The Liebster Award

Thanks to Chasing Agatha  and Chill Out, Keep Calm, & Breathe for nominating me! If you haven’t checked them out, you should stop by for some good reading and inspiration.

Here are my answers to Chasing Agatha‘s questions:

1. Is there such a thing as the perfect murder? If so, what? If you watched Game of Thrones last night (Battle of the Bastards), Ramsey’s demise was up there. I doubt there was a lot of evidence left on the scene.
2. Do you believe that people are generally good at heart? I would like to think so, but I’m not entirely convinced that they are.
3. How do you feel about self-publishing vs. the traditional route? I haven’t tried either route, so I don’t have any experience to draw on. 
4. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy? A plane ticket–destination undecided. There are so many places I would like to go!
5. How many close friends do you really have? This reminds me of a song by The Who, How Many Friends. “How many friends have I really got? You can count ’em on one hand.” I have one life-time friend, who I unfortunately don’t get to spend nearly enough time with, but it’s nice to know that she’s there if ever I need her. Thanks Gumbus, if you’re reading! 
6. Are you a private person or a social butterfly? I am most definitely not a social butterfly!
7. If you are in a crowded room, do you prefer to set with your back to the wall, or will just anywhere do? I prefer to sit with my back to the wall and observe (or run to the nearest exit).
8. If you had a time machine and could travel to any event in history, where would you go? Vienna, VA March 12, 1999–that I’ll have to explain some other time.
9. What is your favorite song of all time? Probably Young American by David Bowie. It reminds me of my summer in Germany right after high school when I was the young American.
10. How did you come up with the title of your blog? I wanted something related to travel and culture and my general feeling for restlessness and Torschlusspanik
11. Who is your favorite book character? Gandalf from Lord of the Rings comes to mind.

And here are the answers to Chill Out, Keep Calm, and Breathe‘s questions:

1. WHERE HAVE YOU NOT YET VISITED BUT HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO? There are so many places! Yellowstone National Park and the Galapagos Islands are at the top of my bucket list, though.
2. DO YOU LIKE WINTER OR SUMMER HOLIDAYS BEST? I prefer to be warm, but I love the peacefulness of a snowy mountain, so it’s hard to say. 
3. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS SO FAR IN LIFE? Sadly, a few too many to recount.
4. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES AT LOVE? Yes, if you are open to it. 
5. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC MAKES YOU HAPPY? I like a lot of different types of music. Music definitely influences my mood. I’m not sure that there is one particular type that makes me happy. I think it’s more individual songs. 
6. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO OTHERS STARTING OUT ON THEIR NEW BLOG LIFE? I have found that the daily prompts on WordPress are helpful. I haven’t been very consistent so far in my writing, though. I’m still trying to figure it out and find my voice. 
7. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO DINNER WITH FAMOUS OR OTHERWISE? I think Michelle Obama would be fascinating to talk to and get her take on life and her experience as First Lady.
8. WOULD YOU HAVE CHICKEN WINGS ON THE ABOVE MENTIONED DINNER DATE? Sure, why not?! And a beer. Gotta have beer with spicy wings! 
9. DO YOU LIKE : (1) TO SIT IN FRONT OF THE FIRE TO LISTEN AND WATCH THE RAIN OUTSIDE? OR (2) GO OUT AND DANCE IN IT? It depends on my mood and whether it’s warm or cold rain. I’ve done both. 
10. IF YOU COULD BE A SUPERHERO WHAT SUPERPOWERS WOULD YOU HAVE AND WHY? I would like to be able to morph into other animals and run with the wolves or swim with the dolphins or maybe just be able to talk to my dogs. I would really like to know what they are thinking a lot of times.
11. HOW OFTEN DO YOU LAUGH AND WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE FUNNY MOMENT? Not often enough. The time that comes to mind is when my brother’s chair broke during dinner when he leaned over to pick up his napkin that he dropped. It was an armless swivel chair and the seat came detached from the base. I couldn’t look at him without laughing for the rest of the dinner. It’s probably not the funniest memory, but it certainly stands out. 

Now for the 11 random facts about me:

1. I got married when I was 20
2. I have a son and daughter who are 25 and 23, respectively
3. I really like cheese
4. I lived in Stuttgart, Germany for three years during elementary school (4th-6th grades)
5. I have had at least one dog since I was 9 years old. We had dogs before that, but there were a few years without one. I currently have two.
6. I was probably a wolf in my previous life, if you are inclined to believe in previous lives, which I don’t really, but it’s still fun to speculate.
7. I like turtles
8. I’m extremely introverted
9. I like to play and watch soccer
10. I prefer red wine over white wine
11. I don’t like cooked carrots unless they are in a stew or something like that

I would like to nominate the following blogs:

Ideas and Culture

Little April Shower

Finding My Neverland

As I see things

And here are my questions for my nominees:

1. What is your ideal vacation?
2. Are you a morning person or a night person?
3. What is your favorite leisure activity?
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
5. What are three things on your bucket list?
6. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
7. What is one of  your favorite childhood memories?
8. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
9. What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
10. What is your favorite holiday?
11. What is something you know now that you wish you had learned sooner?