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Traveling with a Purpose Is Energyzing

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  Traveling with a purpose gives me energy. In 2024, I spent six weeks in Costa Rica. My youngest brother, Vazrik, had just returned from Costa Rica and generously bought my airline ticket. “Go stay for a while. You are retired,” he said. I appreciated his kindness, but I needed a purpose for such a long trip. So, I decided to improve my Spanish skills and explore the West Coast of Costa Rica. In December 2006, I studied Spanish in Alajuela. This time, I chose to study for two weeks in Tamarindo and one week in Samara. I was an elementary school teacher for 32 years. On June 9, 2023, I retired and began a new chapter—one focused on documenting experiences and dedicating more time to travel and writing. In February 2024, I published Paraiso Interior , a Spanish-language book (available on my blog). Initially, I published Inner Heaven in 2010 in both English and Farsi. That book compiled positive-thinking articles written by my mother while she lived in the U.S. Her pieces were ini...
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Traveling Tips

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  Travel Guideline by Karine Armen                                                          Things to do before you travel: 1-  Call your bank and credit cards and inform them about your trip days and locations.  2—Learn about the culture and history of the place you want to visit. Watch DVDs and read. The more you know about a culture, the more you will enjoy your travels. 3—Pack lightly. Take basic colors and layers. Even in summer, some countries have cold and rainy days. Always have closed shoes for rainy days and good shoes for walking. Take layers, jackets, and cardigans. During summer, some churches in Europe and temples in Asia expect you to cover your shoulders and arms (especially for...
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Travel to learn something new.

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  I love traveling. I usually travel with a purpose in mind. Since 1997, I have traveled to many countries around the world. One reason is to learn the culture and history of that country, but I have studied a language many times.   In February of 1998, I studied Spanish in Madrid for two weeks. After that, I studied in Alicante twice. Later, I traveled to Argentina and many other countries in South America. It is a low-cost way of traveling. I stay with a family, and most of the time, they are single women my age who want to rent a bedroom. The language institutes find the family for their students. I have made friends with the hosts. We speak Spanish. I eat the food they prepare. I tell them I am vegetarian and never had a problem with making simple and delicious food.  After several years of studying Spanish and traveling in South America and Spain, I decided to do the same thing with Italian. I started learning Italian when I was 55. During different trips, I hav...
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