The Liebster Award!

January 1, 2019February 10, 2022 Niche Travel Design3 Comments

Niche Travel Design has been nominated for The Liebster Award!

I was nominated by A World in Reach for this peer award. For a somewhat new blogger like me, this is a special treat. It’s always a great feeling to be recognized by your peers. Thank you, Sydney and A World in Reach.

What is the Liebster Award?

The Liebster Award is a peer to peer award, given to bloggers, by bloggers as a way to foster collaboration and support. What a nice idea.

I noticed a message board in my German friend’s house that said “liebe und respekt.” I asked what liebe or liebster meant. She told me it means dearest or kindest. Thus, bloggers being dear and kind to one another. This is an award I can get behind. I am always seeking advice from others and I am happy to promote the idea of collaboration. I strongly believe in the theory that what you give comes back to you.

The Rules of Engagement

Once you’re nominated with the Liebster Award, you have to follow a few rules to celebrate your win and spread the award throughout the blogging community.

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and put a link to their blog on your blog.

2. Display the award on your blog.

3. Write a small post about what makes you passionate about blog posting.

4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself.

5. Answer the questions from your nominator and provide a fresh set of questions for those you nominate.

6. Nominate 5 – 10 blogs that you feel would enjoy blogging about this award.

7. List these rules in your post.

How I Began My Blogging Journey

I began blogging when I first moved from California to Parma, Italy in 2011.

When my daughter was a toddler she frequently made up words that sounded similar to the adult versions. She would say strawbellies instead of strawberries; froggy instead of foggy. One of the words she transposed was Parmesan. In her toddler mind, Parmesan cheese was Purple John cheese. For years our family asked each other to pass the Purple John cheese at the dinner table.

Imagine our surprise when we realized that we were moving to Parma, Italy – the birthplace of Purple John cheese. Apparently, the universe has a sense of humor. It seemed like serendipity. What we did not know is that an international move is difficult. Life in another country is difficult. It is not all adventure. I had 2 very sad children who did not want to move and leave the comfort of their home.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read about the reality of an international move here.[/dropshadowbox]

All that being said, life in Italy was often quite funny because things were soooo different than what we were used to. Thus, my original blog, Purple John, began by me just telling friends about the difficulties and the funny stories that we encountered along the way.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read funny stories about life in Italy in the drop-down menu here. [/dropshadowbox]

And of course, just when we were settled into life in Italy, the universe struck again and we had a second move to Malmö, Sweden. Once we moved and settled into Malmö, I toyed with the idea of reworking my past experience as a travel consultant and incorporating the blog as part of the business. The kids were older and they did not need me as much as they did in Italy. This last year I began my existing blog Niche Travel Design using my name and domain name from the travel business that I ran in the USA. So now my travel business has a blog attached to it.

My blog still occasionally includes funny ex-pat tales of excitement and woe, but now I am more focused on the business of travel. The funny thing, though . . . that little toddler that inspired my first blog name, she now works with me on the business.

At Niche Travel Design, our philosophy is that designing the perfect vacation is as much an art form as designing a home’s interior or a garden’s landscape. We curate a unique experience for each of our clients.

We are experts in finding the best cup of coffee, the most interesting art gallery, the best place to sip Prosecco while watching the sunset, and the best accessories to make your adventure more comfortable.

The perfect cappuccino

Aperol Spritz – the classic summer cocktail

Niche Travel Design is more than a travel blog. We are a community featuring stories of life abroad, cultural experiences, recipes, ideas, and tips for creating unique memories to last a lifetime. We also recommend products and services.

10 Random Things About Me

I once sort of crashed a funeral. My friend was supposed to go and I was staying with her so I went too because it was celebrity filled. In the end, I felt like a heel and a looky-loo. People (even celebrities) were grieving. I don’t recommend it. Not my best moment.
I always top off my gasoline, despite the warnings.
I love Gene Kelly movies and I got to meet him once and had a conversation with him about his more obscure movies. It was amazing and he was so kind.
I am secretly a Carpenters fan. I guess it is not a secret anymore.
I sing all the time in public even though I really shouldn’t.
I once got into a car accident on the way home from a car accident and neither one was my fault. I know you don’t believe me, but it is true.
Apparently, according to my family, I say Google incorrectly? Who knew?
I hate, I mean really hate, The Pillsbury Doughboy. His voice makes my skin crawl.
I once stayed at a “pensione” in Barcelona that was actually the host’s children’s room. He was clearing toys out of their bedroom. It was weird, but it was late and there was a train strike so I paid to sleep in a stranger’s kid’s bed.
I generally don’t like chick flicks despite being a chick. I seem to be missing a gene or something.

