Tips To Relieve Pet Travel Anxiety
Written by Jenn Cosgrove
One of the greatest joys of traveling is sharing the experience with friends, family, and even your pet.
If you are considering traveling internationally with your pet, it’s important to begin planning way ahead of your travel date. Here are some tips on how to keep your furry friends relaxed and calm while traveling, whether by plane or a long scenic drive.
Take a drive
Before your drive, exercise your pet. Take a long walk or play fetch. Encourage your cat to play with its favorite toy. Exercise will give your pet a way to burn off nervous energy.
If your pet isn’t used to riding in vehicles, take a few practice runs prior to your travel date. Start with short trips to the corner store or to a friends house increasing the distance each time.
Make sure your pet is safely and securely restrained or confined to a pet carrier. Using positive reinforcement methods, place some treats in the crate or on the seat verbally encouraging your pet that this is a safe place where fun things happen.
Pack a pet travel kit
Before you hit the road with your pet, make sure they have all the traveling accessories they need as well. Include your pets favorite toy, blanket, chews, or familiar items to help make your pet feel more at home.
Keep your cool
Your pet can sense when you’re stressed and will react in turn. Keeping the energy positive as you’re packing the car and helping your pet into its crate or restrained seat will help alleviate any stress your pet may be feeling. Avoid loud unfamiliar noises, try some soothing music for your road trip.
When traveling by plane
- Try to book a direct flight if possible
- Do not feed your pet during the six hours before your flight. Try not to give them water for the hour before the flight
- Take your pet for a long walk before placing them in the carrier to burn any excess energy
- Make sure your pet has sufficient identification. Address tags with your cell phone number, pet name and rabies tags should be worn by your pet at all times. Health records should be up-to-date well in advance of your trip
- Avoid sedating your pet. If your pet is over stressed, be prepared ahead of time. Talk to your vet, there are a number of natural calming products on the market they may be able to recommend
- Acclimate your pet to its travel carrier well in advance before your trip. Place a favorite toy and familiar bedding in the carrier
Do you travel with your pet often? Know any good tips to keep them relaxed while on the road? We’d love to hear them!
Every day containers of consumer goods are stacked by the thousands onto cargo freighters and transported from port to port across the globe. The volume of cargo traded through the world’s top container ports has increased dramatically over the years. A major reason for this is the increase in globalization throughout the world. Many of these ports work towards being one of the busiest ports in the world.
The changes in distribution and cargo-handling capabilities of the world’s biggest container ports show the shifts that the world economy has undergone over time. Container ships make about 9,000 port calls.
Workers at ports worldwide load and unload more than 10,000 liner ship stops per week. The average ship makes about 2 port calls per week.
There are different factors that determine how busy or large a port is. Some components are the area covered by the port, amount of traffic handled, and the role each port plays in the import and export capabilities of the nations they serve.
Many countries are gearing up to meet the additional demand for import/export. This method of transport accounts for more than 90 percent of the world trade by volume. New and bigger terminals are built with expansions of channels and waterways in order to prepare for this.
Read our list of the busiest ports in the world below.
Countries are eager to boast having the largest or busiest port in the world because it signifies their economic growth and power. With this power it indicates their presence in the global market.
Busiest Ports in the World
The following are among the busiest ports worldwide:
Port of Shanghai – China
The port of Shanghai is one of the most important gateways for foreign trade for China. It has been one of the world’s most active international trade hubs for over a century. This is still the busiest in the world today in terms of cargo tonnage.
Shanghai’s port has many economic advantages such as ideal natural conditions, great geographical location as it faces the East China Sea, perfect inland distribution infrastructure, and it serves a vast economically developed area.
Port of Singapore – Singapore
The Port of Singapore is the second largest port in the world. It handles more than 420 million tons of cargo every year.
The port terminals are located at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Brani, Pasir Panjang, Sembawang and Jurong. On average, Singapore’s port receives 140,000 vessels on an annual basis and connects Singapore to more than 600 global ports.
The port of Singapore transships a fifth of the world’s shipping containers and half of the world’s annual supply of crude oil. Singapore was one of the few who recognized the opportunities to establish ports for commercial trading.
Port of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Port is the key factor in the development of Hong Kong. It is located in the Far East Trade Routes and is in the center of the fast-developing Asia-Pacific Basin.
