#Indie30 Day One

On Wednesdays, I participate in #RTWChat on Twitter hosted by BootsnAll Travel. Last week during the chat I read about 30 Days of Indie Travel. More travel talk? Exciting! Then Without A License tied it in with Travel Talk Tuesdays and voi la! A brilliant pairing!

Each day this month BootsnAll Travel is going to post a topic about travgel (6am Eastern Time | 3am for us West Coasters) through various forms of social media (Facebook, Twitter, on their blog and so forth). Then everyone gets to posting! Your creative outlet is entirely up to you – however you feel inspired – drawing, writing, posting a video…Whatever floats your boat!

Rules for TTT – please take a moment to answer this week’s questions on your own blog then add your link in the comments section for this post at Without a License so everyone can all see your answers! Please invite your readers to link back to their post on this post too so we can see everyone’s answers and connect with other bloggers! (Remember to add the TTT graphic above and these rules to your post as well!)

Getting to Know You

1) How has travel changed the way you look at things?
I feel so fortunate to have seen so much of the world and for parents who raised me to go out there and see it! Travel has taught me to be adaptable, more open-minded and that the world does not revolve around the country in which I live. It saddens me that only 30% of US Americans have a passport. I don’t look at just one state or country as where I live – I see the entire world as a place I share with 7 billion other people, all of whom have their own stories. It has also certainly taught me that humanity trumps politics.

2) What type of new experiences do you look forward to when you travel?
The people! I have found that during my travels it is meeting the locals or my fellow travelers who really make the memories special. Recalling a Christmas feast with a restaurant owner in Belgium, walking around Amsterdam with an African medical student and hearing tales of his country and chatting with a man in my mother’s hometown of Cartagena de Indias on sexism and “machismo” all bring a smile to my face. Who will I meet next? What will they teach and show me that is not in a travel guide?

3) Do you usually go out of your comfort zone when traveling or stick to what’s comfortable and familiar?
Both. I am somewhat regimented. There will always be a list of restaurants I want to try; shows I want to see and historic spots I want to visit. But nothing risked, nothing gained! Whether it’s zip-lining (I strongly dislike heights), traveling somewhere I never had a previous interest in just for the experience and to open my mind or trying some new crazy food I normally would never dream of eating, I will happily get out of my comfort zone. As a traveler, and a woman, safety is a concern so I won’t do anything I’d consider stupid. Of course, all of us have a different definition of that word.

Zip-lining in Hilton Head, SC

4) What part of the world intrigues you the most and why?
Oh my gosh all of it! I also think this changes through the years. There was a time I was obsessed with Australia then Greece and Italy. Now, it’s Antarctica, which is ironic because I really do NOT like the cold. It amazes me how life sustains itself there despite the harsh weather and it is a true testament to how animals and nature evolve over time in order to survive in their surroundings. DEFINITELY on my bucket list!

5) Is there a stereotype or common belief about your own culture/country others have that you don’t agree with?
Oh sure. First, I am bi-cultural. My mother is from Colombia, South America (no U in Colombia) and my father is European (Dutch/Danish). I am US Born, so I’ve heard all the jokes and innuendos: Can I get some cocaine? Americans are loud and obnoxious, and as tourists always wear white sneakers. Do I have a Great Dane (ummm, those are German)? And do I go to “coffee” shops a lot while abroad – and I’m not talking Starbucks. At the end of the day, ANYONE can fit into a stereotype. I just walk to the beat of my own drum and applaud others who do the same.

Courtesy of www.picstopin.com