A World In Reach’s Questions For Me

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your travels? That once one strips away all the cultural differences, we are all the same. We all just want safety, family, friends, love, and respect in our lives.

What’s your favorite part of traveling? Exploring and learning about a place. Finding off the beaten path things to do. I am a researcher and enjoy the discovery of new things to do, a great local restaurant, a specialty shop, an unusual experience in a typical tourist spot. Least favorite? The getting there bit. The airports, etc. Ugh.

Do you collect any souvenirs from your travels? I used to collect art from each place but now I have too much. I had to stop. No more room to hang anything. We have also always collected ornaments for our Christmas tree. It is nice to remember our trips as we put up each ornament every year. Now I collect photographs and memories.

What is the most unique experience you’ve had with a local while traveling? Swimming with horses in Croatia. Just incredible.

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Read more about swimming with horses here. [/dropshadowbox]

If you could travel with one person you’ve never traveled with before, who would it be? Barack Obama. He is intelligent, funny, has done some cool stuff and met a bunch of interesting people. I’ll bet he has good stories. Plus, he gets V.I.P. treatment and if we were traveling together I’d get V.I.P. treatment too.

How did you come up with your blog name? It was the name of my travel business in the USA. I focus on niche, unique, unusual travel experiences. I curate and design your trip for you.

What tip would you give to a new blogger? Learn all the technical stuff before you begin.

Is there a book or a movie that has inspired your wanderlust? No. My wanderlust was developed as a child. Actually, I feel like it has always been there.

What are the top 3 things on your bucket list? Africa – all of it! Australia/New Zealand and Asia.

What is your biggest travel regret? I had a chance to go to Africa for a summer. I didn’t go because it wasn’t practical. I should have gone.

My Nominations for The Liebster Award

I have really enjoyed the Liebster Award process. I also enjoyed reading about each of these bloggers that I am nominating. I hope that you each take the time to read up on what they have to offer.

1. Divine Kabwe at beingyourselfblog.wordpress.com

2. Diana Danciu at ourblindlife.com

3. Jenny Toney Bhatia of travelingpartyof4.com

4. Temeka Flack Green of worklifemommyhood.com

5. Heather Eyre of thefemalefactor.me

6. Jamie Joseph of wearefreeindeed.wordpress.com

7. Samantha Norman of SammiNormanFit.com

8. Louise Emerson of 12books.co.uk

9. Mallory Herrera of mamaonparade.com

10. Megan Henderson of thehendersonhouse.org

Questions For My Nominees

Since I have a travel blog, my questions are all about travel.

Where would you go if money and time were not issues?
What is the best advice you would give to new travelers?
What is the one accessory that you cannot travel without – your phone and/or computer don’t count?
Where is one place you would return over and over again? And why?
Where is one place you’ve been but never want to return to? And why?
What is the funniest travel mishap you’ve had?
What is the scariest travel experience you’ve had?
What is your favorite travel souvenir?
What is your favorite local cuisine?
What is your next destination?

Looking forward to reading my nominees’ answers and getting to know them better.

And once again, a BIG THANK YOU to A World In Reach for my nomination!

Everyone, please be sure to check out Sydney’s blog for ideas on budget travel. A World In Reach can provide you with all sorts of ideas on traveling on a budget.

Americans abroad · celebrity travel tips · concierge · European travel · ex-pat life · ex-pat reality · Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows · Insider Tips · international travel · luxury travel · spa · The Private Suite · Travel · travel safety · USA

How To Travel Like Matt and Oprah

November 21, 2018February 10, 2022 Niche Travel Design2 Comments

I was watching Oprah Winfrey interview Matt Damon and I heard them giggling about all the ways they avoid the hassles of travel. Oh, those bougie A-listers and their celebrity travel.

Matt and Oprah spoke of mythical services where all they had to do was arrive and walk onto the airplane. No stopping in lines, no security, no carrying their bags, and no hanging out in airport lounge chairs designed by Attila the Hun.

a young woman waiting in a chair at the airport. Not in the celebrity lounge. — Waiting in the general airport lounge. Not the celebrity lounge. 😦

I went to Oprah.com and poked around. I emailed her, and I researched airport concierges. While I never did identify the exact service referred to by Matt and Oprah, I did encounter a number of services certain to ease your travel woes and allow you to embrace your inner celebrity when you travel.

