Blogging interview #8: Poky Little Wanderer

Kelly is, in her own words, “a sassy bookworm from Buffalo who’s just trying to see every corner of this world”. She’s got awesome posts about her experiences in North and South America, Asia and Europe, and also about her Semester at Sea which I found particularly interesting! I like her honest and quite witty writing style – the odd pun here and there never goes amiss! Her site includes past travels, her bucket list and even book recommendations.

---

What is your favourite culture that you’ve visited?

What a great question as it’s a bit different to consider the culture of a country instead of just the attractions there! I think I’ll choose Japan as I loved how neat and clean the country is which shows the value each person puts on maintaining that. I also loved how respectful people are to each other there and how everyone queues up politely for trains, etc. From huge cities like Tokyo to places like Hiroshima, I always felt safe and welcome as a traveler.

Did you travel much as a child and do you think this had shaped your opinions on travelling now?

My family didn’t do a lot of big vacations as we had a summer cottage on Lake Ontario in northern New York. Other than spending summers on the lake, we went on the occasional road trip to visit family and family friends. I think the fact that we didn’t travel widely definitely made me want to see the world when I got older.

Although it’s impossible to quantify, how sustainable do you think your life is?

This IS impossible to quantify, but I think I’m above average with my sustainability efforts. I carry a reusable water bottle every day, I keep reusable bags in my car, and make efforts to cut down on single use plastics in other ways too (turning down straws in restaurants & bars, etc). I’ve also started using more sustainable products like solid shampoo bars that come in cardboard instead of plastic bottles. I think I can still make improvements, but I’m making a real effort to cut down on waste where I can.

What’s the biggest change you want to make (or perhaps you already have?) in order to live more sustainably?

I would love to get an electric or hybrid car instead of standard gasoline, or even better work close enough to home to not need one at all! However, I’m not quite there yet and the infrastructure in the US is really designed around everyone driving instead of public transportation.

Is there a particular blogger that you look up to?

There’s a lot of bloggers I admire, for a myriad of reasons. I love following some of the ladies on Instagram with huge followings like Alyssa Ramos of My Life’s a Travel Movie and Christina Vidal of Jetset Christina. Love seeing the ladies out there killing it! On a smaller scale I also love the #TravelTribe on twitter with fun and friendly folks like John of Carpe Diem Eire and Oli of Travel Bugs World.

Do you find it difficult maintaining an online presence?

It can be hard to keep up with social media while still living my life which includes a full time job, husband, dog, traveling, content creation, and trying to have a social life! It’s great when you can schedule some posts on social media then pop on to respond to people here & there.

Beer or wine?

While I have definitely gotten more into beer the last couple years (thanks to the rise in popularity of fruited sours), I’ve always been more of a wine drinker. I love visiting local vineyards and getting a sample of the wines they offer.

Movies or books?

Books all day. In fact I don’t like to watch movies based on books until I’ve read the book! Also the book is nearly always better than the movie adaptation. This can be poor casting, the budget of creating things on film, or constraints on how long a movie can be.

Night out or night in?

Ooh this one is tougher to pick one since I think it’s important to have a balance of both. I don’t want to spend every night on the couch, nor every night out on the town. I love nights out, they can be really fun adventures! However, I’m a bit of an introvert so I need those nights in with a good book to recharge my social batteries.

What is your favourite thing about blogging?

I love getting to share my travel tips and stories with people! While my friends and family all know that I like to travel, not all of them share my passion for it. I’ve also had a lot of friends asking for advice on planning their travels, so blogging gives me a great way to share all of this. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

---

I totally relate to being an introvert and needing to recharge! I found the early comment about switching to a hybrid car (or, ideally, not using one at all) very interesting. I live in the UK and it’s also difficult to get around most places without a car – not to mention, public transport can be very expensive. It’s hard for people to make changes to their lives when the more sustainable option is impractical and gets in the way of living and working.

I loved this interview! Thanks you so much for reading. If you don’t already know Kelly, you can find her here:

Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Last Minute Trip to Costa Rica

Semester at Sea

Eating and Drinking Our Way Through German Christmas Markets