What a Nice Surprise - A Liebster Award!

First blog of 2017 - My First Liebster Nomination!


Nominated by Aisha

When I received the message from Aisha asking if I would be interested in accepting the Liebster nomination, I was surprised and elated. My blog had just entered into it's third month and I didn't expect this. I had been following Aisha's blog Island Girl In-Transit and being a fellow island girl, she stood out to me from the beginning. She's currently exploring her neighboring islands of the Caribbean, and posting interesting articles and tantalizing photos along the way. Check them out on her blog, as well as her Facebook and Instagram pages.

Aisha, I'm looking forward to seeing where 2017 will take you and wish you all the best. Cheers to the Caribbean and cheers to traveling!


Have you heard of the Liebster Award?

I didn't know about it prior to me starting my blog. I first heard the name in a travel group I joined. So I looked it up and thought it was a pretty cool idea. It's an internet-based award passed on between bloggers as a way to recognize and expose people that are new to the blogging world.  

Here are the rules:


  • Display the award on your blog and write a post about the award.
  • Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog.  Tell the reader a little about your nominator.
  • Answer the questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
  • Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award.
  • Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog.
  • List these rules in your post.
  • Notify the nominees of the Liebster Award and ask if they would be happy to accept? If so, send them a link to your post.

Aisha's Questions


  • What inspired you to start your travel blog?

The topic of travel has always intrigued me. Get me talking about travel and good luck getting me to shut up! It's the reason, after earning by Business Degree, I chose a career within the tourism industry. If I'm not currently traveling to a destination, I'm probably in the process of researching where to go next or planning my itinerary. I decided to create "Global Jamaican" to share the knowledge I've gained and will gain from traveling and researching, and also to expose myself even further into the travel world. I've learned so much in the first three months and am excited to learn much more!

  • How would you describe your travel style?
I would describe my travel style as detailed and flexible. After I book a vacation, I try to plan my itinerary with as much detail as possible. I usually have just a few days or at the most a week, so I like to get as much out of my destination as possible within the time. I use TripAdvisor a lot to find my hotel and see things to do, by reading reviews from fellow travelers. I then create an itinerary with what I plan to do day by day. Food is a very important part of my travels. I love experiencing different cuisines, so I even include my must do restaurants in my itinerary. 

One thing I've learned from traveling is that your trip will never go 100% the way you planned it. That's what I mean by being "flexible." I've learned to accept that my well thought out and planned itinerary will alter in some way due to unforeseen circumstances, and I will need to adapt and improvise without letting it bother me. 


  • What is one thing you absolutely can’t travel without (this can be a travel accessory, item of clothing, gadget, anything)?

I can't travel without my phone, but only because I use it as a camera. I try to document my travels with as many pictures as possible. Every year I create a travel photo book on Shutterfly, so the memories will be preserved forever. I do have to remind myself, however, to enjoy my travels in the moment and to not just concentrate on taking photos. Sometimes, I get so caught up with taking the best shot to preserve the memory, that I forget to put more emphasis on enjoying in the present.





  • What is the most rewarding experience you’ve had while traveling?


What has been most rewarding to me is being able to observe the difference in cultures of the world, which makes me realize how limited my own perspective of life is.



  • What is the most challenging experience you’ve encountered while abroad?


If you plan on traveling all over the world, you have to remember that not everyone speaks your language. One challenging experience I encountered was traveling to Brazil. The language barrier was extreme. I've gotten by OK in Spanish speaking countries, so I thought I'd be OK with Portuguese; especially with my trusty Google Translate. Well, I was wrong. Only one or two people I came into contact with knew some English. Most people knew none at all. Even when using the Google translate and reading to them what I saw, it seemed that nobody understood me. I quickly learned the word for chicken (franga) and just stuck to ordering that at most restaurants. I'm not sure if it's different in other areas of the country, as I only visited Sao Paulo, but next time I visit, I'll try to learn some more Portuguese before I go.



  • What was your favorite destination for 2016?

