Two Blue Passports' First Award
2017 is off to a brilliant start. We are very excited to announce that Two Blue Passports has won its first award! Thank you so much to Marina of My dear Lola for nominating us for the Liebster Award.
For those who don't know, the Liebster is an award given by bloggers to bloggers as recognition for creativity, dedication, and hard work. One could say the award is a digital badge of honor to display as a new addition to the blogging community.
We can't thank Marina enough for recognizing Two Blue Passports as an up-and-coming travel blog. It means so much to be respected by our peers and for that we are truly grateful.
As part of the award, we are asked to answer a list of questions posed by our nominator. Continue reading for our responses, a bit about our nominator, and our nominees. We hope you enjoy!
xx A+M
Our Nominator
Marina ice climbing in a glacier in Iceland. More from her adventure here.
Marina Paul of My dear Lola, is a travel addict, chocolate taster and Barcelona lover. She started her blog in April 2015 after moving to Iceland for 6 months. She believes that family is not only the one you’re both with, but also those who show love and respect to you. She’s now taking her first solo-trip through South America and we can’t wait to read about her adventures!
Havana, Cuba. (December, 2016)
2. Which country is leading your bucket list?
Amanda: South Africa! Morgan and Dan went on their honeymoon and I’m so envious.
Morgan: Patagonia in Chile and Argentina. I’ve never been to South America.
3. Tell me about a nightmare situation you experienced while traveling.
Amanda: During my first visit to San Francisco while I was in college, I arrived with a wallet of cash. I don’t even think I had a real credit card yet. I went to the bathroom right after getting off the plane and my wallet got swiped. All of my cash and my license was gone! Luckily, my travel companion loaned me money for the trip.
Morgan: I’ve been supremely lucky though I think I just jinxed myself. The worst (if you can call it that) I can think of was when I missed the first leg of my flight to South Africa for my honeymoon. There was so much traffic in San Francisco and while we wouldn’t have missed the flight if we didn’t have bags, we were told that unless we wanted to leave the bags behind (this was the attendant's serious suggestion), we couldn’t get on that flight. It was a few hundred dollar mistake, but we made it in the end.
4. How do you travel best; alone, with your relatives, with friends, your partner, your dog…?
Amanda: I’ve always had the best trips while traveling with good friends. I think it’s important to travel with people that are adventurous, open-minded and won’t stress out when you’re in unknown situations.
Morgan: Ditto Amanda. My best travel partner is my husband, Dan. There’s no one with whom I’d rather adventure.
Morgan and Dan with Kam Kam Dunes in the Sahara Desert of Morocco. (Erg Chebbi, 2016)
5. Have you ever volunteered? Where and what did you do? (If no… would you like to do it?)
Amanda: I have never volunteered while traveling, but I have many times in my hometown. Growing up, I volunteered as a soccer coach for 5 year olds.
Morgan: Not while traveling, but I would be interested in going to Africa to work on a clean water project.
6. Do you collect any souvenirs from your trips?
Amanda: I appreciate memories and pictures more than souvenirs.
Morgan: Same as Amanda, but sometimes I’ll bring back a food or alcohol for friends and family to try. And maybe a cute stuffed animal.
7. All the islands in the world are disappearing due to climate change and you just have one month to visit them… which one would you chose?
Amanda: The Galapagos! I’ve always dreamed of going there.
Morgan: Amanda, no way!! Me too along with Easter Island. Let’s do it.
8. What’s the most delicious thing you’ve tried on your trips?
Amanda: That’s a tough one. I’ll go with Poke bowls in Hawaii but I have a feeling that will quickly be replaced with sushi when I finally get to Japan.
Morgan: Fresh fish and truffles in Croatia. I can’t forget pizza and pasta in Italy though. There’s no comparison.
9. One country?
Amanda: Portugal
Morgan: Italy
Morgan in Italy. (Burano, 2016)
Amanda and her sister, Vikki, walking through Bairro Alto. (Lisbon, 2016)
11. One neighborhood?
Amanda: Bairro Alto, Lisbon, Portugal
Morgan: Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California
Views of Alcatraz Island from Pacific Heights, San Francisco. (August, 2016)
Our nominees for the Liebster Award are...
Lindsey of Seven Day Weekender - Lindsey is a West Coast transplant currently working as a Graphic Designer in NYC. She started Seven Day weekender as a result of friends and family constantly requesting she share her adventures. We love her day-by-day guides and uber-colorful images.
Samita of Wanderlust Sam - Lindsey is an engineer originally from India and living in the UK. Sam focuses on maximizing time in a location for travelers who also have full-time careers. We love Sam's photo-based approach and passion for solo travel.
Cándida Wohlgemuth - Cándida lives in SF with LA and Guatemalan roots. Her blog is full of gorgeous pictures that are sure to inspire your next travel destination. She also provides great tips and tricks, as well as outfit details that you won't want to miss. We absolutely love her photography, especially her creativity and dreamy use of light.
questions to our nominees
1. What inspired you to start blogging?
2. What trip is on your bucket list for 2017?
3. Share a fun fact with us that we wouldn’t know from reading your blog.
4. What is one item you never leave home without?
5. If you could live in one city other than where you live now, where would you choose and why?
6. What was the best meal you’ve ever had while traveling?
7. Best beach you’ve ever been to?
8. Have you ever had a nightmare situation while traveling? What did you learn from it?
9. What tip would you give to a new blogger just starting to share their stories?
10. Where do you find travel inspiration?
The Rules
- Thank (and link) the blogger who nominated you in your post (bonus points for sharing on social media!)
- Provide the rules of the award
- Write a post using the Liebster Award's logo and be sure to answer the questions assigned by the blogger who nominated you
- Provide 11 random facts about yourself (optional)
- Nominate a few fellow bloggers and notify them of their nomination.
- Ask them 11 questions to keep the love going
Thank you again to Marina and Congratulations to our nominees. We can't wait to read your responses. xx A+M
Morgan's 2017 adventures.