Traveler Tuesday – Tamara of We3Travel

I love when I get to highlight one of my own blogging friends! Tamara of We3Travel and I hang out in some of the same online communities and via her wonderful blog I have really gotten to know her and her daughter – they are always on wonderful adventures!

Let’s meet Tamara!

When and how did you become a traveler?

Growing up we could never afford to go anywhere but to Vermont to visit my grandmother but I still dreamed of seeing the world. As a teen, I papered my walls with travel posters but didn’t really get a chance to travel until I started working. At the time, you would get a cheaper airfare if you did a Saturday night stayover so I always convinced my company that it was cheaper to fly out early and then I’d spend the weekend before a business trip exploring the city. For me, every travel experience just feeds my wanderlust flames.

Where do you love to travel?

I just love going to Europe. Sometimes when I travel within the US, it doesn’t feel as different as life at home. In Europe, I love the history, architecture, culture, food…just everything about it.

Most memorable travel moment:

I have three experiences that are really neck and neck but I’ll pick the one that is the most special. We traveled to Hawaii to celebrate my 40th birthday and our 10 year wedding anniversary. It was the first time we took my daughter on a long flight (Boston-Newark-10 hours to Honolulu – to the Big Island.)

We arrived exhausted after dark and were woken in the morning by the calls of birds outside of our open-air hale. We couldn’t get back to sleep so decided to walk down the beach. The sun was just rising as we arrived and we watched as a group of sea turtles emerged from the waves and crawled up onto the beach. It was really magical, especially since it was my daughter’s first unique travel experience. It turned her into a traveler as well.

What won’t you travel without?

I keep a travel journal that I bring on all of our trips. These days it ends up being more notes for my blog but I love looking back at old entries and reliving the memories. My daughter keeps one too and those are extra precious.

A day isn’t complete until I…

It is a bit sad but check in on social media. I think I need to go back to that Hawaii trip with no phone or Internet! It definitely distracts from the trip but at the same time, I’m usually so excited about our experiences that I want to share pictures from the day.

A quirky daily habit of mine is…

I can’t go to bed until I read at least a little of whatever book I’m currently into. Even if I’m up late working, I need a few minutes of reading before I can call it a night.

Travel essential – 3 things you always travel with

My iPhone as it is my calendar, my directions, my work, my bank, my language guide…you name it; a guidebook

Lik— as much as I love blogs I still like to reference a paper guidebook, and hand sanitizer — because I’m a germ freak, especially when traveling with kids.

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

Cortizone cream. I have sensitive skin and different soaps and detergents can wreck havoc on my skin.

Perfect travel day from start to finish:

I wake up in Capri, Italy and enjoy a fresh breakfast on the veranda overlooking the harbor from our room at Casa Morgana. Next, we head down to the harbor to meet up with our captain for the day and board the boat for a private tour around the island. We head out through the Faraglioni rocks and spend the morning exploring coves and grottos before pulling up to the dock at Lo Scoglio in Nerano for lunch.

In the afternoon we swim in the sea and sun on the back of the boat before returning to the harbor in Capri. After a relaxing nap, we stroll through town and do some window shopping (ok, perfect travel day might involve some actual shopping) before dinner at Villa Verde. We stop for gelato at Buonocore Gelateria and get one of their homemade waffle cones before a leisurely stroll back to our hotel.

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

New York and New Orleans. Wow, that is tough because I always want to try something new and the restaurant scene is always evolving. If I’m in NYC in the fall/winter, I like to go to Il Postino for their white truffle pasta. In New Orleans, we prefer fine dining for dinner but I can’t pass up brunch at Mother’s or beignets at Cafe du Monde.

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

I recently visited the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Living in the Northeast, all I knew about Alabama came from movies and songs. Far from the “redneck riviera,” the Gulf Coast is gorgeous and has some of the best food of any travel destination. The restaurants are stylish and creative and the oysters, crab claws, and other seafood is so fresh and delicious. I can’t wait to return!

What has travel taught you?

To be more flexible and go with the flow and make the best of every situation you find yourself in.

Best and Worst place you’ve been to and why?

Best = Italy. My dream is to live in Italy for at least a short time.

Worst = I’ll have to go with Cozumel. I accompanied my boyfriend (now husband) on a dive trip, which as a non-diver was probably a mistake. I attempted a dive course but had a miserable experience getting knocked around by the surf and ended that early. Then I got incredibly sick. I’ll spare you the graphic details but it was completely miserable. I had to call a doctor to give me a shot to help with my issues and then had to manage to get home by myself as we were on separate flights.

What's one location on your bucket list?

Antarctica. My daughter and I really want to see penguins in Antarctica!

Favorites:

Hotel: Four Seasons

Airline: Iceland Air

Airport: Madrid

Mode of Transportation: Train

Travel snack: Protein bars

Country: Italy

Travel Gear: Kipling cross-body bag

Travel App: Hipmunk

Travel Book: -The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 900 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners and Much, Much More by Jane and Michael Stern

Travel Movie: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (since I watched it just before going to Iceland)

Song on your smartphone: American Girl by Tom Petty, great for roadtrips

Thanks Tamara!

You can keep up with Tamara on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest as well as her blog. Wherever you catch her, I am sure you will enjoy her adventures!

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

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