If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I don’t follow a “conventional blogging” pattern (aka definitely not blogging every week!). Since I’m not traveling all the time, I love to dive deeper into the cultural nuances of travel and post observations, and enjoy hearing from fellow travelers about their experiences – hence why I’ve highlighted several guest bloggers recently.

But, when Maaike from TravellousWorld and Dan from Dan on the Road separately nominated me for a Liebster Award, I was really flattered! Thank you for that, and for joining #CultureTrav whenever you can to share your travel stories! It’s always great to hear from you, and to read about your adventures.

The Rules:

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the nominator’s 11 questions.
3. Nominate 11 small blogs who have less than 200 followers. You should believe that they deserve this award and include their link in your post.
4. Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer. Notify these nominees via social media/blog.

Maaike’s questions:

• Egypt! There’s just nowhere else quite like it in the world. Stepping into a pyramid is an experience you cannot really describe into words, other than thinking about being inside “living history.”

• Music or a camera (camera on the phone or DLSR!)

• Tough one! All three have their perks. I do think B&Bs are the most quaint. AirBnB is starting to grow on me, too.

• A combination, actually. Plan ahead, but leave room for spontaneity, too!

• Would like to brush up on my Spanish, and learn French. And, Russian…and the list continues.

• Best souvenirs are photos! I used to dislike posing for them when I was little, but now I’m thankful my mom captured those great moments.

• Both! There’s a time and place for both. Though, I’ve travel “off season” to places, and had great times there (despite hot/cold weather).

• Both! Love the feeling of being to create your own schedule and do a lot of reflecting while alone, but can’t trade in the shared emotions and experiences with others.

• Not for long, but definitely took some time to adjust to surroundings in Egypt. Not in a negative way, but a very different environment from anything I’m used to seeing!

• I wish that the U.S. took on more of the “sidewalk cafe” mentality that Europeans enjoy. Taking the time to drink some coffee or have lunch, and not feel so rushed. It could also be because I’m in NYC that everything feels on a time schedule…

• Favorite film: Tracks! A great documentary. Highly recommend it.

Dan’s questions:

1. What is the first thing you would look forward to once you arrived in a new country?

• Simply exploring and immersing myself in the culture. Seeking out the sites I’d planned to visit, but also leaving time to calmly and spontaneously explore.

2. Train or Plane? What’s your preferred mode of transportation

• Like both! Have many fond memories of train rides throughout Europe. Enjoy planes, but even more…like airports (it’s exciting to think about starting travel while there)!

3. What is your best advice in saving money – any interesting travel hacks?

Don’t spend ;)! It’s with anything, ask yourself whether you really “need vs. want” something. The answer should be clear.

4. What is one thing you wouldn’t leave without on your travels?

• Aside from documents and a wallet, iPod to listen to music and a camera of sorts (either on my phone or my DLSR)!

5. What is the tastiest street food you ever had abroad?

Indonesian Loempias from a small stand in my hometown in The Netherlands!

6. Do you have one place in your country you feel is underrated when it comes to tourism?

• Lots of great places in the USA that may get overshadowed by other popular destinations. I’d personally highly recommend Montana, Colorado and New England for travel in the US!

7. Where’s your hometown and what’s the best thing about it?

• It’s Oss in The Netherlands…and the best thing about it are the memories I have are of a great childhood there. 🙂

8. What motivates you to write your own blog?

• It’s important for all to document impressions, emotions and experiences from travel. Our perspectives can be very different, and it’s interesting to think about that when you blog, too.

9. What makes you miss home?

• Thinking about certain aspects of life in Europe. Family and friends. Differences in overall social norms/etiquette. FOOD.

10. Coffee or tea? What’s the best coffee/tea you ever tasted?

• Tea! Coffee is a necessity to power through the day, but tea is a luxury! Honestly, best tea in the UK. They know how to do it!

11. Where is your next travel destination?

Headed to Curacao in June, and to Europe (The Netherlands and Poland) in August!

My nominees (honestly because I love their blogs):

1. Gabrielle Soria of Up and Gone

2. Jessica Lipowski who is working on a non-fiction book about the life stories of expat restaurant owners

3. Atypical Italian Traveler

4. Drew & Julia from Trail to Peak

5. Joanne Lam’s Stuck Like a Pincushion

6. Ceece’s Travel

7. Babs Cunningham from Don’t Sleep. Travel!

8. Chez Kishazy from Europalust

9. Danielle from Danielle on the Go

10. Adrian from Adrian’s Travel Tales

11. Henry Lee’s Fotoeins

Questions for the nominees:

1. What and where was your most memorable travel experience? Why?

2. Which destination would you revisit? Why?

3. Ever dealt with a language barrier and how did you cope?

4. Solo travel or with friends/family?

5. Did you ever have a setback during travel? How did you recover?

6. Do you prefer to wander or do you have a set agenda with sites to see?

7. Where have you sampled the best dish? What was it?

8. How do you document your travels (photo, writing, video, social media)? Why do you think it’s important to share?

9. What’s one travel life lesson that sticks with you to this day?

10. If you could travel back in history, what time would you revisit and why?

11. How do you personally think immersion into the local culture ties into the overall travel experience?