Can You Hear Me Now?
Before you leave on your trip program your airline’s toll-free reservation number into your cell phone. If your flight is delayed or canceled call your airline call center directly to rebook your flight instead of standing in line. The reservation agent at the airline call center is the one with the most current information. The gate agents get their information from the call centers too so cut out the middle man and possibly catch that next flight leaving in ten minutes.

coffee to go and an airport magazine. — Airport Lounge.

Less Is More.
Try, try, try to fit all your belongings in your carry on luggage. Even as I write this I realize how impossible this is for 99% of the people out there (myself included). If you must bring along baggage, check it at the curb or send your luggage ahead of you through a luggage delivery service. Many of these services will ship golf clubs, skis, snowboards, surfboards, bicycles, and strollers all for your convenience allowing you to stroll on and off the plane in no time at all. I have not used any of these services myself . . . yet, so please let me know your experience with them if you have used them. www.luggageforward.com , www.luggageconcierge.com, www.luggagefree.com, www.theluggageclub.com.

a girl with a lot of suitcases — Less is more? We needed that celebrity concierge.

Rock Star Parking.
To ensure that you have a parking spot in the airport lot many private lots will allow you to reserve a specific spot in advance. This not only saves you time as you depart, but you can ensure a spot close to the exit if you’re itching to get out of the lot in a hurry upon your return. Many private lots are also less expensive than the airport run lots and some airports now offer valet service. Check your individual airport for its specific parking services. And the bonus . . . no more getting yelled at by the angry traffic cop in the loading and unloading zone.

I Wouldn’t Join Any Club That Would Have Me.
Many airports now offer registered traveler programs. Registration with these clubs allows travelers to breeze through security checkpoints because they and their luggage have been pre-screened and met all security standards. To date, San Jose, Orlando, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and New York’s JFK airports offer the service. My brother uses www.clearme.com and swears by it.

Concierge and Ambassador Programs
Many airports also offer airport concierge services or ambassador programs. These volunteers are at the airport simply to help you out with any problems that you may encounter. Not all airports have them but if you are flying out of Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario, San Diego, Boston’s Logan, Dallas, or Chicago O’Hare to be sure to ask for an Ambassador if you are encountering a problem at the airport. They are sure to help get you back on track. These are just a few of the airports that offer this service so be sure to check both your airports before leaving on your trip.

And, if you are staying in Los Angeles, one can also take advantage of the Suite to Suite program offered by the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. The package will make you feel like a celebrity at both the hotel AND the airport. Prices vary, but, on average are in the $2,000 range. The Suite to Suite package includes: your stay at the hotel; airport transfers for 4 people; $60 breakfast allowance; access to the famed hotel beach bungalows for 4; and use of BMW beach cruiser bicycles. When you are ready to head to the airport, that is where the real luxury kicks in as the package includes access to all the goodies that The Private Suite at LAX offers.

The Best For Last . . . Private Terminals!
And, of course, because Los Angeles is the land of celebrities and excess, they have one of the best airport concierge services around. Actually, it is more than a concierge service, it is a private terminal. Yeah. A private terminal just for people who can afford not to deal with the hassle of travel.

The Private Suite is a private terminal and gate at LAX. Membership fees are not for the faint of heart, but how else do you keep the riff-raff and paparazzi out?

And membership, indeed, has its benefits. Private Suite members do not have to deal with waiting in any lines because private TSA screening is done at the building by an assigned staff member.

Moreover, each member gets a private suite to wait in before their flight. Because each suite is private, you only wait with the people that you are traveling with. No crying babies, or people taking their shoes off – unless they are part of your entourage. The suites have a team of eight staff people at your beck and call. Upon arrival at the airport, a team member helps the travelers into the compound, escorts them to their assigned suite, and, addresses any special needs, food allergies, etc. that any member of the group may have. While travelers wait, a team member makes sure that your bags are screened, passed through TSA and loaded onto the plane.

Each suite is equipped with its own bathroom, pantry, daybeds, manicurist, on-call doctor, gourmet food, and masseuse.

