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Ordinary Traveler – Michelle

This week’s ordinary traveler series features an old friend of mine. Michelle Lavicka is the co-owner of Mountain Top Pilates in Morgantown, West Virginia.
1. What makes you want to travel?  I have an incurable form of wanderlust. Every time I cross something off my list, I find two or three things to add . . . My husband doesn’t help–he is always coming across cool places or events or activities for us to see or do first-hand. Whenever we meet people on our travels, we always learn about “one more place” we need to see. The world is incredible and I want to see all of it!
Michelle in Australia

2. How do you afford to travel?  Travel is, by far, our biggest expense–more than our mortgage, food, and everything else combined! It helps we don’t have debt (aside from the house). But otherwise, we collect miles/points aggressively. We know that, since we only have the one life, we might as well go for it. We have never regretted money spent on a trip which, I would say, means it’s been well-spent.

3. Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group?  We prefer alone so we can make our own itinerary and see exactly what we want. That said, while we usually aim to be on our own, some activities have to be group (Korea’s DMZ comes to mind). As a result, we’ve had memorable group trips where we met wonderful people and had a lot of fun.

4.  What is the most memorable experience you’ve had and why? Oh, man. Just one? My husband would say hot air ballooning over Bagan, Burma (I know this to be ready for a game show if we are ever on one). Mine changes. Am I allowed to do a list?

  • Most memorable animal experience: seeing penguins for the first time when we were in Southern Patagonia.
  • Most memorable food experience? Eating at every restaurant at the Burj al Arab
  • Most memorable family experience? Sand sledding with Jeff and my parents in New Zealand
  • Most memorable grateful experience? Crossing the border out of Belarus.
  • Most memorable “I wish I could live here” experience? Our safaris in South Africa.
  • Most memorable street experience? Eating our way through Bangkok
  • Most memorable “I can die happy” experience? Riding camels through the Gobi.

I could go on, you get the idea

Sizing up the Sphinx in Egypt.
5. What has been your favorite destination and why?  I love South Africa. It has everything: animals, culture, beauty, history, incredible food . . . I can’t wait to go back.

 

6.  Where have you been that you’d like to live for at least a year?

South Africa for sure. New Zealand, too. Iceland. Saigon. Melbourne. I could live in Little Washington for a year, but only if I got to garden and work in the kitchen. Oh, and Punte del Este in Uruguay–that place is a gem.

Michelle and Jeff in Antarctica

7. What’s the one thing that you have to bring home as a souvenir?Photos.

Exploring Greece
8. What’s the strangest custom that you’ve seen or experienced?
You know, after awhile, nothing seems that strange anymore since you end up seeing it, or something similar, in more than one place. So, instead of strange, it’s just a “Oh! Right, they do that in . . .” type of thing that sends us down memory lane. That said, the tea in Mongolia was a bit tough to drink, but I don’t know if it’s strange.

 

9. What do you always pack? Camera, extra batteries, electrical converter, laptop, underpants. Beyond that, if it can’t fit into my carryon, it’s not coming. Jeff and I have a very light packing credo.

Scuba diving the continental divide in Iceland
10. What’s the best travel advice you’ve learned?  Be polite.
11.  Where are you going on your next trip?  Our next trip is home to my parents. Our next adventure is, hopefully, to finish off Southern Asia.