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I am thrilled and honored to have been nominated by Cristina Luisa from @TravelChronicle to receive the

Last year I received a double nomination for the same award by Sarah from Wake Up Mona and Sonja from The Happy Travel Bug . It was such a great yet unexpected surprise but I welcomed it with open arms 🙂

There is no better reward than seeing their readership increase and being recognized by fellow bloggers from the community! I am really grateful that my work is appreciated and shared! It sure motivates me to continue writing.

Without further ado, here are the rules of this award:

Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to his or her blog.
Answer the 10 questions by the nominee before you.
Nominate 5 of your favorite blogs and notify them of their nomination.
Come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

Liebster Award Acceptance: “Pay It Forward”

Thank you so much Cristina Luisa for this awesome nomination! Trust me when I say that I am truly surprised and it sure made me *blush*

Being nominated means that everything I do (the time and effort invested), as well as all the stories I share, were well worth it.

Cristina is a world traveler, lover of arts and she has that adventurous soul that I can identify with! Moreover we sure did connect even more when she went abroad to teach and It made me very happy to read all about her life-changing experiences on her blog!

Oh did I tell you she is a kick ass writer? She sure can tell a story! She inspires me to be bold and fearless. If there is something I want to do or achieve I just have to go out and make it happen 😉

As the one & only (and fabulous) Bruce Lee once said: “To hell with circumstances, I create my own opportunities” and that is something I know to be absolutely true!

P.S: BTW Cris, my next goal is that Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics that has been on my mind for years. I won’t stop until I get it #sisepuede

Here are my answers to her 10 Questions

Please share a photo of yourself at one of your favorite destinations.

This was just a bit difficult as there are so many places that mean the world to me and narrowing it down to one was not easy. However I always follow my heart and there is this photo taken at one of my absolute favorite places on earth and it is called Lac Supérieur or Superior Lake which is located in the Laurentians, a stunningly beautiful region north of my city.

I simply cannot begin to tell you how happy and free I feel whenever I go there regardless of the time of the year! It sure is breathtaking.

Honestly, if you asked me where I would love to settle down and if I had to pick a place to live anywhere on earth, it would definitely be there 🙂

Do you consider yourself a writer or a blogger?

I would say both. I have been writing for quite some time now but I have not written or published my best work yet. I’m constantly a work in process!

As for being a blogger, well the past 3 years have helped me to become more disciplined, focused and much more passionate.

I’m quite humbled by the fact that my musings are read by quite a few people in many country around the world and I can’t help but being very grateful!

Everything I do, I do it for the fun of it and I’m not chasing numbers or anything like that. I am not afraid to tell you what I think or feel but I am also there to help or give advice or guide those who request or ask for it.

As that famous line from the movie Field of Dreams goes: “Build it and they will come” Well, I can say that it is definitely true and I’m a proof!

Do you have any pet peeves about other travelers/tourists?

There are quite a few things that irk me when I travel or see mistakes some travelers/tourists make that can and should be avoided.

For instance leave your ego and superiority attitude at home! We, as well as the locals, know that if you are the foreign traveler you have means to buy things that others can’t. Hence there is no need to flash a wad of money in front of everyone to see who’s got acquisition power. It only makes you the right target for others to take it away.

Next, before traveling, learn some basic words in the local language; “Hello” “Thank You” will be appreciated while expecting people to know your language will not make them treat you better!

When abroad, blend in with the locals. Don’t go to the same restaurants you go to at home, how about going on a culinary adventure? Have a chat with the locals and ask them to tell you what they love about their city or town, get recommendations.

Be humble and learn! Travel is transformative. Not only it makes you a better person but you also return home with a new set of eyes and makes you appreciate what you have even more!

I could go on and on but those are my main suggestions that could benefit anyone.

Is there anywhere in the world you are afraid to visit and why?

Frankly, there are a lot of places in the world that are unsafe due to the situation in the country or history.

However I have always wanted to visit the Middle East: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt but because of the turbulent past and unrest of the area, I didn’t consider it as possibility.