I'm currently in the process of writing a blog on my last destination of 2016, which was definitely my favorite. I don't want to release any information on that just yet, so I'll tell you about my second favorite - Costa Rica! I really enjoyed my time in there. I only had 3 days, but it was packed with adventure and I definitely recommend it. See my post on Costa Rica here: 3 Days in Costa Rica.




  • If you could choose only one travel buddy for the next five years, who would it be and why?
Well that's easy, it would be my boyfriend. He loves to travel just as much as me. To have someone who is as passionate about the thing you're most passionate about is something I'll never take for granted.

  • Where is the furthest destination you’ve ever traveled to and why?
Answering this question would also give away the destination I'm currently writing about too early. So I'll give my second furthest, which is Sao Paulo, Brazil. I went to attend an international conference. The flight from Miami was non-stop for 8 hours. I was nervous at first, because prior to this my longest flight was 5 hours. However, I handled it well and went on to go even further. Most important thing I'll advise is to get up to walk every 3-4 hours. I didn't know this was necessary and when I got to Sao Paulo, I couldn't see my ankles due to my feet swelling. I'll never make that mistake again!

  •   How do you finance your travels?
I currently work full time within the travel industry. I save wherever I can in order to put as much as possible into traveling. 

“Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods. You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences." - Dr. Thomas Gilovich

  • What destination are you most looking forward to experiencing in 2017?
I haven't finalized all plans for 2017 yet, so I'm not sure which destination I'll be looking forward to the most. I try to do at least 4 trips a year. So far I have a cruise to the Bahamas and a few days in Atlanta, Georgia planned. I need to add at least 2 more destinations to my list before I can answer this question. 


  • Ultimately, what do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure yet. I'm so new to this world right now that I'm just having fun with my posts, meeting other bloggers/travelers, and learning even more about travel. I figure that as I go along, I'll figure out which path to take and I'm open to whatever opportunities that may arise. I'm excited to see what will happen in my first full year of 2017.



I'm happy to nominate...



Shawn and Penny from GlobeTrove: Shawn describes himself as the planner and Penny describes herself as the dreamer. They're both obsessed with travel and have created their travel blog in hopes of inspiring people to get out and experience travel for themselves. 


Jithin from The Roads and Beyond: Jithin is an Automotive Safety Engineer living in Chennai, India. Outside of his professional career, he has a passion for traveling. His favorite style is backpacking and he decided to create his travel blog to share his experiences along the way. 


Jyo from Find My MoJyo: Jyo grew up in 5 different countries and has traveled to over 20. She created her blog as a way to inspire people to find their "mojo" or as she describes it, your inner shine. She does this by sharing stories about food, travel, inspiration, and adventure. 


Jing from Finding Jing: Jing is an environmentalist who found her passion for travel while working in the Philippines as an Environmental Specialist. While she does enjoy the company of her travel buddies, she has also found joy in the freedom of traveling alone. Jing created her blog to share the many pictures she takes throughout her travels. She also shares her travel stories with an emphasis on environmental protection and responsible tourism.


Victoria from The Nowherian Daughter: Victoria is a fellow island girl from Trinidad & Tobago, with a love and passion for travel. She currently works as a college secretary in Trinidad, but has a dream to eventually travel for a living. Victoria created her blog as a way to share her travel experiences and develop her own skills along the way. She explains nowherian as "someone who enjoys wandering and knocking about."


Questions for my Nominees

  • What's the number one thing you enjoy most about traveling?

  • Have you had a challenging experience while traveling that you learned from?

  • Have you ever traveled somewhere and thought you would prefer to live there than where you currently lived?

  • Which destinations are currently on your list for 2017?

  • What was your favorite destination of 2016?

  • How did you come up with the name for your blog?

  • What is the number one thing you enjoy about blogging?

  • Do you have a favorite airline? If so, why would you recommend them?

  • Would you recommend your home town/city/state/country as a travel destination to someone? Why or why not?

  • What is something you ate for the first time while traveling and loved? 

  • Are you a detailed planner for your travels or are you more spontaneous?


I must say the Liebster award process was a lot of fun. Thanks again for nominating me Aisha. I look forward to reading my nominees posts.

Wishing you all fun and safe travels for 2017! 

Comments

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