Liebster Award

We have been nominated for a Liebster Award!! 

We've been nominated by Sabina Trojanova of Girl vs Globe . Thanks Sabina!

Update: 28/05/14  We've been nominated again!! Massive thanks to Elena Nacheva of Gone With the Backpack another fantastic blog, her questions are near the bottom. 

Update: 04/06/14  Another nomination!!! Thank you Emma of Live and Learn Travel Blog :) you should definitely check out her blog too, in particular try and find the best photo of giraffes ever (it's on the about me page). Her questions have been added to the bottom.

Update 26/07/14 Another nomination :) thanks Sam and Sam ;) of Couple of Backpackers. They're a great couple who prove you can still travel with a 9 -5. 

The rules are:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to his or her blog.
2. Answer the 10 questions by the nominee before you.
3. Nominate 10 of your favourite blogs and notify them of their nomination.
4. Come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

So here are our ten answers (Tanbay is blue, Laura is pink because sexism still happens): 


What was the first place you ever travelled to and how old were you?

I was six months old and I went to Spain with my mum and dad: 

My parents look like they are teenagers because they are in this photo. 

I must have been 3 or 4 and I went to Istanbul with my parents, I just remember falling in the nettles, and how much that hurt. 

:(

J. R. R. Tolkien once wrote that "not all those who wander are lost". Do you ever travel to escape your life back home?

I used to say this quote all the time, but would always quote it wrong without realising it.. Anyway I now like to say 'I want to go home but I haven't found it yet' which I'm sorry to say I don't know who said it (probs Tolkien). 

As to the escaping part, not at all. I love England! I have a great family and friends, a great degree to fall back on, sure England is cold and rainy, but Australia can be too. I think I escape from society and the normal way of life, or is that just too cliche? 

Yes, all the time. I started travelling when I was 17 and I haven't looked back since, I believe that travelling is a great way to keep your life interesting and to not have a set routine. 








What's the one thing you could never travel without?

Tanbay! Jokes it would have to be something logical like my passport, because everything else I could do without. When we were living in England and would go to work/uni we used to chant 'phone, wallet, keys, incredible good looks' because everything else is replaceable. We do this now too,  but we've extended it to add camera and passport, and lost the keys bit as we have none. 

Having just spent the last 9 months in Australia with just backpacks, I have now discovered that I cannot travel without a suitcase with wheels. Also music.

Is there a place you've travelled to you'd rather not return to?

No. Every place I've been to has been great in its own way. I would love to return to them all! 

I always used to say China, because I was quarantined there: 

but I've made my peace with that now and take it back. There's no specific place really, but I'll disagree with what Tanbay says, I wouldn't want to go back to the awesome places that we've been, because I'd rather use that time and money on a new place! Saying that, I'm sure we'll return to Australia and the USA. 

What's the most important thing travel taught you?

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that's why they call it the present (wise words Alice Morse Earle). Before our 9 months in Australia, my plan was to come back to England and get a 9-5 job and live for the money. But now I know that's not for me and that's fine. 

To expect the unexpected, for example when I broke my arm in Australia:  

Personally, I think videos capture my trips most accurately. What's your favourite way of documenting your travels?

Photos, but we are out to get a go pro so will no doubt be converts soon! I love writing too, I'm mostly not very elegant at it, and my spelling is atrocious (what can I say I'm a mathematician)! But I enjoy it, and I feel like I'm getting more competent at conveying the voices in my head into words on a screen. 



My favourite way is through blog posts, although we would like to start making videos - we'll hopefully do that soon. 


Music is an important part of my life and I always associate certain songs with certain destinations. What's your number one travel song?

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride, no idea who it's by but I like the line 'there's no place I'd rather be than on a surfboard out at sea'. That's me, I'm such a surfer:

I like most songs by Jack Johnson because they always slow me down and remind me of surfing and beaches. 

Okay I've looked it up, I think that song was made for Disney (route of all evil - hearing it on Lilo and Stitch would have been my first clue), so I'm going to change my final answer and copy Tanbay. 


Do you still live in the country you were born in? Do you see yourself moving away from or back to it in the future?

