My Liebster Award

A couple of weeks ago I was very flattered to be awarded a Liebster award by the lovely Laura over at Laura The Explorer, and of course, me being me, and in the midst of living in France and playing in the snow when my family came to visit, I kept putting it off. Until now…

But what is a Liebster Blog Award, I hear you cry? Well, here are the rules:

When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
Make sure the blogs you choose have 200 or less followers

So here goes…

My 11 Random Facts

1. I have 4 sisters. I come somewhere in the middle and please don’t ask me to explain the dynamics, it’s far too complicated.

2. One of my most valuable possessions is my cuddly teddy bear, Honey, who I’ve had since I was 5. I was given him after singing on stage at the end of a pantomime and it’s a story my mum absolutely loves to tell ’cause apparently I was pretty cute back then.

3. I play guitar. Not very well.

4. Mashed potato, peas and ketchup is one of my favourite things to eat ever. Actually I could just eat peas. I’m obsessed with peas.

5. I have a dog called Siggy. He’s a German Shorthaired Pointer and whenever I’m home (which isn’t a lot), he likes to sleep on my bed all day. In fact he’s asleep there right now. He’s lovely.

6. Up until the age of 12 I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. And then I realised I would have to go to university for an extra 7 years or something stupid like that and gave up on the idea.

7. I hated school. Pretty much from start to finish I was always looking for ways not to attend. When I was 5 or 6 I thought that if I changed out of my uniform and put on my own clothes just before I was supposed to leave for school, I wouldn’t have to go. I did. So I went to school in my own clothes for about 3 weeks!

8. I’m obsessed with sneakers. Nike Hi-tops in particular. I don’t know why.

9. My favourite ice-cream is Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food. I can eat a whole tub in one sitting, no probs.

10. I’m a total Apple fan girl. Like actually…I could chat all day about the wonders of Apple products.

11. I love the colour blue. Pretty much everything I own is blue, from my watch to my shoes…even my towel and the blanket on my bed are blue.

My 11 Answers to Laura’s Questions

1. Where was your first holiday? Hmm I have no idea to be honest. I know i went to Florida when I was 3, but have no memories of it. So I’m going to say France, as I went there every year from the age of about 4 until just a few years ago so the majority of my holiday memories are from there. My Grandma had a house in a little village called Coursegoules in the South of France and it really was one of my favourite places in the whole world.

2. Backpack or wheely suitcase? Why? I can see the benefits of both and really it depends on what sort of travelling you’re doing. On my last trip around the world I had a backpack and it was great, but my next trip is more of a ‘stay-in-one-place-for-a-while-and-actually-unpack’ sort of thing, so I’m taking a wheely split luggage bag.

3. 2 in 1 haircare or separate shampoo and conditioner? Why? Definitely 2 in 1. I’m too lazy to do them separately. And it’s less to carry.

4. Afria or Asia? Why? Probably Africa as, apart from my quick trip to Ghana last year, I haven’t really had the chance to explore it yet.

5. What is your favourite travel film? ‘Into The Wild’ – it’s the most amazing story of travel and exploration, leaving behind material possessions and totally immersing yourself in new cultures.

6. Harem pants or board shorts? Why? Depends on the destination, but for an all purpose item, I’ll go for Harem pants as they can be worn long or rolled up, and they make a great pillow!

7. Guidebooks or get lost? Why? Use a guidebook to plan a little but and then throw it away and guide yourself. You always seem to find things you never expected when you’re not looking for them.

8. Mountain or beach? Why? Mountain for snowboarding, but beach in all other scenario. I don’t do hikes.

9. Travel buddy pet-hate? A snorer. There’s nothing worse.

10. Money saving top-tip? Convert the cost of anything you want to buy into what that could get you while travelling. For example, that £40 handbag you just bought, could easily pay for your hostels in Thailand for over 2 weeks!

11. Dream destination? Why? This is a toughie. I’d really like to go to Alaska (if you’ve seen ‘Into The Wild’ you’ll know why), and recently I’ve been quite obsessed with the idea of going to Morocco. But I think the one that tops them all is Peru and South America as a whole. One day, one day.