Expat to Expat Q & A - Travel

I guess after blogging everyday (minus two) in May, I needed a half month off!  So much for the blogging momentum I thought I had built :-)  Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things now by joining the "Expat to Expat Q&A" linkup.  This month's topic is about travel.   

1. Which airport would you like to never see again?
I haven't really had a terrible airport experience (knock on wood), but I can think of a train station I would never like to see again- the Venice train station!  While studying abroad in Spain during college, I traveled to Italy with a group of girls from my program.  We planned to stop through Venice for one day and night on our way to Florence.  Well, our plane to Venice was extremely late... so much so that we had lost the entire day to explore Venice, and the hostel we had made a booking at was already closed by the time we got there.  We didn't know what else to do until our train left the next morning, so we ended up having to spend the night in the Venice train station.  It was sketchy as hell- to put it lightly.  Not to mention that it was fuh-reezing cold.  Needless to stay, not one of us slept a wink. 

These smiles didn't last long.

2. What is your travel nightmare?
I'm always paranoid about forgetting my passport.  I check about a million times before leaving to make sure that I have it.  Also, I don't really mind getting stuck in an airport, BUT my idea of a nightmare is getting in one of those situations where you're stuck on the plane on the tarmac for hours on end.  I hope I never find myself in that situation!

3. Would your rather stay in a fancy hotel and do less activities or stay in a hostel and do more activities?
Somewhere in between.  I definitely prioritize activities/sights/events while traveling, but as I get older (and further away from my student traveling days), I am a little more particular about where we stay.  It's hard to really enjoy and get the most out of a place when you are uncomfortable and not well-rested. 

4. Do you have any pre-travel rituals?
I always have to have a magazine to read during flight- preferably of the gossip magazine genre.  I also almost always have to have a diet soda for the flight... even though I know I should drink water. 

5. What is your favorite airline to fly with?
In the U.S., I love love LOVE flying Southwest.  You can't beat their prices, and the employees and crew members are always so friendly (and sometimes even entertaining while on board).  In Australia, I love to fly Qantas.  They're a little more on the pricey side, but unfortunately there aren't really many other options... especially when flying in/out of our town's little airport.  I love that they serve free booze even in economy, and they have great in-flight entertainment options on the longer flights. 

6. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
For some reason, ever since I can remember, I have always dreamed about going to Bora Bora.  Or anywhere where I can stay in a hut over water, really.  I'd also really love to go to Greece someday. 

7.  How do survive long haul flights?
Tylenol PM.  Seriously.  There is no way I could have survived my 16 hour flight from Dallas to Brisbane, AUS without it. 

8. What is your favorite stamp in your passport and why?
Well, my Spanish Visa was my favorite for a long time.  It was this really fancy, and actually quite pretty, sticker that got its very own page in my old passport.  Now that I have a new passport, my favorite stamp is the one I got when I first arrived in Australia.  I remember that feeling very momentous and exciting!