Have you ever heard of a Liebster Award? Well I had not until I entered into the blogging world. It is seen as a right-of-passage where you are recognized by your fellow bloggers for producing a body of work that someone else has noticed.

It’s a bit of an “atta-boy” (or girl), a “let’s get acquainted” and a “help each other get the word out about our blog” award. 

Last December I got my first nomination from And Three To Go. Chad and Jenny are also traveling the world, but with their adorable three-year old daughter in tow. I thought we sometimes had challenging days – I think that gets multiplied when you add in a young child. It also ramps up the joy! I hope you will pay them a visit.

So, here’s the deal. If you are nominated, you have the option to accept or not. If you accept the award, you are instructed to mention and link back to whomever nominated you, answer the presented questions, come up with your own list of questions and nominate more fairly new bloggers so they can join in on the fun.

You can find the latest Liebster Award rules by clicking here.

I was so honored and appreciative to have my new and fledgling blog even noticed, let alone nominated for an award. But as they say, timing is everything. Tim’s dad was in his final days and I had neither the time nor energy to pay this it’s due, let alone respond appropriately.

In August, Radhika, AKA the The Confetti Girl gave me my second nomination. She is 16, loves watermelon, blueberries and the color pink. I felt so pleased, but once again, I was not in a position to respond and accept the award. We were in the middle of our Around-the-World journey with long days, and often limited Internet, so I postponed my response.

Then just recently I was nominated a third time. This time by Priyanki at Jollyprivy.  She likes to keep life simple and believes in “letting go all those things that bother and enjoy life to the fullest”. I have to admit that I got a chuckle out of the name of her blog. Thank you for the nomination, Priyanki, I love your philosophy about living life to the fullest!

We were just about to return home, so I made a note and am now FINALLY making a “better late than never” attempt to say thank you for this honor. I sincerely thank each of these bloggers for both their nominations, and a great deal of patience in waiting for my long overdue responses. I hope you will check out each one of these bloggers and show them some love…

Here are the questions Chad and Jenny from Three to Go asked me to answer:

1. What made you want to start a blog? For me it started as a way to let our friends and family know where we were, what we were up to, and share a few pictures.

2. Where would you live if you could choose anywhere? Well, we are fortunate enough to be able to choose, and we have chosen to stay based in Southern California. We have THE BEST weather here.

3. What do you look for while traveling… museums, nature, culture, arts, or something else? I try to take in a variety of things, but I am usually looking for things to photograph. Nature is always at the top of the list.

4. What is the most recent book you have read? On the transatlantic cruise I read three books; The Elephant Whisperer, A Long Way Home, and Only Time Will Tell. All excellent and I highly recommend them.

5. Snow or Sun? Which do you prefer? Sun, hands down, unless I am at our cabin in the mountains snuggled in with a roaring fire.

6. What’s your favorite food/dish? I LOVE food and enjoy trying whatever the local specialty is. I am partial to Thai, Indian and sushi though.

7. What is the craziest thing you have ever done? I’ll plead the 5th on this one 🙂

8. If you could be any character from a movie, who would you be? This is a hard one for me. I really like just being who I am, warts and all.

9.  What is your favorite Christmas meal? A traditional turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings brings up happy memories, but truthfully, being with family during the holidays is what is important to me regardless of what we are eating.

10. If you could change one physical feature about yourself , what would you change? Probably my weight and to grow a few inches. But if I grew those few inches, I wouldn’t need to loose the weight – win, win!

The Confetti Girl wanted to know:

1. What motivates you to blog? It is both a creative outlet as well as a way to share our travel experiences and my love of photography

2. What all do you wish to achieve in the next one year? I need to ponder on this one. I made vision boards in the past to help me achieve my goals, so I just may need to get out a stack of motivational magazines and start clipping pictures to inspire me.

3. What is your favorite book and writer? I can’t say that I can narrow it down to only one. I go in spells where I will read anything in front of me from the National Enquirer to a cereal box. But when I do get into a great “can’t-put-it-down” story, I am in heaven.

4. What is your favorite song in terms of lyrics? I’m quite fond of John Lennon’s message in Imagine.

5. What inspires you? I am inspired by creative, funny, positive, real people. Both those that are trying to make a difference in this world, as well as those that are kind, gentle and may only have a smile to share, but share it whole heartedly.

6. What inspired you to blog?  I would hope to be able to share a piece of my life, through blogging, that might encourage or inspire someone else to get out there and LIVE their life to the max.

7. How does the blog represent your identity? I’m not sure that it does. It is simply one element of who I am, what I share, experience, and at times a window into how I see the world, often through the lens of my camera.

