Cooney World Adventure One Family, Five People, One World, Infinite Dreams

Real Estate Channel Article #9 - Cusco, Peru

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:48:56 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel Article #9 - posted 7/22/10

Real Estate Channel Article #8 - Lima, Peru

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:42:12 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel Article # 8 - Posted on 7/15/10

What my year of travels meant to me.

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:21:48 -0400

My parents’ theory was to give their three sons a way to see the world, experience other cultures and appreciate what all of us tend to take for granted before we started college. They believed that this experience, combined with a good education would unquestionably put my brothers and me on the road to success, regardless of the vocation we choose. We started our adventure on August 25, 2008.
In the months leading up to the trip that would take our family across six continents and through 23 countries, we could not have imagined the things we would do, the people we would meet, or the places we would see. No book, TV show, movie, or story could have taught us what we would learn in the months of travel through Central and South America, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. A textbook would never give you the experience of watching the sunrise a top a Mayan pyramid set deep in a jungle or teach you how to make coconut curry while overlooking the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. There is absolutely no substitute for travel and having those experiences firsthand.
When my brothers and I were younger, our dad would show us a map and would teach us about other countries. We would always ask if we would ever go to these exotic places in Africa or the Inca ruins in Peru and he would say, "Yes, one day we will go." When my parents first told me about a trip around the world it was as if my dreams came true. The mysteries of other countries have always held my thoughts. I have always dreamt of learning about other cultures and new places. Even at a young age, I realized that watching the Travel or Discovery Channels would never fulfill my need to explore. The burning desire to wander to new lands cannot be quenched by anything other than through travel itself.

A day does not go by without me thinking about my family's yearlong trek around the world. Smells, sights, and sounds bring my mind away from where I am, and back to where I have been; the billabongs of Australia, the bushland in Africa, the beaches of Brazil. The trip I took with my family was the best time of my life, we followed our dreams of travel and I encourage everyone to do the same! In fact, the dream is still alive and kicking inside of us. My twin brother and I are leaving in September for a three month expedition to Costa Rica and perhaps will visit a few adjacent countries as well.

As my mom and dad like to say, “Travel is the ultimate education.”, and my brothers and I are living proof that this statement is true.

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
- John Hope Franklin

Real Estate Channel Article #7 - Central America

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:02:11 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel Article #7 - posted on 7/6/10

Real Estate Channel Article #6 - Costa Rica

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:58:39 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel Article #6 - posted on 6/30/10

Real Estate Channel Article #5 - Nicaragua

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:54:19 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel Article #5 - posted on 6/23/10

Real Estate Channel Article #4 - Guatemala

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 11:16:54 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Article 4 - posted on 6/15/10

Real Estate Channel Article #3 - Guatemala

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 11:13:04 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site

Article 3 - posted on 6/9

Real Estate Channel Article #2 - Mexico

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:34:42 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Article 2 - posted on 6/2

Real Estate Channel Article #1 - Mexico

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:25:39 -0400

The following link will take you to an article Mike wrote, which was posted on the Real Estate Channel web site.

Real Estate Channel - Article 1 - posted 26 May 2010

A voice from the past.

Fri, 28 May 2010 10:33:50 -0400

Actually the voice from the past was in the form of an email, not a phone call. On Saturday, May 15, I received an email from a longtime friend who I have not heard from in many years. His name is Michael Gerrity and he’s the quintessential entrepreneur. He’s always thinking outside the “proverbial box” and willing to try new ideas and strategies. A quality not often found in today’s seemingly stagnant business world.

I worked with Michael many years ago when I was at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and he was in commercial real estate. He was one of the first tenant reps in the region, representing companies looking mostly for office space. Our paths crossed again after I started my own consulting practice, and he was a few years into getting his new company Real Estate Channel (REC) off the ground. I knew the general premise behind his web-based real estate news company, but not much else.

Over the years I received daily emails from REC and even used it as a source of information to keep apprised of what was happening in real estate markets while we were traveling. The site covers a wide spectrum of real estate news and events focusing primarily on three main areas: Residential, Commercial and Travel & Leisure. Little did I know then that one day I would help create some of the site’s content.