Hong Kong Port provides good access for vessels from all over the world. One of the unique qualities of the port is that it efficiently handles cargo operations. The locations of the major cargo handling facilities, including container terminals, river trade terminal, mid-stream sites, public cargo working areas and supporting facilities, such as ship repair yards and typhoon shelters.
Like many of the world’s largest and busiest ports, Hong Kong in the South China Sea is a natural harbor and accounts for the cities strong presence in the world market.
Port of Rotterdam – Netherlands
Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is one of the oldest and largest seaports in Europe and it also ranked as one of the biggest marine ports in the world. It is the only port in north-western Europe that offers unrestricted access to ships with the deepest draughts.
The port handled 441.5 million tons of cargo in 2012, is a gateway to a market of more than 500 million European consumers and also is Europe’s largest center for agricultural business. The harbor functions as a crucial transit point for transport of goods between Europe and other parts of the globe.
Port of Tianjin – China
Port of Tianjin (formerly Tanggu) is the biggest and fastest-growing part of the city’s economy. In 2012, the Port of Tianjin’s cargo throughput reached a new record, growing 5.3 percent year-on-year to 476 million tonnes.
Located in the mouth of the Haihe River in northern China, the port connects to more than 500 ports and serves 189 countries. It is expected to handle 560 million tons of cargo in 2015.
Exporting to the Busiest Ports in the World
Schumacher Cargo Logistics can move your household goods and vehicles all over the world. Since 1977, we have shipped to the busiest ports in the world and offer the best rates and services. To start your shipment, fill out our Online Quote Form today!
From towering masterpieces of architecture to breathtaking natural scenery and lit-up romantic skylines, nothing inspires me to travel or move overseas quite like seeing a place on the big screen.
Movies have such a great power to inspire and trigger an itch for adventure, travel and mystery. They express feelings of freedom and explore ways in which personal journeys can change people’s lives.
There are so many classic and modern day films about expatriate life, it’s hard to find a definitive list. Here are just a handful of favorites.
Lost In Translation
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson
Lost in Translation The film focuses on Charlotte’s personal struggle as she attempts to see a future for herself as John’s wife while also finding a career with which she can be happy. Bob and Charlotte become fast friends, and as they explore the culturally rich landscape of Tokyo, their friendship threatens to develop into something more.
Set in Japan, Lost In Translation describes the chance meeting between a well-known American actor, Bob, and a trailing spouse named Charlotte who is accompanying her celebrity photographer husband, John, while he is on assignment in Tokyo.
As they look for their “place in life” in a completely foreign and unfamiliar environment with cultural and language disparities, both characters blunder their way through the dynamic city of Tokyo.
The Beach
Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Tilda Swinton, Robert Carlyle
American backpacker, Richard (DiCaprio) arrives in Thailand seeking adventure. While staying in a seedy hotel in Bangkok, he meets a drugged-out character Daffy (Robert Carlyle) who tells him a fantastic story of a secluded island beach that’s a “paradise on earth.”
Richard decides to embark on a journey to find the beach taking along with him a young french couple. After a treacherous journey they finally reach their destination but the idyllic paradise soon becomes a nightmare.
Into The Wild
Directed by Sean Penn
Starring Emile Hersh, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener
Into the Wild is an adaptation of the popular book by Jon Krakauer, the true story of Chris McCandless, a young Emory graduate who is found dead in the Alaskan wilderness in September 1992 at the age of twenty-four.
After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness in search of a greater spiritual knowledge and communion with nature. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
The Painted Veil
Director John Curran
Starring Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber
Somerset Maugham’s novel The Painted Veil was first adapted into a film in 1934.
Remade in 2006, the film tells the story of an Austrian woman who is forced to accompany her doctor husband to a remote Chinese province afflicted with cholera after she reveals her affair to him.
In an act of vengeance, he accepts the job in a remote village in China ravaged by the deadly epidemic.
It is to be her punishment. But it may be redemption for them both. Their journey brings meaning to their relationship and gives them purpose in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.
Our Other Favorite “Just Get Up and Move” Movies
Some other travel inspiring movies include:
- Endless Summer
- Before Sunrise
- Indiana Jones movies
- 7 Years In Tibet
- The Bourne Identity
- The English Patient
- A View To A Kill
- Casablanca
- The African Queen
- Out Of Africa
- Under The Tuscan Sun
- How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
- Life Of PI
What are some of your favorite films that pique your sense of adventure and inspire you to travel?
