The Liebster Blog Award

Okay so I got an award, the Liebster Blog award. I had never heard of it before so I spent some time on google and what I can gather is that it is an award from your blogging peers. It’s recognition and a virtual high five that is given to support, promote and encourage up and coming bloggers or blogs you like that you might have just discovered. I got this award from Eartha back in March while I was on a trip to British Columbia, Canada. So thanks Eartha, I appreciate the recognition and the high five!

How it works is you post 11 random facts about yourself, you answer 11 questions from the blogger that gave you the award, you nominate 11 other bloggers and you ask 11 random questions of those nominated bloggers. Wow, that’s a lot of elevens.

So here goes…

Random Facts about ME:

1. In grade 6 I was allowed to skip afternoon classes on one day a week to take a photography class the school offered.
2. The first flight I ever remember taking was when I was 5. My grandmother took me to Los Angeles for a few weeks to visit her friends. I still can see the city of L.A. all lit up as we arrived at night.
3. When I was 11 and 12 years old I did a 25km walkathon and when I was 12 and 13 years old, I did a 32km bikeathon.
4. I once travelled somewhere every month for a year.
5. I love the Toronto Film Festival and went to 14 movies last year including 6 Foreign films. Love, love, love them.
6. My father and grandmother are from Burma (Myanmar). My mother is from Germany. I am a first generation Canadian.
7. When I was in grade 6 I was nominated to compete for the James Houston illustration award. It was a shock because I really have don’t have any illustration skills whatsoever, I can draw a mean stick person though.
8. When I was 12 years old I was asked to play on adult’s co-ed softball team and they nicknamed me “the kid with the golden glove”.
9. My baseball throw has been clocked at 63mph.

10  I learned how to eat with chopsticks when I was 10.

11  My first flight on my own was when I 16 years old and went to summer camp in Minnesota.

Questions from my nominator:

1. What’s your favorite travel memory?

Have to say it was going on safari in South Africa. I just love wildlife and couldn’t get enough of it.

2. Where is your favorite destination so far?

Africa. Loved South Africa and loved Senegal! Wait, that’s 2 destinations?! 😉

3. What is your favorite thing to photograph while abroad?

Trees. So many trees, so little time.

4. Who is your travel hero?

My Gran. She was a traveller and did a round the world
trip when she retired for 3 months and took me on my first trip.

5. Are you more practical or luxurious?

I think more practical, but can splurge from time to time especially for experiences, not so much for accommodations.

6. What are your best travel purchases?

My Djembe, a drum that originated in West Africa. I bought it in South Africa, but took lessons in Senegal just before my trip to South Africa.

7. When did you first get bitten by the travel bug?

Probably as a child, because of the many trips I did with my Gran and road trips I did with my family. As soon as I could afford to travel on my own, I did.

8. Share your most favorite travel photo ever!

I used to watch Wild Kingdom on Sunday nights and leafed through many a National Geographic magazines as a child so my ultimate dream was to see animals in the wild in Africa. In December 2012, that long time dream came true. I  dreamed of photographing a giraffe against a sunset for a long time so when this giraffe appeared it was somewhat surreal. You can read about it here.

9 Have you ever met someone while traveling that you really connected with?

I’m not sure if it really counts as traveling although it was on my travels to British Columbia for summer camp. I met my best friend at that summer camp in British Columbia when I was a teenager, more than 20 years ago.

10. Are you still friends? Absolutely!

11 Would you rather fly, sail, drive or walk? Definitely fly though I have a love for sailing, driving and walking too.

My 11 nominated:

• Vanessa @turnipseeds
• Melissa Shearer @mellyboo
• Christine Maxfield @compassmag
• Penny Sadler @pennysadler
• Merushka @mzansigirl
• Susan @vibrantireland
• Andrea @andreamueller10
• Aleah @aleahphils
• Debbie @travelingwellfl
• Kasio Martin @kasixote
• Sabina @sabinalohr

1. Name 3 places on your travel list
2. What’s the 1 thing you cannot travel without?
3. Who is your travel hero?
4. What is your favourite travel book? Can be anything from a Lonely Planet Guide to a book like Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway or On The Road by Jack Kerouac
5. If you could time travel back in time, where would you go and why?
6. What is your favourite travel movie?
7. What camera do you use for your travel photos?
8. What’s the most adventurous or dangerous thing you’ve done on your travels.
9. What is your least favourite destination and why?

10. Do you try to speak the language of the country you’re visiting?

11. Do you prefer to travel solo or with family or friends?

Let me know when you have done your own list by commenting below with the link and/or tweeting me.  I’ll link and retweet. Pass it on!

Until next time,

Andrea… and my wandering iPhone