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Personal Musings

Welcome to New Zealand – A Life Update

Where have I been? Well I have moved back to New Zealand and this is my little life update to let you know what is happening with the Four Jandals Blog.

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Skydiving in Nairobi

I would love to blame my lack of updates on this blog on something awesome. Unfortunately I have just been really slack.

Well to give me some credit, I have just moved to New Zealand so it has been pretty hectic catching up with family and friends in the last three weeks! I have been travelling all over the North Island of New Zealand and have finally managed to settle in Wellington.

Thorndon to Tararuas HDR

So what I am doing back home in New Zealand?

Well, after 3 years, 10 months, 2 weeks and 1 day of travelling to 44 countries, I was exhausted.

2013 has been one of the toughest, but strangely exciting times of my life. When I started this blog I called it Four Jandals because at the time Adela and I were still together. Unfortunately, Four Jandals became Two Jandals in April and we broke up. Some readers don’t seem to notice even though it is one of my most popular posts. But it isn’t something I am too public about either.

Luckily we are still friends and talking to one another. I would have hated to throw away everything after nearly 5 years together.

Leopard in Tree Lake Nukuru Game Park Kenya

Since April I have travelled nearly the length of Africa from Nairobi to Cape Town overland. I also spent 6 weeks in Thailand frantically trying to catch up on all the work I had neglected over those three months in Africa.

Why have I returned home?

Everyone keeps asking me why I have returned and why would I want to? Quite simply the answer is because I wanted to. I was always going to return to New Zealand. It is my home and the one true place where I have always been 100% happy.

Plus I have missed so many important events over the last 4 years because of travelling. Family birthdays, friends weddings, births and deaths. All missed because I was selfishly travelling the world.

I don’t regret what I did for an instant. But I am so glad that I am finally home. It is time to make a fresh start. A time to laugh, love and live again.

So what am I doing?

Luckily I have picked up a job really quickly and I am working for a website in New Zealand as one of their content creators here in Wellington. Basically I get to help promote New Zealand brands and businesses online. Something that I am really passionate about because there is a lack of small local companies online in New Zealand.

Plus it allows me to write on a daily basis (probably one of the reasons I have been so slack here on the blog) and follow my dreams.

Skydiving in Nairobi

What about the blog?

Well this is far from being my last blog post.

I still have hundreds of stories to share with you. I have hardy scratched the surfaces of all my experiences, let alone edit my thousands of photos that I have accumulated over the past 4 years.

However, while I don’t expect to stop writing or blogging, you may see a shift in the sort of content that I do write. As well as a re-branding over the next couple of months. Obviously Four Jandals has been very successful, but it is a bit hard to call myself “Four” when I only have Two Jandals.

So for now nothing is changing. But I wanted to write this update as an apology to you because I have been so slack. As always I am extremely thankful for my followers on social media and my readers of this blog. I would not be where I am today without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

Safe Travels,

Cole

Cole is one half of New Zealand's leading adventure travel blogging couple who have been wearing out their jandals around the world since 2009. He loves any adventure activities and anything to do with the water whether it is Surfing, Diving, Swimming, Snorkeling or just lounging nearby on the beach. You can follow Cole on Google+. Or consider following us via RSS Feed, Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to our Newsletter.

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Personal Musings

Life After Lockdown – Why It’s OK to Still Think About Your Travel Plans

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We know that 2020 hasn’t gone to plan, as COVID-19 took hold and shattered pretty much all of our travel plans. Yes, lockdown hit hard, flights were cancelled, and planes were grounded for the foreseeable – and for the most part, we’re still in the dark about how long it will all last.

That said, while the light at the end of the tunnel may be small, there is still a light, and we know that the pandemic will, at some point, come to an end. It’s for this exact reason that we encourage you to not give up hope! Dreaming of your next trip is not a crime, neither is starting to make initial plans for it.

With this in mind, here are some of our thoughts on why it’s ok to start thinking of your next trip, even if you can’t yet pin a date on it.

Use Lockdown for Research

Even though you can’t book flights and start getting excited about going to the airport, what you can do, is research. Initial planning and research from the comfort of your living room. Why not make the most of lockdown and use your time being productive? Not only is this a great use of time, it’s good for your state of mind, as you are giving yourself a little inspiration and thinking positively about life after lockdown.

Get online and research some of your favourite countries, discover new places, get onto some travel forums and chat to people who are also thinking along the same lines. Overall this is a very positive move, and think of how well educated and well-equipped you will be when you are finally able to jet away!

Get your equipment sorted

Another good thing about having more time on your hands is being able to take your time buying the stuff you need. We’re in the age of online shopping, so being stuck at home doesn’t restrict you from at least looking around for the gear you need. Bookmark those pages and build yourself a checklist for your travels, from the obvious things such as suitcases or backpacks to the things you might not think of straight away.

One of the main ones, surprisingly, is custom cut foam which you can use to keep your valuables safe when you travel. Musicians carrying musical instruments use foam to keep their prize possessions in pristine condition, despite all the travelling, but this is just one example. Perhaps you’ll buy something while you’re away, a gift which is fragile or valuable? Packing with foam is the ultimate safety item.

