I was reading a travel blog and found this on here and thought it would be interesting to share!
A: Age you went on your first international trip: I went to Canada when I was little (Niagra Falls), but my first "real" international trip was the summer after senior year when I went to Germany, France, and Spain. I was seventeen, but turned eighteen while I was in Munich.
B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where: I don't drink beer so unfortunately I don't have a favorite. I drink cider and the best was a strawberry flavored one in the U.K. Plain cider is good too and I've never had one I didn't like, but now I usually go for a Strongbow.
C: Cuisine (favorite): Italian. This is really a no brainer.
D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why: I really like Italy as a whole, but my favorite country is definitely the UK. I love love love London because there is so much to see and do there. I've been there twice and still haven't seen and done everything I wanted to. I loved Edinburgh in Scotland and the UK just has so much history and places to see so I definitely want to go back (again) one day. I have two least favorite places. The first is Madrid. I think Madrid is one of those over-rated cities that only has a few sites to see and other than that it's just a big city. The second one is Nice, France. It was dirty, smelled, and the beach was not clean at all. If you go a little outside of Nice you can find much more beautiful beaches that are cleaner and not nearly as crowded.
E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: I really enjoyed the feria in Jerez because it was something so unique to Spain and in particular the region of Andalucia. Not to mention I got to dress up in flamenco garb and look like a real gitana.
F: Favorite mode of transportation: The best way to get throughout Europe is definitely by train. It's simple to use once you know how it works and I've never had too many problems with them.
G: Greatest feeling while traveling: Discovering a new place and being immersed in the history. I'm a history nerd and it's part of the reason why I love traveling so much.
H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Supposedly it is ridiculously hot in Andalucia in the summer, but I was fortunate enough to be there from only fall to spring. It was grossly hot in Rome and Paris last summer, although I'm not sure that was the norm
I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Nothing will compare to service here in the U.S. People work for tips here and if they are a good server they will be asking you if you need things whereas overseas that just doesn't happen.
J: Journey that took the longest: The flight from Chicago to Hawaii. It was at least ten hours long and because it was "domestic" we had no food! That is ridiculous when on a two hour flight from Atlanta to Cancun we were served food.
K: Keepsake from your travels: I always get a postcard from the different cities I visit and a keychain from the different countries, but I don't usually indulge in the stuff you can find in all the touristy shops. I do have a Venetian mask, some handmade pottery from Mexico, and this lovely little piece of English china.
L: Let-down sight, why and where: The Alcazar in Segovia was a letdown. Cinderella's castle in Disneyland is supposed to be modeled after it so I thought it would be grander than what it really was.
M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: Can you fall in love with it without having travelled a lot? I always wanted to travel and when I first went abroad I loved it. There's no stopping me now!
N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The one in Gibraltar was nice because it looked over the Mediterranean, but hotels in the U.S. are far nicer than ones in Europe. If you pay the same price for a hotel the one in the U.S. will be of better quality.
O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?: I don't really have an obsession of taking pictures of something in particular, just things that I find interesting!
P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?: I have 15 stamps, but I've travelled more than that! I have some from Germany, Spain, Mexico, the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., and France, but they don't stamp passports when you travel within most EU countries.
Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: The John Lennon Wall in Prague is pretty quirky since it's just a large graffitied wall dedicated to the former Beatle's legend and it's an attraction in and of itself.
R: Recommended sight, event or experience: Take a cable car up in the Alps. It's a must to visit the Tower of London in London. Have a drink in a pub in the UK or Ireland. Eat tapas.
S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Seeing the sights that I want to see and indulging in certain experiences you may never have the chance to do again!
T: Touristy thing you’ve done: Visit all the major tourist sites in Europe? I hate how people don't want to be a "tourist" when they visit a place, but there's no getting around it. That's what you are and it's nothing to be shameful of.
U: Unforgettable travel memory: There are so many! Getting chased by cows in the Swiss Alps. Realizing that the train to Prague got in at 3:30 in the morning and sitting in the train station til 5. Having my mom and sister visit me in Spain. Really the list could go on and on.
V: Visas, how many and for where? One. It was my student visa for when I went to teach in Spain and it is the WORST PICTURE EVER. It looks like a mug shot.
W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? Rioja from Spain!
X: eXcellent view and from where?: The Swiss Alps is one amazing view. The pictures really didn't do it justice. The mirador de San Nicolas in Granada of the Alhambra is also amazing.
Y: Years spent traveling?: Since I turned eighteen I've been abroad four times and the last time was when I was in Spain for eight months.
Z: Zealous sports fans and where?: Futbol/soccer fans all over Europe. One word for last summer: FIFA Fever!!!!