Fast forward to May 15, 2010 . . . I received an email from Michael asking me to call him and “If I was still doing my global travel blog?” I couldn’t imagine why he was asking, but immediately followed up saying, absolutely to both. We connected by phone the following Monday and he explained that he would like me to be a guest columnist and submit weekly articles relating to our around the world trek. Moreover, they would be aligned with the Travel & Leisure portion of the site, and help enlighten people on the “real world”. I would never have made the connection between our experience and one of the most prolific business related web sites on the Internet. And that’s why Michael is the forward thinking entrepreneur, and I am not.

As a small token of appreciation, we have made REC one of our “Globe Trotter Partners”, which is the premier partnership level on our web site. It’s the least we could do, and believe this new relationship will help expand Cooney World Adventure’s (CWA) reach. The highest compliment I can pay Michael is an expression we adopted while in Australia . . . Good on ya mate!

The first article appeared this week. Follow the link to read it, and don’t forget to poke around the site while you are there. There’s a ton of great information from all around the world. Oh, maybe that’s the connection Michael made to CWA. Like I said, that’s why he’s the forward thinking entrepreneur, and I am not.

Real Estate Channel - Article 1 - posted 26 May 2010

Tourists, Travelers, and Adventures

Tue, 18 May 2010 12:22:29 -0400

The allure of a distant country or new place is often too strong to ignore. Every year, thousands of people travel to see and experience the culture, people, food, and adventures new countries hold. As one stays in the hostels and campsites of other countries they will see that people who travel are a very diverse group. All these people have given into that inescapable pull of freedom that comes with travel; however, that is about all they have in common. When one looks into the adaptability, the knowledge, and the purpose of each person who travels, they will see that they can be divided into three categories: tourists, travelers, and adventurers.
First is the most common type of person who travels, tourists; they stay in resorts, eat at expensive restaurants, bring all their possessions with them including the most useless of items, arrive on a Monday and leave on a Friday. This group begins planing from their office, often months in advance and will stick to the plan all week long. Tourists are unadaptable; if a tire blows on their tour bus, if it rains, if their boat is late, or anything else throws a wrench in their plans they don’t know what to do. Another trait of a tourist is his or her lack of knowledge about a place. Whether it is Jamaica or Zambia most tourists know nothing about the culture, money, people, or dangers in some cases making them targets for theft or worse. Because many tourists feel like their mind can only be on vacation mode they come across as ignorant and/or foolish. The last characteristic of a tourist is their purpose. Tourists want to have as much fun as they can in a week, who can blame them; fun is the most important part of life. Their vacation week is the one time many of them can do activities such as zip lining through the forest canopy, navigating whitewater rapids, sunset safaris, learning how to surf, or sitting under an umbrella waiting for the cabana boy to bring the drink. While many tourists do not get the full effect of the countries they visit, this type of travel is still important. It helps support the local economy as well as give the weary tourist a break from their regular life.
Next are the true travelers; the ones who have nearly filled their passport book with stamps. Travelers wander from country to country with very little need for a schedule. They often have no idea where they will stay at night; it might be a hostel, a campsite, or a friend’s couch. They do activities as they arise and experience the country with the locals. Travelers are the most adaptable group, going with the current instead of trying to fight it. Perhaps this also comes from experience, knowing that everything will eventually deviate from the plan. This promotes the thought “why make plans at all?” The knowledge of the travelers is much more than the average vacationer, months and in some cases years of travel and wandering has taught them more than any school or book could. The purpose of the traveler is to experience everything, make new friends, eat new food, and try new things. The travelers are the people that really understand each country and their people. “Live like the locals” is their mantra.
Finally, there are the adventurers, a group made up of explorers, climbers, sailors, backpackers, and any other people that look for excitement from nature. They feel the call of the wild, and give up comfort and possessions for the greatest thing on earth, adventure. From the poles to the tropics and everywhere in between you can find the adventurers. It is hard to say how adaptable adventurers are. On one hand they usually have a very strict schedule and on the other their past experiences allow them to adapt to the elements to survive. Adventurers are arguably the most knowledgeable; they have to be. Knowing how to tie ropes, how to survive in the wild, how to sail are all vital to their quest. Their purpose is obvious, to quench their thirst for excitement through nature. It is this group that will be seen on the side of a cliff, wading through the steamy tropics, or trudging through the tundra by those who dare to follow them.
In conclusion, the fact that there are many people who travel is obvious, but, they remain a diverse group. Tourists, Travelers, and Adventurers all differ in their adaptability, knowledge, and purpose. Some have more stamps in their passports than others, some know the languages of the countries, and others just go to have fun. With all their differences there remains one thing in common: they all love to travel.

