What is the Liebster Award?
I am excited to announce that I have been nominated for the Liebster award, which was created by The Global Aussie back in 2011. The aim of the award is to encourage readership and awareness of new bloggers and ultimately create connections and support networks within the blogging community.
This is how it works: My nominator, Mindy Michaels, has crafted a series of engaging and probing questions for me to answer in this post. Then I get to pay it forward and develop my own questions and choose my own nominees to keep the cycle going.
The fact that this award exists shows just how fun it is to be a part of the travel blogging community; a group of creative, adventurous souls who very much seem to be my people.
Cheers to my nominator…
Huge shout out to Mindy Michaels from Mindy on the Move for nominating me for this award. Mindy’s brave and engaging spirit is such an inspiration to me.
She created an amazing sisterhood of outdoor enthusiasts in Pittsburgh called We Are Wild Women PA. As founder of this group, she organizes group activities such as hiking, spelunking and ice skating and has truly orchestrated a community.
She is an incredible and supportive person who has truly embodied “collaboration over competition” in her work as a travel blogger and adventurer. Mindy is definitely a force to be reckoned with and I am excited to continue to follow along on her journey. You should too!
Instagram: @mindyonthemove \\ Blog: https://mindyonthemove.com/
Q&A with The Turquoise Traveler
What is one uncomfortable experience you’ve had while traveling and how did you grow from that experience? (Think something that forced you out of your comfort zone, and as a result, what did it force you to learn?)
I think one of the most uncomfortable experiences I’ve had is learning how to go out to dinner by myself. I get weirdly self conscious about eating alone (which I think is not actually weird at all, but pretty normal). I have always been a pro at going to book stores and coffee shops alone, because I usually have a task to work on, but the thought of eating alone in public has always been so daunting.
However, I HAD to get over it once I started traveling alone, because there are always so many delicious places to try. I honestly think my FOMO of amazing restaurants beat my anxiety about dining solo.
Eating alone in public definitely had its awkward moments initially, and occasionally still does. But overall it has shown me how brave I can be and has led to some fun and spontaneous adventures.
Have you ever had a supernatural experience throughout your adventures? (i.e. ghostly encounters, alien sightings, spotted elves in Iceland, etc.)
Not yet, but Roswell, New Mexico I’m coming for you!
What natural landscape has impacted your soul above all others- where have you felt most connected to your natural surroundings?
Watching the sunset at Canyonlands National Park was such a surreal experience. I am a huge sucker for sunsets and massively scenic vistas, so having the two of them together was like nature conspired just for me. I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon yet, but I am sure I would be similarly drawn to it!
Do you prefer luxury travel such as glamorous, 5-star hotels OR “roughing-it” in nature such as camping or sleeping in RVs and such?
Camping all the way. Although, I am not opposed to glamping! To me being totally immersed in nature is such a calming experience; I love when I open my eyes and the first sight I see is the sun rising up over a the mountains. Seriously, what could be better than that? I am also a huge fan of unplugging; I think it is good for the soul.
Throughout your international travels, what quality (way of life, ideals etc) from what culture would you like to carry over to your own country?
Wherever I travel, I always seem to meet these amazing, open-minded Australians. Finally, I realized I kept running into Aussies, because their culture places a huge emphasis on traveling early on in life.
Many of them take gap years before or after college and spend time exploring this big wide world. I very much resonate with this outlook and would love to advocate the ideal of traveling early on to my people in the United States.
If you had to choose an adventure movie to live in real life, what would it be and why?
Wild. Minus the parts with the heroine and such. Watching that movie was what inspired me to go solo camping and hiking initially. My next goal is to do a solo thru-hike which I am slowly working my way towards.
Fully relying on yourself and your own gumption for pure survival would be such an incredible journey in self discovery.
Who is your explorative hero and why do you aspire to travel like him/her? (I.e. Steve/Bindi Irwin, Indiana Jones, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Cheryl Strayed, Kristin Newman, Percy Fawcett – the list is endless, chose ANYONE who you admire most and why you desire to travel similarly).
Cheryl Strayed. See above answer.
Also, I love how unprepared she was for her massively daunting adventure. She brought the wrong fuel for her stove and had to eat cold mush for a week. She bought hiking boots that were the wrong size (and neglected to try them on) and ended up walking around with sandals duct taped to her feet for days.
Despite being totally unprepared in a conventional, boy scout sense- she had the grit, determination and creativity to see it through. She is such an example for the healing potential of solo travel.
How do you feel your astrological sun sign (sign you were born under) influences your travels? (if you don’t fully believe in astrology, you can still answer for fun – just google your sign, etc. However, you do not have to answer at all, if you do not wish).
