Here we go!
- Which do you prefer: tours or independent travel? I have nothing against tours, or organized travel, but I still prefer doing it on my own. There are travels/places though where I would definitely book a tour (like a photo safari in Africa or if I ever visit India).
- What’s the first thing you check out when you reach your destination? I scout out where I can get a good cup of coffee, hopefully without having to go to Starbucks.
- What’s something sort of ordinary you like to do at your destination? I love to check out local supermarkets, mini marts, etc. It’s interesting to see what food costs, what stores carry, how they’re the same or different from American stores, etc. It’s also an interesting way to get a glimpse of the local culture. I also love to visit bakeries even though I’m not eating carbs any more.
- Street food: Yea or nay? I mostly say yes to street food, although I check it out pretty carefully before eating. I’ve eaten some amazing things from food stands and carts (and had a few losers too).
- What’s your ideal travel breakfast? Ideally it would be yogurt, fresh fruit and a little granola, but I’ll eat anything as long as it’s not too heavy. I’m not a fan of pancakes or french toast, but if I see Eggs Benedict on the menu I’m going to order it.
- What’s your favorite road food? I prefer to eat at local restaurants versus chains if at all possible. Thankfully there are lots of different ways to find those local places these days. Favorite food? It used to be a good hamburger or sandwich for lunch, or chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. Now that I’m low/no carb, I’m not sure what I’d order, and it doesn’t help that I can’t eat salad.
- What’s the most important thing you pack in your suitcase? Along with a desire for adventure and a sense of wonder, it’s a comfortable pair of walking shoes.
- Do you roll or fold your clothes when you pack? I do a little of both. I prefer rolling, but have a couple of items that just don’t want to roll.
- What do you pack in your carry-on? I usually only travel with a carry-on, so everything I need for the trip goes in. If I were checking a bag though my carry-on would have a change of clothes (and a couple of changes of underwear), basic toiletries, electronics, important paperwork and snacks.
- Which do you prefer: tote bag or backpack? I definitely prefer carrying a tote bag if at all possible when we travel. Brett prefers a back pack though, so we’re able to switch things around between us so that we can carry everything where it makes sense. I’m planning to carry a backpack on the Big Mystery Adventure™ though.
- What’s most important when you’re planning travel, transportation, lodging, food, or sightseeing? They all play such different roles, but lodging is probably the most important in my opinion. Even if we don’t spend a lot of time there, without a clean, safe place to sleep and bathe the rest of the trip can fall flat.
- In your opinion, what are the three most important phrases to know in a foreign language? 1) Thank you; 2) Excuse me/ I’m sorry; 3) please. After that you can add I don’t understand, where’s the bathroom?, how much? and so forth. The “magic words” in English are just as important elsewhere else as they are here.
- What have you noticed most about Americans when you travel overseas? We can be very loud, we’re sadly often overweight (me included), and we can be annoyingly condescending at times. We can also be very friendly and helpful.
- What are your least favorite ways to travel? Neither Brett nor I have ever had any desire to pull a trailer or drive an RV – it’s just not our thing. I have nothing against cruises either, but there are other things I’d rather do than float around on a ship (and for the record, I have been on a cruise – once was enough for me). Brett has said though he’d like to see what it’s like to take a cruise and not have to work 20 hours a day.
- If you have a choice, which would you prefer, a road trip or a flight? It really depends on how much time we have. We’ve taken some great road trips, and enjoyed them, but if time is limited, or I want more time at my destination, I’m going to book a flight.
- Which do you prefer: aisle, middle or window seat? If it’s a long flight, I prefer a window seat – it’s easier to find a good sleeping position. Depending on who else is in my row, I’m also OK with a middle seat.
- What are your favorite in-flight activities? I like watching movies, doing sudoku puzzles, and sleeping. I’ve tried to read, but have always ended up feeling sick.
- Which is your favorite airport? I love our little airport here in Lihue. When I go through it I’m either going on a trip, or I’m home.
- Do you ever purchase travel insurance? We have purchased insurance a couple of times, on trips where we’ve spent a lot of money, but we’ve thankfully never really needed it. Our health insurance covers us anywhere in the world, so we’ve only gotten insurance to cover what we’ve paid for flights and lodging.
- What’s your favorite travel-day outfit? It depends on which time of year I’m traveling, or where we’re going, but usually a pair of L.L. Bean’s Perfect Fit Pants, a light sweatshirt-type of top (to keep me warm on the plane), and shoes I can easily slip off for security and during the flight. If I’m going somewhere hot I’ll wear linen pants and a light shirt, flip-flops, and carry a light sweater for the plane. Wrinkled linen is OK.