It may seem like it’s too early to get organised with travel equipment, but it could actually be the best time ever!

Stay positive!

Perhaps a term you’ve heard over and over again during the crisis, but for good reason. Keeping a positive mental attitude towards travelling is important at the moment. If you tend to travel with friends, remember to keep their spirits up too, reminding them that they will travel once again. The points mentioned above are just as important as ever, if only for the purpose of keeping you in the right mindset while we get through the rest of the pandemic.

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Until then, stay safe.

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Personal Musings

How to Know if a FEIN Applies to You

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What is a FEIN? A FEIN is a federal employer identification number is used for the internal revenue service to identify a business for tax purposes. It is a nine-digit number, much like a social security number, that the IRS uses to identify different entities and is formatted like 12-3456789. All business entities are required to have a tax identification number to identify the taxpayer. To apply for a tax identification number, you can visit the website IRS-EIN-Tax-ID, to fill out paperwork from the Internal Revenue Services known as a SS-4.

Different Entities

To know if you should apply for a FEIN, you should first decide what entity you are. The different entities that require a tax identification number include:

  • Sole Proprietor/Individual
  • Limited Liability Company
  • Trust
  • Estate (Deceased Individual)
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Corporation and S-Corporation
  • Partnership
  • Personal Service Corporation
  • Church Controlled Organization

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You also need to obtain an EIN number if you:

  • People work for you
  • Your business operates as a partnership or firm
  • You file any tax returns under excise, tobacco, firearms, alcohol, or employment
  • Any of your taxes are withheld on revenue, besides pay, paid to a foreign alien
  • You operate your business under a Keogh Plan
  • You have any affiliation with a trust, IRA, real estate mortgage, farmers’ cooperative, or a plan administrator program

If any of the following applies to you then it is time to apply for your tax identification number. IRS-EIN-Tax-ID has broken the filling process down into three simple steps.

  1. Select entity
  2. Enter information
  3. Review and submit

They have government agents available for any questions. They also provide a processing and filling service to make the process easier. If submitted during business hours, you will receive your EIN that same day via email, typically within an hour.

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Personal Musings

Hairstyles for Brides with Long Hair

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Your hairstyle is your crowning glory on your wedding day, and above all else, it needs to compliment your dress. The style of dress you’ve chosen should be used as a guideline to what type of hairstyle you want to go with on the big day. Consider the neckline, the sleeve length and the length of the dress and whether it would make more sense for your hair to be in an up-do or flowing free. To help get you set on the right path, we’ve taken the most popular dress styles from JJsHouse and explored the best hairstyles for brides with long hair to go with them.

A-Line, Trumpet and Mermaid Styles

These simple styles look best with slicked-back hair or hair worn in a sleek blow-out. Since A-line, trumpet and mermaid dresses all come with various types of necklines and sleeve lengths, pay close attention to the style of dress you’ve chosen and consider whether your hair would look best up or down.

If there’s intricate detailing on the chest or neckline of the dress, wear your hair in a slicked-back up-do to show off those beautiful aspects. Dresses with sleeves also look best with hair pulled back to keep the overall look from getting too busy. Sleeveless or off-the-shoulder dresses look beautiful with hair worn down in a sleek blow-out.

Luxury Dresses and Ball-Gowns

Luxury dresses and ball-gowns always look best with hair in a dramatic up-do to match the drama of the dress. Fortunately, if you’re a bride with long hair, there are hundreds of dramatic up-dos out there that you can choose to go with your gown. Consider what makes you most comfortable as well as the shape of your face and your personality.

Go with a classic chignon or a French twist and bun combo. Create an element of Old Hollywood glamour with a low bun and finger waves in front. Get a more ethereal look with a fishtail that mimics the look of a crown or tiara. Other styles include a high braided bun or a modern updo with embellishments like sparkles or pearls sprinkled throughout.

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Colorful Dresses

If you’re opting for a colorful dress, you probably have an outgoing, unconventional personality. A colorful dress combined with a unique style offers a great opportunity to use a matching headpiece or colorful flowers in your hair to compliment the dress. Consider your hair type and find an effective way to attach the headpiece so you don’t have to fumble with it halfway through the ceremony. For thinner hair, use fine-tooth combs. For wavy or curly hair, use barrettes, bobby pins or combs.

No matter what hairstyle you choose, one of the most important things is to make sure that it shines. There are many tricks you can use to help create some super shine for your hair, such as applying a moisturizing conditioner before you start to style it and then using a shine serum once it’s complete to add a nice layer of gloss. With a shiny ‘do styled using the tips above, your wedding look will be absolutely perfect on your special day.

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Meet Cole and Adela

Cole and AdelaWe have been wearing out our jandals (Kiwi for flip-flops) on our travel adventures around the world since 2009. We think our blog is thought provoking and a little witty. But we have been proven wrong before. Find out more about us here...

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