I think astrology can be so fun and sometimes even eerie with how well it can peg me. I am a Scorpio and they are known for being emotional, passionate and independent. These character traits definitely play a huge role in compelling me to travel and seek new adventures.
How have you helped to spread kindness to strangers in foreign lands while you’ve traveled?
Whenever I can I try to give directions and advice to people who look lost or ask me questions. I am someone who obsessively researches places before I travel. I especially look into the mistakes to avoid/ things not to do. This usually equips me with much more knowledge than your average traveler and I love to pass this along to help others.
What is an act of kindness you’ve experienced throughout your travels that greatly impacted your life/ lifted your spirits/brightened your world/renewed your faith in humanity?
I shared this story in Mindy’s kindness around the world collab post:
Sometimes it is the smallest acts of kindness that occur when you need them the most. I was on my very first solo camping trip in Shenandoah National Park last April and was attempting to use a propane stove to cook myself some chili for dinner. It was not going well. I accidentally held my lighter too close to the burner which melted the top of the lighter and sealed it shut. I could no longer get the lighter to produce even the tiniest flicker of flame. To top it off, I was wet and freezing from the surprise rain shower that hit on my hike up to Stony Man that afternoon.
Discouraged and dejected, I kept attempting over and over again to switch the lighter on like I was a broken record. It seemed silly, but I was almost frustrated to the point of tears and questioning my ability to feed myself, let alone solo camp. Suddenly, I was startled by a stranger directly in front of me. He was a tall, blonde man with glasses and a friendly face, holding out a lighter. I looked at him quizzically, genuinely confused as to where this genie in a bottle came from.He explained that he was at the campsite across the way and noticed I was having trouble with my lighter.
I was genuinely touched that a perfect stranger would be so considerate. Although it was such a simple gesture, I took it as a sign that my hair-brained scheme to spend a week camping alone may actually work out after all. It showed me that although I had set off by myself, I wasn’t truly alone.
Introducing My Nominees
Stacia Mintner from Stumble Safari
Stacia is based in Southern Florida and has a passion for animals, travel and seeking adventure. She is specifically drawn to adrenaline- ridden adventures, beautiful animals, and captivating art and ruins. She used to work full time asa veterinary assistant while squeezing in travel on the side and is now creating a more mobile lifestyle by teaching ESL online. Her blog is full of fun and passionate stories and practical advice; she is definitely someone to watch!
Instagram: @stumblesafari // Blog: https://stumblesafari.com/
Caitlyn Worland from Girl Seeking Purpose
Caitlyn hails from beautiful sunny Queensland, Australia and is a solo traveler who is determined to explore this world and what it means to be alive. At the beginning of 2018 she decided to take control of her own life and happiness and set off on an adventure. She quit her secure corporate job, sold all of her belongings and “ran off into the sunset”. She is your go to girl for any information about solo-traveling South America as she spent 6 months exploring its incredible landscape. Her blog is full of inspiration, adventurous stories and deep reflections and is such a joy to read.
Instagram: @girlseekingpurpose // Blog: https://girlseekingpurpose.com/
Kylee Nelson from Passports and Preemies
Kylee quit her standard nursing gig in Kansas City to become a travel nurse and now shares her stories of traveling (mostly solo) while still working as a NICU nurse part time. She has had some amazing adventures throughout Europe, including some lesser explored areas of such as Finland’s Artic Circle. She has a relatable, and encouraging style of writing that will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone just like she has.
Instagram: @passportsandpreemies // Blog: passportsandpreemies.com
Questions for my nominees…
- If you could pick one magical concept from Harry Potter that could exist in real life, what would it be? (ex: sending Howlers, wearing an invisibility cloak, riding Hippogriffs, etc.)
- Would you rather give up your smart phone for the rest of your life or have it surgically implanted into your forearm. You have to pick one.
- What is one of your favorite inspirational quotes about travel or adventure?
- Tell me about one of your most memorable “whoopsy daisy” moments from your travels (ex: leaving your suitcase in the uber drivers trunk, bringing egg salad on a train ride, etc.)
- What famous actor/actress would play you in the movie of your life?
- What is your spirit animal and why?
- Write a haiku about your favorite experience in nature.
Thanks again to the Global Aussie for coming up with this fun award to help connect the blogging community.
Thanks for the nomination and the kind words! <3 I love that this award brings emerging bloggers together and how it allows us all to pay it forward and pass on the love. Really enjoying stay up to date with all of your posts and musings. I can't wait to see where both of our blogging journeys take us. xx