Today’s featured “around the world in seven questions” blogger is Natalie, from Cosmos Mariners! She’ll tell you all about her travels below. Natalie lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her family and works as a freelance writer.
tell us about yourself! how did you get started traveling?
I’m Natalie, the slightly (okay, more than slightly) nerdy blogger behind Cosmos Mariners: Destination Unknown! I focus on the arts, culture, literature, and history of the places I visit, but I try to present all of the above in a fun, but educational way. I used to be a university literature professor, but switched over to blogging so I could better indulge my love of travel.
Speaking of which, I’ve been traveling since before I could remember. My first trip was to Walt Disney World in Florida, and, according to my parents, I screamed the entire way from our home in South Carolina (about a 6 or so hour drive). Thankfully, my parents didn’t leave me in Orlando, and I learned the art of being a good road trip companion. 28 years later, I’m still traveling–only this time with my own daughter. She’s a much, much better traveler than I was at her age.
what is your favourite destination, and why?
I’m an Anglophile through and through, and I get absolutely giddy at the thought of returning to the UK. I majored in British Literature in my master’s program and even named my kid Britton, so, yeah, the love runs deep. So far, I’ve been to the UK half a dozen times, and I still have SO many more places to explore there. I’m hoping to take my daughter when she’s a little older, and hopefully, she’ll love it as much as I do.
what is your ultimate travel destination? have you been there, or do you have plans to go there anytime soon?
I don’t know if any place can top the love I have for Scotland and England, but I’ve always wanted to see the Great Wall of China, take a road trip around Australia and/or New Zealand, see penguins in Antarctica, and visit the Almalfi Coast of Italy. I’m hoping to do the latter with my sister sometime in 2017!
what is the craziest travel-related thing you have ever done?
I’m definitely not a risk taker, so the few crazy things I’ve done are probably only crazy to me! I went ziplining in St. Maarten, I touched one of the Stonehenge stones, and I took a spin in a World War II-era Douglas DC-3. All were so much fun!
do you prefer to travel solo, or with someone? why?
I usually travel with my husband and daughter, but I also enjoy traveling with my parents and sister. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up traveling with my family, so it would be so weird not to go places with them still. I’ve traveled solo before (including a study abroad stint in London), and, while it goes give me a different perspective on the places I see, I’m usually wishing that my husband or kid was with me to share the moment. Since I’ve become a parent, I love watching my daughter see the world–she comes at it in such a fresh, innocent way.
if you travel with friends, do you think your friendship is stronger for that reason?
I haven’t traveled with friends very much since most of my friends in my 20s were very poor grad students like I was! I did go on a trip with 5 friends after my last year in high school, and that was a blast. Unfortunately, we all went to 6 different universities just a few weeks afterwards and didn’t stay in touch the way we should’ve.
what’s on your travel agenda for this year?
We’re on the way to Ireland in February! I’ve always wanted to visit, so this is a huge trip for my husband and I. We’re also hoping to go to Alaska in late summer. Other than that, we’ll just have to see what comes our way!
You can follow Natalie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Thanks for sharing, Natalie! Do you want to be a featured blogger? Email Sarah for details!