Top 3 Expat Havens
Expatriate or “expat” is a term used to indicate a person either temporarily or permanently living in a country other than the one where he or she is a citizen.
There are a number of reasons why people become expatriates such as professionals sent abroad by their companies or governments for work purposes, those seeking a different lifestyle and culture from which they’ve become accustomed to, or others who have fallen in love with a person or place outside of their own country.
According to recent data, the number of expatriates has reached over 230 million worldwide. Some celebrity expats of note are Tina Turner, Shania Twain, Phil Collins, Gerard Depardieu, Sean Connery, Mick Jagger, and Johnny Depp.
If you have a sense of adventure and are looking for a variety of cultural offerings, climates and lifestyles, check out some of these expat-friendly destinations.
Ecuador
Ecuador has been voted the best place in the world for expats to retire. Estimates show that about 5,000 to 10,000 American expatriates now live in Ecaudor.
Property is relatively cheap to buy or rent either on beachfront villas or rural locations. Buying a house or condo near the water could cost you less than a quarter of popular U.S. destinations of similar climate.
High quality hospital care as well as affordable health care are among the major attractions when locating to Ecuador. You may want to brush up on your Spanish as it is the official language of Ecuador, though English is widely spoken.
Panama
Panama is considered to be a great option for first time expats with it’s major draw, besides it’s lush tropical landscape, being a US style infrastructure which offers an easy transition to US retirees.
Panama is one of the few countries that offer great amenities, excellent infrastructure and sizable expat populations. Panama also boasts a rich nightlife and cultural activities.
This tolerant and multicultural country offers travelers with special interests such as world record deep sea fishing, birding, river rafting and rain forest experiences. All these exciting opportunities together with gorgeous beaches and great surfing, kayaking and diving, ensure Panama has something for everyone.
Malaysia
Malaysia is a regional and a global hub, for trade, for business, and for culture offering expats affordable living in what is considered luxury housing in the U.S.
Malaysia has some of the regions best street food, restaurants, shopping malls, bars and movie theaters. Its tropical weather is around 82 all year year round and its beaches, islands, and jungles are pristine.
Plan on making an international move? As an expat one gets to peer out at a more interesting, colorful, exotic world, something unfamiliar and exciting. What have you got out of your expat experience?
Written by Jenn Cosgrove
Pack Up Your Troubles and Groove on Down the Road
No matter where you’re moving, across town or across the country, moving can be a lot to deal with (side note: we make it easier!).
Turn up the tunes to make your move better.
Music can inspire a sense of motivation and reflection. It can help you focus when the task at hand seems almost too big to tackle.
When you’re listening to a great song, singing along, and getting into the groove, you’re less likely to think about the stresses and more focused on the positive things that are coming your way.
Plus, Your more likely to pack faster without feeling like you’re putting too much effort into it.The sheer volume of things to do can get wearisome but music always makes the ride a little less rough.
Here are some of our favorite songs that inspire the sense of possibility in a new beginning, or the wistful feeling of leaving a place behind.
- Jeffersons Theme Song – Movin’ on Up
- Pack All Your Troubles (in your old kit bag) – Edward Hamilton
- Ticket to Ride – The Beatles
- Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
- Better Things – The Kinks
- I Can See For Miles – The Who
- Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) – Billy Joel
- We Gotta Get Out of This Place – The Animals
- 50 Ways to Leave your Lover – Paul Simon
- Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
- Goodbye Yellow brick road – Elton john
- No Time – The Guess Who
- Crossroads – Cream
- Every Day is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow
- On the Road Again – Willie Nelson
- I feel the Earth Move – Carole King
- Rockin’ on Down the Highway – Doobie Brothers
- Beautiful Day – U2
- Pack it Up – The Pretenders
- Drivin’ My Life Away – Eddie Rabbit
- Heard it in a Love Song – Marshall Tucker Band
- The Big Country – Talking Heads
- Leaving on a Jet Plane – John Denver
- Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight
- Dreams – The Cranberries
- Ride Across the River – Dire Straits
- Our House – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
- Already Gone – The Eagles
What songs are on your moving playlist?
