Liebster Blog Award

Welcome to thefriendlygiraffe! Thefriendlygiraffe is a travel and lifestyle blog covering anything, and everything, of interest to… well… me… and it has just been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award! The award is given out by bloggers to bloggers who are up and coming and in the process of making a name for themselves in the industry!

I was recently by nominated by Kristy at The Gobetrotting Canuck (thank you Kristy) and, in the spirit of following the rules and spreading the blog love, here is my follow-up post!

The Rules:

1. Share 11 random facts about yourself

2. Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you

3. Nominate 11 new bloggers and ask them 11 questions

11 Random facts about myself

1. I bent down on all fours and kissed the ground the first time I visited Paris.
2. I have a broken thumb on my left hand from soccer years ago which makes me, technically, half monkey – and only half giraffe.
3. I’m a morning person and have been known to yell “Good Morning” out the window on particularly sunny days.
4. I’m naturally strawberry blonde, but considering my clumsy nature, I’m still waiting for the strawberry to kick in.
5. I am an avid believer in getting what you give. Do good, and good things will happen to you! Long live Karma.
6. I’m a dog person, and a horse person, but definitely not a cat person.
7. I’ve known Pelé’s real name since I was ten years old.
8. Despite being a proud Canuck, I loathe the winter. My instinct is to hibernate at the first sign of snow.
9. I used to wear Elizabeth Arden perfume “Beauty” so I could tell people I was wearing “Arden Beauty”.
10. I’m anal about symmetry. If there are tops, there must be bottoms, angles must even out and sides must line up. It’s sad, I know but very true.
11. I have an insatiable urge to discover the world – and write about it.

Questions I was asked

1. If you start to feel homesick while travelling, what do you do to make yourself feel better?

I rarely get homesick while traveling, but when I do, I head immediately to the nearest cafe, bakery or mall and buy something sinful. This may or may not take the form of a coffee from Starbucks or some other horribly embarrassing and against everything travel stands for. To avoid this last resort however, I normally pack some granola bars or candy with me, deep within the confines of my backpack for emergency situations! I find that tasting something familiar reminds me of how boring the familiar really is and motivates me to keep exploring.

2. If you were given a plane ticket today to any destination in the world, where would you fly?

The Greek islands. It’s winter in Canada and I need some Vitamin D!

3. Tell us about one regret you’ve had during your travels?

I didn’t mouth a spoonful of crickets during my trip to Thailand. Or my second trip to Thailand. I’ve promised myself time and time again that I’ll try them but I just can’t seem to do it! A bigger regret however would be having planned much too far ahead during my trip to South East Asia in 2008. I could have used an extra few weeks in a number of countries but it was my first time traveling solo and I didn’t realize how much easier it was to book flights on the ground. Now I know!

4. Which city did you enjoy more than you had expected you would?

Germany! 100% Germany. I had no lust whatsoever to visit Germany during my trip to Europe but a certain someone (who is now my husband) gave me reason to cross borders, and I never regretted it. From Berlin to Munich, Germany is full of rich culture, intriguing history, fascinating architecture and stunning landscape. Accidentally stumbling into Germany ignited a hidden love for the people, the language and the culture! I’ve never looked back.

5. What do you hate about travelling?

Jet-lag! It can totally kill your first few days overseas and make you wonder if you’ll be ever to take full advantage of your time abroad!

6. If you could live in one country other than your own, which would it be and why?

I’ve lived briefly in the UK, France and Germany and loved my time in all three countries. If I could do it again, I would give somewhere warmer a go. I’n thinking South Africa. It’s a beautiful country with much to offer and ideally located for expats interested in touring the continent! Longer term though I’d probably say Italy – I could totally open a hostel in Cinque Terre and be content for life.

7. Currently, what are the top 5 things on your bucket list?

Hmmm tough one. Write a book. Live overseas, again. Visit the middle-east. Speak German fluently. Run a full marathon? Perhaps? Maybe?

8. What is the strangest thing you ate while travelling?

Goat’s intestines off the hood of a car in Tanzania. We dipped it in salt but it still coiled and was very, very chewy.

9. What is your most played song on your iPod? (or other music device)

If only my music device was functioning! Probably Timbaland “The Way I Are”. For years that kicked-off my workout playlist. It still gets me moving on days I have zero interest in getting off the couch.

10. Which celebrities do you think would make your best and worst travel companions?

Interesting. The worst are easy – if Paris Hilton or a Kardashian (any of them) ever came near me while traveling, I’d feed them to the lions. The best are harder – I want to say Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman,or Gerard Butler because then if I was stuck in the desert, I could sip on those tall drinks of water… but in reality I’d most likely to choose someone like Anne Hathaway who seems smart and fun and with whom I could share a laugh… and an adventure!

11. What is your favourite book or movie that makes you want to travel?

“Out of Africa”. I longed for Africa after seeing this movie. The lions. Robert Redford. Meryl Streep. Spectacular. Best quote from the movie: “Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the world was made round so we would not see too far down the road.” Sigh.

My 11 nominees

1. Tammy and Christ from Tammy and Chris on the Move

2. Ben and Jemma from Follow Ben and Jemma

3. Dana from Dana goes to Madrid

4. World via Standby

5. Emily Luxton from EmilyLuxton: Explore, Dream, Discover

6. Frank from Serendipities of Life

7. TRAVEL AND OTHER STUFF

8. Aaron from The Adventures of elATLboy

9. defineelation 

10. Amy from Amythenomad

11. ChillGrimmage

Questions for my nominees

1. When overseas, what measure do you take in order to “blend in”? Do they work?

2. How important is it for you to learn the language before traveling to a foreign country? Share a funny story of a misunderstanding due to a language barriers.

3. If you hop on a place to celebrate a specific festival, ceremony or holiday – what would it be and where?

4. List the top 5 places (countries, landmarks, cities, etc) you would recommend everyone visit before they die.

5. What’s the “riskiest” travel stunt you’ve ever pulled?

6. What are the BEST and WORST foods you’ve had while traveling overseas?

7. Describe your ideal sunset. Where would it be?

8. If you could meet up with any historical figure (poet, politician, activist, singer, etc) in their home country, who would you meet, and why?

9. What’s the best part of coming home after your travels?

10. What is your favourite inspirational travel quote?

11. What are your 5 “must haves” when packing for an overseas adventure?

Good luck and happy travels from thefriendlygiraffe!