Yesterday I learned that Adrift Anywhere has been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award by Bassel of In Pursuit of Awe! Thank you for the nomination! Truthfully, I have never heard of the Liebster Award until I received the nomination and I am thankful for the opportunity. Liebster means “dearest” in German so it’s basically the “Dearest Blog Awards.” I may be wrong on the exact translation so if you speak German, please correct me! As part of accepting the nomination, I have to answer a few questions about myself and I hope they provide you with insight on what Adrift Anywhere is all about and a bit about its author.
1) Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog, Adrift Anywhere for a couple of reasons. If this is your first time here, you may have noticed that it’s a lifestyle travel blog with guides on off-the-beaten path travel, information on how to budget and also tips on how to take advantage of frequent flyer miles.
For one, I love to tell stories whether it’s through writing, filming or pod casting. Documenting my stories has been a passion since I was a wee little girl with stacks of journals hidden under my bed keeping my deepest thoughts and tales of day-to-day adventures. My other passion is to see and experience the world. To travel is one thing, but to delve deeper and experience the culture and learn about the community’s history, food, language and lifestyle, is something that I embrace. Culture and tradition is something I value whether or not they’re ones that I practice in my life, but I appreciate the experience of learning about others.
And not too long ago, I was introduced to the world of free travel with the use of credit card points and miles which opened up the opportunity to be able to travel much more extensively because a) I’m able to travel for free without sponsors b) I get to travel much more than I ever planned to with the small budget I have to work with. Earning points and miles quickly turned into a passion and writing about how to do it so other readers and travelers can have the same opportunities to save money, budget more and travel anywhere.
2) Where was your last, best vacation?
My last, best vacation would have to be my trip last August which began in Istanbul. In 45 days, I experienced Istanbul and the Turquoise Coast in Turkey, explored Bosnia and Herzegovina, road tripped through almost all of Croatia and beautiful Montenegro, spent a couple of days in Slovenia and met family for the first time in Paris.
3) What is the country/place you dream of visiting?
I have a couple of “dream” places to visit, but one is becoming reality in a few short months. I have always wanted to visit Cambodia and I will be there in July while backpacking through Southeast Asia. I grew up in Long Beach, Calif. where there is a large Cambodian population and had so many Cambodian friends, in fact my best friend during elementary school was Cambodian. I have always been intrigued by their culture, the jade bracelets the girls would wear, their names, the language (unfortunately I only picked up the bad words), the delicious food and the kind people.
4) Do you prefer traveling alone or with a group? and why?
I’ve traveled alone and I do like it a lot. When you’re traveling alone you don’t have to consider anyone’s interest, but your own (which is true in anything). Though in that same vein, I know there are some experiences I’ve had traveling that would never have had happened if I was traveling alone, like going on a 7-hour hike to one of the tallest peaks in Montenegro. I am not a fan of traveling with a group, I think that ends up becoming a hassle when trying to accommodate everyone’s feelings and interests so I just like to keep it simple and cut it off at three people (but I prefer two.)
5) What is your most prized possession?
My camera which is a Cannon 60d DSLR. Even though it’s a bit heavy, I travel with it anywhere I go and capture some of the most beautiful moments with them.
6) What was the best meal you’ve ever had?
The best meal I have had while traveling was in a town called Shushi, Artsakh/ Nagorno Karabagh a few hours past the border of Armenia. This meal in particular is a very common dish for Armenians and middle easterners and one that I make regularly at home. Something about this particular meal was just fantastic, maybe it was the ingredients or maybe it was the perfect cure for homesickness, but 7 years later, that meal still resonates with me today. The meal was kofte, which are seasoned beef meatballs that are pan-fried with a side of fresh-cut french fries, shepherds salad and lavash bread. It’s nothing fancy or elaborate. It’s just plain good.
7) What is the story behind your blog name ?
When I was thinking of a blog name, I wanted one that would describe my method of traveling, the way I plan to do it and the way others may want to travel. I want to go everywhere and anywhere, with intention–but without the pressure of being on a schedule or holding true to an itinerary. The best moments and experiences in life are not planned to a tee and I feel the name also suits my personality. I am a very go-with-the-flow type of person and I don’t let small bumps on the road get in my way. Good, positive vibes!
8) What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is goat cheese, I just love it and can eat it all day. Chevre, gouda, kasseri, you name it, I’ll eat it.
9) Who is your inspiration?
After reading The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac and later On The Road, my mind and heart filled up with a need to travel, see the world and to go on fulfilling journeys. My adventure began with the decision to move up to Humboldt County to get my bachelors degree and not a day went by without an adventure and learning something new about myself or the world around me. That drive hasn’t left me yet and I don’t think it will anytime soon. I highly recommend The Dharma Bums as a read for anyone feeling in a rut.
10) What is the first thing that you do in the morning?
I’m totally wired to my iPad and my phone, so the first thing I do when I wake up is check my email and social media on whichever device is closest to me. Then I play with my dog if I’m at home, but if I’m traveling the next thing would be to do is GET COFFEE.
11) What do you collect?
I collect coins, seashells, journals with pretty covers, dried pomegranates and jewelry boxes. I try to collect coins while I’m traveling, but my boyfriend usually takes them from me and uses them to buy ice cream and then laughs.
Thanks for taking the time to read my responses to the questions! As part of the nomination, another aspect is to select my own nominees for the Liebster Blog Award! Nominees can choose to pay it forward by finding 5 blogs they would like to nominate or choose not to. Either way, here are my nominees for the Liebster Blog Award:
Adventurous Andrea
Lulu’s Big Adventures
Bacon is Magic
The World or Bust
Routeless Me
These are all amazing blogs packed with great stories, travel tips and advice.
Here’s a list of question for my nominees:
1) Why did you start your blog?
2) Where was your last, best vacation?
3) what is the country/place you dream of visiting?
4) Do you prefer traveling alone or with a group? and why?
5) What is your most prized possession ?
6) What was the best meal you’ve ever had?
7) What is the story behind your blog name ?
8) What is your guilty pleasure?
9) Who is your inspiration?
10) What is the first thing that you do in the morning?
11) What do you collect ?
For Rules of the Liebster Blog Award you can refer to this article:
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