Appreciation

My blog has been award free. That’s just how I liked it and still do. When I was nominated for the Liebster Award last year, I appreciated the nominations but didn’t accept the award both times. But when my blog was recently nominated by one of my favorite blogs – Lesser Places, it felt different this time. I will explain why but first,

So what is the Liebster Award?

The Liebster Award 2016 is an award that exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

I like the intention behind the award but I don’t like the chain letter feel of it. After thinking about it for two weeks now, I decided not to accept the award and keep my blog award free. Instead, I want to take this opportunity to share my favorite blogs with my readers. Sort of like Pay It Forward in my own way.

If interested, here are the official rules for the Liebster Award 2016.

Max and I have been following each other’s blog for a while and commented back and forth many times. Maybe because I felt like I know him through his writings, his nomination felt real and sincere which triggered to me write this post. Bloggers know how much time and effort go in to writing a post and to keep up with the blog. Being recognized by a peer blogger who reads my blog on a regular basis meant a lot to me. Thanks Max for your kind words and encouragement! Please be sure to check out his blog, Lesser Places. He writes about backpacking and hiking in the beautiful state of Arizona and other outdoor related topics. He is a great story teller and he is very knowledgeable yet humble. But it’s his sense of humor separates his blog from other hiking blogs for me.

Questions from Max:

Cutest animal?  Dogs! Seriously, I have a special place in my heart for dogs.

Why did you start your blog? I wanted to create a place for dog-friendly trails for active dog lovers like me. I always loved hiking and taking photos. I didn’t know what to do with all the pictures I took. My blog gave me a place to display my photos.

What do you get out of blogging?  As I began to make connections with people with a kindred spirit around the world, I saw the value of the blogging community. It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I think it would only get better. It created opportunities for me that I never dreamed of. Also, blogging has been an inspiration for my adventures for sure.

What makes being outside fun to you? Nature never fails to amaze me and not knowing what’s around the next bend keeps it interesting. And I have the best trail buddy to share this passion with. It can’t get any better!  

My Favorite Blogs

I have several favorite blogs and the list is growing. I will share a few.

1. Mildly Extreme:  Jane writes about her hiking experiences in her country Australia. She also likes to hike solo. Her writing is honest, funny and very informative about nature. Trees, flowers, bugs, birds, you name it, she knows so much about them! I love reading about her adventures. It always makes me smile and laugh out loud at times.
2. Adventure 69 Degrees North:  Inger and her husband currently live in Norway but when I started following their adventures, they lived in Alaska…then later in Alberta, Canada. Anyhow, no matter where they lived, they explored the most beautiful places and I was constantly in awe with their photos. I will be traveling to Alaska this summer for a week-long guided hike. The trip was inspired by this blog!
3. Cooking with a Wallflower:  Andrea’s presentation of recipes is simple and lovely. Recipes are easy, simple and delicious! I especially like the Asian inspired recipes. Even I can follow them and they make me think that I can actually cook. Hah!

So there you have it. I sure hope you do check out these blogs. Maybe you will find them enjoyable and inspiring as well.

xoxo~