Traveler Tuesday – Retha of Roaming Nanny

I definitely enjoy adventures and in my case that comes with misadventure, but my adventures oftentimes pale in comparison to others. It is not a competition and I am definitely not looking to win in this category, but I love female travelers who just get an idea in their head, like say climbing a mountain the next thing you know, they've done it!

Let’s meet Retha!

[1] When and how did you become a traveler?
I think I initially fell in love with travel while in Girl Scouts as a kid. My troop did a lot of regional travel to historical sights and theme parks. As I got older I always wanted to go see and experience new things. My traveler status was set in stone when I got divorced and signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro on a whim. After that, there was no turning back.

[2] What kind of traveler do you define yourself as?
I'm an adventure traveler. No matter where I go, even though more of the time it's to the middle of nowhere so I can hike, I find all kinds of adventure activities. Kayaking, climbing, hiking, biking (even though I'm terrible at it!), you name it – if it's adventurous I'm interested!

[3] Which country do you come from/call home?
I call the U.S. home. I live in the Green Mountains of Vermont surrounded by trees and hiking trails.

[4] What do you crave from home when you are traveling?
I usually crave hamburgers and really good sandwiches. I haven't found a hamburger outside of the U.S. that could beat the ones near home. As for sandwiches, the bigger the better.. When I'm on the road and find a good sandwich shop I'm one happy girl!

[5] Tell us about your blog
My blog is roamingnanny.com. It's all about Adventure Travel from the Every day to the Epic. No matter where you live or travel to adventure is out there and not too hard to find. In the city or the country, adventure is always possible; sometimes you just need to search a little harder for it.

[6] What do you love most about traveling?
The best thing about traveling is going to a place someone told you was dangerous or second-guessed you for going to and finding out it's amazing and proving everyone wrong. A few years ago I went to Egypt and everyone around me was freaking out! I loved every second when I arrived home and told those around me it was one of the most amazing places I had ever been (and that's true to this day!)

[7] What do you dislike about traveling?
I hate, and I mean hate, issues with flights. I used to lose it whenever I missed a flight, had a delayed flight, or other issues. I'm much much better at dealing with it than I used to be, but I still can't stand it. I've slept in airports, had to rebook flights hoping travel insurance would cover it, taken buses from one airport to the next because of fog, you name it. I think as time goes on I'll have more tips and tricks to deal with it, but I'll never get used to it. And yes, I realize that it's a dumb thing to dislike and the fact I can't control it doesn't make it better.

[8] How do you prepare for a trip?
I usually plan as far in advance as possible, but the more I'm on the road the less I do that. On my most recent trip to London, the only thing I planned was the hostel I stayed in. I was completely out of my comfort zone because I'm such a big planned, but I got used to it. The trip has its ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing. One thing I do before every trip is change all my camera batteries and portable chargers. You never know when you'll need them!

[9] You have won the lottery, now tell us where you want to live.
This is a tough one because I love my little house in the mountains. I guess I'd move to Scotland and build a little house up in the Highlands. It seems so peaceful there.

[10] Travel essentials – 3 things you always travel with.
Anker portable charger
Gregory day pack
Vasque Erikkson hiking boots

[11] What is your favorite article of clothing?
A good pair leggings. They're comfortable on long-distance plane rides, I double mine as swim leggings so my super pale legs don't get terribly sunburned while I'm swimming, snorkeling, surfing, etc, and they're easy to handwash in a sink.

[12] Your single most treasured personal possession.
I don't think I have one. Possessions aren't really something that I find important in my life. I'm more of an experiences of things kind of girl.

[13] Do you have a piece of advice for bloggers starting out?
Just hit publish. It's the hardest part of getting started blogging. You're worrying over every little thing in a blog post. You can't make everyone happy and not everyone is going to like you. It is what it is, just do you and everything will be ok.

[14] What are three other blogs that inspire you?

Jessie on a Journey
Dangerous Business
Girl with a Passport

[15] Your favorite travel resource on the web?
Google. Ha ha. That's probably a terrible answer, but when I'm planning a trip Google is my best friend. It has all the answers and I ended up finding some amazing things about destinations I never knew existed.

Retha's Lightning Round of Favorites

Airport: Amsterdam
Mode of Transportation: Train
Window or aisle: Window
City: Boston
Country: Peru
Travel Gear: My Gregory day pack – the model is so old they don't make it any more
Travel snack: Beef jerky
Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Movie: Casablanca
Song: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
Quote: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” –Helen Keller Yup, totally cliche. I don't care.

Thanks, Retha!

You can keep up with Retha on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and of course on her blog. Wherever you catch her, I am sure you will enjoy her adventures!

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