Sunshine Bloggers Award

I’ve been nominated for another blogger award! This time, Ellie – M from Ticking The List has nominated me for the Sunshine Bloggers Award. Thankyou Ellie for this nomination.

For those who don’t know, the Sunshine Bloggers Award is a way of bringing together the diverse and varied blogging community to support each other and get to know each other.

Firstly, I’ll outline the rules of the tag. Then I’ll answer the questions I’ve been asked, before nominating more bloggers and asking them some questions myself.

Rules

• Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award image in your post.
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 people and ask them 11 questions.
• Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.

Questions I have to answer

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

That would be my girls’ holiday to Sicily. I actually wrote about it in my first ever blog post, but that’s basically where the girls I was travelling with said they’d learned a lot about the issues I face as a disabled person over the course of the trip and encouraged me to start sharing my experiences in a blog. So I came home and that’s exactly what I did, sharing my first post in the October after the trip that summer.

2. What kind of traveller are you?Adventure/relaxation/budget/luxury/don’t like to travel?

I prefer travelling to explore new places, like I did in that Sicily trip. I’d prefer to do more spontaneous trips where I just turn up and go wherever I fancy at the trop of a hat, but that’s more difficult to do when you have a disability.

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Milan for sure. I’m a sucker for Italian food and a glass of wine. And I really liked what I got to see of the culture and the city on the one-day layover I had there en route to Sicily.

4. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

Firstly, I would wish to have my dad back with us on Earth for just one day so I could say all the things I regret not saying. Secondly, I would wish for full accessibility for all disabled people (even if it may make my blog a bit redundant). I would also wish for security for those I love, financial security or whatever they need. The situation we’re currently in has made me realise how important those we love are.

5. What’s the most beautiful place you’ve been to?

Definitely Piazza Del Duomo in Milan. I’m not ashamed to say I almost cried when we stepped out of the metro station and I saw it for the first time.

6. If you could uninvent one thing, what would it be?

Steps/stairs! and I would put ramps everywhere, it would certainly make my life easier as a wheelchair user.

7. What is the most useful app you have on your phone?

Probably Google Maps as my sense of direction sucks. Failing that it’s the Trainline app. In the times when we can freely travel on trains it makes the process of train travel so much easier for me.

8. Who is your hero?

definitely my Mum. She’s the original invincible woman and the person I get all of my best traits from as far as I’m concerned.

9. What’s your favourite holiday?

By holiday here I’m assuming you mean like celebration? I’m going to answer it that way anyway. I would say Halloween because it’s close to my birthday so there are multiple reasons to celebrate.

10. What’s your karaoke song?

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen because it reminds me of a specific hilarious memory I have with my university friends.

11. If you were stranded on a desert island and could have 3 things with you, what would you choose?

One, my electric wheelchair so I could freely move around. 2. My Dermot Kennedy cd so I could keep calm during the isolation (the entire album is just chilled vibes) and of course my CD player so I could actually play the CD.

Nominations

Jo Jo from JoJo’s Cup of Mocha

Alex from The VI Critic

Jess from Stuck In The Book

Claire from Our Favourite Jar

Helen from Dotted Pages

Ashley from Blabbing Ash

Thomas from TheDoubtingThomas

Artie Carden

Hope from The Hope Chronicles

Keith from On My Mind Today

Weird & Liberated

Questions

1. What do you consider your biggest blogging achievement?
2. Who is one music artist you recommend I listen to?
3. Who’s another blogger you think I should check out?
4. Where’s one place you want to visit?
5. Where’s one place in your country that you recommend I visit?
6. What’s the one thing that’s top of your bucket list?
7. What was your first blog post? (on your first blog if you’ve had multiple)
8. Who would be your top dinner party guest?
9. What is your biggest fear?
10. What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone?
11. What is your favourite quote?

*UPDATE

Sooooooooo this post needs an update because I’ve just received ANOTHER nomination for this award from the lovely Jessica Lasa

My Answers to Jessica’s Questions

What is your favourite book?

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. I’m not usually one for rereading books too much  but I’d reread this a thousand times. The twists and turns get me every time!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

At the moment, to the caravan site where my Grandma lives. I could do with a trip to the seaside, and the COVID restrictions mean I’ve not seen her in a VERY long time.

Favourite place you have visited and why.

Cardiff. I’ve visited it several times to attend a number of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) events and just always loved the vibe. At one point I was even looking into the idea of moving there.

What is your favourite animal and why?

Ring Tailed Lemurs. I can’t fully explain why, I just think they’re really cute and cool.

What is something you are proud of yourself for?

Getting my undergraduate degree. There was lots going on in terms of  personal circumstances both leading into and throughout my final year of that degree. It could have led to me not finishing my degree, but I managed to work through it and still get it done.

Tell me one of your favourite scents (i.e. apple pie, Eternity cologne, fresh cut grass).

Chlorine. It just gives me good memories of holidays, and my hydrotherapy sessions that I always enjoyed.

What was your first job ever?

Research Assistant at a recruitment consultant company. It was only a university placement, but it was paid so I’d consider that my first job

Favourite holiday and why

Sicily and Milan. It was my first holiday without my parents which was really exciting. It was also a road trip which meant we got to explore a fair bit of Sicily, It was also the reason behind me starting this blog, as I discussed in my first blog post.

What is the first song that pops up on your usual playlist?

I’m not that much of a playlist kind of gal. But I do have a playlist of songs recommended to me by my friend Aoife. When I put that on shuffle the first song to come up was All The Others by a band called The Coronas (I still think that’s got to be quite an awkward band name to have in the current times).

Do you have any pets?

No, but I do often refer to my parents dog as my dog.

Do you know how to drive a manual transmission?

No because I’m not medically allowed to drive due to an eyesight issue. But even  if I could drive, I’d have hand controls anyway due to my cerebral palsy, and it would probably be easier to have an automatic car.

My Nominations II

Sara at Vivid n Stylish

Hannah at Hannah’s Bookshelf

Mind Beauty Simplicity

Lin at Beware The Bookwyrm

Smelly Socks & Garden Peas

Brendan at Blind Injustice

Aleks at AJ’s Notes

Georgia at Brit Voyage

Jessie at Wanderer + Traveler

Rebekah Charles

Molly at Transatlantic Notes

My Questions II

I’m sneaking my way out of thinking up new questions again buuuuuuuuuttttttt just like I did with my Awesome Blogger Award update, since I’ve gained a lot of new #BloggingCommunity friends since first time I was nominated for this award, my new nominees can just answer the questions I asked when I was originally nominated (see the “My Questions” section above  for those questions).

Once again, thanks to Ellie and Jessica for nominating me and I look forward to seeing how everyone answers my questions!

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)