Traveler Tuesday Preview – An Interview with ME

I've got a new season of Traveler Tuesday coming up starting, you guessed it, NEXT Tuesday! The series has been on hiatus for the past six months, but it is back with new questions and new bloggers to highlight!

If you are a travel blogger who is interested in appearing on Misadventures with Andi, leave a note in the comments and I will send you the questions and information you'll need to make it happen.

I have some amazing bloggers coming up, I'll just give you a sneak peek at October:

> Henry Lee of Fotoeins
> Tamara Gruber of We3Travel
> Brianna Simmons of Causal Travelist
> Howard Blount of Backroad Planet

And that is *just* October people!

I thought it would be fun to share my new questions by interviewing myself. It is a great way to test out the questions and for you to get to know me a little better, so let's unpack them and try them on for size!

Meet Andi.

When and how did you become a traveler?
I was born into it! My father was in the Army and I spent my childhood moving all over the United States and the world. My family was passionate about exploring the surrounding area no matter where we lived and it definitely developed a desire to keep on traveling. I love to travel and am constantly scheming with my husband on how to make it a full-time endeavor.

Where do you love to travel?
Paris has my heart and I never tire of visiting. It started in 1989 when I visited Paris with my family for the 200th anniversary of Bastille Day. We didn't stay very long, but I was impressed. While living in France, my hubby and I would drive the five hours between Paris and the town we lived in on the French-Swiss border at least once a month. Now we try to get back once a year if we can.

However, when it comes to food, I have to say I love to travel to Asia, Japan in particular, for all the food and Hong Kong for dimsum!

Most memorable travel moment:
The most memorable moments are often the ones that are unexpected. While driving along the back roads of Tuscany, Mr. Misadventures and I stumbled upon a town that for all intents and purposes was deserted.

We parked our car and walked through the center to find something quick to eat. What we ended up finding was one of the most memorable meals of my life. An entire meal of Italian white truffles, something I had not eaten before, I can still evoke the taste!

What won’t you travel without?
Scarves! I have hundreds. They are so versatile. An added layer when it is cold. Shelter from the sun when it is hot. Protection from the wind. Something to sit. There are endless uses. It is also a memento. I buy one in nearly every place I visit. I wear a scarf almost every day of the week and every time I put one on, I think about where I bought it.

A day isn’t complete until I…
Write something down. Call it a habit, or as I age call it survival, but there is something soothing about writing out my thoughts, even if it is just a to-do list! When traveling, it is essential.

A quirky daily habit of mine is…
Who wrote this question? This is a hard one! Oh right. Me.

I am not sure if it is quirky but I wear French earplugs when I sleep. They are called Boules Quies and they are basically pure wax and they are a miracle. Used to be I would buy half a dozen from the pharmacy in Paris on every trip, but now I can get them at Amazon! Can't sleep without them!

Travel essential – 3 things you always travel with
My phone (as a camera), my Moleskine or Shinola notebook, and a scarf! I have given up trying to figure out my DSLR, and Mr. Misadventures takes amazing photos.

I am often waiting for Mr. Misdaventures to take a photo so I take advantage of that time (and any other downtime) to jot notes to myself in a notebook. I also use it for interviews, I don't use a recorder, I prefer to write notes. And well scarves, I already professed my love for them!

Name one thing people would be surprised to find in your travel bag:

Ziploc bags! I use them for everything!

Perfect travel day from start to finish.
Assuming that I have a rocket ship to get to all these time zones in one day. I would start in Kyoto with a beautiful sunrise over the temples and breakfast at the Westin Miyaki (I love Japanese breakfasts!).

Late morning, I would have a nice cup of matcha green tea while watching the magnificent geisha walking down the street.

By mid-day, I would be in Paris enjoying a walk along the Seine and picnicking in the Tuileries Garden. I'd have an afternoon adventure with my girlfriends and say goodbye to them with a proper apéro before heading to Moorea in French Polynesia for a spectacular ahi tuna sandwich and some kind of pineapple drink as I watched the stunning sunset over the water.

That is just one scenario, I can do others!

What are your favorite food cities? What restaurants do you go to in each?

Toyko! The Tsukiji Fish Market for sashimi overload! And then Mai-sen for the most delicious tonkatsu you've ever had! Dinner at Nagatacho Kurosawa is the ultimate, or at Shiba Tofuya Ukai under the Tokyo Tower.

Paris, especially in the autumn, is the time of year that they have most of my favorite seasonal specialties. Too many restaurants to name, you'll have to read my blog! And I had a life-altering meal at the Willows Inn on Lummi Island in the San Juan Islands.

Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so, how?

Osaka. Whatever I imagined, it was definitely not what I experienced. Osaka is like a mini Tokyo, but more frenetic since it is smaller. It was weird to go from the very peaceful world of Kyoto to stimulation overload!

What has travel taught you?
Respect for other cultures, peoples, and religions. And that food is the one true equalizer and uniter of people.

Best and Worst place you’ve been to and why?
Oh, the best has to be Paris. I am not done with her yet, there is still so much to explore!

I absolutely hated Beijing. Crowded, dirty, polluted. It wasn't for me. But what was for me was the food! I got to discover a cuisine I had never heard of and a style of dimsum I did not know existed. The lesson here is even when you don't like someplace there is always something to appreciate.

What's one location on your bucket list?
Croatia. Ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations episode in Croatia I have been craving Croatia.

Favorites:
Hotel: The Westin in Paris.
Airline: Korean Air.
Airport: Hong Kong.
Mode of Transportation: Boat.
Travel snack: Musubi. Realistic snack: jerky.
Country: Italy.
Travel Gear: Scarf.
Travel App: AFAR.
Travel Magazine: AFAR.
Travel Book: Eat Pray Love.
Travel Movie: Lost in Translation.
Song on your smartphone: Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars.

Whew! I did it! Now it's your turn! Pick a question and answer it in the comments! Also, if you have an additional question for me, ask away!

Like it? PIN it!