I left my home country (Germany) 7 years ago and lived in England for 6 years, and then lived in Australia for the last 9 months. I don't see myself moving back to Germany ever again as I need a warmer climate to live in. 

Nope, I probably could live in England, but I'm with Tanbay, I like the warmth of other places! 

If you could wake up tomorrow and be fluent in a foreign language, which one would you pick?

Russian it's so sexy

I would pick Japanese because it has always fascinated me and I love the culture. 

Where are you going to travel next?

Amsterdam!




Here are our ten questions: 

1. Which travel blog is your favourite blog and why?
2. What made you decide to start your own travel blog?
3. What do you love most about travelling?
4. How long do you want to travel for?
5. Where do you want to go the most and why?
6. How many countries have you been to?
7. How many countries have you lived in?
8. What's your favourite country that you've been to and why?
9. What's the best thing that ever happened to you whilst travelling?
10. What thing have you done whilst travelling that you think is overrated? 

We nominate:
Taran and Hannah from Nomad'er How Far   
Margherita and Nick from The Crowded Planet 
Shaun of Shaun's Cracked Compass
Kevin of Vagabond Impulse
Dale and Franco from Anglo Italian
Angela and Shep from Our Great Escape
Heather at Ferreting out the Fun
Elena and Andrei from Traveling Bytes
John at In the Loop Travel
Stu at  Lifetime Backpacker 

Sorry if any of you have been nominated, we wanted to nominate Illia and Nastia of Crazzzy Travel but we know for sure they've already been nominated. 

So all in all, this was a fun post to write thank you so much to Sabina for thinking of us :) 

Now for Elena Nacheva of Gone With the Backpack  's questions:

1. What have you sacrificed to travel so far? 

Lots of people back home would say that I'd sacrificed a great mathematical career (I'm a maths graduate). I'd say I've sacrificed counting them as close friends. 

I would say nothing! 

2. What´s the most unusual thing you´ve ever eaten?

Crocodile, kangaroo and emu. They were all pretty great. 

3. Have you felt a strong connection to a place you´ve been to and even wanted to stay there forever?

For sure! The other day in the Netherlands I kept thinking ' I could live here, I'd love to live here'. Maybe one day we'll settle down there! Tanbay's going to say Australia..  

Yes, the Gold Coast Australia 

Ah yea I'll say that too. 

4. Do you get the post-travelling depression when you get back home after a long travel?

Yes definitely, I really missed England when we were in Australia, but when I actually got back there it was so much worse than I remembered, I couldn't wait to leave again so we did! 

No because I always plan for the next place.  

5. Have you ever been robbed or mugged while travelling? 

No thankfully! I think this would probably upset me a lot. Luckily it's never happened to me at home either.. I have a black belt that comes in useful quite a lot ;)  

Nope :) 

6. Beach, mountain or jungle?

Beach for sure, I love to lay down until I'm burning and then swim it off in the sea. Unlike Tanbay I do like to have a contrast and occasionally do mountains and jungles too.

Beach.

7. What do you miss the most from normal life while globetrotting?

Probably my friends and family back home, but that's what skype's for! 

Consistent internet

8. Do you volunteer while travelling and which one is your kind of voluntary job: hostels, surf camps, Eco farms, orphanages, animal sanctuaries...

No, that's something we definitely plan to do more of. In all areas possible :)

9. Your next destination?

Czech Republic! 

And now for Emma of Live and Learn Travel Blog 's questions: 

1. What has travelling taught you about yourself?

It's cliche but I'm definitely more relaxed and more at peace with myself and others around me. I can still definitely pack a punch when needed, but I'm slowly learning to tolerate people and their wonderful differences. 

Taught me to be more opened minded and to plan more. 

2. What destination has surprised you the most? Why?

Australia  - it was more beautiful and had better weather than I could have ever had imagined. But also sometimes it was really cold, rainy and cloudy - I didn't expect that from Australia either! Furthermore, everyone goes on about the Australians being very laid back, we didn't really find that - they were still mostly very nice though!

China because it's so much cheaper than I thought! But also better quality than I thought - nice tasting food, good quality clothes. 

