The Sisterhood Of The World Bloggers Award

Sisterhood World Bloggers

 

After working in the corporate world for almost 15 years, it’s so refreshing to belong to a community of like-minded, authentic women who offer support and guidance. Whether it’s reading and commenting on posts, sharing stories, connecting via social media or giving bloggers a chance to share what they’ve written via link ups, the sisterhood is like the big sister I never had.

I’d like to thank Fairlie from Feet On Foreign Lands for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, an award that recognises the contribution of women bloggers around the world. I’m very honoured that you nominated me, thanks so much!

The rules of the award, should my nominees wish to accept their nomination:

-Mention the blogger who nominated you

-Answer her 10 questions

-Nominate 10 bloggers worthy of the award

-Ask your nominees 10 questions

I respect that some of you may be quite busy, or travelling somewhere in the world, so please do not feel pressured to participate in the award if it isn’t something you are able to give up your time for.

Here are my answers to Fairlie’s 10 questions:

What was the first blog post you wrote?

My first blog post was not for Mamma Loves Travel but for another blog I created 18 months ago Unbusy Me, which centres around living a less busy and more meaningful life. Around that time, I began to incorporate minimalism into my life- no, not living in an empty white room without furniture but getting rid of stuff I didn’t need and making more room for meaning in my life. Which then led to a lot of soul searching, which then led to Mamma Loves Travel, and the rest, as they say, is history. I haven’t been spending any time on Unbusy Me for a few months now and I’ve realised it’s a shame as my small readership is still growing. People are looking for another way of living, and minimalism and travel kind of go hand in hand, so I am hoping to devote more time to the other blog.

Have you ever had a brag-worthy travel upgrade experience?

Only once, and it’s not as exciting as what others may have experienced! We had our rental car upgraded by Avis when they found out we were in Tasmania for our honeymoon. So instead of driving a small sedan we were upgraded to a new SUV. Pretty cool at the time! Ha!

Is there anywhere you would never, ever, in a million years return to?

Oh, that’s easy: Coober Pedy, in outback Australia. It’s a mining town sometimes referred to as the “opal capital of the world”. People in Coober Pedy live in underground homes called “dugouts”, because it’s much cooler- temperatures in Coober Pedy often exceed 40C in the summer (100F). I stayed here one night in a dugout. Now, I’m not really claustrophobic but something just didn’t feel right staying underground, and so I didn’t get much sleep. The place made me feel uncomfortable- there were some weird vibes! And I don’t know how true this is, but our tour guide mentioned that criminals come to live in Coober Pedy because they can generally live underground unnoticed.

What’s the top three destinations or experiences on ‘your list’?

1. Travelling to Bosnia with my dad– he was born there and lived there until his family moved to Croatia when he was 5 years old. We have recently discussed the possibility of going there together someday to see where his family was from and to do some more family tree research (I’m fascinated with genealogy). I am praying the Travel Gods will align our lucky stars and make this dream trip happen sometime in the next couple of years.

2. Turkey: It sounds like an amazing country with so much history and beauty and beautiful  beaches, of course! I don’t think I will get there anytime soon though.

3. Hawaii: After watching the George Clooney movie “The Descendants”, I decided I want to go to Hawaii.

What do you enjoy most in other people’s blogs or social media feeds?

Reading about something new- whether it’s a place I’ve never heard of, or an experience/attraction I’ve never heard of in a place I’ve already been to. And I enjoy when there is an opportunity to engage with the blogger.

What type of carry-on luggage do you have and what’s in it?

I originally bought my carry-on “red bag” as a hospital bag when I went to give birth to Miss 7. But it’s such a handy little bag on wheels that I’ve used it while travelling. Only issue I have with it is that it’s bright red, and my husband thinks it looks too girly. So while we were overseas last month, he would help carry our luggage but refused to have anything to do with the “red bag”. What’s in it? I’m a “less is more” kinda gal, so I could easily travel overseas with just my carry-on. But if I’m travelling with the family, then my “red bag” contains our toiletries bag, electronic devices, change of outfits for the kids,  and my camera (which I ended up losing in London! If anyone has found it, please let me know!).

What’s the first thing you do when you get to a new destination?

When I arrive at my accommodation, I open the windows and look out onto the street and sometimes give out a cheer (the girls and I yelled out “Bonjour!” in Paris). Then I MUST go for a walk around the neighbourhood. I’m very impatient when I arrive somewhere new- I have to go out straight away and explore, whereas my husband prefers to relax in the apartment for a couple of hours (boring!).

