Let Me Tell You About A Little Vacation I Took

I've been scared to even begin writing about this trip to anyone, other than those who were on it.  If I try and move beyond three words ('Best Trip Ever!!'), I begin to falter and have difficulties describing specifically why and how this trip was just so amazing.  Obviously the people were a huge factor, but there were certain elements I never anticipated.

For example, days seemed to go much longer while on the boat, it seemed there were more hours in a day to do everything.  This led to both an incredibly social vacation at the same time as being an incredibly relaxing vacation.  Because there was no need to devote time towards getting to the restaurant, getting ready, choosing where to go, etc etc there was time for both drinking late at night with friends and napping in the sun, swimming multiple times a day and playing cards.  Monday morning I woke up and expressed amazement that it was already Wednesday, to which I was even more amazed to find out that it wasn't.

The crew was incredibly attentive and pleasant.  It went beyond the basics of preparing our delicious meals and keeping our rooms tidy.  If it happened to be the afternoon and 5 of us were talking, a crew member would suddenly appear with 5 glasses and a bottle of wine.  If we wanted to use the kayaks they would bring them back up onto the boat and put them away.  Everyday the captain would show us our anticipated route and ask if we had any requests.  Usually we didn't, but a couple times we made requests that were honored the same day.  I expected nice service but they seemed genuinely pleased to make our vacation so pleasant.

And there were little things.  The affects of drinking wine until 3am would vanish upon an 8:30am jump into the crystal waters of the Mediterranean.  Sleeping in the sun never became too hot when the sea breeze was at work.  Paying a couple extra lari for ice cream seemed an awesome exchange to for the convenience of it being delivered to your boat.

And the water-it was SO BLUE.

Early in the week, Nick and I spoke about how this vacation was exactly as perfect as we thought it would be except that the water was unbelievably blue.  It really became a metaphor for everything about this vacation.  Everything was as perfect as expected, except for one detail that made it that much more incredible.  That the fish for dinner was caught that morning, that cocktails were accompanied by some of the most spectacular sunsets I've seen, that the boat came with a bunch of different water toys.  Everything was expectedly perfect but for one extra detail that made it that much better.

And this speaks nothing of the company, which was outstanding.  It was inspiring to reconnect with friends long estranged through no fault but distance, friends who are creative, successful, and talented and who help me feel the same.  I left Turkey filled with optimism and anticipation for the future, for myself and those whom I love.

I know you're all clamoring to see pictures.  We were blessed with a lot of photographic talent on this trip and these pictures are coming soon.

Hip-Hop From The Land Of Fire: Elshad Xose ft. MC Murad - Eşq-Qǝrǝz

Elshad is a big name in Azerbaijani Rap, he's credited with being the most commercially successful rapper, and continued his rap-tastic lifestyle by going to jail on chargers of drug possession.  I don't know if he still holds this title, I certainly see far more H.O.S.T. worship than Elshad Xose, but he's still respected.

My attitude towards him so far has been a bit ambivalent.  From what I hear he's okay, but nothing has blown me away.  Months ago I posted Gencelik, a nice summer jam, but it was too close to The Fresh Prince for me to truly take him seriously.

Eşq-Qǝrǝz however hovers closer to Missy Elliot and Timbaland when they were just getting into their Indian beats.  Elshad creates a strong character in this track, it really seems as if he's a completely different person.  He's seductive and smokey here; far more enticing and dangerous than what I've heard before, and simply from his vocal performance.  I like it.

Check it out below.  Props to RapRock.Az for the post.

Elshad Xose ft. MC Murad - Eşq-Qǝrǝz (which means Love-In Short (as in, a long story made short))



Check out more Hip-Hop In The Land Of Fire HERE

How To Plan A Millionaire's Yacht Trip On A College Student's Budget

This could be you (for much cheaper than you expect...)

Is there anything that screams 'luxury' louder than a private yacht?  Its a fantasy people dream of having after making their first (or second) million and right before the purchase of their private jet.

But this trip of a lifetime isn't limited to the very wealthy.  Its not even limited to the realm of the very middle class.  You can easily book a week long trip on your favorite seven sea for less than a few raucous weekends out.

Oh yeah, and you can do it surrounded only by the people you love.

I just spent a week on board a yacht with 15 friends and a private 4 person crew.  Our delicious food has been cooked for us, our rooms have been cleaned for us, and they've handled all the sailing and route logistics.  They did everything to free us up to sun, drink, and swim.

Million dollar treatment, right?

Except this experience cost us each 660 dollars which translates to less than 100 bucks a day, less than what you would pay for hotel and dining in most international cities.

Chartering your own yacht with your friends is not just possible-its easily doable.  To plan an amazing trip that all your friends who were foolish enough not to commit to will be jealous of, follow these steps.

1) Use the Google.  Finding a company to host your trip is as simple as searching 'yacht (or gullet) rental in _______'  Choose where you want to go and find a little about costs before you write your initial email.  This will give you some reasonable estimates to share and some spectacular photos to include to entice commitment.

2) Start early.  Although it's not that expensive to plan this trip, we are talking about international travel here.  Put the call out to your friends a year or so in advance.  You want a lot of people to commit-more people means a smaller per person cost and bigger party.  Additionally, though the yacht part of the trip will be inexpensive, air fare is always a bit of money.  Give people time to start saving and get rabidly excited.  I promise-it will be a conversation topic that will never get old.

3) Charge a little extra.  When figuring out what everyone will need to pay, keep in mind that you will most likely be dealing with currency conversion, and currencies fluctuate.  Make each per person buy-in 5-10% more to account for a potential decrease in the value of the dollar and any credit card fees that the company may add on.

