No foolin’ here! Former Gadling contributor Kelly Amabile has rejoined the team as of April 1.
1. Where was your photo taken: My first wave of departures began with Girl Scout trips to Boston, Montreal, Williamsburg, VA — and this one to Washington D.C. On one of these early journeys, the travel bug bit me good.
2. Where do you live now: Currently back in the ‘burbs of NYC where I grew up, a place they call The Town of Friendly People.
3. Scariest airline flown: Probably the charter flight I took to Cancun in college, although the details are fuzzy. One image I do recall is the cold Dos Equis someone handed me as I disembarked in Mexico.
4. Favorite city/country/place: It’s a rotating location love fest for me, what I call Lost in Place. Madrid, Budapest and anything around the Adriatic are my latest favs. But I’ll always be nostalgic for Baltimore and the good old Jersey Shore too.
5. Most remote corner of the globe visited: I know “southern Spain” doesn’t exactly sound remote, but a farm I worked on nestled high in the Alpujarras was as secluded as I’ve ever been. Only the clouds (and the chickens) knew where I was.
6. Favorite guidebook series: I’m partial to purchasing Lonely Planet guides, but I always flip through several other series (Rough Guides, Rick Steves, Moon Handbooks) at a library or bookstore before a trip.
7. Hotel, hostel, or other? Get creative! I love alternative lodging and living with locals — couchsurfing, homestays, agriturismos, family-run villas or just visiting with friends and family who live in cool or unheard of places.
8. Favorite means of transportation: Besides my own two feet? A funicular of course!
9. Favorite foreign dish: Any home-cooked meal prepared by local hosts, no matter how leery I may be of trying what is on the table. As long as there is decent wine to sip along with it, this reformed picky eater will try anything once.
10. When I’m not writing for Gadling, I’m: …writing, walking, hiking, reading, exploring, people watching. And did I mention writing? Call me curious Kel: an enthusiastic journaler and global observer just making my way through this world one page (or post) at a time.