Travel Tag!

Y’all want to know more about my travel experiences? I sure hope so because I’ve been nominated for a travel tag by the lovely Angela. She’s got all sorts of variety in her posts, from travel to food to regular postings of her favorite things. Check her out.

So let’s get to the questions, shall we?

What is the most adventurous dish you’ve ever tried in another country?

Liver. This wasn’t in another country, but my own. My entire family is Haitian and it’s actually quite unspectacular. I guess that removes the adventurous part. The last time I visited Haiti, I had liver for breakfast every morning with grits and bean sauce. It’s so good, though it does have to be cooked in the right way with seasonings and all.

Everyone warned me about never drinking any water in Thailand that wasn’t straight out of a water bottle. But a few travelers vouched for this smoothie stand having the best watermelon smoothies. They assured me that they hadn’t gotten sick in 2 days of drinking it. This was the second day of my stay, and I went against my own counsel and took the chance of getting struck with chronic you know what. It was so hot outside and everybody was doing it… I consider that adventurous! It turned out to be delicious. Like every other watermelon drink in the entire country.

2. Would you rather go on vacation with family or friends?

Friends for sure. You can choose your friends, and you chose them for a reason, right? We’re compatible. I don’t come from one of those families where I can just be myself and talk about all the wild and crazy things I did over the weekend. My parents are old school to the max. Good people. Funny people. Too damn restrictive. Just last night I got a lecture on not getting any new tattoos. My brother is the exception. He’s another variation of me. We always get along and we always have fun. I’ll actually be taking a trip with him soon for the first time. I haven’t been close to my cousins for a few years, though we’re making more of an effort now. But I’m not current on who their alliances lie with. Can’t trust them yet, hehe.

 

 

3. What is your favorite thing about vacations?

Seeing new types of beauty. I love seeing new types of beauty. I love feeling my brain constantly on fire, my heart constantly stirred. I relish opportunities to practice my photography. Damn it, that’s more than one thing. I’m not very good at this!

Are you an overpacker or an underpacker?

Underpacker, or packer of essentials only. I went on one trip a year ago that forced me to pack lightly and I fell in love with it. I under packed for Thailand and was washing panties in the sink, hanging them to dry. But seeing my two travel companions struggle with lugging around their way heavier backpacks, I was happy to hand wash. Hell, most panties say gentle cycle anyway. Most of us only want to wear the best pair of jeans that we bring. The others end up taking up space. No one knows me in a new city, so if I wear the same dress twice, who cares?

Most things that I might forget may easily be found in the land of my travels. At the very least, if I don’t have the right dress for an occasion, it’s an excuse to go shopping. I hate responsibility, and lots of luggage is responsibility to me. I’ve never looked back.

My top 3 holiday essentials are:

Comfortable shoes, a loose dress, my mascara, and a book for long plane and taxi rides. My phone doesn’t count because it’s actually one of my limbs. But who’s counting anyway?

Would you rather go on a city holiday or a beach holiday?

I normally associate beach vacations with a lot of sitting around on lounge chairs drinking margaritas and mojitos and room servicing massages, which I’m not a fan of doing for more than a day. But I had a varied and pleasurable experience in Thailand. Maya Bay and the Phi Phi Islands were full of energy, beauty, and massages.

Nevertheless, I’m ready to get back to a city with interesting architecture and cafes with rich coffee and flaky pastries. I want a city with people parading around beautiful buildings, but I’d love some mountains or forest nearby. The short answer: City.

If you could visit anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?

It’s spring/summertime again, and for the past 5 years I’ve wanted to visit one of America’s west coast National Parks. If I see a buffalo in the wild, I’d probably keel over and die happy. I want to see thousands of stars tomorrow. Tomorrow I want wide open spaces. Valleys and mountains and mountain streams. Hiking and a little cabin with a fire place and a pot for cooking stew. Birds chirping in the morning. Darn it, I need to start planning another trip…

 

What is your favorite place that you have visited?

New York City. There’s just so much to love: museums, art, music, theater, fashion, Central Park, people watching, history, the energy, and contrary to popular belief, the friendliness. The last time that I was in New York, I met so many interesting people from all over. I met writers and independent filmmakers. The city just gives me the sense that anything is possible.

Thanks for reading and happy travels.