The ABC’s of Travel

Posted on 27. Dec, 2011 by Steph in Inspiration

Travel meme time!

In the past week I’ve been tagged twice, once by Matt from Landlopers and once from Adventurous Kate. I don’t always go in for these things but I thought this would be a fun way to revisit some old travel tales. Kind of like a sitcom clips reel of blog posts. If you’re stuck in the office this week hopefully you can enjoy some old buried posts and pics.

Age you went on your first international trip

The first stamp in my passport was for the UK. I visited England with my family when I was 15. I mostly remember being a brat and refusing to wear proper shoes.

Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where

I really strong believe that American microbreweries have some of the world’s greatest beer. Buuut since I can’t choose that, Belgian white beers are pretty freaking awesome.

 Cuisine (favorite)

Vietnamese. I’d never really had it before I visited, and now I don’t know how I lived without that marvelous combination of sweet and spicy. (Chinese and Mexican are both a close second).

Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why

Favorite: London is my favorite city that I can visit over and over again. I never get bored there.

Least Favorite: It continues to shock just about everyone, but Australia really didn’t do it for me. The rain was a big part of that.

Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”

I say “wow” a lot. Hiking the Great Wall of China, Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and pretty much everything in Iceland, to name a handful.

Favorite mode of transportation

Road trip! More specifically, sitting in the passenger seat with a map in my lap while someone else is driving.

Greatest feeling while traveling

I love travel the most when it makes me feel truly vivid and alive. Standing on top of a volcano, watching a street festival or gazing at stars on the beach. These are the kind of moments that make me feel like I’m living my life right.

Hottest place you’ve traveled to

Northern Laos, Northern Australia and Northern Colombia. Not sure why they are all north….

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where

Believe it or not Chinese hostels have GREAT service. They are super helpful and full of information. On staff member at the Traffic Hostel in Chengdu even taught me how to play Mah Jong.

Journey that took the longest

The bus ride from Hanoi, Vietnam to Vientiane, Laos was 23 hours straight and I felt every miserable minute of it.

Keepsake from your travels

I tend to buy jewelry just about everywhere I go. It’s usually just the cheap stuff but even that feels priceless and exotic when you’re back home. I also am always on the look out for Christmas ornaments.

Let-down sight, why and where

My biggest travel disappointment was probably Prague. Everyone speaks so glowingly of the city but when I went it was rainy, dirty and depressing. I know it probably deserves a second shot though!

Moment where you fell in love with travel

When I studied abroad in London and got my first taste of the freedom that comes with traveling abroad. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after graduation but I knew travel had to play a part.

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in

The Sofitel in Xi’an China. Mike took me for our anniversary and it was absolutely opulent luxury.

Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?

I love to photograph dogs, and sometimes cats. I also take a lot of food pictures because, well I love food!

Passport stamps, how many and from where?

Enough that I needed to get extra pages added last March.

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where

The theme park of love  in Dalat, Vietnam was totally bizarre. It had giant plastic animals, swan shaped paddle boats and american army jeeps. I couldn’t make any sense of it.

Recommended sight, event or experience:

Umm everything on this blog pretty much? My biggest reccomendation is to just GO. Get out there and see ANYTHING, it’s going to be more interesting than your tv.

Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:

Food. I love trying new things and while street food is usually the best, I’ve got no reservations about spending a bit more on something delicious looking. Particularly if it’s ice cream.

Touristy thing you’ve done

Oh I do all sorts of touristy things. The most recent was our trip to the Mitad del Mundo, aka, the Equator. There were giftshops and souvenirs and funny little experiments you could do- it was a blast.

Unforgettable travel memory

Climbing a fortress in Kotor, Montenegro- in flip flops! It was a struggle but the view made it insanely worth it.

Visas, how many and for where?

My most prized one is my (now-expired) China visa. It took several days of headaches to obtain and it let me come and go from China for a whole year- which I took full advantage of.

Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

I’m a beer girl myself, but I had an awesome drunken time sampling the different wineries in Hunter Valley, Australia.

Xcellent view and from where?:

Here’s a recent one from Banos, Ecuador. Just a little valley nestled in the volcanos.

Years spent traveling?

I’ve been traveling with my family since I was a kid, but travel has only been a serious part of my life for the past 5 years or so.

Zealous sports fans and where? I was in Croatia when they beat Germany during the Euro Cup semifinals. It was crazy! People chanting in the streets, “Germany, germany auf wiederson!” and jumping in the water. I’m not a sports fanatic but even I could appreciate that!

Hope you guys enjoyed that! Now I’ll go ahead and tag some other bloggers to participate:

Mike, from Art of Backpacking

Jeff from Career Break Secrets

Jeannie from Nomadic Chick 

Tags: lists