If you could pick anyone (dead or alive, and other than your usual travel companions) to sit next to on a long-haul flight, who would it be?

I think it would be pretty cool to sit next to Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love). I follow her on Facebook and she seems like the most down to earth, intelligent woman who would be so interesting to have a conversation with. Actually I think she embodies what the Sisterhood of World Bloggers stands for! Can I nominate her? Ha!

What is your most popular blog post?

My most popular blog post in terms of views and comments is definitely Paris-Not Just For Lovers. I’ve thought about why it’s the most popular blog post, because so many things have been written about Paris. I think unless you’ve taken your kids to Paris, you probably still think of it as being a romantic city, first and foremost. It’s pretty cool to change people’s perceptions of a place!

What makes a memorable moment for you?

When my family is connected in the moment- when we are enjoying life together, without any stress, pressure or arguments. That’s when I think to myself “yeah, life’s pretty good!”

 

MY NOMINATIONS

Although I’m still fairly new on the travel blogging circuit, I have already connected with many other inspiring women writing about their global adventures. Some are new at the game just like me, while others are seasoned professionals! Ladies, I have nominated you because you have shown me great respect and have encouraged me and given me words of support. This is my way of saying thanks for welcoming me into the sisterhood, and you deserve to be shown off to the rest of the world. Congratulations and I hope you accept this award with pride.

 

1. Sandra from Heading For The Hills

2. Sally from Our3KidsVTheWorld

3. Holly from Four Around The World

4. Cathy from Mummy Travels

5. Janet from Middle Aged Mama

6. Cerys from Traveled So Far

7. Lyndall from Seize The Day Project

8. Lolo from California Globetrotter

9. Rachel from A Nesting Nomad

10. Sam from Journo And The Joker

 

And here are my ten questions for these lovely ladies:

 

1. What inspired you to start travelling?

2. How did you come up with your blog name?

3. What is one destination or experience you have visited or tried that exceeded your expectations?

4. What are your top three travel bucket list destinations/experiences?

5. What were you doing before you started blogging?

6. What is your favourite quote of all time (it doesn’t have to be travel related)?

7. If you could pick anyone (dead or alive, and other than your usual travel companions) to sit next to on a long-haul flight, who would it be?

8. What is your most popular blog post?

9. What do you never leave home without?

10. What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

 

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Are you a fan of any of the sisterhood bloggers I have nominated?  Let me know below! If you are new to Mamma Loves Travel and you want to stay connected to me, please click here to subscribe today!

Linking up with:

My Travel Monkey

 

 

 

 

10 thoughts on “The Sisterhood Of The World Bloggers Award”

  1. That is so funny about Coober Pedy…as it is one of the places right at the very top of my Australian bucket list! I can highly recommend Turkey. And I’ll be going to Hawaii later this year for the first time – so will report back then. Thanks for joining in with the Sisterhood Award…it’s been great to read your responses, and now I have a whole new list of sisterhood bloggers to go check out!

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  2. that is funny about Coober Pedy. I went there as a teenager and I enjoyed it. I would also love to go to Turkey.. It is high on my bucket list.
    Thanks again for including me. It was a huge surprise.

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    • I’m guessing your trip to Coober Pedy was part of a high school Central Australia trip? I went as part of a group while studying at TAFE. You’re welcome, looking forward to reading your responses!

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  3. Thanks again for nominating me! It was very entertaining to read your answers from your nomination! I will post my response as soon as I have time! Keep traveling and blogging! 🙂

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  4. Congrats on the award! I definitely recommend Turkey – it is such a fantastic country. I’ve been twice now and most definitely can’t wait to go back some time in the future 🙂

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  5. Thank you so much for nominating me! I really like reading your blog so am delighted to be in the Sisterhood 🙂 I will definitely post my response and look forward to checking out all the other ladies in your Sisterhood too. Funny you should say that about Coober Pedy, I’ve always been intrigued by it but will maybe skip it now..!

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  6. Love finding out more about you Natalie – that’s why these memes are so interesting! How funny, when I saw The Descendants too, I thought I must go to Hawaii! And I am like you, I have to go and explore as soon as my bags are dumped in a room – I find it’s the best way to get your bearings! Thanks so much for linking up to #MondayEscapes

    Reply

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