Thinking Global Acting Local Contest Winner Announced The big day has arrived to announce the winner of the "Where In The World Is Carra Riley?" contest. Participating in a journey around the world gave me plenty of time to think about becoming a "glocal" citizen.  I learned to Think Global and then Act Local with some of the lessons learned. First and foremost a HUGE thank you to all the participants in this fun game around the world! My foursquare updates on twitter are taking on a new meaning as I “think global and act local.” What an experience it was to voyage around the world with friends in the Cosmic Cow Pie! It is hard express in words how meaningful your comments and participation were as we were out in the middle of the ocean with no old friends or family on the ship.  We did... 05/15/2011

Williams, AZ Home with Acreage Price Reduction! Now offered at a new AFFORDABLE price! Have you ever craved for a peaceful get-away? This is the perfect home for you! Nestled on over 10 acres, this newer home backs forest service. Picture yourself sitting outside with your cup of coffee or tea, looking out over the panoramic mountain views, listening to the wind sway the trees around you! When you first walk into this home, your breath will be taken away by the vast living room with vaulted ceiling. The newer kitchen makes socializing with guest a breeze! You can almost smell the fresh baked cookies in the oven! The split floor plan will suit any buyer! Park all of your toys in the 2 car garage and you even have options for horses! This is a unique newer build home that was barely lived... 05/12/2011

Cosmic Shift Happens™ Launches May 12, 2011 "Cosmic Shift Happens™" includes valuable content from some ActiveRain members consistently contributing to educate the public through their blogging efforts. It is a 90 page e-book which has been crowd-sourced with individuals working in cyberspace from around the world.  The term "crowd-sourced" refers to the fact that a group of people collaborated, sharing ideas to create this e-book. As the Cosmic Shift Happens™ this book will help with taking control of social media and allow one to have fun! There are tips on how to engage in cyberspace and how to keep your head screwed on straight in the virtual world! The e-book should help readers ease the anxiety of engaging in cyberspace and feel comfortable about some of the things that cound happ... 05/10/2011

Summer Camp With No Bug Spray!  How can that be....... you may be asking?  Are you trying to put the puzzle pieces of Social Media together?                                     Have you been putting off learning all the confusing pieces of social media and how they all fit or do you know someone who needs to get with what is happening today in social media marketing?  No matter what business you are in, sharing this information can help someone you may know struggling with social meda pieces.  Bring or tell a friend and go to Social Media Summer Camp and forget the bugs! Hear how every business can maximize profits using social media on Blogtalkradio when Shelly Roth, President of Springboard Ventures, is a guest on the show May 11th 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time . We will be discussing Social... 05/03/2011

Glocal # 9   Indivisible:  Affiliates and Real Estate Agents How is the marketing meeting working for you?  Are you "unified" to meet the demands of today's market and consumer needs? Thinking Global, Acting Local, going “glocal.” The  global dots are still connecting on a local level  as I have landed in the United States of America and am happy to be on solid ground after an amazing voyage around the world! The International flags were flying at the meeting room of the North Metro Denver Realtor Association  this past Thursday in Broomfield, Colorado. The flags are reminders of the International Real Estate connection with the CIPS designation through the National Association of REALTORS®. The reticulation activation system in my brain has “global” ideas at the front of my consciousne... 04/19/2011

Where are you supposed to be?  Thinking Global, Acting Local, going "glocal" with the "Real Reason Rule™."                                    Do you appreciate the concept that everything happens for a reason? I am a firm believer in this philosophy and know all our experiences are directed from a higher source. When going through something, many times it might not be until you get in the middle of it do you see the "real reason" something transpired. Our global lesson proved this theory showing how the "Real Reason Rule™" works. My husband Tom and I have been on a journey around the world and in the middle of the South China Sea we got a call from family letting us know that his 92 year old mother had been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Serious thoughts of guilt began to rise... 04/11/2011

Glocal #8 Thinking Global, Acting Local “The Taj Rule ™”                                              The Taj Mahal has been considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I felt my breath get short as my eyes continued on a journey down the reflecting pool to see white marble structure I had only read about my entire life. The Taj Mahal is widely measured as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love. It is situated on the right bank of river Yamuna. Words fall short in trying to describe the feeling that is experienced with the beauty of the architecture. The building is actually a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan who was grief-stricken after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife. She died delivering their 14th child at the age of 39. T... 04/03/2011

