Traveler Tuesday – Steph of A Nerd At Large

I was a nerd in high school, I knew it quite painfully and there was no way I was going to scream from the rooftops about my nerdiness like travel blogger Steph of A Nerd at Large! These days with shows like Big Bang Theory and King of the Nerds there is definitely far more nerd pride and coolness around being uncool something that Steph has grasped and seriously rocked!

Let’s meet Steph!

[1] When and how did you become a traveler?

It’s difficult to pinpoint when my career as a traveller officially began. In one sense I have been a traveller from day one, because I have always had this innate, intense feeling of wanderlust. However we didn’t travel much during my childhood, at least not in the way that families go on holiday today. We would drive to visit relatives, mainly.

I didn’t take my first flight until I was 11, and it wasn’t until I was 16 that I left Canada for the first time and visited my brother in Germany. I only began to travel in my own right in my mid-twenties. Now that I’m pushing 40, I’m making up for lost time by being location independent and travelling constantly.

[2] What is travel to you in 10 words or less?

A magnificent obsession.

[3] What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

Having recently tried ziplining for the first time in Southern Illinois, it’s become my new favourite mode of transportation. I’ve been having fantasies about networks of urban ziplines enabling cityfolk to speedily zip from place to place.

Until that dream becomes a reality, and since I don’t qualify for a driving license, my favorite way of getting around is walking. It’s not uncommon for me to arrive in a place spend my entire stay walking everywhere I want to go. It is such an engaging way to travel and sets the stage for all kinds of wonderful serendipity!

[4] What do you typically do while traveling by plane?

Even though I’m a voracious reader otherwise, I am typically too keyed up about the journey to concentrate on reading a book or watching a movie during flights. I usually pass the time reading the in-flight magazine from cover to cover, watching the map channel, or chatting with seatmates if the mood is right for it.

[5] What is your favorite travel memory involving food?

There are so many. Food is an essential part of my travels. Since I have to narrow it down I think I will pick a dinner I had at a restaurant called Zen Palate in New York City back in the 1990s as my favourite foodie travel memory. It was one of the first trips I took as an adult and this dinner broadened my horizons and blew my mind. It was a sophisticated vegetarian restaurant and I ate all kinds of foods I had never tried before. It redefined my idea of vegetarian cuisine.

[6] What is one blogging tip or lesson that you have learned along the way that you can share with my readers?

My best advice about blogging is to be yourself. Have something to say and a point of view. Above all, act with integrity and professionalism.

Thanks Steph!

You can keep up with Steph on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+; Pinterest; Flickr; LinkedIn and of course her blog. Wherever you catch her, I am sure you will enjoy her adventures!

How about you? What would you like to know about Steph?

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