Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.

Chris Gosser

I had had a bad week at work. I was feeling uninspired and just all-around drained. Then, I noticed a comment from The Travel Architect on my blog. This was nothing new, since this amazing woman comments on all of my blog posts and brings me a little bit of joy every time she does so.

When I read that she had nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award, I immediately started crying. It made me feel validated and that I was making an impact, which is essentially why I started this blog. Then, I realized…I have no idea what this is.

After some research, I teared up again. This award isn’t something a group of panelists get together and decide. It’s people who have a love for blogging, just like I do. It celebrates blogs/bloggers who bring joy, creativity, and inspiration to others. I could not be more proud of being nominated for this and for that I thank you so much!

On another note, I love this award so much because it brings awareness to visibility to other bloggers who truly are trying their best. It proves you don’t need a massive following to do something special.

But wait! There are Rules.

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

The Big Questions!

1. Where do you land on the introvert – extrovert continuum?  How about the homebody – out-n’-about and the night owl – morning person continua? I consider myself an introverted extravert. If I know you really well, I’m super outgoing. If I’m just getting to know you, I’m more likely to be reserved. When I’m traveling, I’m way more extroverted and less nervous about putting myself out there.
2. If you could create one new law for your country, what would it be? That I could bring my dog anywhere. I could’ve said something more political, but deep down all I really want is to spend more time with my dog, Atlas.
3. One of my favorite categories (to write about, not experience) on my blog is When Bad Things Happen to Good Travelers.  What W.B.T.H.t.G.T experience has befallen you? My boyfriend and I were traveling internationally for the first time as a couple. Our first flight was so delayed we missed every.single.one of our connecting flights….and they airlines wouldn’t help us. So, to go on the trip we had already paid for we had to spend $3,000 in last minute flights and missed an entire day of vacation. Then on the way home we got delayed again and were stranded 3 hours from home….We survived.
4. Knowing what you know now, if you could do it all over again, would you have the same job/career?  If not, what would it be? I write for a living, but it’s not my ideal workplace. My dream is to go freelance for writing and photography. My biggest dream on the planet is to do more acting or make a living off of it. I’ve gotten more gigs in the past year and it brings me joy on a such a primal level that I can’t picture my life without it.
5. Tell an interesting little tidbit or factoid about yourself that your readers probably wouldn’t know. There’s so many!!! I’ll choose 3. I spent the first 15 years of my career as an archaeologist and I’ve gotten to dig at Pompeii. I’m a SCUBA dive master. I’m obsessed with fitness (I teach Zumba, Boxing, BodyStep, and BodyPump).
6. If you could eradicate one of the world’s many injustices with just the snap of your fingers, what would it be? Is it bad that I thought of Thanos with this reference? Nah. On a serious note, I’d get rid of hate. A lot of the world’s problems could be solved with a little more love and a whole lot less of hate.
7. A lot of bloggers like to write about their bucket list destinations.  Let’s do the opposite.  Thinking of places that generate lots of travel buzz, what’s one place that just doesn’t interest you? Vienna. I went there and just wasn’t impressed. Of the places I haven’t been, most U.S cities don’t have much of an appeal to me. I live here and I love visiting new places, but I’m never as excited about traveling nationally as I am about international travel.
8. You’re given a surprise day off work (or whatever obligatory time-sucking activity fills your days) – money is not an issue, you’re not allowed to do chores or errands, and there are no family members around to care for or accommodate – just unadulterated free time.  How do you spend the day? Guess who is taking a road trip to a new hiking destination with her boyfriend and dog? Yep, that’s me. I’m also splurging on snacks and stopping for as many photographs as I want and no one can complain about it.
9. Would you rather time travel to the past or the future?  What time/place would you travel to? I would love to travel to the past! I’d love to explore a bit of every decade or century, but how cool would it be to visit the place you live in now, but before it was permanently settled? I want to see how wild and free everything used to be. Also, going back to the time of the dinosaurs would be great if I didn’t get eaten.
10. What parts of travel/travel planning (regular travel that is, not theoretical time travel) stress you out the most and how do you deal with them? Finding a hotel or Airbnb in the best spot. What if I end up in the worst area and am near nothing I want to see? I usually plug all of my must-see sites on to a map and find somewhere to stay that has great reviews in the middle or nearest the things I want to visit multiple times.
11. Why did you start blogging?  What hasn’t gone well or lived up to your expectations?  Is there a post you’ve written and love that doesn’t get as much as attention as you’d like it to? I started blogging because I love travel to much I wanted to shout it off the rooftops of the internet. I want to help people with my experiences, mistakes, and knowledge and this is a great way to do that. Basically all of my first 10 posts, especially those about Peru, are some of my favorites, but they barely got any attention! It’s okay though. I’m happy they exist.
12. Optional Bonus Question! (I’m something of a rule-follower.  Adding a twelfth question is an act of rebellion against my true nature.) If there is one question above that you’d skip answering and replace with your own question, which would it be and what question would you put in its place? I actually liked all of these questions! The hardest one to answer was number 7. It’s not something I usually think about too much, but it was a neat question!

My Nominations!

In no particular order:

1. Just One More Paige
2. Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
3. Transient Eye
4. Voyages of Mine
5. Kimberley In the City
6. Hiking Girl with Dog
7. Food Fitness Flora
8. Reading Every Night
9. This Big Wild World
10. Adventures In Baking
11. Another Good Dog

New Questions!

1. What is the one question everyone always asks you about your blog?
2. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can give to other bloggers?
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
4. What is your favorite blog post you’ve written and why? (Bonus points if you link to it so I can read it later!)
5. If you could have any job on the planet, what would it be?
6. How long would you last in a zombie apocalypse?
7. If you had a theme song, what would it be?
8. What skill or craft would you like to master?
9. What mildly annoying curse do you wish you could curse people with?
10. What is your biggest accomplishment/most defining moment in life?
11. Are you a dog or a cat person?