The ABC’s of Travel

While on Facebook one day, I saw a status that said, “The ABCs of Me.” After reading through the challenge, I thought it would be a pretty cool blog post. I began to think if there was an ABC’s of Travel, and after a little bit of googling, I found one! Like the name implies, this challenge goes through the letters of the alphabet, with each letter representing an aspect of traveling. Some questions are a little easier to answer than others, but all of the questions made me relive my adventures! 

 

A. Age you went on your first memorable trip

I was 16 years old when I went to London, England. A small group from my high school went there through EF Tours, and it was a great experience! This was my ‘first time’ abroad and my first time in Europe.

B. Best beer you’ve had and where: I’m not much of a beer drinker at all. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve drank beer in my 23 years of living. That being said, there was a beer in Austria called Weiselberger that I tried and didn’t think was awful.

 

C. Cuisine {favorite}

My favorite cuisine would have to be a toss-up between French and Italian. I’m a sucker for pasta and pizza {especially if it’s homemade}, but there’s just something about French food that keeps me coming back for more!

 

D. Favorite? Least favorite? And why?

Favorite: France would have to be my favorite destination. I know that is a very broad answer; however, I cannot narrow it down to one city. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to various cities throughout France, and although I absolutely love Paris, as well as southern France. I love hearing people speak French. I love every one sitting at cafes chatting. I love that everyone walks or bikes.

Least: So basically, I’ve loved everywhere I’ve been, so when I say that this is my least favorite, it doesn’t actually mean that I don’t like the city. London would have to be my least favorite destination, just because I think that food is a big part of travel, and I did not find the food there to be that great.

 

E. Event you experienced while traveling that made you say “wow”

When I was in Berlin, Germany, I had the chance to go to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. This museum depicts how the Berlin wall affected people living in Berlin. It showed the various ways that individuals would attempt to escape into a better life. It also showcased the various injustices going on around the world. This made me realize just how fortunate I am and how trivial my problems are. I cannot even imagine going through what these people had to endure. It really made me take a step back and say, wow, how fortunate am I that I am able to live in a world today where I don’t have to experience this extreme kind of injustice. Not that this does not happen, but I am not directly subjected to it.

F. Favorite mode of transportation

My favorite mode of transportation differs greatly depending on where I am. If I am traveling to go somewhere, I prefer either train or plane. If I am exploring an area, I prefer walking and using the local transportation, such as the metro. If I am at home, I prefer driving.

G. Greatest feeling while traveling

For me, the greatest feeling while traveling is being in awe; having the opportunity to learn about different cultures and visit different places. I love that moment when I realize that everyone is not that different after all.

H. Hottest place you’ve traveled to

Definitely Haiti. Although I was born there, the last time I went to visit was when I was about 9 years old. I don’t remember much about the trip, but I do remember that is was soooooo hot!

 

I. Incredible service you’ve experienced and where

I was traveling throughout Europe one summer and for the most part, I used Airbnb. When I was in Marseille, France, I stayed with this lady who really introduced me to what being a great Airbnb host actually entails. Obviously, it differs by person but she is someone I will never forget. In my room, she had brochures and pamphlets of things to do and things to see laid out on top of the drawers. She took time out of her day to show me the city, and even went to the beach with me. She taught me how to cook and she introduced me to her friends. She even let me call my parents, because at this point I didn’t have an international plan and I couldn’t use my phone. And international calling is not cheap! She challenged me intellectually and engaged when I wanted to discuss the differences between our cultures. Hands down the best service I’ve ever experienced!

J. Journey that took the longest

I was going from Toulon, France to Rome, Italy by train, and all together it was about an 18 hour journey. This includes train transfers, bus exchanges, getting lost, and catching rides with strangers. Oh my goodness, that was the longest day and even though it ended in tears, I made it to where I was trying to go!

 

K. Keepsake from your travels

I have a mini shot glass collection that I am trying to expand with the different places that I {or my friends} go, whether that be locally or abroad. It’s fun to try and find different shapes, and it’s cool to see them and remember all the places that I’ve been or that my friends have been, and thought to get me one.

 

L. Let-down sight, why and where

Okay, this one is kind of weird. It was a let-down, the first time I saw it, but literally, I still love it. The first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, it was the weirdest thing. In pictures, I find the Eiffel Tower to be beautiful, large, and majestic; however, when I saw it in person, I was a little disappointed. I’m not too sure what I was expecting, but when I walked up close and found it to be a large tower made of ugly metal, I wasn’t too thrilled. I thought that was that, but when I went back to Paris and of course stopped by the Eiffel Tower again, I fell in love. I guess it just grew on me, and I also knew what to expect that time around.

