Happy New Year everyone!! I am happy to say that I am starting off 2017 on a very good foot because … drumroll please … The Bold Brunette won its very first award!!! Thank you to Marissa from Life as Marissa for nominating me for the Liebster Award. 🙂 

In case you’re not familiar, The Liebster is an award given by bloggers, to other bloggers as recognition for their hard work and creativity. Being nominated by a fellow blogger and respected peer means so much to me and I could not be more flattered.

Part of being nominated for a Liebster means answering a series of questions posed to you by the person who nominated you. Thanks to Marissa for putting together some awesome questions!

Here goes …

---

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MY NOMINEES FOR THE LIEBSTER

---

MY ANSWERS TO MARISSA’S QUESTIONS:

How has travel changed you as a person?

Travel has changed me ( and continues to change me ) in more ways than I can name. It makes me a happier person, it makes me more accepting & understanding, it broadens my horizons and makes me endlessly curious. It continually changes the way I think about humanity and life as a whole.

And since launching The Bold Brunette, travel has given me a career path and aspirations to last a lifetime.

Name something you’ve experienced in a culture other than your own that you loved and appreciated, and describe why.

There are many ways I could answer this question, but the number one thing sticking out to me right now is the dining traditions of countries like Italy and France. Their meals last for 2 -3 hours and are slow, not rushed, and meant to encourage conversation & bonding between diners.

Here in the United States, meals are too often about nothing more than the action of eating itself, not about enjoying the company of those around you. All Americans can learn something from the Europeans about how to have a truly meaningful dining experience. Put your phone down, pay genuine attention to others and don’t rush! Long meals are the best 🙂

What is the most unconventional thing on your bucket list?

Hmm … Maybe diving the Silfra Fissure! Not many people have heard of it, but it’s a place in Iceland where you can dive between the tectonic plates and literally touch North America & Europe at the same time.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you while traveling?

One of the strangest experiences I’ve had thus far while traveling was in Pailin, Cambodia. During my stay in the rural town, I shared a small electricity-free hut with my best friend from high school. One night, we were both woken up by a repeated thudding sound that we assumed was an animal bumping into the building. When we went out to investigate, nothing was there, but once inside, the thudding continued. We were up the entire night horrified and still have no idea what it was.

What the top five places you would like to visit?

I want to visit so many different places that it’s impossible for me to narrow it down to just five! So, I’ll do the top five for this year 🙂

1. Cuba
2. Morocco
3. Arizona/Utah/Nevada ( combined this into one because I would likely visit all in one trip )
4. Colombia
5. Portugal

What are the top three things you’d like to try one day?

1. Visiting Patagonia
2. Hiking in Nepal
3. Exploring Antarctica ( the bucket list goal to end allll bucket list goals 🙂 )

If you could be instantly fluent in one language, which would it be?

I’m fluent in English and “pass-able” in Spanish right now, so if I could be fluent in one other language, it would be Italian. I’m Italian and Italy is one of my absolute favorite countries in the world, so I would love to be able to connect to my roots a bit more.

What do you hope to accomplish through your blog?

So many things. The overall purpose of my blog is to inspire other women to travel.  If you know me, you know that I truly believe experiencing other cultures and exposing yourself to new places is one of the best things a person can do to better themselves. I hope that by reading my blog and following along with my journey, women do whatever it takes to make travel a top priority in life.

I also hope to inspire other women to follow their dreams. When I get emails from other women saying how I drove them to finally start their own blog ( about travel, food, fashion, whatever ), I can’t describe the happiness I feel. Sheer passion takes you far and it is wonderful seeing women leaning into whatever it is that they are the most passionate about.

Who in your life has influenced your blog the most or been your biggest source of support?

My friends and family have been the biggest source of support for me ever since I launched The Bold Brunette. I took a chance on starting this blog and posting about my passion for travel, and they have been nothing but unwaveringly supportive.

What are your professional aspirations?

No matter where I end up professionally, I know that I will be in the travel industry and will be seeing as much of the world as possible 🙂

---

MY NOMINEES FOR THE LIEBSTER AWARD ARE …

Hannah Magsayo – a travel photographer living in Dubai, Hannah visits destinations most people only ever read about, like India, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal

Hannah & Nick of Salt in Our Hair – a creative couple posting incredible photos of places like Sri Lanka & Vietnam that will make you want to jump into your screen ( couple goals part 1! )

Ryan & Samantha of Our Travel Passport – another adventurous couple documenting their travels together through gorgeous photos and words ( couple goals part 2! )

Charlotte of The Tiny Nomad – an expert in many destinations, Charlotte is a marketing freelancer with an fantastic eye for photography to boot

… AND HERE THE QUESTIONS I POSE TO THEM:

1. What inspired you to start your blog?
2. What’s the most daring thing you’ve done, or would like to do?
3. Who is your favorite person to travel with?
4. If you could design your dream trip, what would it look like?
5. What is your favorite thing to do when you first arrive in a new place?
6. What is the absolute best memory you have from traveling?
7. Have you ever had a negative travel experience? What was it?
8. What is your favorite place you’ve ever been to, and why?
9. If you could tell yourself one thing at the beginning of your blogging journey, what would it be?
10. What two things do you always bring with you when traveling, no matter where you are going?
11. Tell us three facts about yourself that you haven’t yet publicized on your blog!

HERE ARE THE RULES:

• Thank (and link) the blogger who nominated you in your post (bonus points for sharing on social media!)
• Write a post using the Liebster Award’s logo and be sure to answer the questions assigned by the blogger who nominated you
• Name the rules of accepting the Liebster Award
• Nominate a few fellow bloggers for the Award
• Write a list of 11 questions you would like your nominees to answer
• Let your nominees know that you’ve nominated them so that they can follow the tradition

---

Thank you again to Life as Marissa for the nomination and to all of you for keeping up with The Bold Brunette!

xo,

Share this post: