Great news dears—I have received a Liebster Award!

For those who don’t know, the Liebster Award is for bloggers, given by other bloggers. It is a way for all of us to discover new blogs by promoting others along the way!

First things first, a big thank you goes out to Yvette Morrisey the writer of Wayfaring Kiwi! I have discovered her blog through the Liebster Award and let me tell you, this lady is a powerhouse.

Yvette let go of her physical possessions including her business so she could travel the world. And the fact that she is a solo traveler both inspires and scares me. It’s something I’ve wanted to do, but haven’t had the courage to do it (yet!).

Wayfaring Kiwi is all about her rather spontaneous travels all around the world! You can read up on all of her past adventures as well as her current van trip around Canada here.

As a part of my nomination, I have been given a set of questions to answer. You’ll get to know about my blog and me, so I hope you enjoy it!

1: Tell us about your blog.

The reason I picked the title that I did was so that I could keep it to the point—I blog about food, drinks, and life! I have quite a few recipes under my belt at this point, which includes a lot of gluten free, some dairy free, and some even vegetarian and vegan. But most importantly to me, I want to keep my recipes easy. Everyone should know how to cook!

For my lifestyle posts, they seem to end up being a little bit of everything. My last life post was about vintage markets, but the life post before that was about my first kiss! The vintage market post is very fun with lots of pictures, but the first kiss post has a very different tone. Even though they are different, I highly recommend both of them! Or all of them. This is my blog, you know. 🙂

2: What has been the most rewarding experience your blog has brought you?

I think the concept of being a blogger has been quite rewarding. I love to write, and I love photography. People had been telling me for years that I needed my own blog and now here I am!

I remember the day that my blog had gone up. There was so much leading up to that moment, and then all of a sudden it was here. I was sharing myself through my writing to the world; my writing used to be shared with a very select group of people. But now I own my own corner of the internet and it’s such a great place to be.

3: What is the best piece of advice you can give your readers?

To the people who are not bloggers: You can cook. You can feed yourself. Use my recipes, or recipes in general, as a foundation for your food creation to build off of. Experiment. Make lots of mistakes in the kitchen until you get it right! There are few things more rewarding than making a recipe that is 100% yours… and it’s good.

To my blogger/aspiring bloggers: Don’t give up. In this line of work, it’s so easy to give up. I’ve wanted to on many occasions, but I didn’t. Why? Because I love writing. I love doing my own thing. I have put blood, sweat, and tears into my blog project. But I haven’t given up.

Also, don’t compare your success to that of other bloggers. It won’t do you any good. Continue on the path of your success, whatever it may be. Some people will start after you and gain more subscribers, followers, etc. I’ve looked at it and wondered where I went wrong, while in hindsight, they’ve just taken different steps than I have. And that’s okay! We all learn and grow at different paces.

4: What is your favorite travel destination and why?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to travel much yet. But in my one overseas trip, I went to China! I have had the travel bug ever since, but I have yet to cure it…

I loved it because it was just so different. The things you thought you’d only see in books are now all right in front of you! Tiananmen Square, Terra Cotta Warriors, the Great Wall… all things I would never have dreamed of experiencing. But there I was, right in the thick of it.

Also, you will hear of people coming up to you in Asian countries and asking to take a picture with you. This is real and it makes you feel like a celebrity!

5: Where would you love to go to in the world?

Singapore. Hands down, always have wanted to go to Singapore. I can’t tell you why because I don’t remember the reason! But I poured hours of research into living in Singapore as a kid. I would love to fulfill that childhood fantasy one day, even if it’s just to visit.

6: If someone were visiting your city or town, what would you suggest they do?

Drive away!! 😀 I would suggest that you go to Mystic, Niantic, or Old Saybrook instead. Visit the shoreline cities of Connecticut. Sure, they are a little more touristy, but they have such a different vibe from the inland towns. They have shops and places to walk around and have fun! I think the beaches calm down their natives.

7: What makes you deliriously happy?

Good food and good wine. Extra points if it’s both at the same time!

But seriously, good food is hard to come by, especially in restaurants. I’m not the best dinner date!

And contrary to other’s opinions, I enjoy a nice glass of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon from time to time. I remember the first time I tried red wine; it was a Merlot. I was so happy that the friend that I was with thought I was already tipsy off a couple sips of wine. 🙂 Nope! I was just ecstatic that I found a drink that I liked.

8: What is your guilty pleasure?

Gummy candy. Worms, bears, peach rings… I love them all! There is, however, a special place in my heart for gummy sharks. I have yet to identify what they taste like. They just taste like blue, I guess. Either way, I love them!

When it comes to music, look no further than Family Force 5. I can’t describe their music or put it in a box; it’s just one of those things where you listen to it and you say to yourself, “okay, this is happening. He is singing about (insert topic here).” And for those who do know FF5, I know all the words to “Kountry Gentlemen” and I proudly wear my badge of quirkiness!

Oh, and just about anything chocolate. Apparently, I’m still thinking about food. But what do you expect of me? 🙂

9: What is a difficult obstacle you have had to overcome?

I think the most difficult obstacles are the ones made in my head. The negative thoughts around my blog can be especially brutal, but the weeks that I just don’t have the inspiration to create are the worst.

I have recipes and posts in my back pocket now so if that does happen, I don’t have an uninspired post. I’d much rather it be that way than me trying to muddle through a post that I have no interest in making. 

10: What are you most grateful for in your life?

I think you mean who! I am most grateful for my parents in my life. They have always wanted me to go after my dreams and have supported my blog project since day one. Without them, I wouldn’t have Food Drinks Life. And for that, I am severely grateful. (So thanks guys!)

Now for my nominees!

My next bloggers I have picked for The Liebster Award are as follows:

An Outlet for a Starving Artist

The Walking Austinite 

Monsterful Mama 

On the other side of dePRESSiON 

ALventure Blogs

Ambitiously, Amanda

Rio’s Walkabout

So here are my questions for you!

1. Tell us about your blog.
2. Why do you blog?
3. What is your favorite/least favorite thing about blogging?
4. What is a weird activity that you like to do?
5. Where is one place you’ve always wanted to go, but never have?
6. What are 3 items on your bucket list? (i.e., things you want to do before you die)
7. How do you deal with stress?
8. Who is one of your favorite bloggers and why?
9. Who inspires you, either in real life or on the internet?
10. What advice would you give to people thinking about starting a blog?

I am eagerly awaiting your responses! Good luck and congratulations on your Liebster Award nomination!

Is there anything you would like to ask me? Leave your questions in the comments down below! And for those nominated, when you are finished with your post, leave a comment with the URL to your blog post down below so I can read it. 🙂

Cheers dears!

Gem