Following the Equator

Life on Tour Poll: Better prank

In Episode 9 of Life on Tour, the guys tried to scare the girls with fake snakes and other critters. But the girls proved that revenge is a dish best served spicy. What do you think about their antics?

poll by twiigs.com

Travel journals make great gifts

Travel journals have long been the most prized possession of many world travelers. Even now, despite the popularity of blogs, social-media sites and digital cameras, there's still nothing easier—or better, some say—than putting pen to paper and recording your recollections along your journey.

Journals also make great gifts for students embarking on educational tours next year. No matter where they're going (or your budget), there is a wide range of journals and accessories for any student traveler.

Group Leader Spotlight hiatus

Our popular Group Leader Spotlight is taking a short break through the holidays but will return to Following the Equator the first week of January.

In the meantime, we're always looking for more EF Group Leaders to profile in our weekly Q&A. If you're an EF Group Leader with a good story to tell about traveling the world with students (or if you know one), please let us know. Send us your recommendations at equator@ef.com.

Tip of the Week: Give thanks!

Don’t forget to thank your sponsors for their generous support. At all future fundraising events, offer to display the names of any local business or community organizations that have contributed to your educational tour.

You also can invite individual and group donors to keep tabs on your group with an on-tour blog or hear all about what you’ve learned at a post-tour slideshow presentation. And, as always, don’t forget to send them postcards from your trip abroad.

(For more fundraising help on your EF tour, check out EF's fundraising tips or contact an EF Fundraising Specialist at fundraising@ef.com.)

Life on Tour Episode 9: 'Revenge is Spicy'

Who had the better prank—the boys or the girls? Was Colter insensitive by repeatedly bringing up EuroTrip at the Vatican? What do you think about Briana's reaction? Chat with other Life on Tour fans and cast members on EF Tours' Facebook fan page.

The season finale of Life on Tour debuts next Tuesday, so be sure to tune in and watch the student travelers say goodbye in Rome.

In extremis in the USA

The vision Europeans have of themselves is that they're the ones living in the land of moderation, while we upstart Americans across the Atlantic live in the land of extremes.

From their perspective, the contrasts are stark: their compact, efficient cars versus our guzzling, armored all-terrain vehicles; their 800-square-foot apartments versus our McMansions; their 40-hour work week versus our on-and-off-again glorification of the workaholic (and on that note, their six weeks of vacation versus our spartan two); their liter-size milk cartons versus our gallon-size; their ingrained recycling culture (read: use up new resources only sparingly) versus our ingrained wasteful one (read: throw it out and make a new one); their social-state approach to governance and community versus our capitalistic, frontiersman, every-man-for-himself approach.

Friday Fun Fact: Italian pizza

Pizza as we know it—with a tomato topping—originated in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century, and Neapolitans remain serious about protecting their pizza heritage. In fact, purists believe there are only two types of pizza: marinara and margherita.

Authentic marinara pizza, the original, includes tomato, oregano, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and basil. Margherita pizza is named for Queen Margherita of Savoy, who preferred a pizza that resembled the Italian flag because of its colors—tomato (red), basil leaves (green) and mozzarella (white).

Photo: Sami Keinänen via Flickr (CC license)

Life on Tour Poll: Most changed cast member

All six student travelers have experienced so much—about the world and themselves—on Life on Tour since first arriving in Switzerland. Who do you think has grown the most?

poll by twiigs.com

Life on Tour Episode 8: 'When in Rome ...'

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." For the Life on Tour cast, that means making authentic Italian pizza. Who do you think has the best technique? What do you think of Briana and Laurent's strategy? Who did you want to see win the competition?

Chat with other Life on Tour fans and cast members on EF Tours' Facebook fan page. And make sure to catch the final two episodes next week.

Group Leader Spotlight: Wayne Feece

Two years ago, high school English teacher—and EF Group Leader—Wayne Feece created the Knox High School World Travelers Club with the intention of showing his students that there was a whole world outside of their small Indiana town.

With the dream of making travel part of the Knox school experience, Wayne is helping his students realize their full potential by taking them on educational tours with EF.

Wayne (pictured above at Stonehenge) discusses why travel is so important to his students, how to win over parents and how to teach cultural etiquette before the tour:

Tip of the Week: Scrip programs

Pairing with corporations through virtual malls and scrip programs helps your group earn money on purchases that you, your family and your friends are already making.

Great Lakes Scrip Center is one service that allows your group to buy scrip, or substitute money, in the form of gift cards. The scrip is purchased at discounted rates and then resold to family and friends at full value.

Scrip programs are great alternatives to fundraising events because they require little planning and the earnings come from purchases that potential donors are already making.

Many of our groups have found this to be an easy way to earn money for their educational tours. For more details on how it works, check out the About pages on glscrip.com.

(Tip of the Week is written by EF Fundraising Specialist Erin Griffiths and appears at Following the Equator every Tuesday. For more fundraising help on your EF tour, check out EF's fundraising tips or contact an EF Fundraising Specialist at fundraising@ef.com.)

Life on Tour Episode 7: 'In Da Discotheque'

What do you think about Briana's and Brandon's dance moves in the discotheque? Chat with other Life on Tour fans and cast members on EF Tours' Facebook fan page about their final night in Florence. And watch out for the next episode Thursday, when the tour moves to Rome.