symbol of adoration, caring, and love. They’ll mean so much to whoever you give them to. 

Bring Them To Their Favorite Place

Adventure and spontaneity are excellent beginnings to a wonderful time with a loved one and a great show of thoughtfulness. Brighten someone’s day by taking your special person on a surprise trip to their favorite place to show them you care enough to know what they like to do and where they’re happiest.  

Leave Them a Kind Note 

Sometimes the simplest gestures can be the most impactful. Whether it’s directed to someone you love or a random passerby, writing a kind note can greatly improve their day and touch their heart. It can be short and sweet, or long and in-depth. Just the gesture alone shows that someone out there cares about them. 

Pay For Someone’s Food Order

This one is a classic, simple, anonymous way to make a stranger’s day. Who doesn’t love free food? No matter how small the bill, paying for someone’s food order will indefinitely make their day and may even influence a chain reaction of them and others paying it forward. 

Give Them a Special Compliment

Everyone wants to feel good about themselves. Most of us are at least a little self conscious, regardless of the brave face we put on in front of others. Tell someone you love their outfit, their hairstyle, their shoes, their kind nature, or anything else that makes them special. They’ll be happy someone took the time to notice the wonderful things about them. 

Clean Up Litter

Cleaning up litter is a great way to make a difference in the world, without emptying out your wallet. It’s a completely free way to show kindness to the planet and your neighborhood. Others may even follow your lead and take it upon themselves to lend a helping hand. 

Volunteer 

There are many ways you can volunteer your time and services to those in need. Sadly, there is always an abundance of people going without and fortunately there are establishments that help provide food, shelter, and resources. Usually, they rely on help from the community to function. It’s a free and heartfelt way to share kindness and love to others. 

Build a Free Micro-Library

You may have noticed in recent years that there are small mailbox-esque libraries that have been popping up around neighborhoods that resemble large birdhouses. These micro-libraries are a great place for people to leave books that they no longer need, while others can take ones that are entirely new to them. Build one of these for your neighborhood and the community will really appreciate this if there isn’t a library nearby.

There was once a time when most of us would read catalogs and fliers to see what the deals were for the week at brick-and-mortar stores, and we had to wait until the store close to us was finally selling something we wanted for cheaper. These days, though, you can simply browse what you’re looking for and find an endless list of sellers with varying prices for that one product.

Now, online shopping has become so common that e-commerce sales are around $5 trillion per year and it’s only going to keep going up. Are you really getting the best deal when you’re adding your hard-earned money to that pool, though? Let’s take a look at online shopping and five hacks that you can use to save money when making online purchases.

Sign Up For Mailing Lists

The first thing that you should do after this is to create an email account that you use solely for online shopping. Use the new email address to sign up for newsletters from all of the websites you shop with the most, and even the online stores that you’ve at least considered in the past. You’ll end up getting a lot of coupons sent to you via email and this will end up giving you the best price on many products.

Some of these businesses will have rewards programs that will save you even more money. Right around your birthday, you’ll also likely get a coupon or a free item that makes things even sweeter. Just try to avoid using the email address that you’re more likely to use for work or other personal uses as these mailing lists can fill up your inbox and cause you to miss an important message.

Make More E-Mail Accounts

Now that you have your email account for receiving newsletters, don’t stop making email accounts whenever you visit a new site. It seems that almost every e-commerce site has a discount that only applies to those who are registering a new e-mail address.

Take advantage of this whenever you can and create e-mail addresses until your fingers become numb from typing. Just make sure to keep a spreadsheet that has all of the email addresses that you create, list what websites they have been used on, and use a password manager to help you balance all of your login info.

Price Alerts

Thankfully there are more apps, extensions, and programs being introduced that have an algorithm to detect when prices are at their lowest. Even Google uses an extension of its own through Chrome that will tell you that an opportunity to save money has arisen. This has been helpful in recent years as it helps to get around some of the marketing that companies have done for generations.

