ABC's of Travel

I got this from my newest San Antonio friend, Lora, over at LoraKathleen.com. It looked like a fun way to look back at my travels over the years.

A – Age you went on your first international trip:

We won't count that time my family took me to Tijuana when were visiting SoCal when I was like 4. So it must be when I was 14 the summer after my freshman year of high school. I went on a trip to Europe with a group of "music ambassadors." I sang in the choir and played in the bad. :)

B – Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where:

I love Carlton beer from Australia. Still haven't had luck finding it stateside. Flying Saucer didn't have it.

C – Cuisine (favorite):

I liked the paella in Spain, but I gotta say, the snags (sausages) in Australia were pretty great. Probably due to the fact that they were usually enjoyed with beer. On campus. Between classes. 

D – Destinations – favorite, least favorite, and why:

I loved Tokyo and Barcelona. Paris wasn't that great (please don't judge).

Na Pali coast, Kauai

E – Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:

The spinner dolphins on our Na Pali coast tour in Kauai were pretty awesome...

F – Favorite mode of transportation:

I actually like flying. Probably because I only do it every few months.

G – Greatest feeling while traveling:

I love the feeling of anonymity. Especially when traveling alone.

H – Hottest place you’ve traveled to:

It's probably cheating if I say Norman, Oklahoma in July 2011, but I wasn't living there at the time. And it was frickin' hot.

I – Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:

The resort we stayed at for our honeymoon was really great. They serviced our room like 3 times a day and we got free bottles of Fiji water. Oh and it was gorgeous!

J – Journey that took the longest:

One time me and some friends drove from Norman, OK to Las Vegas....we were nutty.

K – Keepsakes from your travels:

I carry a $10 Australia note in my wallet at all times. It's made the transition to many wallets over the years. I guess I've had it since '04. Most of the time I ignore it, but sometimes I see it and smile. It's fun to pull out at parties.

L – Let-down sight, why and where:

Again, please don't judge. The White House. I literally had to pull out a one dollar bill because I didn't think we were at the right place. It was just way to small. This was last October. 

M – Moment where you fell in love with travel:

I've been doing a lot of traveling since I was very small. My first plane ride was when I was 2 months old. Since we were usually visiting family, it was always fun to travel. So, I guess I've always loved it. To this day I get stir crazy if I haven't left town in a few weeks. Of course, I get frazzled if I'm traveling too frequently!

N – Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

Our resort in Kauai for our honeymoon.

O – Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling and why:

Probably nature and animals. 

P – Passport stamps – how many and where from:

On my latest (read: expired) passport, I have Tokyo (2), Australia (2), New Zealand (2) and Mexico? (1). I had to get a new one after my 2 trips to Europe.

Q – Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

The deepest hand-dug well in Greensburg, KS. Sadly, in 2007 a tornado ripped through Greensburg and the well is no more. 

R – Recommended sight, event, or experience:

The Na Pali coast was awesome. I only wish we had kayaked it. I worked so hard on my upper body for that trip!

S – Splurge – something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:

Experiences. If it's something I can't do anywhere else or at home, I'll go for it and take a lot of pictures!

T – Touristy thing you’ve done:

Oh I do lots of touristy things. One time I went on a ducky tour in Pittsburgh. It was surprisingly entertaining and quite frankly, Pittsburgh has some fun stuff to do. There wasn't much sitting around on that visit!

U – Unforgettable travel memory:

There's quite a few, but one of my favorites is shooing kangaroos away from our food while camping in Australia. They're like deer or anything else trying to sneak some snags!

V – Visas – how many and for where:

One – from studying abroad in Australia.

W – Wine – best glass of wine while traveling and where:

I don't know at all. I'm not much of a wino, though I enjoy wine...

Yeah, that's part of the trail. Riding through the water...

X – eXcellent view and from where:

Mountain biking on the Flume Trail at Lake Tahoe. I'm sure that experience took years off my life, but it was totally worth it!

Y – Years spent traveling:

I guess about 28.

Melbourne vs. Geelong

Z – Zealous sports fans and where:

Aussie Rules Football game in Melbourne!! I loved those games and I don't know that I every understood the rules.