Blogger Melanie Nayer

Introducing another new blogger at Gadling, Melanie Nayer. . .

Where was your photo taken: New York, Upper West Side

Where do you live now: Boston, Massachusetts

Scariest airline flown: I'm a travel writer - I don't focus on the scary, I focus on how many minutes left until I'm in my destination. The reality is I love to fly. I'm the traveler who gets to the airport early just so I can watch the planes take off, land, and come into the gate. I was the girl who went to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., two years in a row because I was intent on flying a space shuttle (a la, Lea Thompson in the movie "Space Camp" circa 1986). My favorite 'hiding' spot in college was an abandoned airplane junkyard just outside of Peoria, Ill. In fact, I remember when flight attendants used to escort children into the cockpit to meet the pilots during the flight. To this day, I'll still glance into the cockpit when I board a plane, just before I make my way down the aisle to my seat.

How did you get started traveling? I had always wanted to travel, but never had the means. I graduated college, got a job and moved to Boston, and was more determined than ever to leave the country. One morning on my way to work I walked by a travel agency and decided to go in to see what they were offering. I walked out 20 minutes later with an airline ticket to Paris and a 7-night stay at the Hotel Fremiet. The rest is history...

Favorite city/country/place: Just one?! There's no place like wine bar in Rome on a hot summer day, and there's no place like Martha's Vineyard in the off-season, just as the leaves start to change colors.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Cape St. Vincent; Sagres, Portugal. Otherwise known as the end of the world. Absolutely beautiful!

Favorite guidebook series: I like picking up local magazines and newspapers when I travel and using that as my guide, but as for official "books", I'm a Time Out girl.

Favorite foreign dish? Restaurant? Willi's Wine Bar, Paris, France. Bordeaux, cheese, chocolate. End of story.

The first thing I set out to pack is... My shoes. Once I get my shoes in the suitcase, everything else is easy.

You are a contestant on the Price is Right. What vacation do you hope is in the showcase showdown? What's included? What's the price? Orient Express Paris-Budapest-Bucharest-Istanbul, 6 days/5 nights in one of the new luxury cabins. Total price of my showdown: $15,150. Did I win???