Calabrisella Mia

Just before the summer break, Nilla of Image Earth Travel nominated me for The Unique Blogger Award. I hadn’t been nominated for an award in what feels like a lifetime, so I was quite pleased.

I want to thank Nilla for the nomination and for all her support. If you don’t already follow Nilla, you should! She is well-travelled and writes about her many adventures while sharing incredible photographs and giving some great travel advice.  You can check out all her amazing photos at Nilla’s Photography. She is currently living in Cosenza and I’m happy to say has become a great friend – and adventure companion.

What is The Unique Blogger Award?

Much like many of the Blogger Awards out there in the blogosphere, the Unique Blogger Award gives fellow bloggers the chance to acknowledge and show appreciation for other bloggers while at the same time expanding their audience to other readers.  In a time when everything gets noticed soley if you pay for advertising, this is a great initiative. Besides, who doesn’t like getting a bit of a pat on the back for their work – especially when it’s something you do as a passion.

Here are the rules:

• Show some love to the blogger that nominated you.
• Answer the questions.
• In the spirit of sharing the love, nominate other bloggers for the Unique Blogger Award.
• Ask them three questions.

Nilla of Image Earth Travel’s Questions:

1.  Did you find it difficult starting a WordPress blog or was it easy for you using an available theme?

I started my blog back in 2008  through the free WordPress platform.  I was interested in writing more creatively.  Blogging was becoming more and more popular, so it seemed like the best route. So, I found a free theme that looked nice and went with it.  I didn’t have any plans as to what I would write about and I had no idea if I would stick to it.  As it turns out, I enjoyed building my blog and it began to take form as the years passed. In April 2017, I finally took the leap and made the switch to self-hosting so I could try and take my blog to the next level.  So far, it’s been a great learning experience.   I’m still not ready to try and make my own theme (I’ll leave that to the professionals), but for now the theme I’m using suits me fine, do you like it?

2 . What is it most that you enjoy about a blog site? (Photographs, story, quotes, other.)

I like telling stories, which for me is part words and part images. And, since I have always had an interest in photography, being able to marry writing with photography is probably what I enjoy most. I also love the community that exists, especially if you are in a particular niche. It allows you to connect with people who have similar experiences and points of view, which is so great!

3.  What is your favourite blog site, why, and how many times per week do you visit the site?

I don’t think I can choose just one favorite site because I follow so many great blog sites that I’m consistently visiting. Some of my current favourites, you can check out in my nominations!

Now, it’s my turn.  I nominate…

Calabria:  The Other Italy ~ Karen has a strong passion for Calabria that she shares on her blog. Her writing is both entertaining and educational, allowing you to understand Calabria on a deeper level.

Italian at Heart ~ Kelly is a determined and inspiring person. Her blog is a personal window into her journey of learning the Italian language and sharing her love for its culture. She is also one of the hosts of the monthly Dolce Vita Bloggers Link-Up!

Panini Girl ~ This blog is bursting with recipes inspired by Italian culture which will have you running to the supermarket to gather up ingredients to create these delicious dishes at home.

The Gastronom ~ I enjoy a good cocktail with friends, and this blog gives me so many great ideas. Jay and Leah share cocktail recipes that will have you looking like a true barman!

Namastay Traveling ~ Juliette touches on two things I absolutely love – yoga and travel.  This site will surely give you wanderlust and at the same time inspire you to roll out your yoga mat for sun salutes!

Penna in Viaggio ~ Luigina has a passion for writing and travel which is beautifully showcased in her blog. She not only fills me with wanderlust, she also keeps me on top of my Italian language game!

Here’s what I’d like to know from the nominees…

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
2. Has anything interesting ever happened to you thanks to your blog?
3. If you could travel anywhere, in this very moment, where would you go?

So now I turn it over to the nominees!  There’s no pressure to take part, but I’d be really interested in reading your answers.

A presto amici!