4) Use a credit card.  Credit card companies will offer outstanding bonuses if you meet a minimum spend requirement, sometimes the bonus can even be redeemed for the airline ticket you will be purchasing.  Be smart and take advantage of this chunk of change you're about to spend.  Also keep a look out for cards with no foreign transaction fees.  Check out [the points guy] for the best promotions going on now (I got Chase Sapphire Preferred, which I love).  You'll be putting a lot of money on your card for at least the deposit, so be smart and make that money work for you,

5) Combine this with other trips.  The trip will seem more expensive if your paying for airfare just for a yacht trip.  Make this a portion of your vacation.  Some friends are coming to Turkey amidst their summer in Europe.  Others are spending a couple weeks in Turkey, in addition to the yacht trip.  Make this spectacular event a part of a spectacular trip, not the entire trip itself, and get more value out of your airline ticket.

6) Keep constant communication.  I set a few different dates early on for people to pay for portions of the trip by.  When it comes time for people to pay money, some people will eventually drop out, but if you keep the enthusiasm up by sending out excited emails with beautiful photos you'll keep most people and easily find others.  I had 4 people bail on this trip, and almost instantly found 4 people to fill their places.  Also, its fun to watch friends who missed the boat (*ahem*) get more and more jealous of the trip you will soon be embarking on.

It takes a bit of email work, but planning a yacht trip for you and your friends and family is really not that hard.  And I promise-it is completely worth it.

If you have any questions-leave them in the comments.  I'll respond to each one so that you can plan the trip of a lifetime on the budget of the everyday.

Check back for photos and updates of this awesome trip.

Where In The World is Josh?

Right now I'm on a 4 star boat, off the coast of Western Turkey, in the Mediterranean Sea.  You should be very excited to see photos.  Also, possibly frightened-because we are having such a good time it is frightening.

People really do have this much fun.  Its not just for Apple Store iPhoto Demos and American Eagle advertisements.

Check back Sunday for a post on 'How To Plan Your Own Yacht Trip'.  In the meantime, listen to the outstanding 10th Anniversary Summer Mix HERE

Hip-Hop From The Land Of Fire: A-Team-Publika

Oh A-Team, how I love you.  I get ready for the day to your pump-up tracks and I dream about going to your concerts at night (seriously-when will I be able to get to one of your shows? I want to give you some money already!)  I saw Publika randomly on youtube and did a little research to see where it came from.  And for my work I was rewarded with a new album to download, A-Team's 2010 'La Edri'

But really, A-Team, I want to see you before I go.  If you will do this for me, I will learn the words to one of your songs (in Azeri!) and rap along with you when you perform it.

Your Friend,
Josh

A-Team - Publika (which means 'Audience')



Check out more Hip-Hop From The Land Of Fire Here

What's On Deck This Summer

Summer is finally here.  I've been looking forward to this summer since last summer ended.  Its hot, its humid, but man is it a great season.  Partially because watermelon is so cheap, partially because we can go to Nabran, but mainly because I can feel so free from responsibilities.

Here's what's on my deck this summer.

June: Quite a busy June, but all good things

6/3: Baseball Tournament in Baku (finished)
6/4-6/19: Turkey (currently enjoying)
6/24: Baseball Tournament in Guba
6/25-6/30: Khachmaz Summer Camp

July: After a packed June, July has been reserved as a me month.  My goal is to write 1000 words a day, practice yoga a ton, and get ready for initial job networking.  I plan on that being my daily schedule, 5 days a week.

7/7: Huge 4th of July Celebration in Khachmaz
7/15: MyMic Khachmaz
7/29-8/4: Ingrid coming to Azerbaijan!

August: The heat of summer.  I largely plan on figuring out ways to cool down.

8/5-8/9: Trip up to Sheki (this might expand longer).
8/12: MyMic Khachmaz
8/24-8/25: Shirvan Teacher Training Workshop
8/29-8/30: Close of Service Conference

Once COS conference hits, my busy busy fall will begin.  I'm booked almost every weekend during fall which will be a nice way to speed through the final months of my service.

The 10th Anniversary Summer Mix-2012

Currently I'm in Istanbul.  Tomorrow night I'll board a bus that will take me to my private boat, where 15 awesome people and I will sun on the deck, swim in the sea, and listen to lots of great music.

This year's Summer Mix was designed specifically with this trip in mind.  There are a lot of people coming and I wanted to put together a mix that would be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their musical tastes.  I want this to be a perfect soundtrack to a perfect summer moment, and this mix is filled with classics in hopes of hitting the mark here: Prince, Rolling Stone, Notorious BIG., Beach Boys, etc etc.

Enjoy The 10th Annual Summer Mix; I think its one of my best.  Check it out and download it HERE:

10th Anniversary Summer Mix-2012

1) The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
2) New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
3) Sloan - Unkind
4) Notorious BIG - Juicy
5) Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen
6) Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
7) The Beach Boys - Sloop John B
8) The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love?
9) Prince - Sign 0 The Times
10) Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
11) The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
12) A Tribe Called Quest - Scenario
13) Spoon - The Underdog
14) Katy B - Broken Record
15) OutKast - Rosa Parks
16) Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built
17) Frank Ocean - Songs For Women

Hip-Hop From The Land of Fire: Faust & Ramil - Arzular

I've mentioned the new album by Faust & Ramil of the KavKaz Clan a lot in passing on this blog, but I realize that up till now I haven't actually posted a track off it.  As an album, I haven't yet been blown away, but I do find myself going to this one track.  I really dig the guitar pedal effect on 'dreeeams' and the bass is nice and heavy.  Check it out below.

Faust & Ramil - Arzular (which means 'Dreams')



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