 

M. Moment where you fell in love with travel

I don’t know that I have a single moment that I can pinpoint. Ever since I was young, I loved going to different places and seeing different things. Each time I travel, whether that be to a different country, or to a different city, I fall a little bit deeper in love with traveling.

N. Nicest or most unique lodging you’ve stayed in

Here’s another Airbnb story {if you haven’t tried it, I say give it a shot!} Anyways, I was staying just outside of Milan, Italy and I had an entire floor to myself. I had requested to rent a private room, like I had with my previous hosts; however, in this specific location, I basically received an entire flat! On my floor, I had a bedroom, a TV room, and a bathroom. It was a super nice home, and for a European home, it was on the bigger scale. There was a pool in the backyard, as well as a hammock. Definitely one of the nicest places that I’ve stayed!

 

O. Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?

I didn’t even realize this until I got to this question and looked back at all my pictures, but I always seem to be drawn to water. I love pictures with that vibrant blue landscape!

P. Passport stamps, how many and from where?

I have a few passport stamps: France, Germany, and Canada (although I didn’t stay here, it was just a layover). I’ve been to more countries, but when traveling by train through Europe, they don’t stamp your passport.

 

Q. Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where

When I was in Brussels, Belgium, I went to this exhibit in the Atomium that showed how various animals saw their surroundings. It was pretty cool!

 

R. Recommended sight, event, and/or experience

So what I want to recommend is a free walking tour in Bruges, Belgium; however, I already talked about it in my other post, The Wanderlust Tag, so go check that out to find out more! I would also recommend going to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. This is home to the famous Harry Potter World! To visit both Diagon Alley and Hogwarts, you have to get the park-to-park admission, but I think it’s definitely worth it if you’re only there for a day, like I was. And you also get to go on the rides in both Universal and Islands of Adventure. I especially liked this park because I’m not much of a roller coaster fan, but there were plenty of rides for me to do that I felt comfortable going on, and even mini “roller coasters” that pushed me a little out of my comfort zone, but I was able to handle! It was so much fun! I advise studying the map beforehand and laying out a plan of action to maximize your time spent there. My friend and I were rushing through at the last 4 hours before closing, trying to get everything in. Don’t forget to account for wait times for the rides!

 

S. Splurge—something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling

Definitely food. Like I said earlier, I believe food is an essential part to traveling. It’s a part of the culture and who doesn’t love a good meal?! I mean how many times are you going to have the chance to have authentic German food? Or macaroons in French? Or pizza in Italy? Better to have done it, than looking back and wishing you had!

 

T. Touristy thing you’ve done

I’ve done a lot of touristy things! I guess one of the first touristy things that I’ve done is ride the largest Ferris wheel in the world, which is by the way, the only Ferris wheel I’ve ever been on. The London Eye, in London England.

 

U. Unforgettable travel memory

How am I supposed to narrow this down to one memory? I have so many! I will have to say my first family vacation was definitely unforgettable. We went on a 7 day cruise {first time cruising for all of us} to the Eastern Caribbean. AH.MA.ZING. The food, the service, and the ports were all beyond what we could have imagined! Definitely something everyone should try at least once!

V. Visas, how many and for where?

Can’t say I have any visas…at least not yet.

W. Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

I definitely would not consider myself a wine connoisseur considering I usually go to a restaurant and say, what’s a sweet wine you would recommend and usually go with their recommendation. That being said, I don’t really know names of wine, but I do know that I’ve had really good wine in both France and Italy. Not much help, I know…sorry!

 

X. eXcellent view and from where?

This one is so hard because I’ve been to so many beautiful places! My top 3 views would have to be: Salzburg, Austria; Grand Turk of Turk & Caicos; Heidelberg, Germany. But of course we can’t forget Florence, Italy; Paris,France; Brussels, Belgium…aahh there’s too many to choose from!

Y. Years (or longest duration) spent traveling?

The summer after I graduated from college, I went on what was supposed to be a 2-month trip to Europe. I ended up only making it a month and a week before going back home. Definitely would love to go for longer!

 

Z. (Most) Zealous sports fans and where?

I’m not a really big sports fan, but I do remember when I was staying near Paris one time, I was visiting the Stade de France and there was a game happening there that night between France and Belgium. There were drunk people everywhere, covered in paint, bright colors, and flags. It was great! There were even three people who were so excited they {safely} jumped off a bridge into the water below. Hahaha that was fun to see, as one of them was in a body suit!

 

 

Well, those are my ABC’s of travel. It was a lot of fun to complete, but also really challenging to narrow down my favorites. In some cases, you saw that I could not narrow down to one answer. I challenge you to try and complete the ABCs of Travel! Comment a link to your post so I can read how you answered these questions!