So I got nominated for this blogging award a while back but we were traveling at the time and then I forgot about it until this week…better late than never I guess! Without further ado, thank you Retratonz for the nomination, I am super flattered. My blog is like tiny compared to most of the blogging super stars so it’s nice to be recognized. Thanks a million!
Award rules if you choose to accept:
- Post about the award, thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
- Answer their questions about yourself.
- Nominate 5 –10 people with fewer than 1,000 followers, let them know via social media.
- Write your own set of questions for your nominees.
- Feel good about yourself for winning an award and pass it on.
What inspires you to write a travel blog?
Well this whole blogging adventure started off as a way for me to keep in touch with my family and boyfriend (now husband) while teaching in Italy of 4 months. It kinda died off after I returned because I was settling into a job and everything. Then one day during the early summer I sat down to look at the blog again and the bug got me. I forgot how much I loved writing, especially travel-oriented art and culture. And so I resurrected the blog and it morphed a bit from solely my personal travel, to global travel with an arts, culture, history lens.:
What’s your most unforgettable travel experience?
Funny enough, the best experiences are usually the unplanned ones. And in my case, they typically include getting lost or in uncomfortable situations because I am always surprised at my courage in trusting strangers and my own intuition. I can’t really pin down one experience though, so here’s some link to some of my favorite traveling experiences:
- New Year’s Eve in Munich
- Groupon-ing: A Disaster Story.
- Bergamo & Crespi d’Adda: Cities of mountains, industry, & lots of walking
Have you had any Anthony Bourdain-like food experiences?
I ate a delicious pigeon without knowing it one gorgeous afternoon in Fiesole, just outside of Florence. It was the ONE word I didn’t know on the Italian menu so I decided to risk it, then we translated it afterwards. It was delicious though! However, I am sad to admit I didn’t brave the tripe while in Florence…just couldn’t bring myself to do it!
Read more: Day Trip from Florence: Fiesole
If you were to live somewhere else, which place would that be and why?
As much as I love Florida, the dead heat of Central Florida is killing me from May-September! My husband and I really connect with the culture of Italy and Spain (read: laid back with great food and weather). So I’d probably have to pick someone with plenty of sunshine that’s less than an hour from the beach. Options: California, Tampa Bay, the coast of Spain or Italy.
What advice can you give travel bloggers?
The internet feels inundated with travel blogs, but find what makes your travel experiences unique. For me, that’s the fact that I teach Art History and I use that to decide what I write about and how I plan my trips. I doubt you will ever see me write any packing tips or luxury travel because that’s just not me. I’ll leave those posts to other travel bloggers.
And I nominate…
Questions for them to answer:
- How do you balance blogging and living without blog burnout?
- What makes your blogging perspective unique?
- Do you plan on blogging for a short or long time?
- What’s the best thing you’ve eaten while traveling?
- What’s your best traveling budget tip?
JMF
Keep on blogging! You’re good at it. Well done!