Sunshine Blogger Award!

First of all I want to thank @sagebrushfarmNV for nominating me for the Sunshine Award!  I am truly humbled and overjoyed at my nomination!  The Sunshine Blogger Award recognizes blogs that are considered to be interesting, creative, and uplifting by fellow bloggers!  I am so honored to be in this group of wonderful bloggers!

Thank you so much Lysa  @sagebrushfarmNV for this nomination.  Lysa’s Blog is all about living a positive life and loves to share her farm, food, and life stories.  A little while ago, I copied and pasted a quote from her blog to my laptop home screen to keep me inspired daily,   “Dream big! Never let go. Don’t worry about what life throws at you. Each day brings you one step closer to your dream, even if it seems like you’re going backward!” This quote is who you are!  You are such a positive influence on me and many others on our blogging journey.

Here are the Rules for accepting the nomination:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

Here are the questions Lysa selected for me:

1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love meeting bloggers, writing, and learning!  With blogging you are doing all three of these everyday.  I can’t even tell you how many bloggers I have met, how much I have learned, and all that I have written, in the last two months of beginning my blogging journey.

2. What is the main goal or focus of your website?

The main focus of Witte’s World Blog is to share my wonderful experiences with others.  My husband and I love to travel and hope to someday travel and blog about all the wonderful places we visit (and hopefully make a little money or get sponsor posts).

3. When did you launch your website?

I launched in November!  However, I probably should have waited…I really had no idea what I was doing.  I finally have a grasp on it now and am trying to build my audience.

4. What do you do to relax?

I love to read, write, camp, fish, and spending time with family.  All of these are relaxation to me.

5. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person?

That is a two-edged sword…I really hate the cold and since I am from Northern Illinois, I tend to hate the outdoors from December to March.  When I can and the temps are over 50 degrees you will find me outside working, reading, or relaxing with a glass of wine…hopefully in front of a campfire.

6.Who is/has been the most influential person in your life?

My husband of almost forty years!  Fred gives me the support and confidence to do what I love.  He supported me through my bachelor’s degree in education, and my master’s degree as a reading specialist.  Then when I decided I couldn’t teach anymore he supported me through my decision to retire early.  Now he is supporting me through this blogging journey!  Everyone asks me the secret to a long marriage, the answer for me would be, “Some women put all their early years in their children.  They dote over them and worry about them, they spend every waking minute living for their children.  When I had my first child at the age of 18, I promised myself, I would love my children, care for my children, and make sure they are healthy, happy, and have what they need, BUT my husband is in this for life.  Someday these children will grow up and be gone and I will be left with my man.  If I don’t put the time and energy into keeping our marriage strong, one day, I will end up alone one day and I would miss Fred…he is my soul mate and my life!”  He is my positive influence!

7. What’s your favorite comfort food?

Well, if you read my blog you know that all foods comfort me and this make my weight an issue.  I had a lap band in 2011 and have had successfully lost 150 pounds and gained back a few recently.  My whole life my comfort food has been anything salty…chips of any kind!  However, I have tried to make this more healthy and try to eat nuts or soup instead of chips.

8. Do you tend to be a loner or a “team player”?

I am an introvert which makes it hard to put myself out there with others.  However, there is nothing like working with a team to get results and reach goals.

9. Favorite travel destination?

Anywhere in nature!  I love nature!  Mountains, deserts, forests, lakes, rivers, oceans, beaches, flowers, animals!  I love traveling and seeing all the difference that the earth has to offer me.  If I had to pick one place it would have to be the area of the Black Hills to Columbus, Montana (all the towns of the Black Hills, the Big Horn Mountains, Thermopolis, Wy, Yellowstone NP, Cody, Wy, Red Lodge, MT, Columbus, MT).  Been there about 25 times in my life and can’t get enough of the area.

10. Do you prefer the ocean, desert, mountains or prairies?

None!  I love them all for their own unique beauty!

11. What is your preferred method of travel?

I love flying!  I feel so alive when I am in the air!  However, I love traveling by car too!  I love the idea I can stop where I want, when I want (and you can bring more with you).  I also love trains!  Hmmm…couldn’t narrow this down either!  I guess I suck at making decisions!

Here are my eleven nominees:

• Macintosh Travels
• Shayne and Ty
• Be Still
• Live Everyday Fresh
• GuidetoTravel
• LuxuryBackpacking
• JoyfulJourneyer
• MadHattersNYC
• LovingtheJourney
• PlanetFullofLove
• OhWhataLIfeWeHave

And last but not least, my eleven questions for the nominees:

1. Why did you become a blogger?
2. What is the main goal or focus of your website?
3. When did you launch your website?
4. Picture yourself in the most relaxing place ever…Where are you and what does it look like?
5. What is your favorite climate?
6. Who is the most important person/people in your life?
7. What’s your favorite healthy meal?
8. Where is the next place you plan to travel?
9. Do you like where you are currently living?
10. What is your favorite place to stay (hotels, motels, all inclusive, tent camping, RV camping, hostels, a friend’s place, etc…)?
11. What is your preferred drink?

Thank you again, to Lysa, for the nomination! It has been fun answering the questions and getting to know others in the blogging community. All of the those mentioned in my Sunshine Blogger Award posts are worthy of the nomination and have wonderful websites. I wish them all the best.

And thank you, too, dear reader for being here! YOU are the reason that we (bloggers) do what we do!