Liebster Award 2018 – Blogger Award for WANDER BIRD

Today is such a special day! I feel deeply honoured to announce that Wander Bird got nominated for the “Liebster Award 2018”. What an overwhelming feeling!

It was a regular Wednesday, jam-packed with blogging assignments, social media engagements and what not. I was busy checking my emails, listing down my tasks for the next day and figuring out other schedules for the day. Meanwhile, I started getting a lot of notifications from one of my Travel Bloggers’ Facebook groups. So, I decided to take a final look, before wrapping up for the day. And what a sight it was! My blog had been selected for the Liebster Award 2018 by Czick On The Road – one of my recent favourites in travel websites. This blog is authored by Tereza (The Czech Chick) and Primož (The Mountain Man). This blog has been a personal favourite, especially because they have exclusive posts on ‘hiking’.

What a day! How do I express, how I exactly feel today? It has been a year long journey of professional travel writing so far. And this is the second official award from the blogger community across the world. It feels so awesome, when your efforts are finally recognised and there’s no  better way than getting recognised by our own blogging community. It somehow feels as if the people who have known the pains taken to build a full-fledged website, can be your worst critic-cum-best judge. So, this award is super-special, indeed!

Read more about the First Milestone Award of WANDER BIRD.

Today, it seems as if all the efforts towards building Wander Bird, have been totally worth it. A heartfelt thanks to Tereza Letalova, for the nomination!

About the Liebster Award

The Liebster Award is awarded by bloggers to bloggers with a fresh perspective, to recognise their achievements and offer support. It feels so nice to be a part of such a supportive community!

RULES

• • Thank the blogger who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
    

• • Answer the 10 questions the blogger asked you.
    

• • Nominate blogs with a fresh perspective and great content, to receive the award and write them 10 new questions.
    

• List the rules and display the Liebster Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

Questions from Czick On The Road to Wander Bird

1. Traveling can be stressful…how many chocolate bars do you eat per day?

I have always been a chocolate-lover, but the love has never become an addiction. I’m very moody that way. If I feel like, I can finish 10 chocolate bars in an hour. And if I’m not in the mood, I end up not touching chocolates for months, at a stretch.

The paths of travelling and chocolate have somehow never merged, in my case.

2. Where is your home?

I’m from a cosy little city of India – Cuttack, often termed as the ‘Silver City’ (well known for its intricate silver filigree work) of an eastern state of India, Odisha.

3. Who’s your best travel buddy?

I have had several travel buddies, at different junctures of my life. And I had such lovely and unique experiences with each one of them. Choosing one favourite, would be really unfair to the others. Personally, I loved solo travel the most.

Recently, I have been travelling a lot with my husband. So, yes my current best travel buddy would be my husband – Satya.

4. What is the last country you have visited and what has surprised you there?

Singapore. It was my second visit after years, and the best part is it just does not change, not even an inch. Same warm people, same organised public transport, same secured environment for women especially. The consistency of that country surprises me.

5. How do you keep yourself motivated to write a blog?

I have subscribed to few of my favourite bloggers and sincerely follow their journey. Just when I start feeling low, I have a very motivated story to look up to (either in the form of a blog post or an Instagram post).

6. What’s your favorite social media platform?

Instagram, in general. For purely blogging traffic, Pinterest and Twitter have always been very very engaging.

7. What’s your favorite song to listen to while you travel?

I have never had a constant favorite. My current favorites, during travel will be – ‘See You Again’ and ‘Love Me Like You Do’.

8. What is the dummiest thing you have done while traveling?

I was so excited with my overall experience in the Himalayas that I forgot to cross-check my return tickets back home. Subsequently, I got the shock of my life on a Saturday morning, when I casually took a look at my ticket!  My return flight was scheduled for Friday evening, whereas all the while I had assumed it was on Saturday evening. I had to rush and make last minute train bookings, to get back home by Monday.

I still wonder why I had booked a return flight on Friday evening with a 2-day weekend rest plan!

9. How do you think we could spread awareness and improve trash disposal in less developed countries?

As the old adage goes – “Charity begins at home.” Any form of change has the maximum impact, only when we practise what we preach. People need to see visitors picking up their own trash, and disposing it only in the allotted areas.