3. Why do you travel?

For all the cliche reasons: to find myself, to enjoy my youth, to appreciate the time I have. Also to spend as much time as possible with Tanbay, back in England he was working 40 hours a week and I was looking into graduate jobs with similar timetables - we'd have never seen each other! 

because I think it should be mandatory to travel and it's good for you. You don't have to travel forever, but how can you know where you want to live if you've not been everywhere??? 

4. If you were to recommend just one place for your readers to visit, out of all of the places you’ve been, where would it be?

Probably Kangaroo Island or the Gold Coast. Kangaroo Island is excellent for seeing nature in the wild (kangaroos, seals, koalas) it's also really clean and there aren't many people there. The Gold Coast is beautiful but a lot busier.  

Probably the Gold Coast in Australia because it's the best place I've ever seen

5. Do you prefer to travel solo, with a significant other, or in groups (friends, family, etc.) and why?

With each other :). We've both travelled solo and hated it. I (Laura) love travelling with friends and family, but with Tanbay it's always better. 

6. Would you rather have a week long luxury holiday, or a month of budget backpacking?

A month of budget backpacking, you see and experience so much more on the cheap. Plus it's longer..

A month of budget backpacking, because it's a month. A month of luxury holiday would be good too ;)

7. What is a top ‘insiders’ tip that you’d give to people visiting your hometown?

Don't! The abbey is alright though and I think it's almost unique because back in the day Henry the eighth took something from all of the abbeys in England (the lead? The roof? The glass?) but the people in my hometown paid him to go away, or something. Also you can go to the top of it! Also it's pretty famous for flooding so don't go when it's raining. 

Don't visit my hometown! It's not worth visiting. Unless you have family there.

8. How do your friends and family back home feel about your choice to travel?

They mostly support us, some of them do the whole 'when are you getting a real job/thinking about the future' thing, but then they complain about their own lack of time and happiness. I just try to avoid them really. My parents miss me and I think they would rather I live next door, but they're still very supportive. 

They feel great about it and support us. 

9. What is the worst experience you’ve ever had travelling?

Thankfully we've never been robbed or attacked whilst travelling, I think this would probably upset me a lot. Luckily it's never happened to me at home either.. I have a black belt that comes in useful quite a lot ;)  

The worst experience for me would probably be getting quarantined in China that was pretty rubbish and put me off travelling for a while. Other than that it would probably be when Tanbay fractured his arm on New Year's Eve.

When I fractured my arm on New Year's Eve

And now Sam and Sam of Couple of Backpackers' questions:

1. How many countries have you visited? 20 :) Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, UK, Ireland, China, France, Denmark, Austria, United States of America, Malta, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican, Turkey, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain and Qatar. 
2. Have you planned any trips for 2015 yet? At the moment we're thinking Philippines, but that means nothing! This summer we planned Eastern Europe and are now doing Western Europe.. The best made plans of mice and men eh 
3. What is your favourite size of backpack to carry? We carry a rolling suitcase :) We took massive backpacks to Australia and they were such a pain to carry about, we roll everywhere now
4. What inspires you to pick your next destination? Normally other people's blogs!
5. Do you like to move from one place to the next or stay in one place and day trip out? As house sitters we normally stay in one place and day trip out. 
6. Ever had a bad experience whilst travelling? What happened? Oh my so many! They always make the best stories! Laura was quarantined in China and Tanbay broke his arm in Australia - those were probably the worst, oh also when we had a really creepy couch surfing host. 
7. What souvenirs do you always pick up? None really, we like taking photos the most. Laura used to collect key rings but then she had too many and no keys anymore. 
8. How organised are you when planning a trip? Laura organises like it's a military operation. Tanbay just sits back and enjoys the ride.. 
9. Which type of sites do you tend to visit the most (Museums/ gallery’s etc)? Anything free! Normally things that look good. 
10. How long have you been blogging? Laura started a personal blog for people back at home when we went to Australia last year, then when we came back we decided to make a website out of it which we did two months ago. 
11. Which blog made you start blogging? Sabrina at http://www.justonewayticket.com she's so nice. 

Thanks again to Sabina Trojanova of Girl vs Globe , Elena Nacheva of Gone With the Backpack, Emma of Live and Learn Travel Blog and Sam and Sam of Couple of Backpackers   for thinking of us :) 

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ABOUTME

We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.