Nominated for the Liebster Award

Two weeks ago Linda, from lindaopreis.nl, awarded us the Liebster Award. Thank you Linda!

What is the Liebster Award?

• It’s an online award given by bloggers to other bloggers (less than 1000 followers). It’s a way of recognizing them and helping them to be discovered.
• When accepting the award you are expected to answer the  11 questions – created by the blogger who nominated you. In addition, you also have to add 11 random facts about yourself.
• Once you have posted your answers on your blog (and add a thank-you link to the person who has given you the award), the idea is that you pass on the award to other new bloggers (the amount seems to variate).

Because of the “paying it forward” principle behind the award some people associate the award with the negative connotations of a chain letter. However, the idea behind the award is a positive one (as it’s German name “Liebster”also suggests). Through nominating a blog you can show your appreciation for the blog and introduce your readers to them.

So here are the answers to the 11 QUESTIONS we received from Linda:

1) Why did you start with your travel blog?

Once we decided to make overland travel our full-time lifestyle, we had bigger plans for Terratrotter than just a place to share pictures with family. Through our travel blog we hope to meet people we would otherwise have never met and that it will open doors to new opportunities, experiences, friendships etc. We will not deny it, if it also helps fill-up our piggy bank in someway or another that would be very nice as well. This also motivates us to put in the hard work in it..

Terratrotter also gives us the chance to give back and help others with accomplishing their dreams.  Without the support and inspiration of others we wouldn’t be as far in creating our new life as we do now.  Thus, we want to pass this on to the next dreamer.

2) What makes your travel blog unique?

There are many travel blogs out there. What makes each of them unique is probably the people behind each blog combined with the way they live, travel and write.

What makes us probably stand-out is that we do not fit the stereotype image of an around the world traveler.

We are not extreme budget nor luxurious travelers. We have enough funds to live comfortable but still need to keep a close eye on our spendings. Although we downsized considerably and got rid off a lot of things, we didn’t sell everything. Keeping our full-time travel lifestyle financially sustainable is important to us. Therefor, we will continue to work during our travels.

We are 30 & 40 something; the mid-career people. Thus, we don’t fit the retirees-group and neither fall in the category of early twentiers who travel before “settling down” and starting their careers.

Our expedition truck is of course a big part of Terratrotter’s identity. It differentiates us from the backpackers, boaters, RV’ers, caravaners, campervaners, … It’s our 4×4 off-grid home that we have build with the help of our friends.

3) Which country you have visited would you not easily visit again and why?

Very difficult question! There isn’t really a country we would never return to. What we can say is that we would probably only visit parts of Romania again during spring. We have driven through these areas at the end of the summer and for hours on end we only saw dead sunflowers and barely anything else. It was a grim sight.

4) In which country did you make your most beautiful travel picture?

We don’t have a favorite one. We have so many pictures we like and they are not all from the same country. We find a picture beautiful because of the story it tells. Many times the image itself is not “perfect” (it’s not sharp or the lighting is off), but it still speaks to us.

It represented a perfect moment: being “home on the road”

Nicole: For example, Elmer once took a very fussy picture of me in Austria. Although the picture was technically far from perfect I still didn’t delete it. Why? Because it represented a perfect moment: being “home on the road” – traveling the world with a wonderful person who wakes me up each morning with a fresh cup of coffee.

5) Which is the worst road you have driven?

We are off-roaders, so we look for the dirt roads. They are a fun challenge for us. So none of these we call “bad”. But some of the main roads in Georgia did increase our cortisone-levels. These roads, with their numerous potholes, can sometimes look like Emmental cheese. Of course is doesn’t help then that a 2-lane road can suddenly become an unofficial 4-lane road.

6) What is the most important thing you bring along while traveling, aside from your passport, debit/credit cards and camera?

Our driver’s license! 😛

7) What type of traveler are you?

??? Slow, 4×4, curious, talkative, overland, cultur-conscious, full-time travelers??? Or like someone once described us a little bewildered “wow,you guys are normal people”.

8) Why did you choose for a trip through Africa?

Honestly we didn’t. We chose to travel the world, including Africa. But it will probably still take a very long time before we reach Africa. Our travel speed is set to “sloooow”, plus work and travel is not really that practical in Africa. So although we will be heading to Africa one day, it will probably not be for the near future.

9) Which are the 3 top destinations on top your bucket-list and why?

Haha, this changes every day.

Elmer: A destination that always makes it to my top 3 is the world’s oldest lake, Lake Baikal. An UNESCO World Heritage site located in a remote area of Russia.

Nicole: One of mine is Alaska. Like Russia it still has vast uncharted terrain. Nature is still calling most of the shots.

Elmer: The secluded beaches of Vietnam are definitely on my bucket-list as well.

Nicole: And don’t forget about the South American countries for their culture and tropical climate. I would love to pick up my latin dancing again while I’m there.

Whoops, that is more than 3. Do you understand now why we want to take our home all around the world?

10) What is the craziest thing you have ever eaten while traveling?

Elmer: A dried 10 centimeter long black worm in South Africa.

Nicole: Nope, I can’t match that :-). But I guess a lot of people would consider something normal in my own country Belgium crazy: Horse meat. Most often you can find it as a steak, or cured and finely sliced so you can add it to your sandwich.

11) Which destinations are on your schedule for 2016?

We still haven’t decided but we are probably sticking around in Europe for a while (with the exception of Morocco maybe). Some might find it strange that we start our around the world adventure in Europe. Although we admit we struggle sometimes with resisting the call of other continents, we decided the best thing for us is to explore more from Europe first. This way we can tell more about it when meeting people from other places. There are still so many places to be seen, so why rush to get away from it when we have the time to explore.

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT US?

1. We often drink from the same wine glass when we are at home (and with family).
2. We both love dogs.
3. Elmer: I flew solo when I was 19.
4. Nicole: I have 2 tattoos (added in New-Zealand and in Chicago, USA).
5. We do our grocery shopping mostly together.
6. Nicole: I once left my hotel room while sleep walking. Elmer: I need to “resolve” her imaginative problems when she is talking in her sleep.
7. We both love driving and can also easily relax when the other one is behind the wheel.
8. Nicole: I wash the dishes. Elmer: I dry them off.
9. After (just) 1.5 year, we still talk to each other for hours on end.
10. Elmer: I drink tea. Nicole: I need my coffee.
11. You can hear us talk Dutch, English and German to one another; often switching to another language mid sentence.

TAKE PART IN THE NEXT NOMINATION

And now we want to change it up a little bit. We would like to get you involved in the nomination of the next blog. Which other blog would you like to see nominated and do you have any questions for them?