8. Who came first, chicken or the egg? HaHa, I think I am in the chicken camp, but I’m keeping an open mind.

9. Worst thing about blogging? (Be honest!) It can steal time away from my husband.

10. Best thing about blogging? It is a wonderful memory tool for me, keeps me connected to those I love when we are on the road, and has helped open up and expand some lovely friendships.

And the questions from Priyanki:

1. Do you like listening to music? Yes, I do, but I prefer soft background music, like the piano. But most of the time I simply enjoy the quiet..
2. Do you like being in nature? That is my favorite place to be.
3. What’s your favorite thing to do to relax? Take a hot soaking bath and/or curl up with a good book.
4. Life is ………………, fill in the blank? What we make it.
5. Which is one of your favorite posts that you’ve written? Probably any of my posts about our National Parks. I happen to think we have an amazing collection of some of the most beautiful places on earth. Thankfully they are being preserved for future generations.
6. How about giving me the gift of your smile 🙂 OK, one smile coming your way  🙂
7. Which is your favorite season? Any season when it is 75-80 degrees and the sun is shining.
8. What inspires you to write? I need little inspiration. I simply enjoy the writing process. It is my creative outlet.
9. Which flowers do you like the most? Hands down the Iris – especially purple ones. They have very special meaning to me.
10. Do you think laughter is the best medicine? Laughter is very healing, as is good nutrition, getting plenty of sleep and spending time with loved ones.
11. One advice for all the bloggers that you think may help them in their writing… Keep it real, share a bit of yourself, be honest and have fun with it!

And my nominations in no particular order are:

1. Experimental Expats – Rob and Diane are taking a forced early retirement due to a layoff, selling their home and moving to Malasia for a fresh start. Their blog is professionally written and it will be a joy to follow them as they embark on their next chapter.

2. When the Road Ends – Jenna is a lover of the West and out-of-the-way places.  Think ghost towns, old mining sites and hidden gems.  She is an accomplished writer and photographer as well as the author of a book on Death Valley coming out in the Fall of 2015.

3. Steps to Follow – Lexie described herself as shy “with a witty and sarcastic personality”. What I have seen in her posting is a thirst for self-discovery and a strong desire to live her dreams. I also love her vivid photography.

4. Thistle and Honey – I’m never sure where this blog is going, but you will enjoy the ride. Well written, it sucks you inside for more.

5. PhotoPOK – Chai is a young Malaysian guy with a degree in architecture and a passion for travel and macro photography.

6. Annie Bananie En Europe – Annie is a recent graduate with a PhD in Biomaterials. Having studied in France and Belgium and lived in Europe, her travel blog is full of insights based on her frequent solo travels. Hobbies of traveling, photography and writing make for a wonderful blog. Both smart and talented!

7. Sally Dog – Yes, Sally is a dog. A real one. Mary Lynn adopted Sally Dog as a puppy and she became the muse for Sally Dog Photography. You will see some excellent shots of dogs, but also other animals, birds, scenery, cats, architecture and fashion, plus my favorites – travel.

8. Adam Robert Young – An Australian photographer currently living in Vietnam, his street photography is where he shines. His book, Saigon Panorama, will be launched on November 7th. Congratulations Adam!

9. F-stop Mama – Amy is a Midwestern girl with a love of yoga and the outdoors. Recently she changed hats from a lab job and she is now pursuing a career as a professional photographer. Her blog is loaded with travel adventures and fabulous photos.

10. A Special Magic – Ash Marie is the mother of three young boys. The oldest two have an incurable genetic disorder. She writes with such depth of emotion, strength, and openness with stories ranging from diagnosis to letters she has written to them. Certainly a courageous, and amazing women who puts her story out there.

11. Napintas Pinas – Some off beat and off-the-beaten track stories of food and travel in the Philippines

If you choose to accept the nomination, my questions to you are:

1. Who has your fantasy life and why?

2. If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead who would you choose?

3. What is your favorite time of the day?

4. What is your greatest strength?

5. Who has made the biggest impact on your life (and why if you care to share)?

6. What is the one thing you would LOVE to tell the younger you?

7. What trait do you admire most in other people?

8. What is your favorite or dream destination anywhere in the world?

9. What is your biggest regret?

10. If you could change one thing IN THE WORLD, what would it be?

11. If a magic fairy gave you three wishes for YOURSELF, what would you wish for?

In closing, here’s a recap of the Liebster Award rules:

1. Thank your nominator and post a link to his/her blog.
2. Display the award on your blog.
3. Answer the 11 questions provided by the nominator.
4. Nominate 5-11 blogs which have less than 1000 followers, and let them know they’ve been nominated.
5. Make up and post 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
6. Post these rules on your blog.

Gratitude Moment: Today I am grateful for being recognized in this fun, friendly, warm, sharing environment where people are willing to help and promote each other.