A: Age you went on your first international trip: In fifth grade, I was a foreign exchange student with a family in tiny Remiremont, France (Alsace region). I stayed there for three weeks, then their daughter came & stayed with us in Ohio for three weeks (what a let down that must have been!). My fondest memory of that trip, where I turned 11 years old: eating Nutella on crunchy french bread every day. Magnifique!B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had & where: Easy: a Banks in Barbados. This amazing locally brewed beer is available everywhere, cheaply, on the island. It’s a very light beer, allowing multiple to be consumed over an evening. They’ve started exporting to the U.S., but the one I had in Miami just didn’t taste the same.
C: Cuisine (favorite): Italian. I love the meat & potatoes, the mounds of fresh pasta, the crispy margarita pizza (made as dictated by Italian law!), the bread (oh, the bread!) &, of course, the vino.
D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite & why: This is hard. I have two favorite destinations: New York City & anything that involves a beach. I can’t even say I have a least favorite destination because just when I’ve found something I’m not really fond of, I fall in love with it. I’ll try & explore any place once.
E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: How about domestically? Watching the sunrise on the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine.
F: Favorite mode of transportation: The train. I love it. The slow pace. The gentle rocking. The lack of having to take your shoes off to go through security & the ability to bring as much food & drink on board as you want. The fact that you can just sit there & watch the world go by.
G: Greatest feeling while traveling: Conquering something new! From kayaking rough open seas, to cycling a long hilly distance, to successfully navigating a new transit system, there’s always a great feeling of accomplishment at the end.
H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Barbados. It’s lovely in December & February & March… but August? Oh man.
I: Incredible service you’ve experienced & where: Toss up between the Inn at the Market in Seattle & the St. Regis Hotel in Vancouver. Both stays were flawless.
J: Journey that took the longest: Our trip to Barbados in February 2010 during the snowpocaylpse. It took us two days to get there, but we finally made it!
K: Keepsake from your travels: My photos. They mean so much to me & bring back so many memories. Not counting photos, we pick up Christmas ornaments from every place we visit – we almost have enough to just have a “travel tree.”
L: Let-down sight, why and where: the Sistine Chapel. It was crowded, hot, & loud. Not the beautiful, reverant site I was hoping to see.
M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: I feel like I’ve always loved to travel & explore. The feeling has just gotten stronger the older I’ve gotten.
N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: Hard to name one, as I’ve stayed in a lot of special places. The Bass Cottage Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine was particularly wonderful.
O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling? Windows! I love architectural details & my obsession with windows & doors started on our honeymoon with taking photos in Villefranche, France.
P: Passport stamps, how many & from where? Not a ton, especially in my current passport, mostly from Barbados. Must get around more!
Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited & where: the “Hershey factory tour” in Hershey, PA. Not a tour of the actual chocolate making factory, but a simulated ride akin to something you’ve find in Disney. Substitute singing cows for the children in “It’s A Small World” & you’re about three-quarters of the way there.
R: Recommended sight, event or experience: Just get out & go. I could probably recommend multiple things from each of my trips. That being said: everyone must walk the Brooklyn Bridge once in their life. It’s an amazing experience.
S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Nice lodging. I’m such a hotel lover – the hotel can make or break a trip for me.
T: Touristy thing you’ve done: Many, but the worst was probably a visit to the Sears Tower & Hancock Building, complete with souvenir photos, on the same day.
U: Unforgettable travel memory: Eating a pretzel from a street vendor at midnight, in Times Square, in the snow.
V: Visas, how many & for where? Zero! Must work on that.
W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling & where? I do love wine. A fond memory is a great glass of local Washington wine while watching the sunset over Elliott Bay in Seattle.
X: eXcellent view & from where?: Bathsheba, Barbados. Rocks. Cliffs. Huge waves. Palm trees. Stretches of sand. Perfection.
Y: Years spent traveling?: Going on 30 in March!
Z: Zealous sports fans & where?: Vancouver after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup in June 2011. Have never been high-fived by so many strangers before!
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