- What are your favorite travel snacks? They used to be granola bars, Chex Mix, good chocolate, and water. These days I take along nuts, beef jerky, good chocolate and water. I usually don’t drink alcohol when I fly, and besides water I like Diet Coke or Bloody Mary mixer.
- How many states have your visited in the U.S.? I have visited 48 states – I haven’t been to Montana or Alaska.
- How many national parks have you visited? I’ve visited twenty, from Acadia to Zion, and I’ve stayed at both rims of the Grand Canyon. There are still a lot more parks I want to see though.
- What are your favorite national parks? Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Zion are my top three. Bryce Canyon and Crater Lake are right up there as well.
- How many foreign countries have you visited? Just six: Canada (2x), Mexico (1x), China (4x), Hong Kong (when it was a British colony – 7x), Taiwan (1x) and of course, Japan (4x for visits, and lived there twice for a total of six and a half years). There’s still a whole lot more of the world out there for me to see!
- Who is your favorite travel companion? All of our children have always been fun travel companions, and I’ve taken some great trips with friends, but of course Brett is my favorite. He’s my best friend, we always have lots to talk about and almost always want to do and see the same things when we go somewhere.
Can you think of any more questions? And, I’d love to hear your answers to all or just some of the questions!
The Occasional Nomads 
It was fun to read your answers!
Like you, I prefer local restaurants to chains — I’ve even risked eating street food in Vietnam. But I do make exceptions if it’s a chain that features a local take on the usual menu, such as some of the special or seasonal items that occasionally appear at McDonald’s or KFC in Japan.
Lol to Brett’s comment about wondering what it’d be like to take a cruise without working 20 hours a day!
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A trip to Japan is not complete without having a teriyaki burger and yogurt shake from McDonald’s! It’s the only time I ever eat at McDonald’s, but I love those burgers – so Japanese!
For quite a few years Brett balked at idea of a cruise – he said he’d spent enough time out at sea. But now he thinks he’d rather like the idea of someone bringing him a cocktail while he relaxes in a deck chair.
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Fun post!
I am also not a cruise person, but the cruise through southern Alaska is incredible. I think from the water is the best way to see this part of that state.
Okay – some quick questions:
do you travel with any meds that are “in case of….”? I used to travel with a prescription for Cipro when I traveled through Asia and North Africa.
Do you keep a daily journal while you travel?
Do you write up Trip Advisor reviews after you have been someplace?
How much cash do you travel with vs credit card or ATM?
What are your favorite reusable water bottles? Home vs travel?
Any tricks for washing laundry on the road?
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Both Brett and I would be up for a cruise through the inland passageway of Alaska. We’ve talked about taking the ferry versus a cruise ship – it’s supposed to be fun, and more “intimate.”
To answer your other questions:
Brett and I carry our prescription medications, Aleve for aches, pains, etc., medication for motion sickness, Pepto Bismol tablets, and Tums. That’s it.
I take photos versus writing in a journal.
I’ve never written a review for TripAdvisor. I read them all the time though.
We have a daily budget when we travel, so we carry the first day’s amount in cash when we travel. Airports are the WORST place to exchange for the local currency, so if possible we exchange before we go. In Japan, our son brings us yen and then we repay him when we can get to an ATM.
We really, really like the HydroFlask bottles. They keep water cold for a very long time. They’re also colorful so easy to keep track of.
We always check the hotel’s laundry service first – sometimes they offer good “bulk” deals. At our hotel in Japan a bag of laundry, as much as you could stuff in the bag, cost just $10 for wash and fold. If hotel laundry is too much we’ll go to a local laundromat, always an experience. One reason I enjoy staying at Airbnb rentals is that we usually have our own washer (and sometimes a dryer too).
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As far as ‘risky’ food in foreign lands, you can get food poisoning anywhere. I went on a business trip to a major US city last week and got food poisoning at a very upscale restaurant. It also happened to another person in our group, so it wasn’t just me. I’ve eaten in sketchy places all over the world and never had a problem, so you just never know.
I don’t take any medications, but you always have to bring whatever you normally take at home when you travel to other countries because even OTC meds are not the same. I’ve done laundry in local laundromats and that is usually cheaper, but who wants to spend vacation doing laundry? I’d rather have the hotel do it if the cost isn’t too bad or I just bring enough clothes so I won’t have to do it. But I usually don’t go away for more than a week to 10 days. If I was going to be gone for a month, I’d go to a laundromat. But I don’t have that much vacation time, unfortunately!
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I’ve also gotten food poisoning from an “upscale” restaurant – you can get it anywhere. My thing on street food is that it’s what “ordinary” people eat, so it’s a great way to experience some of the everyday culture of a place.
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Great post!
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Thanks! It was fun to write – my family helped me come up with the questions.
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