When it’s time to board, Private Suite members are driven from the private terminal to the aircraft in a BMW Series 7 and delivered directly to their aircraft where a team member waits at the aircraft steps to assist travelers on to the aircraft.

an airplane — Private celebrity airplane delivery is only a membership fee away.

Fees vary depending on whether your route is domestic or international. The annual membership fee is $4,500 and covers the primary member as well as their immediate family. Corporate memberships are also available.

Admit it. It sounds a bit like heaven doesn’t it?

Even if The Private Suite is out of your price range, I hope that some of these tips may make your travel a wee bit more enjoyable. And if you partake in the celebrity bougie bits, please say hello to Matt and Oprah for me when you see them.

Americans abroad · Emilia Romagna · European travel · ex-pat life · international travel · Italy · Parma Italy · USA

I Swam Away To Purple John

March 19, 2016February 10, 2022 Niche Travel DesignLeave a comment

parmigiano reggiano — Purple John cheese

Prosecco, Prosciutto and Purple John cheese

I just re-read my first post from 2009. It took me 2 full years, but I did indeed swim away from my perfect island – smack into what one might metaphorically say are shark infested waters. Namely, the chaos of everyday life in Italy. It is a beautiful chaos, however, complete with Prosecco, prosciutto and Parmesan cheese, also known as Purple John cheese in our house.

Let me back up a little. In 2009 I was living in suburban California. My family and I lived in what may well be one of the nicest, most pleasant places to live and raise kids on the planet. It is easy to live there. It is safe, friendly and offers a fantastic location, perfect weather and excellent schools. That being said, I have always been a gypsy at heart and I wanted more challenge in my life. As the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for.” An international move is not for the faint of heart.

Vision Boards and Meditation

So there I was in 2009 hoping to move internationally. Since my husband is the primary breadwinner, this involved getting him on board with my vision. We had casually talked about living abroad over the years. His plan was to move abroad when our children were grown and gone. He saw us spending our golden years traveling and touring the world. My vision was to take the kids with us; to broaden their worlds now; to have them learn another language; to assure them that they needn’t be afraid to experience all that the world has to offer. So the question became, how to bring the two visions together?

I studied my options and evaluated the tools I had in my arsenal. What I arrived it was this: my husband is a first generation Polish American. In the eyes of Poland, he is a Polish citizen despite being born and raised in America. I encouraged him to apply for his dual citizenship. He may even tell you that I badgered him.

My argument went something like this: The world is becoming more global with every passing day. Once he had Polish citizenship (i.e. European Union benefits) then our children would also be Polish citizens with EU benefits. Armed with an international education, fluency in three languages and a comfort level of living in either the US or Europe, the world would be their oyster when they graduated from college. This move and experience would afford them more opportunities, more choices in the long run. These arguments were hard for him to deny. Eventually he acquiesced and applied for dual citizenship.

Next, I adhered to all the new age tenets and I simply willed it to happen. I envisioned an international move in my mind’s eye. I meditated on it. I made a wish every time we went through a tunnel on our way to and from San Francisco. I posted a picture on my bulletin board of London. I had photo magnets of Paris superimposed with a Chinese fortune cookie insert that read “Follow Your Dreams.” But most importantly, I researched international job offers for my husband and continually placed the ads in front of him. He may even tell you that I badgered him.

We evaluated a number of situations that arose over the two years but none of them were quite right. My husband was on board with my vision at this point but didn’t want to move just for the sake of moving. It had to be the right job; the right living situation. We considered Barcelona, London, Grenoble. We decided to be patient. I turned it over to the universe.

And, then one day the right job and the right living situation did come along and va bene . . . here we are. It is September 2011 and we have moved from the suburban comfort of Pleasanton, California to Parma, Italy.

Serendipity

At this point you are probably thinking, that is all very interesting, but why the Hell is this blog called Purple John?

When my daughter was a toddler and just learning to speak she frequently made up words that sounded similar to the adult versions. Quite often, she would repeat a word with her own twist on the pronunciation. For example, she would say strawbellies instead of strawberries; froggy instead of foggy. One of the words she transposed was Parmesan. In her 3 year old mind Parmesan cheese was Purple John cheese. For years our family has been asking one another to pass the Purple John at the dinner table.

Imagine our surprise then when we realized we were moving to Parma, Italy – the birthplace of Purple John cheese. Apparently the universe has a sense of humor.

What is the Liebster Award?

My Nominations for The Liebster Award

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Prosecco, Prosciutto and Purple John cheese

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