 Glocal Lesson #7  What is up with your orange?                                                  Welcome to Day one on the voyage for “Connecting The Dots Around The World.” “How can this be?” you may be asking as today is actually the 52nd day of travel on the MV Explorer.  Mental transformation proceeds on different paths with each individual and it has taken me this much time to process the information and share it in a way that makes sense and will have a positive impact as we “Think Global and Act Local”  going “Glocal.”  To prepare for a mid-voyage review I took a step back to review where we came from and compare where we are, setting the first day stage: “Anxious whispers filled the room in the student union as voyagers anticipated the key note address for the Spring 2011 voyage... 03/05/2011

Glocal #6 Lesson of the Omelets Part 2 of 2 Part 1 of 2 #5 Glocal Lesson Of The Omelets                                          For the rest of the story….not having a camera available for the “photo op” at the omelet bar in Nassau led me to re-create the situation at a later date to have digital images for the “glocal” moment. While staying in the rain forest on the Amazon above Manaus, Brazil the opportunity arose to capture the “lesson of the omelet" in the Amazon Eco Park at the breakfast buffet. The photo of the omelet with the man behind possibly shows the sentiment of some of the residents along with the local actions reported in a newspaper article. You can be the judge of the lesson of the lesson of the omelet in Manaus, Brazil. It has taken me some time to publish this post a... 02/26/2011

Glocal #5 Lesson of the Omelets Part 1 of 2 Glocal #6 Lesson of the Omelets Part 2 of 2 “Thinking Global Acting Local” is the theme of the Spring 2011 Semester at Sea voyage around the world.  The Term "Glocal" is a hybrid word coming from the combination of taking global ideas to a local level. We are 30 days into the voyage now and I am starting to connect the dots around the world without emotions.  Saying there is an adjustment to traveling on a ship with 700 other people is an understatement.  The diverse group of learners from all over the world has been an interesting study of human nature.   The lessons are still the lessons and I was so happy to learn the Lesson of the rainforest in Dominica and the 18 Mile Rule™ in Brazil.  Could it be we have about completed 9 of the 18 miles... 02/10/2011

Glocal #4 "The 18 Mile Rule™" One of the great mysteries of the rain forest resides six miles east of Manaus, Brazil on the Amazon River.   This phenomenon of physics brings a global lesson to possibly every local organization, group and individual who look at it and think about the higher meaning of this transformational occurrence. “The 18 Mile Rule™” at the mixing of the waters represents  a message to help any community or individual looking to combine ideas and resources. Eighteen miles along the Amazon River the dark waters of the Rio Negro tumbling from Colombia lay side by side with the latte colored water of the Solimoes River stemming from Peru before they mix into one turbulent entity flowing to the Atlantic. The Amazon River has recently been deemed the longest and widest ri... 02/01/2011

Glocal #3 Brazil, Coffee, Certified Fair Trade "Thinking Global Acting Local" lessons continue as we journey up the Amazon River. Confronting The Coffee Crises: On our way to Brazil, the largest coffee exporter in the world, we had the opportunity to listen to Lee Gross explain his Masters research on small scale coffee production in the Dominican Republic. We are traveling down the Amazon River on the ML Explorer with the Spring 2011 Semester At Sea voyage learning new concepts from the voyage theme: Thinking Globally to Acting Locally on a daily basis. The information Lee shared was really an awakening for me to really embrace the concept of supporting  “Certified Fair Trade” products. I must admit I have been on the outside looking in with really understanding the importance of using... 01/23/2011

Where in the world is Dominica? We are in the Caribbean at an island called Dominica at the port of Rouseau on Domingo. Frankly speaking, I had never heard of the island of Dominica prior to this trip around the world on Semester At Sea so everything we learned was new to us! Dominica named a, “Best Trip of 2011″ 20 Best Trips of 2011 — National Geographic. Looking for an out-of-the oridinary destination for your next vacation? Check out these 20 top trips, hand-picked by National Geographic Traveler editors as the best of 2011. The name Dominica came from Christopher Columbus when he re-discovered this Island on Domingo. It was Sunday so the name stayed with a minor twist from the original Spanish word for Sunday.  We are here on Domingo or Sunday and absolutely everything is closed ex... 01/19/2011

