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Posts Tagged ‘Interview’

#FriendlyFiles: 5 Questions for a Downton Abbey Super Fan

Liz, one of our Reservation Agents and a SUPER fan of the Downton Abbey show, shares a little insight on what it’s like to wine and dine at Highclere Castle, AKA the real Downton Abbey, during the very exclusive annual Christmas Ball!


Downton fans, I couldn’t be more excited to let you know—if you want to don your finest and celebrate the holidays at Highclere Castle, as I did (and believe me, you want to!)—well, you can. For the fourth year in a row, Friendly Planet is offering some highly coveted spots to the annual Christmas Ball, and they’re on sale now! Your invitation to the 2017 Downton Abbey Christmas Ball has arrived.

Highclere Castle © Highclere Castle Enterprises LLP

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Travel Talk: There’s no stopping Uncornered Market’s world travelers

We’re continuing with our Travel Talk blog series by featuring not one, but two amazing travelers who are still going strong after visiting over 75 countries in the past six years. Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott are the husband-and-wife storytelling and photography team behind Uncornered Market.

Dan and Audrey left their secure jobs and quiet lifestyles in 2006 for what was planned to be a 12-18 month traveling adventure. It’s been six years since they began, and they see no end in sight. Together they explore the world, photograph the people and places they see, and blog about their experiences. They’ve visited over 75 countries, and have many more on their list.

We reached out to Dan and Audrey because we wanted to know what they’ve learned from their travels, what they have most enjoyed, and what’s next on their agenda.

1) What sparked your decision to leave your jobs and lifestyle in 2006 to travel the world? Was it a difficult decision to make?

We were both working in traditional desk jobs and had reached a point where we weren’t learning anymore and wanted more creativity in our lives. We had always dreamed about traveling around the world and decided to combine travel with learning new creative skills to try and get into a different type of work. Was it a difficult decision? YES!! Everyone thought we were crazy leaving all the security and stability behind. But it was worth it. (more…)

Travel writer and actor Andrew McCarthy explains how travel can help you overcome fear and connect with others

Have you ever been in a foreign country and stopped someone to ask for directions? If you have, there’s a good chance you were greeted with kindness and helpful tips to get you where you needed to go. This simple way of engaging with others is one of the easiest ways to interact with people, which Andrew McCarthy uses as one of his tactics when traveling abroad to break the ice with locals, even if he knows exactly where he is.

This is just one of many parts of Andrew’s travel philosophy, who is the editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveler; an actor in such films as “Pretty in Pink,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” and “St. Elmo’s Fire”; and a director. When we heard he was going to be at The Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show to promote his first memoir, “The Longest Way Home,” we knew we wanted to hear more from Andrew on how travel has changed his life.

Andrew generously gave us a few minutes of his time after he spoke at the travel show to explain how going outside of your comfort zone can obliterate fear, the transformative power of travel, and how acting and directing has affected his writing. He also talked about how, contrary to first thought, travel actually makes him feel at home. Hit play below to listen to all the details.

Many thanks to Andrew for sharing a few minutes of his time to chat with us! Be sure to follow Andrew on his website and Twitter for the latest information on his travel adventures.

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