I am incredibly humbled and blown away by being nominated by fellow blogger Emma, from TravelFace, for the Liebster 2019 Award. I received the nomination during 2018 but, with the holidays and travel, deferred my nomination for the 2019 award year.

After having a rough few months of personal issues, minimal travel and just feeling generally meh, it’s amazing to see someone of her caliber taking the time to read my blog and really enjoy it!

Thanks so much for the nomination, Emma! I’m honored and wish you the best of luck with your nomination as well. 🙂

Make sure to check out Emma’s blog for amazing travel advice and who she’s chosen to nominate for this awesome award!

So….You might be sitting thinking, “Okay Andy, what exactly IS the Liebster Award?”

The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award an online-only award created back in 2011 as a way for bloggers to be discovered and promoted by other bloggers, to help increase readership. Bottomline: it’s a blogger-to-blogger award.

“Isn’t that counter-intuitive? Shouldn’t you have ‘real’ readers?”

Of course! But this award is a fantastic way to spread the word of young blogs which helps us gain traction.

Fun fact!: The word ‘Liebster’ is German and translates to kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, pleasant, valued and welcome.

So here are the rules for the Liebster Award:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you with a backlink to their blog.
  • Display the award badge somewhere on your blog. Add it to your sidebar or include it in your post! The Global Aussie provides really awesome images here that you can use.
  • Answer the questions that the person who nominated you asked.
  • Pass on the kindness! Choose 5-11 blogs you would like to nominate.
  • Ask your nominees 10 creative questions, of your own choice. Mine are travel related but yours can be about anything!
  • List the rules in your blog post.

Please note: The official 2019 rules have NOT been posted yet. Once They are, I will update this post with the up-to-date rules, should they change.

Once you have written and published your post, you then have to:

 

 

Questions From Travel Face to Thousand Mile Boots

1. IF YOU HAD TO LIVE IN ONE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, AND NEVER TRAVEL AGAIN, WHERE WOULD IT BE?

Honestly, I’ve thought about this because I’d love to live as an expat somewhere when I ‘retire’ but the issue I run into is which country!? My tastes are constantly changing with each new travel experience so today’s answer might not be tomorrow’s.

For now, I’d say Vietnam. It’s got the beach, mountains, incredible weather (minus monsoon season), the food is the best I’ve ever had and the people are beyond incredible. I dream of going back someday! Plus their Full Moon festivals are the best and you don’t want to miss out on Tết.

2. WHAT IS YOUR BEST SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL TIP?

Always carry a reusable water bottle. I cannot stress enough how important these little suckers are. Studies estimate about 300-500 billion plastic bottles are used and tossed, globally, and those numbers are set to increase over the next decade! By carrying a reusable water bottle you’re cutting down on how much plastic ends up in landfill which is better for non first world countries and the planet as a whole.  

3. DO YOU HAVE A SONG THAT REMINDS YOU OF TRAVEL, AND WHY?

I don’t really have a song that reminds me of travelling but there is a song that my husband, Alex, puts on every time we begin a road trip. ‘Radioactive’ by Imagine Dragons. I have no clue why that’s become ‘our song’ but we honestly don’t start any trip without first playing it. I think it has something to do with our deep desire to be post-apocalyptic bad asses, taking on the world together. You know….that sort of thing.

But we’re weird like that.

4. WOULD YOU RATHER BE FLUENT IN ONE LANGUAGE, OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND, BUT NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN ALL LANGUAGES?

This is an easy one. I’d rather have the ability to understand but not be able to speak all languages. Something I learned from travelling is that a genuine smile and kindness goes way beyond language barriers. And just learning a few words, like ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ goes much further with people than you being fluent in their language.

Subsequently, by understanding all languages, you gain the advantage in any situation: making a purchase, picking up suggestions of local places to go, or, more importantly, protecting yourself. On a lighter note: it makes eavesdropping a lot more fun!

5. IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE PART OF TRAVELLING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

How expensive it can be. This is a gray area since it really depends on where you’re going and your style of travel. But in general, booking a flight to anywhere can be expensive and while I’ll happily eat oatmeal for months to finance a trip, it breaks my heart to hear people say they cannot travel because ‘they can’t afford it’. I honestly believe travel is good for the heart, mind and soul and want everyone to have the opportunity to do it. Of course, if done right, the money spent on your trip can go to fuel the local economy but still…Can we at least make the plane ticket cheaper?

6. WHO IS YOUR IDEAL PERSON TO BE SAT NEXT TO ON AN AEROPLANE?

This is a tough one as I’ve been blessed with an array of really awesome seat mates. One thing they’ve all had in common was kindness. Even if they weren’t talkative, most people I’ve encountered are pretty nice and will get up when you need to use the restroom or help flag down a flight attendant. I think my favorite seat mate was an older Canadian lady, who was flying home, who was funny, chatty and kept apologizing for saying ‘sorry’ so many times.