When a company says something along the lines of “Our lowest price ever,” the algorithms from these apps can tell whether that’s fact or fiction. You can also see charts that show what time of month or year prices tend to drop, allowing you to cash in on the best deals possible instead of having to write it all by hand.

Go Incognito

Incognito mode is used by many people that don’t want to leave a browsing history on their computer for various reasons we won’t get into. However, the most beneficial reason to use incognito mode is for shopping. This is because e-commerce sites can use cookies to see how often you’re looking for a particular item. If you’re buying an item frequently, they can mark up the price because they assume you’ll buy it no matter what.

When you browse in incognito mode, however, these sites won’t know your history as cookies aren’t enabled. This allows you to avoid dynamic and history-based pricing throughout the internet. While it’s a myth that it can save you big money on flights, it can still save you a few dollars here and there on your regular shopping.

Pay With Credit Cards

If you have a credit card, there’s a good chance that you have a cashback or other reward option through that card. When you’re pulling out your wallet to finalize shopping, leave the debit card behind. Instead, use the credit card so that you get the rewards, then instantly pay off your credit card balance using your debit.

It will end up costing you the same amount of money either way, but if you use your credit card, you’re at least maximizing the benefits. Credit card companies also offer the best chargeback systems for any form of payment and have the strongest fraud protection. Simply put, if you can pay your bill in full each month, you don’t accrue interest and get all of the added bonuses.

When a lot of people take a road trip, they want to get there as fast possible with stops only for gas, food, and sleep. Then, there are those that want to make sure that their road trip turns into a full-on journey that’s filled with sights, sounds, and plenty of great memories. Those that haven’t done it before should try making their trip a bit more scenic, but might not be sure how to do it.

For everyone that’s trying to make their road trip better and take the scenic route more often, there are a few hacks that you should know about. These little tips will make sure that you get the trip that most people can only dream about, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Take The Road Less Traveled

If you would like to experience more breathtaking scenery on your trips, try taking the less traveled route, or even planning out your own specific route. Of course, it’s great to take the popular route and see all the touristy areas have to offer. 

Some things are worth jumping on the bandwagon for. Though, if you want to experience something new and unseen by the general public you should definitely stray from the path, safely of course. 

Go To Tourist Destinations

Although you could go where most travelers don’t, there’s a reason must-see destinations are so popular. There’s nothing wrong with flocking to the coolest places. If you want a low-key experience, try going to these destinations during the time of year that isn’t bombarded by tourists. 

Usually, states, cities, and countries advertise specific landmarks to visit or scenic trips they encourage people to take. You can plan your trip around the must-see destinations and travel the scenic route while you make your way through them. 

Travel a Certain Time of Year

Traveling is a fantastic way to see and take in all the world has to offer. Make it an even better experience by traveling at different periods throughout the year. Even if you travel to the same place, the changing seasons and atmosphere will make you feel like you’re taking an entirely new trip. 

Much like how leaf peepers love traveling to the New England area, or Midwest area to see the changing color of the leaves and gorgeous autumn scenery, visiting a place during a particularly beautiful time of year makes all the difference. So plan your trips around the time of year you’ll get the most stunning scenery if you can. 

Take Different Methods of Travel

One tip that you may have overlooked is taking different modes of transportation to get a different view of scenic areas. Traveling by train, bus, car, plane, boat, bicycle, or even walking will all give you differing views of the most scenic places. 

Traveling by air will give you an amazing, often unseen view of beautiful places you’ve probably only seen on ground level. Ground travel will give you a much more personal and up-close look, as well as the ability to pause, explore, and take in the views. 

Take the Long Way Home

Oftentimes when traveling we have a sense of urgency to get to our destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. Taking the time to slow down and take the route that’s seen as “out of the way” is a great way to make a scenic drive out of the most mundane driving tasks. 

Sure it takes some time, but that’s okay and not everything has to be rushed. If you’re able to take the time to leave for a trip early or take the time to travel the backroads on your way home, it’ll give you time to unwind and enjoy taking in sights you don’t often get the chance to see when you take the fastest, hurried route.