A to Z Travel

From one of the sweetest little bloggers I know, Lindsay: 

A) Age you went on your first international trip:
I'm pretty sure the first time I ever left the USA was Spring Break when I was 21 to go to Cancun, Mexico.

B) Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:
I've had a lot of foreign beer that I've enjoyed, but I'm not enough of a conniseur to name the beer.  Let's say the most memorable beer I ever had was the complimentary Guinness at the top of the factory in Dublin with one of my bestest girlfriends.  My boyfriend at the time (I give credit where credit was due, he encouraged my love of travel), he was pissed off at me at the time, and I don't even remember why.  He was there, but he didn't have his Guinness. 

C) Cuisine (favorite): 
Mexican, specifically TexMex, but that doesn't really count because I didn't have to travel for it when I lived in Texas...so two specific meals stand out in my memory: one was having fondue in Switzerland (because cheese is my favorite food group) and the second, I have a Texan girlfriend who is an expat in Italy.  One time when I went to visit, her boss (at the time) and friend took us out to eat.  When the asked if we wanted dessert, we said we were too full.  He exclaimed "We must have dessert!  What I will order is better than sex!" Who could turn down dessert when it is described like that?  The Italian dessert pastry filled with cream and covered with chocolate that was as close to a profiterole as I can explain was indeed memorable!

Puerto Morales, Mexico

D) Destinations–favorite, least favorite, and why?:
Favorite: Interlaken, Switzerland...the scenery, the people, the activities.
Least favorite: I'm pretty sure I have no desire ever to go back to Cancun.  Too Americanized for the Spring Breakers.  It was great at the time I went, but not now.

E) Event you’ve experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:
So many.  I bungee jumped over Lake Stockhorn in Switzerland on the night of the Summer Solstice.  I said "wow" and probably a couple of other choice words as well.

F) Favorite mode of transportation:
I haven't found a mode of travel that I dislike.  Wait, a cruise.  I didn't care for a cruise.  But, I enjoy flying, trains, road-tripping by car.  They all have their place and positive attributes.

G) Greatest feeling while traveling:
The feeling a adventure; the feeling of gratitude to experience other sites, sounds, and cultures; the feeling of being removed from "normal" life.

Checking out the Ligurian Sea in Italy

H) Hottest place you’ve ever traveled to: 
Vegas in August

I) Incredible service you’ve experienced and where?:
Fiji Intercontinental Hotel and Resort - every staff member seems to be genuinely so nice and greets you with a "Bula" everywhere you turn.

J) Journey that took the longest:
Sydney to Dallas - you can read about my survival tips here.

K) Keepsake from your travels:
I get a postcard from every major tourist destination I've been.

L) Let-down sight, where and why?:
Parisians are not always the friendliest to Texans.  I wouldn't say the sights were a let down; they were as amazing as I expected; but I've met nicer folk.

M) Moment where you fell in love with traveling:
When I was in high school, a group of us traveled by bus from Texas to Colorado.  Skiing and snowboarding were top priorities, of course.  I sprained my ankle on the way there.  Couldn't ski.  Sat at the bottom of the mountain watching all my friends go wild in the snow.  But.  I loved the view.  I loved the smell, the scenery, the sounds, the feeling of the sun in the midst of the cold on my face.  I've loved the experience of travel ever since...even when times don't go according to plan.

N) Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:
Intercontinental Fiji

O) Obsession–what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:
Everything

P) Passport stamps-how many and from where?:
I'm pretty sure I didn't get all these stamps, but this is where I’ve been that should get a stamp:  Mexico, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, England, Ireland, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand

Q) Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where?:
UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico

Four Corners - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah

R) Really Frightening: where’s one place you’ve visited where you felt unsafe or uneasy?
Different parts of Mexico can be sketchy, especially border towns.  Even more so since I've last visited. Which is really sad because there are very hard-working people there that rely heavily on tourism.  

S) Splurge-something you have no problem spending money on while traveling:
I guess I'd say an activity.  I love to shop, but I'm not one that spends big money on luxurious items.  I think the most I've spent on one item is spending money on canyoning, bungee jumping, canyon jumping, etc.  I'm game for most outdoor, thrill-seeking activities.

Canyon Jump ~ Interlaken, Switzerland

T) Touristy thing you’ve done:
I like doing all the touristy things.  In almost all the places I've visited, I've been touristy...from bike tours to the Sydney Bridge Climb, guided tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel to riding the double decker city bus tours in various cities.  I ain't scared to put on my tourist cap.

U) Unforgettable travel memory:
So, so, so many.  I'm truly grateful for each and every one.  I'd say the time I got to play tour guide & tourist with a best girlfriend who came to visit me in Australia.  She treated me to a trip to the Whitsundays where we ate breakfast with koalas, visited Whitehaven Beach, and did a beginner scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef...as well as swam with sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays in an aquarium.

V) Visas-how many and for where?:
I think the only visa I've ever needed was to come to Australia.

W) Wine–best glass while traveling:
I drank a bottle on the beach at night in Cinque Terre, Italy.  That was a pretty awesome experience.

X) eXcellent view and from where?
Lots!  I'll use my own photo when Katy got us a suite at Hamilton Island, Australia, and this was our view (no filter, no edits):

Y) Years spent traveling:
I'm too old to count.

Z) Zealous sports fans and where?:
Internationally, people think of zealous sports fans, they think of soccer.  I've been a traveling zealous sports fan to cheer for the Houston Dynamo at the MLS Cup in Washington D.C., I saw the USA Men's team play a friendly against England in Wembley, I've been to a A.S. Roma match in Rome, a national team friendly with Ireland against Colombia, and toured Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.

Yes.  That's me getting excited just by pointing at David Beckham's name

Which are your A to Z of traveling? Would love to know!