Pages of My Passport Won Its First Award!

I am excited to announce that Pages of My Passport has won its first award. A big thank you to French blogger Celine at ‘Tween Here and There for her nomination. The Liebster Award celebrates and recognizes up-and-coming blogs, given to and by fellow bloggers.

Following nomination, winners are prompted to respond to 11 questions posed by their nominator. My questions from ‘Tween Here and There are:

---

1. What is your favorite country?
​Haha, I hate this question…and it is almost always the very first one I am asked when someone finds out that I am a traveler. I love different countries for different reasons. I’ve also found that sometimes the “less-impressive” places have left a greater impression on me, because of the people that I spent time with there. Traveling is such a personal experience, and each person will receive every place they go uniquely. But anyways, for the sake of answering the question, my favorite countries (I cannot pick just one!) are New Zealand, Italy, Panama, Colombia, and France. 

2. Which country do you regret visiting and why? 
I don’t regret visiting any specific country. Even through my most difficult experiences (and there are many), I believe that I have learned and grown as a person in ways that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus, I really DON'T think that we will ever NOT benefit by learning from another culture. However, I DO regret not having spent more time in a few countries, specifically Nicaragua and Colombia. Maybe someday I will go back…

​3. You can bring only one book with you, which one will that be?
The Bible. I have many favorite books - 1984 by George Orwell, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and All Over the Map by Laura Jane Fraser, to name a few. And I love hostels that do book-exchanges! But if I only have one book to read and re-read, the Bible, for sure.

4. What is the best dish you have eaten overseas?
I ate horse at an agrotourism restaurant in Asolo, Italy. Perfectly tender and so flavorful. I never in a million years thought I would eat horse, but it was really so good. Italian pizza and pistachio gelato come as close seconds though.... Italy really does live up to its reputation of having delicous cuisine.

5. What are the pros and cons of traveling alone?
Traveling alone:

• It forces you to meet new people and engage in the local culture.
• You have more freedom to go where and when you want.
• It gives you a unique sense of independence and makes you realize that you can do more than you thought you could.

Traveling with someone else:

• You often save money through splitting costs of food, transportation, and accommodation.
• You may feel safer traveling with someone else, depending on the country.
• It strengthens relationships - you can’t help but feel closer to someone with whom you experienced nearly capsizing in the middle of a storm on the way from Panama to Colombia by boat, or with whom you summited Roy’s Peak in the blazing sun of New Zealand. 
  
  

6. What is the main thing you always miss when traveling?

• Peanut butter, Cheese-Nips
• Having a gym or pool to swim laps in

7. What are 3 things that you love about traveling?

• Engaging in the local culture
• Learning foreign languages
• Meeting new people

8. What makes you fall in love with a blog? 
I think probably a general visual appeal - quality photos and good organization to attract the reader, and then after that of course content. I love following blogs of travelers who have visited places that I've never been to!

9. Your blogging experience in just 3 words? 
Long learning process

10. How did you come up with your blog name?
I wanted something that reflected what the blog was about, and Pages of My Passport came to me as something a bit catchy.

​11. Teleportation is the new way to travel. Where will you go right away? 
Antarctica! There are so many places I plan to go, but I know that this will be the most expensive… ;)

---

Congratulations to the following nominees:

​J'ai Jeté Mon Tailleur - Mathilde is a French travel blogger who left her engineering job to pursue a life of traveling, and now writes to help other travelers prepare for their trips. She speaks French, English, Spanish, and Italian.

A Wanderlustful Life -Jackie had her first solo travel experience in 2013, and has since fallen in love with both traveling and blogging. She has been to 87 cities in 26 countries!

My Dear Lola - Marina describes herself as a "chocolate taster, Barcelona lover, and travel addict." She has spent time with local families in Norway, Ireland, and Iceland, and has continued to explore the world through various solo-trips.

Travel Family Blog - The Doros family has been in the travel industry for more than five years. They share their experiences and practical tips on how to travel with small children.

Young, Broke and Wandering - Michelle loves traveling around the world with her boyfriend and everything that comes along with it - meeting new people, learning about new cultures, trying new foods, and the opening of our minds. 

---

My Questions for the Next Bloggers:

1. What is the first foreign country you ever visited?
2. If you could go back to one place, where would it be?
3. Do you prefer slow travel (taking your time in fewer places) or fast travel (visiting many places but with less time in each one) and why?
4. What is a unique food you have eaten abroad?
5. Do you travel alone, with others, or a mix of both?
6. What are 3 things that you miss from “home” when you are traveling?
7. What new country would you most like to visit?
8. Do you have any unique hobbies?
9. What is your favorite form of transportation? (Plane, Train, Hitchiking, Bike, etc...)
10. Who/what inspired you to first begin traveling?​
11. What is one tip that you would give to a brand-new traveler, that you wish you would have known when you started out?

---