I was recently “nominated” for a Liebster Blog Award. I put “nominated” in quotes because the thing about the Liebster Award is that there really is no award. It’s more like a chain letter than an actual award. If you’re nominated, you have to pass the nomination on to 11 other bloggers (actually, this number varies from nomination to nomination), and answer 11 questions about yourself. So in the spirit of connecting with other travel bloggers and keeping the Liebster alive, I’ve decided to participate.

I want to thank @LourikaReinders for the nomination. She’s a great photographer, an accomplished traveler, and she blogs at Ordinary Girl: Extraordinary Life.

Lourika asked 11 questions:

1.  If you can choose ONE country to live in, which one will it be.

I currently live in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala, and I totally love it here. It’s cheap, beautiful, and I’m surrounded by amazing people – a great mix of expats, travelers, and a wonderful indigenous Mayan population who have totally embraced the gringo tourism of Lago Atitlan. I’m not sure I want to live here forever, but for now – it’s a pretty great place.  I’ve been in love with Spain for a long time, and I could definitely see myself living in southern Spain somewhere on the coast.

2.  What experience have you missed out on while traveling and regretted it?

I turn 30 this month, and most of my friends that I grew up with are much more “grown up” than I am.  I often feel like I’ve missed the opportunity to be a “grown up” in the sense of owning a car, a home, and having a serious girlfriend or wife. My life is travel – and when you’re always on the road, it can be hard to have those things. It’s a grass-is-always-greener situation, because I know my friends with the kids and the mortgages and the steady jobs all envy me for my life, but at the same time, I envy them for their their stability and the deep relationships they’ve built.

3.  Do you like to travel alone or with a companion?

I travel alone. But I often make friends and travel with them for extended periods of time. Still, I’m a bit of a lone wolf.

4.  What is a HIGHLIGHT of your travels so far?

There are too many to recount! I’ve been on the road for years.  I’ve been scuba diving in the Caribbean and on the Great Barrier Reef, I climbed Volcan Tajumulco, the tallest peak in Central America, I’ve been skydiving in Israel, I’ve been to Burning Man, I’ve kayaked down Guatemala’s Rio Dulce, and I’ve traveled to and lived in so many places around the world that it’s hard to keep track of. I live for a living – it’s all one big highlight!

5.  What is the next country that you would like to visit?

I haven’t spent much time in South East Asia, and I hope to spend most of next year exploring that part of the world.

6.  Who is your favorite photographer?

Tough question. If we’re talking modern stuff, the first person that comes to mind is Scott London – I’ve enjoyed his Burning Man photography for a long time.

7.  What social networks do you use, and why do you prefer them?

I spend a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter.  (Follow me and Like me!) – I love them both for different reasons, but I use them both to keep in touch with friends and promote my websites.

8.  What is the weirdest thing that you ate on your travels?

I’ve had some strange local cheeses in my travels – many of them downright gag-worthy.  I’ve had Durian in Malaysia and nearly threw up. I’ve also eaten some delicious ants in the Lacandona jungle in southern Chiapas, Mexico – they were minty!

9.  Favorite food from a foreign country?

I love Mexican food – I can never pass  up an order of Tacos al Pastor from a street vendor!

10.  What do you hate the most about flying overseas?

Turbulence.

11.  What does traveling mean to you?

Traveling is so many things to me. It’s a lifestyle, a business, an addiction. I’ve made it my mission to promote travel through my writing on JustinWasHere.com, my magazine WorldTravelBuzz.com, and my Radical Travel Podcast. I truly believe that by helping people to travel and promoting the kind of cross-cultural understanding that comes with travel, we can change the world in a very positive way. Travel is my life.

That does if for the 11 questions. There was also a part about 11 random facts, but I’ll skip that and move on to my 11 nominations:

KenKaminesky, jetsetfarryn, TheHogga, takeyourbigtrip, adventurouskate, ottsworld,

soultravelers3, Ayngelina, legalnomads, artofbackpackin, and GoPowerKicK.

Bam!

So, if I nominated you, and you feel like sharing a little bit about yourself, you can answer the same 11 questions that I answered above (Lourika picked some great questions.. also, I’m too busy (lazy) to come up with my own) and nominate 11 of your favorite travel bloggers to keep the Liebster alive!

Thanks!