I was tagged by Hannah at Further Bound (thanks Hannah!) to take part in this fun chain letter style challenge. Originally started by Christine in Spain, this is a fun A-Z survey to get to know the travel secrets of our favorite travel bloggers. If you’re chosen, fill it out and choose 5 travel bloggers you want to know more about!
A: Age you went on your first international trip: My sister and I were quite the rambunctious children growing up, so my parents avoided taking us on lengthy airplane trips for as long as possible. As a result, my first international trip (and first trip on a plane) was to Jamaica when I was 8. When I was there, a Rasta at our beach resort tried selling my mom and I drugs out of a conch shell…Oh what childhood memories!
B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where: Honestly, when I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain and travelled around Europe during that time, I was a wine girl all the way. When we go on our RTW trip in January though, I will be sure to sample all the best brews around the globe and keep you posted on my new favorites!
C: Cuisine (favorite): Wow I love ALL food so this is a tough decision. Does chocolate count as a cuisine? Haha I guess Italian is always an easy one because I could eat it all day, every day and never get sick of it…But probably get VERY fat. A spicy Thai meal is also ohhh so good!
D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why: Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the BVI’s holds a special place in my heart because it was where my family used to vacation when I was a kid and it also was where I spent my Honeymoon with Tony. Least favorite is hands down Mexico, since it was the place where I lost my Montezuma’s Revenge virginity.
E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: Taking a Frankfurter from a food truck in Vienna, Austria to the face after a night of drinking. Don’t judge.
F: Favorite mode of transportation: First class up in the sky…Fergie-style.
G: Greatest feeling while traveling: Simply travelling is such a great feeling in and of itself. Making your own plans, exploring new places & cultures, having work be hundreds of miles away… It is all wonderful. All of these feelings encapsulate why Tony and I decided to leave our jobs and make a life of travelling.
H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Vegas in July. I don’t recommend it unless you are okay with being a big sweaty mess for the ENTIRE trip.
I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Once again, the Bitter End Yacht Club in the BVI’s wins this one. Their service is outstanding across the board and their staff is incredibly friendly.
J: Journey that took the longest: Road-tripping with my husband from Miami to Boston last month with our U-Haul trailer in tow. It was an incredibly fun journey that I will always cherish…Minus missing our exit in the Everglades and adding 45 minutes onto our GPS.
K: Keepsake from your travels: A Sangria pitcher I bought my mom in Barcelona (along with a classic Catalan Sangria recipe) has really shaped many of our epic family get-togethers since I gave it to her back in 2005.
We hiked this damn mountain and all we got was this crappy photo!
L: Let-down sight, why and where: When Tony and I went on our camping and hiking trip in Yellowstone, we decided to hike this incredibly difficult trail up a random mountain that promised great views. After painfully crawling all the way up this beotch of a mountain, the view at the top was nothing but a mini dormant geyser. EPIC fail.
M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: I knew I was destined for the traveling lifestyle the day the Rasta tried selling me and my mom drugs in a conch shell in Jamaica (See A). I may have not tried any of his narcotics, but I started smoking a whole different kind of drug that day!
N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: When I was 12, my parents really splurged for our yearly family vacation and took me and my sister to Malliouhana Hotel and Spa on Aguilla in the British West Indies…As a young girl, this place was beyond regal and I spent 90% of the trip in the resort’s outdoor jacuzzi, which was the size of a pool you would find at any other hotel.
O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?: Food. The fancier the restaurant, the more pictures I take. It has caused many awkward/tense moments with fellow diners but it never stops me!
P: Passport stamps, how many and from where? Since I got married under two years ago and had to renew my Passport with my new name, I only have one stamp from Canada (a work trip) in my Passport. Ask me again in a year though!
Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: Never actually stopped here but South of the Border in South Carolina on our Miami to Boston road trip last month seemed pretty quirky/sketchy/random… Sooo we kept driving.
R: Recommended sight, event or experience: Tony and I had to combine forces on this answer. Here’s our list: Scuba diving anywhere tropical around the world, sky diving in the Swiss Alps, Oktoberfest in Munich, and anything involving local food and drinks!
S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Food… Are you seeing a pattern yet?
T: Touristy thing you’ve done: Taking pictures of food is pretty touristy. I also took a tour bus to Chichen Itza in Mexico with my family… It was a onetime experience that will NEVER happen again.
U: Unforgettable travel memory: I went on a hiking and camping trip with Tony to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons in Wyoming in 2008, which was our first big trip together. The whole week was unforgettable – From the amazing scenic car rides & hikes, to the fly fishing trip on the Snake River, and to the camping in slumber-party-quality sleeping bags in a 25 degree snow storm. This trip was our inspiration for wanting to travel RTW together.
V: Visas, how many and for where? I had a Student Visa in Spain in 2005. Currently I have none… But that’s about to change!
W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? I truthfully think a glass of wine from anywhere I am travelling is the best wine ever. Adding wine to any trip enhances the entire traveling experience no matter where you are… It is such a magical potion!
X: eXcellent view and from where?: Anywhere along Kauai’s Na Pali Coast. My parents are retiring and moving there next year and I cannot wait to visit them and someday bring my family to the incredible island!
Y: Years spent traveling?: T minus 13 days before I hope to travel indefinitely!
Z: Zealous sports fans and where?: When I studied abroad in Barcelona I was fortunate enough to go to a FC Barcelona game and those peeps got pretty rowdy!
I would love to see the Travel ABC’s of:
- Emily from Project Mojito
- Aaron from 18countries
- Andi from My Beautiful Adventures
- Jeff and Brittany from Vino Vagabonds
- Janice from Solo Traveler
Exhausted from traveling every week as a Business Management Consultant early in my career, I took a year off in 2012 to travel at my own pace. I am a high-energy girl that loves being active, eating food, drinking wine, and exploring the world with my partner-in-crime (and husband), Tony! I now reside in Portland, Oregon and continue to write about travel, food, wine, and the awesome adventures we have in the Pacific NW!
Yeay, so glad to read your ABC’s, I really enjoyed learning more about you and your adventures. Thanks for accepting the tag
Hi Hannah! I feel so bad! I had a brain fart today and accidentally wrote your name as Heather in my post…This has been fixed and I apologize for the mix-up! Thank you so much for adding me into the lineup!
I totally think Chocolate counts as a cuisine… better yet, a whole food group.
I like your attitude Magz 😉
Thank you so much for the tag!!! First class is the best way to travel for sure. But I suggest giving Mexico another try — it’s an AMAZING country!
Haha I will certainly give Mexico another try because I have heard great things! Thanks Andi for the love and I look forward to reading about your ABC’s soon!
Meg,
I love your ABC’s! Hope you guys are enjoying your trip thus far. We’re in eastern europe planning what happens after our jaunt down to Budapest in a few days.. totally predictable given one of our ABC’s –
P: Planning not to plan
Be well!
Hey Emily – I just checked out your site and loved it! We are having a blast on our RTW trip and are currently in Thailand. W were hoping to make it to Eastern Europe and Budapest this summer but we ended up loving Berlin and extending our stay there. You will have to let us know how it goes! Best wishes on your travels and keep in touch
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