Thinking Globally Acting Locally is the theme of the Spring 2011 Semester at Sea Voyage. The participants are learning about the new term "glocal."  Taking the lessons we are learning from around the globe and applying the message to our local community is taking us "glocal." Traveling around the world with a group of 605 college students, 66 lifelong learners and 70 TOP EDUCATORS has built up HIGH expectations of a “transformational” voyage. Speaking with new people every day at meal time creates opportunities to learn and share with one another like none other we have ever experienced.  Taking classes, observing in the Field  Programs, listening to speakers who are on the ship to share how they are making a difference in the world one  person at at time and explaining how they accompl... 01/18/2011

Glocal #1 Thinking Global Acting Local It's Carra Riley here live from Nassau, Bahamas on my voyage around the world! The vision for me in this trip is to “Connect The Dots Around The World.” I had no preconceived idea of how any of the dots would start to connect but they have already started to come together. Your comments and input will be invaluable as I post on my blog with a stream of consciousness writing along with just sharing what I am thinking and the observations I am making from exactly what I am experiencing. The “bar of expectation” for many businesses and services is a moving target today and we have had our experience with this two times in the first day of travel.  As the world economy is changing the fight for the discretionary dollar is actually going to the street w... 01/10/2011

The Beginning: Where In The World Is Carra Riley? It’s 4 a.m. in the morning….. la..la…la.. Elton John sings on in my mind.  My husband Tom and I are in the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina in Charlotte Douglas International Airport . Carra writing first blog post for SAS The reality of the journey of a lifetime became crystal clear as we took off from Phoenix, Arizona just after midnight, January 9, 2011. We are on our way to Nassau, Bahamas to embark on the MV Explorer with the Spring 2011 Semester At Sea voyage. As we taxied down the runway and the lift of the engines took us high above the desert development in the dark of the night, the vision of our world and our expectations of this life changing adventure began to form in my thoughts. I could see the engineered design of the... 01/09/2011

Let The Games Begin: Play "Where In The World Is Carra Riley?" Carra Riley is a writer, speaker, small business and real estate consultant going on a 104 day voyage around the world on Semester at Sea with her husband Tom. They live in Williams, Arizona and are taking their local community with them as they travel from the East to the West. This is the announcement post of the new INTERNATIONAL game... Where in the world is Carra Riley? The Theme of the Spring 2011 voyage is  "Global Interdependencies: Thinking Globally Acting Locally" "Glocal: Someone who is able and willing to think globally while acting locally to improve the human condition and the planet we inhabit."                     Williams, Arizona IS an International melting pot with visitors coming from all over the world a... 01/07/2011

Thank You Activerain For Teaching LOCAL Awareness! Spending the last two years creating blog posts and videos about my community has been a rewarding activity.  Not only have I gained an appreciation for everything our area had to offer I became involved with the community leaders and am now ready to take that activity to the next level... Going "GLOCAL!" Global Interdependencies: Thinking Globally, Acting Locallly "Glocal" is a great word for 2011. It really resonated with me because of activerain and the progressive vision for teaching the importance of localism  in our communities. I can now connect the dots of world economics and how it comes right back down to our local communities where we live, work and play. Thank you activerain for opening my eyes to the bigger picture and bein... 01/04/2011

Do you want to make this the year to GO GREEN and share the passion to help clean up the environment? Taking small steps in our individual lives can make a difference in the world and the resources we are using up. The concept of "Pay It Forward" can be an all inclusive term when sharing things that are good and can help others.  As we share with one another we are paying it forward in many aspects of our daily lives. Each year as I clean up the Christmas decorations and gather up the cards I take time to cut off the written area  and create post cards with the clean section which is usually the top with the graphic on the other side. The Re-purposing of the Christmas card begins at that point.   A Thank you note can be written on the left side of the post card with the address on the r... 12/26/2010

Last Minute Gift of Ingredients! Yes, you read that right.. Why not give the gift of ingredients for a special food dish! Try this idea with any fun food you make and want to share a recipie and the ingredients with.  Put your creative hat on and think about what you cook that everyone loves, then go get the ingredients, print out the recipe and put it in a bag. No matter what the event, birthday, Christmas, Valentines day this idea works and is something the receiver can use and think of you with warm thought while preparing!  Try it, you'll like it! Time for Christmas gift giving is running out and this might be your answer!  A gift bag and the grocery store! Simple, then you are all set to give the gift of ingredients!   What are some last minute "gift ingredients" you can think of? 12/22/2010