Being a woman and traveling solo would not be safe either, so I would need to go with a group or with a partner to feel safe and enjoy it even more!

Are there any regrets you have about past travels?

Who does not have any regrets? I sure do and if you want, you can find out what my top 3 travel regrets are!

Do you have pets? If so, who takes care of them while you’re away?

A few years ago I had two baby kittens, Bella and Storm (brother and sister); they were super cute, grey with beautiful blue eyes! Unfortunately I became allergic to cat fur, hence I had to give them away and I was so sad to let them go. I never knew what it was partying ways with family members and cried hard when I left them with their new owners. They will always be in my heart and thank them for making me happy and for teaching me how to be responsible for other beings, even if it was for a short while.

Do you prefer to travel alone or with someone else? Why?

I had been traveling alone since my very first trip at 15 and loved it! It allowed me to truly enjoy my freedom, see and do everything that I’ve always wanted to do at anytime.

Even though I always traveled solo, was never lonely. I made friends quite easily everywhere thanks to my foreign language skills 😉 I met my best friends on the road and abroad. I would not change a thing!

However, as I’ve gotten older, I find it more difficult to travel to a beautiful location and not have someone dear or special to share it with.

Nowadays I don’t see myself spending hours on a plane, bus, train or car on my own. I rather be with someone. Time makes things happen and we change!

What is your earliest memory of wanting to travel?

Well, I moved from El Salvador to Canada when I was 7 years old and that was the very first time I had ever flown on an airplane and as you know it was love at first flight.

Then upon arrival, my adventurous parents took us to different cities in Canada such as Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières etc. That helped us open our minds, love and appreciate our new country.

Now as far as I can possibly remember, I watched those now classy yet cheesy movies with Chevy Chase from the 80’s that some of you might remember, National Lampoon’s European Vacation with the Griswolds. Most of the scenes were filmed in London, Paris, South Germany, Rome and more. I promised myself at that young age that one day I would visit those places too. Fast forward 15 years and that dream/promise came true 🙂

Name your favorite book and your favorite movie.

My absolute favorite book has to be The Alchemist by the one and only (and fabulous) Paulo Coelho.

It is one that I can never get tired of reading time and time again and yes, I read the actual book! One of the best quotes is found between its pages and I use it in my email signature:

“When you want something with all your heart, the universe conspires to make it happen”

As for my favorite movie it has to be “The Motorcycle Diaries”.

It is the story of the young Che Guevara as he travels around South America with his best friend Alberto Granada. The cinematography is simply spectacular, breathtaking! We then understand the transformation the Che goes through and the injustice he witnesses that makes him fight for his ideals later in life.

I invite you to watch it at least once! Not only fuels your wanderlust, it really helps you see things differently.

Who or what inspires you?

There are so many persons who inspire me on so many levels and on a daily basis.

I have learned quite a few valuable and priceless lessons thanks to my travels in all four corners of our planet.

I give gratitude from the moment I wake up until the moment I close my eyes at night.

The people around me never cease to amaze me at how they show their strength, resolve, determination and the attitude they have in spite of what comes at them.

I also read positive, helpful and empowerment sites as well as TV shows. One of them is OWN TV, a special channel created by the amazing Oprah Winfrey who offers great programming and interviews some of the best and most inspiring persons, teachers and human beings alive. I love Super Soul Sunday, which is like vitamins for the soul! Check it out and watch the live broadcast on Facebook when you can 😉

So there you have the answers to the questions Cristina asked. Now it’s my turn to ask the following nominees!

Sonja @happyhoyt

Aaron @elatlboy

Tom @waegook_tom

2wisemonkeys @2wisemonkeys

Here are my questions:

1- When was your first trip? Where did you go? (You can include a photo)

2- Is there a special place on earth you are drawn to like a magnet?

3- Do you have a fun story that happened during your travels?

4- What is the first thing you do once you arrive at a destination?

5- Are you adventurous with food? If so show us a photo of your favorite meal!

6- What advice would you give to young travelers?