Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

We are excited about receiving the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award from Jessica Lipowski!  Jessica is from Michigan, but now calls Amsterdam home.  She is the permanent host of two twitter chats: #TRLT and #CultureTrav and guest hosts on several others too.  Twitter chats are a great way to meet other people interested in travel from all over the world and #TRLT and #CultreTrav are two of our favorites.  In addition, Jessica is in the process of writing her first non-fiction novel.  The book will focus on the lives of 78 expat entrepreneurs from 47 different countries that own 54 restaurants in Amsterdam.  For more info about  #TRLT and #CultureTrav, her blog or upcoming book,  check out Jessica Lipowski or find her on Twitter @JLipowski

The Rules
You must answer 10 questions assigned by the person who has given you the award and you must then give the award to 10 other bloggers with 10 of your own questions. Below are the questions Jessica asked us:

1. What do you love most about traveling?

We both work full time, so we love using our vacation time and weekends to get out and explore the world around us.  Traveling is a break from the cube life, a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air.  It is also when we feel most alive.
2. What is the earliest memory you have of traveling? How old were you, where did you go and with whom?

The first trip we remember taking was to Cincinnati, OH, our mother’s hometown.  Our mother took us there when we were 6 years old to visit our relatives, go to the zoo and ride amusement park rides at King’s Island.

3. Do you have a song you always listen to before setting out on the road? If so, what is the song and why is it special?

We usually listen to whatever happens to be on our iPod, but have no particular travel songs.  It’s always a mixture of country and pop  with some rap thrown in for good measure!
4. What is the most exotic food you have ever eaten? Where did you try it? Would you eat it again?

We are not adventurous eaters, but we have eaten alligator several times.  All times in New Orleans and only when we had a  New Orleans Hurricane around!

5. When you are traveling, what do you miss most from home?

We miss several creature comforts, but we miss our mom the most!  She is always game for road trips, but does not like to fly.

6. Tell us about a unique souvenir you brought home. What makes it so special?

Tara:  I brought home the fist beer stein I drank out of at the first Oktoberfest in Munich I attended. At the time, it seemed like something everyone was doing.  However, when I went in subsequent years, I noticed it got a lot harder. It is classified as stealing and security has cracked down on it a lot more.  Therefore, I suggest buying a new beer stein before leaving the tent if you really want one for a souvenir.

Erica: The earrings I bought in Dublin, Ireland at the Christmas Markets last November.  I love earrings and I usually buy a pair from every place I go, but there were so many good artists at the markets that I had a hard time deciding which pair I liked most and ended up buying five pairs!
7. Tell us about a food you discovered abroad. Have you tried to make it back at home? Please feel free to share the recipe, if you feel so inclined.

We’ve tried to make Vanillekipferl cookies several times, but have never been able to get it exactly right.  They’re originally from Austria, but are popular in Germany as well.  They are mostly associated as holiday cookies, so if you visit Austria or Germany during the winter look out for them.  There are a lot of recipe’s on the internet, but here is one of them:

Vanille Kipfer recipe
8. Share one of your favorite travel quotes and why it resonates with you?

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts” – Mark Twain

We grew up in a mostly homogeneous environment.  When we got the chance to take a trip to Greece and Turkey for a school trip in high school, we knew we had to take the chance and go.  It was through that trip that we realized just how educational and eye-opening travel could be.  Traveling to diverse places makes one aware that the culture they grew up in is only one of a myriad of cultures that exist in the world.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?

Tara:  I would like to go back to Lindau, Germany.  It’s an island city that is on Lake Constance and boarders both Switzerland and Austria.  The beaches are great in the summer, there are lots of historical things to see, the food is great and it is a convenient place for day trips.

Erica: I would go to Alaska because it is a place I’ve always wanted to go.  I would really like to visit Denali National Park and Preserve, see the amazing wildlife there, a few glaciers and the Northern Lights.
10. What is the next trip you have planned?

We are going to Orange Beach, AL over the Labor Day weekend to spend some time relaxing and doing fun water adventures. We are true to our zodiac sign as Scorpios, we love the water.  In our opinion, the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama are one of the best kept secrets outside of the southern U.S. The sand is soft and compact and the water is usually clear year round.  There is also a good variety of restaurants, which we require because Erica does not eat seafood!

Our Nominees

Ariam Alulu of Ariam_Alula (Arium blogs about Eriteans in diaspora, autism and her travels.  Keep an eye out for new blog posts when she soon moves overseas).

Lindsay Davies of LindzMD (Lindsay starting blogging this year and has lots of travel experience.  Check out her blog for some travel adventure inspiration).

Rachel A Davis of Vagabondbaker (Rachel and her husband travel in a camper truck!  Check out her blog for lots of great blog posts about their travels and recipes).

Richa Gupta of thebluedawn (Richa concentrates her blogging on independent and sustainable travel in India.  If you’re interested in visiting India, she’s the one to ask).

Stephanie Langlet of Haidaloup (Stephanie blogs about Chhattisgarh, India and France.  Check out her blog for lots of good stories and tips).

Ashlee Litfin of asheemayy (Ashlee and her husband (Nick) blog about their native Australia and Cultural, Natural and World Heritage sites. Check out their blog for some great pictures, vlogs and storeis).

Taylor Mondello of taylormondello (Taylor has been blogging for the last few years and is leaving for a RTW in a few months, so watch for her upcoming blog posts).

Janet Newenham of janetnewham (Janet is from Ireland and is among the top Irish bloggers.  Her goal is to visit 50 countries before she turns 30!  Check out her blog for some great posts and pictures).

Chelsea & Kinsey Osborne of TravelinChicks (This sister duo are accomplished travel bloggers who have visited 42 countries and show no signs of slowing down.  Check out their website for lots of good travel info, videos and blogs all about the places they have traveled).

Lissy Salt at lissysalt  (This English blogger has been to 29 different countries and hopes to move to Vancouver, Canada.  Check out her blog for some fun travel stories).

Questions

1. Why did you decide to start blogging and when did you start?

2. How many languages can you speak and which ones? Name one language that you cannot speak, but wish you could.

3. What is one of your favorite pictures you took while traveling?  Please post with a description!

4. Are you a coffee or tea person?  What is your favorite shop and city to get your favorite cup from?

5.What is one of your favorite song lyrics and why does it resonate with you?

6. What are your ultimate travel goals?

7. Where is your hometown?  If we visited, what should we be sure not to miss seeing?

8. What is your favorite trip you have taken over the last 12 months?  What makes it so?

9. Who is your favorite book and author?

10.What is one of your favorite blogs you have written and why?  Feel free to provide the link so we can all read it,