7.  WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL FOOD YOU HAVE TRIED WHILST TRAVELLING?

There were a few things, actually. The first trip I went on was to Morocco where I ate a camel burger which, honestly, tasted like a standard beef burger. They also served us lamb brain but just looking it was unappealing (you can’t see me but I’m gagging at the memory). My husband ate some….said it tasted like unflavored gelatin. When I went to Vietnam I had snake liquor and yes, there was a snake in it. It wasn’t my favorite, let’s just leave it at that.

8. WHAT DESTINATION HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST (GOOD OR BAD!)?

Ottawa, ON, was probably the most surprisingly awesome place. Since I’m gluten intolerant it can be difficult and stressful to travel because I have to be SUPER careful of what goes into my food. The foodie scene in Ottawa is real and I found tons of amazing eateries, bakeries, diners and small food stands that were incredibly delicious and all of them had a gluten free option! I was amazed and it must have shown because every vendor laughed at my surprise.

Besides the food, there were so many festivals going on in every beautiful part of the city, which, by the way, was probably the cleanest metropolis I’ve ever been to! There were tons of museums, tours of parliament, mini markets, outdoor activities, boutique shops, I could go on forever.

The biggest thing that surprised me was how much I fell in love with Ottawa. When I boarded my flight, I was apprehensive because my pre-trip research did not yield great results as to what to do, see and eat in the capital city. Man, was I blown away! It’s definitely a city I’m itching to go back to.

9. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY ACTS OF KINDNESS WHILST TRAVELLING, IF SO WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE?

I was taking a red-eye flight across the US and in the middle of the trip I had a panic attack. I was trying to be quiet as everyone was sleeping, but I just couldn’t calm down. All of a sudden, the gentleman next to me woke up and asked if I was okay. At this point, I could barely breathe much less speak. Suddenly, he grabbed my hands and began massaging them. Within minutes I was calm and the panic attack was gone. I thanked him, shocked and embarrassed at the whole situation, but he just smiled and went back to sleep like nothing ever happened.

10.  WHAT ITEM HAVE YOU FOUND MOST USEFUL TO HAVE WITH YOU WHILST TRAVELLING?

I hate to say it but my cell phone has been the most useful thing ever. My phone doesn’t require me to change out my SIM card for most countries which means, if I want, I can be constantly connected no matter where I go. It has my music, movies/tv shows and books for long flights or train rides, my travel apps so I can use a global clock, have a digital itinerary that provides me up-to-the-minute delays or changes, easily convert my money, to check in with family and gives me tips on local things to do. While I also love disconnecting sometimes, knowing I have it with me, knowing it is the most powerful tool I have, makes me feel more secure traveling.

11. HOW HAS TRAVEL CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

I truly believe that travel has changed me for the better. It has opened my eyes to so many new and interesting places, allowing me to meet unique people and try an array of foods I’d never had before. Through traveling, I learned so much about myself; traits I like, don’t like and what I can do to be a better me. It’s also given me the courage to overcome fears, stresses and anxieties that no longer plague me. And I found that I love more deeply and have connected better with my husband who’s been my amazing travel partner for years.

Ultimately though, travel has shown me that our world, and the people in it, are more precious than anything in the universe and deserve respect, love and kindness.

My Nominees

  • Travel Interesting – I absolutely love Nicky’s blog! She’s super adventurous, provides really awesome hiking information and has great tips on how to be healthy while traveling. 
  • The Bamboo Traveler – If you’re looking for solo travel information, Julie’s blog provides you with everything you need to begin. She’s honest and upfront about the good & bad of solo traveling and provides really useful travel tips.
  • Time Given Us – Heading to Mexico? You NEED Jaime’s blog. She’s been living in Mexico City and has learned all the ins and outs of this beautiful country, including where to travel, when and what delicious foods you should be tasting.
  • The Detour Effect – Claire is pretty much a badass. Her music recommendations are awesome, her travels detour her to some really cool off-the-beaten-path places and she’s basically the guru of hitchhiking. 
  • Curious Travel Bug – Brianna is definitely a blogger I’m looking forward to following! Her photos are incredibly beautiful and her writing is so detailed you really feel like we are  on the journey with her. 

Questions from Thousand Mile Boots

  1. What country have you not visited yet that you’re dying to travel to?
  2. There’s tons of amazing foods around the world, which is your favorite?
  3. What do you do to stay healthy while traveling?
  4. Is there anything you miss about home when you’re away?
  5. What was one thing you were scared to do but did anyways?
  6. What is your #1 travel tip that you’d want to share with the world?
  7. If you couldn’t travel anymore, what other job/career would you choose?
  8. What language do you find most beautiful?
  9. What mode of transportation would you rather travel by?
  10. More and more people are traveling, nowadays. Do you think that’s good or bad? Why?

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And that that’s it! That’s all there is to the Liebster Award. I cannot wait to read my nominees’ responses to my questions.