1) NUMBER OF COUNTRIES VISITED

 

26

 

2) LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN AND/OR WANT TO LEARN

 

I speak French (poorly), and low-level Spanish. I really want to learn Bahasa Indonesia!

 

3) AGE AND FIRST INTERNATIONAL TRIP YOU TOOK

 

I’m from San Diego so I started traveling to Mexico when I was young, but my first “real” international trip was a family trip to England and Ireland when I was 16.

 

 

4)FAVORITE AIRLINE

 

my most favorite flight experience I’ve had was with Etihad

 

5) YOUR GO-TO IN-FLIGHT APPAREL

 

t-shirt, sweatshirt, and track pants

 

6) THINGS/GADGETS YOU CAN’T TRAVEL WITHOUT

 

my iPhone, a tablet for my son, external chargers

 

 

7) FAVORITE COUNTRY AND WHY

 

I love Mexico! I love trying local food wherever I go and I think that Mexico has the best regional cuisines

 

8) WTF MOMENT

 

hiking Komodo island in Indonesia. Our group saw about 15 Komodo dragons kill and eat a deer. The was the most awesome, horrifying, and surreal thing I’ve ever seen.

 

 

9) FAVORITE CITY AND WHY

 

Paris because…it’s Paris

 

10) MOST EMBARASSING MOMENT

 

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Bénin, West Africa and the first day I moved to my assigned post, I was in town picking up my furniture. My moto taxi gunned it and I fell off the back right in the middle of the street and in front of the market. I barely spoke French or local language and then my moto taxi got lost and I had no idea where my house was! I thought I was going to be stuck in rural West Africa for the rest of my life.

 

11) FAVORITE CUISINE

 

Mexican

 

 

12) HOTEL, HOSTEL, OR AIRBNB?

 

Actually, my wife and I couch surfed through SE Asia and had THE BEST TIME EVER

 

13) MOST MEMORABLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

 

the first time I went to Paris, I stepped out of Gare du Nord for the first time and I thought I was on a movie set. I instantly fell in love with the city.

 



 

14) MOST CHALLENGING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

 

traveling from Mt Bromo to Gili Air. It took over 24 hours and we took a bus, taxi, ferry, taxi, and local boat to get there!

 

15) BEST TRAVEL ACTIVITY

 

hiking, scuba diving, eating local food and drinking local drink

 

16)FAVORITE TRAVEL SOUVENIR

 

I like buying my twin brother bottle openers from places we go but wherever there’s decent coffee I try to bring a few pounds back

 

 

17) FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS

 

Haiti, maybe? ?

 

18) BUCKET LIST

 

I’d like to visit more of the developing world while I’m still young, and save Western Europe for when I’m older and need more comfort

 

19)YOUR TRAVEL INFLUENCER(S) AND WHY

 

Mick Salas, of course!

 

20) FAVORITE TRAVEL QUOTE

 

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…get on your way!” -Dr. Seuss, “Oh The Places You’ll Go!”

Go check out Craig and Heather’s blog as they prepare their big move to Haiti!

Dispatches From Dad