Ohhh shiny! The Liebster Blog Award! • A Passion and A Passport

Exciting news! I am honored to say that Passion for Travel/A Passion and a Passport [still can’t decide!] has been nominated for it’s first Blog Award! Many thanks to Emily from The Cosy Traveller for this great nomination! You can follow her on Twitter at @easternspell. I agree with Emily in that it is a great idea to introduce others to new travel blogs that you are currently reading.

So what is the Liebster Blog Award? Very good question, as I was unsure myself.

The rules are:

When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
Make sure the blogs you choose have 200 or less followers

11 random facts about me…

1. I’m addicted to making lists. Lists about all those magical places I have my eye set on going. Christmas Lists. Lists of shoes I hope the husband lets me buy. Lists of potential paint colors I plan on painting my apartment one day. Lists of baby names (you know, for the future!) You name it, I have a list for it.

2. I would secretly love to quit my job and travel the world year-round, but I mean, who doesn’t have this dream?

3. I have an interesting obsession with Nutella. Put the chocolate-hazelnut spread on anything, and I’ll eat it. No questions asked.

4. I love to be organized but my apartment is always so messy- totally my fault, not my husbands.

5. I started this blog waaay back in 2008, but have recently become more involved in it. Am hoping to follow through with this for years to come.

6. I would absolutely love to spend New Years Eve in Times Square one year. Call me crazy, but I think it might happen [if I can convince my husband] in 2014! Take a look at some other things on my life list or my 101 in 1001 list.

7. My favorite TV shows are currently: Cake Boss Next Great Baker, The Biggest Loser, How I Met Your Mother, and Project Runway AllStars.

8. I am always planning my next getaway/trip. This year- Hawaii and Riviera Maya. 2014: Turkey and Costa Rica 2015: Vegas and Iceland. Yea, the list goes on for the next 10 years or so. Told you I like making lists…

9. I try to style my bookcases in my living room like you would see in the magazines. I’m all about the white, glass, and stainless steel combination. And sometimes a pop of color will do, depending on my mood.

10. My drink of choice is a toss up between an Amaretto Sour and a Shirley Temple. Yes, I know I’m not 13 anymore and Bat Mitzvah’s are a thing of the past, but I still love my grenadine.

11. I like even numbers, and therefore despise the odds, don’t ask why- hence the reason why I kind of have a slight problem with the 11 questions on here…

My answers to the 11 questions from Emily…

1. Do you prefer luxury or budget travel? I kind of like a mix of the two. When we travel, we try and get the best rates for nice hotels, but I have no problem spending money on new activities/experiences that I know we will remember forever. It’s a nice balance.

2. What’s the best thing about blogging? It’s a place where I can show off my pretty pictures and put my thoughts into coherent sentences, which, hopefully, others find interesting enough to read!

3. What’s your best tip for saving money for travelling? Think about your priorities and what you really want to get out of your trip. If you really want to be immersed in the culture, then you don’t need a fancy hotel. However, if you are looking to be pampered and the trip is more a vacation (i.e. relaxation), then a is the way to go. It’s all about priorities.

ALSO- don’t forget about airline frequently flier programs- they can really go a long way for hardly any effort. I’ve recently gotten FREE roundtrip flights to Greece and Hawaii this way.

4. What’s the one food dish you miss when you’re away from home? NY Pizza, all the way. There’s no other pizza like it in the world.

5. Do you have a favourite airline?I wouldn’t so much call it a favorite, but my husband and I ALWAYS fly delta. We have accrued enough points to fly round trip to Greece and Hawaii. SCORE!

6. If you could only visit one country for the rest of your life, where would it be? Hm, this is a toughie, as I really like NEW experiences, but if I had to choose, I would say Australia. Being about the same size as the USA, I know there are infinite things to see and do, and therefore would always have new places to go/things to see.

Plus, I’ve always wanted to cuddle up with a koala!

7. What’s your favourite film? I actually don’t really have one. I recently saw The Impossible, and that makes it pretty high on the list. Such a sad, sad movie, but impeccably written and the characters did such a good job.

8. What’s the worst place you’ve visited? Unfortunately, I would have to say Geneva, Switzerland. I was a little surprised by the lack of things to do, although the cheese fondue was off the charts. The huge chair was interesting to say the least.

9. What’s your biggest regret? Not studying abroad in Australia when I was given the chance. Money issues and missing-my-boyfriend issues. I still regret it all the time.

10. Do you prefer many short, cheap trips or a big, luxury holiday? I don’t really have a choice, as I am a teacher and my vacation days are pre-determined. However, I would love a combination of the two- cheap/frugal trips for a long period of time.

11. What one thing would you like to accomplish in 2013?

Figure out a balance between my home life and working non-stop with the time I can travel… there’s just never enough time to travel.

11 Questions to the 11 Bloggers I nominate…

If you had to pick one country you visited to live long-term, where would you choose?
Any secret obsessions [travel related or not]?
When did you first get hit with the travel bug?
How do you spend your free time?
What is your greatest achievement to date?
If you could start all over in life, what would you change?
What 5 words describe you?
What do you love about blogging?
What has been your longest trip so far and where did you go?
What’s your favorite thing to have for dessert?
Name 3 places at the top of your travel wish list.