Feature Friday: Q and A with Monica of Bon Voyage Friends

Monica at Le Palais Royal Paris

With just a few short months before our next annual adventure (less than 70 days to go), we love continuing to share our travel memories and tips we have learned along the way. Today we are featuring Monica of Bon Voyage Friends.

1. What are your 3 "must have" items you pack?

There are so many travel essentials! But the three things I can’t leave home without are anti-bacterial, because they come in so handy! Eye drops for dry weather and long-haul flights. Most importantly...my Nikon camera-with an extra memory card!

2. What do you get as souvenirs?

I love taking photos and capturing memories I can share with others and enjoy whenever I want to relive the beauty of each adventure. I always make sure to bring home a variety of edible treats from places I have visited. Just last week, I opened a jar of apricot jam I brought home from Lille, France. Delicious!

This is one of my favorite pictures taken during my trip to Paris in 2013. 

The Louvre at Dusk.

3. Where is your dream holiday spot?

My ultimate dream holiday would be to bring together a large group of family and friends and stay in a villa in Tuscany. It would be amazing to spend a few weeks enjoying the beauty of the region, wine tastings, cooking classes, family time, laughter, and so much more.

4. If you could spend a day anywhere in the world right now, for the next 24 hours, where would you go?

Tibet would be an incredible place to visit. The Tibetans and their unbroken spirit are an inspiration. Over a decade ago, Tibetan monks visited our university for a week. They spent their time meticulously creating a beautiful vibrant sand painting (similar to the one pictured below). To culminate their visit, they used a brush to combine the sand granules and then distributed sachets of sand. Over the years I misplaced the bag of sand I was given, but I hold onto the memories from that week and hope to visit Tibet someday. 

Monks creating a beautiful sand painting similar to what was done at UNLV. Photo courtesy of http://www.newportnet.com/archives/mandala/nancy/images/5heads-a.jpg

5. Number of countries visited.
  

I have been blessed with the opportunity of visiting 10 countries and I am so excited to keep discovering new places.

6. What are your top 3 best travel memories?

Every single travel adventure has afforded me endless joy. My top three experiences are:

The very first trip overseas to Finland in 2004, my desire for adventure was ignited. Traveling with my classmates and starting the tradition of our annual girly holiday with Di are priceless memories. The laughter we experienced the first night in Finland as we wandered around Porvoo-Borga, was a true telling sign of the adventures to come. I cherish this tradition!!

Our photo shoot in Paris! The day from beginning to end was simply fabulous, the photo posted at the top of this blog post was from the photo shoot. ICYMI, read about our photo shoot in Paris with Pierre here:

http://bonvoyagefriends.blogspot.com/2014/07/travel-tuesday-ooh-la-la-our.html

Traveling to Seattle, Washington with my mom was such a memorable trip. We had a grand time visiting Pike’s Market Place, trying different cuisines, and exploring downtown. It was a delightful time and I can’t wait for us to embark on a journey together again!!

7. What is the best meal you've ever had while traveling?

Like Di, the restaurants she mentioned as her favorites are simply amazing and at the top of my favorite list. To read about our fav spots, check out:

http://bonvoyagefriends.blogspot.com/2014/06/feature-friday-q-and-with-diana-of-bon.html

To add one more to the list, there is a great restaurant in Paris called A Verse Tourjours and is located in the Latin Quarters. They have the best croque monsieur I have ever tried! As a bonus, it’s a great place to people watch! 

Croque monsieur at A Verse Tourjours

8. What inspires you to travel? 

Wanderlust and the desire to explore the endless beauty the world has to offer. I believe the travel bug needs one remedy, it needs to continuously be fed.

9. What SIP Tip (Safety Is Priority) would you share with avid and new travelers alike?

I don’t ever travel abroad without registering my trip with the US State Department’s STEP resource. We have mentioned this resource many times before in hopes of educating others to utilize this important tool. STEP is the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and it’s free! STEP allows you to register each your trip and input passport information. In the event of a lost or stolen passport, the closest US embassy or consulate will have access to all of the information you submitted. Plus, as a bonus you receive electronic alerts of any safety concerns.  Other countries have similar programs offered, such as Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

10. What are 3 tips you can share for planning a holiday? 

Try to find the balance between planning and leaving room to be spontaneous. Pack smartly and evaluate if you really need everything you have laid out. Utilize free resources such as Trip Advisor, travel blogs, and books at local libraries. 

Bon Voyage!