In fact, I have a blogger friend, who actually picked up a plastic bag (casually thrown into a lake, by a local guy), immediately after he threw it. This happened right in front of him, and he was visibly embarrassed about the fact that a tourist was more conscious about trash disposal than him. From her experience, I feel that this was an apt lesson of a lifetime. Change will happen gradually, but surely.

10. You‘ve seen many places during your travels and met many people. Considering the environment, do you think that humanity and planet Earth is on the brink of its end, or there is still hope for us?

Considering the current scenario, there might be hundreds of reasons to negate our belief on the existence of humanity, in the near future. But I have always been an immensely optimistic person. No matter what, I’ll continue with my persistent efforts to make Earth a better place to live in. I have always been a believer of “Simple living, high thinking.” In this lifetime, even if I manage to influence any one individual in my surrounding, the positivity will definitely flow ahead. HOPE always remains the essence of my life.

Questions from Wander Bird to its Top nominees

1. What inspired you to decide the name of your blog? Explain the significance of your blog name.

2. When did you start travel blogging? Describe your journey so far.

3. Which is your most favourite place that you visited so far and why?

4. Which is your most preferred social media platform to engage with fellow bloggers and why?

5. Which is the most vivid memory of all your journeys so far?

6. What would you categorise yourself as – travel writer, blogger or influencer?

7. Describe your ideal outfit for a road trip. What would you prefer the most and why?

8. What are the top 5 travel destinations on your bucket list and why?

9. What would you prefer best – reading books or watching movies? Write about your favourite book/movie and mention why it’s your favourite.

10. What is your long-term goal for your blog?

Wander Bird’s Nominees for this Award

Vagabond Journals – This blog is authored by Po and Dee – 2 Saffas from Durban who recently decided to quit their cushy comfortable jobs as Forensic Investigators (fraud and corruption, no CSI shit – lol) to travel the world.

Scoutripper – This blog is authored by Nikhil Sharma – a passionate Indian traveller, believes that the best way to enjoy a travel expedition is to follow the place and try to be like them.

Rosie Andre´ – This blog is authored by Rosie, an English photographer who loves to travel, explore, wander and meet new people. She has travelled across 25 countries and her favourite so far has been Indonesia.

Kindle & Kompass – This blog is authored by Neena Paul (The Free Spirit) and Rama Vani (The Creative One). Between them, this blog was conceived as a portal for their love for travel, of the stories they read and what they wanted to share with the world.

GhoomoPhiro – This blog is authored by Himadri Garg. Even though they work as a full-fledged tour organisation now, their blog is still as fresh as a daisy. They initiate and organize various team building activities, corporate engagement programs that not only gives the employers break from their regular schedules but also help them understands their peers in an informal environment.

Dream, Book and Travel – This blog is authored by Anca and Sinan who have been living in Vienna since 2009, a city they have made their home, but continue to discover unceasingly.

Undercover Travel Agent – This blog is authored by Laura – a Travel Agent and Travel Blogger living in the Chicago Area. After working as a Spanish Teacher in Houston, and traveling with students, she moved to Chicago and plunged head first into the Travel Industry. 

Passing Ports – This blog is authored by Narayanan Hariharan and Preethika – an amazing Indian couple and passionate travellers, who work to help you get on the road, plan your trip, ease your fears, and answer any questions you might have.

SunStyleFiles – This blog is authored by Lis. After leaving her career as a marketing consultant, she’s been travelling the world in search of great beach destinations and hotels while shopping for unique beachwear. As a travel & lifestyle magazine-styled blog, SunStyleFiles features the best of sunny destinations, beach resorts, beachwear & accessories, swimwear, tanning tips & products and healthy recipes.

Bitten By The Bug – This blog is authored by Sophie – a full-time subtitler, running a travel blog full of travel memories for her, and tips and inspiration for the rest of the world.

My Shoes Abroad – This blog is authored by Valentini – a Greek footwear designer who suffers from wanderlust and loves colours. Valentini has travelled in more than 30 countries so far. This is one of the most lively blogs I have come across in recent times.

WayfarerKate – This blog is authored by Kaitlyn – a traveling yogi who is passionately curious & lost with a purpose. She has a deep love for traveling consciously and inspiring others to do the same.

Faraway Horizons – This blog is authored by Andrea, who grew up in a small town in Ohio. Ever since she realized how much she still had to experience in this lifetime, she has been chasing new experiences and the next faraway horizon that needed to be explored.   

Happy Travelling!

Much Love,

Wander Bird