It seems I've been nominated for a Liebster Award (thank you, Ami in Schwabenland)! To be honest, I really had no idea what this was until my nomination. A little digging around online suggested that the award is of dubious origins, thought it all seems rather harmless.

Basically someone nominates you for being a small blog that they like (liebster means beloved in German), and you have to answer their questions and then nominate another five bloggers using your own 5-10 questions. I liked one description that I read about it being a cross between chain mail and a love letter.

I really don't much like these sorts of things on Facebook, but I am very flattered to have been nominated my someone who likes my blog and is a reader besides my close friends. I also like having this opportunity to nominate and share with you some of the other expat blogs that I've been reading and enjoying lately.

So here goes!

1. What is your next planned travel destination?

Matt and I are leaving for Barcelona on Saturday to celebrate our five-year anniversary. We started our honeymoon there, so it seems rather fitting to go back there. This time we're staying for a week and have a few food tours and recommended restaurants lined up, so you can look forward to a recap in the coming weeks!

2. In what way/s do you see your home country differently than before you became an expat?

Belgian fries, a waffle, and poutine on our trip to Saus in Boston, Massachusetts in 2011

I'm a lot more aware of how the rest of the world sees the US in regards to politics, and I've started to question some of the features of life that I accepted in the US as normal (does anyone really need two cars, a large house, and a white picket fence?). I've also realized just how much more of the US I need to see and how many different regional cuisines I need to try. Though I'm enjoying life as an expat, I'm already thinking about my next trip to the States and all the places I want to experience as a tourist.

3. What are two of your favorite natural scents or smells (so no perfume or cologne)?

Definitely fresh-cut grass and lavender.

5. What is the funniest thing someone has said to you lately? (provide context if needed)

Lavender fields near Avignon, France in 2011

I couldn't think of anything (appropriate for this blog, at least) and so I asked my husband what the last funny thing we heard was. His response: "I don't know. I say funny sh*t all the time. You don't record it in your journal?" Fair enough.

6. When you look to your right as you're reading this, what do you see?

I see my laundry hanging on the drying rack so that it will be dry by the time I have to pack for Barcelona. I consider this to be an achievement since I'm usually too busy to bother with it and so put off my laundry and packing until the last minute.

7. What would you tell your 15-year-old self if you could send a message back in time?

Friends come and go, but the real ones are those who care about you and help you to be the best person you can be. Ditch the dementors and focus on the ones who count.

That's all for me, but I'm curious to hear what others have to say! My nominations are:

And my five to ten questions are:

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
What and where was the best meal you've ever eaten?
If you could only take one book with you into the afterlife, what would it be?
What smell reminds you the most of your childhood?
What's the best piece of advice that your mother gave you?
Since becoming an expat, how do you define "being internationally minded"?

Happy blogging!