The Art of Sand

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:27:20 -0400

Mike and I did some sightseeing in our own backyard over the weekend. There is an awesome outdoor art exhibit in Cape Canaveral. Artists from all over the world came to Brevard County to showcase their talents at the month long International Sand Sculpting Festival.

1,100 tons of special construction sand was brought in from Polk County Florida. Wondering why they needed to bring sand all the way from around county when there is a beach full of sand a stone’s throw away? Apparently, the sand of the beach has been rounded from the constant pounding of the sea/wind and the construction sand is square in shape. Who knew? It be like using marbles instead of dice.

The sand must be reasonably fine; otherwise the grains will not stick together. The ideal water to sand ratio is eight parts of dry sand to one part water. The master sculptors incorporate a little water into the hard sand as they go to achieve the finest of details.

Next question, how can the artists keep their sculptures from washing away or crumbling? Once the hard packed sand sculptures are complete a fine mist of water soluble bio-degradable glue is sprayed to protect them from the elements.

The Art of Sand Festival is open daily and is going on until May 1. What happens to the sand after the exhibit is over? Everyone is welcome to come with buckets, wheelbarrows, and haul off the sand.

www.artofsandus.com

Kindred spirits.

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:08:48 -0400

Last week Catrell and I met with Buck and Amy Allen to discuss their project. I have known Buck for many years, but we had lost track of each other until we reconnected on Facebook. As some of my close friends will tell you I fought joining Facebook for a variety of reasons, and am glad I finally succumb to the pressure. To be honest, the chances of reconnecting with Buck and meeting Amy for the first time would have been fairly slim.

Buck and Amy created a foundation to help get clean drinking water to villages in various parts of the world. I cannot possibly do their cause justice by trying to explain it in a blog, so here’s the link to their site to learn more: www.globalchange.me Please check it out and donate if you can. If you just want a quick project overview, here’s the About Us section from the web site.

ABOUT US

In 2009 the global water crisis was brought to the attention of a small group of people living in Central Florida. We made a commitment to do something about this problem. Global Change, Inc. was formed as a non profit organization whose mission is to provide safe, clean water and sanitation to people living in extreme poverty throughout our world.

Today Global Change, Inc. is collaborating with other non profit organizations who are currently on the ground in these impoverished regions of our world. Global Change, Inc provides funding for sustainable projects that empower these impoverished communities with the tools and education needed to promote, maintain and preserve healthy solutions to the problems they face on a daily basis such as safe, clean water and sanitation.

We encourage you to learn more about this global crisis and to become involved in making a difference in our world.

Amy Allen
Co Founder
Global Change, Inc.

Here’s the real irony of our ‘chance meeting’. The first grant recipient of Hipporollers (see site for more details) is Kgautsuana, which is in the Limpopo region of South Africa. It’s approximately 75 miles from where SanWild Rehabilitation & Wildlife Sanctuary is located. We are already talking about ways to include visits to Kgautsuana and other villages in South Africa where they award grants during future tours to SanWild. Helping people and helping animals, that’s what I call a great partnership. A chance meeting? I think not.

Happy Good Friday and Easter Weekend!

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 09:29:07 -0400

Last year, over Easter Weekend, we were in Mossel Bay, South Africa. We rented an apartment overlooking the bay. It is pictured above. Easter was celebrated, but there was NO commercialism about it. No Easter Bunnies, No Easter candy, No baskets, etc. Just a time to go to Church and spend time with your family. All businesses closed early on Friday and everything was closed on Sunday. What a concept.