When I was about eight years old I won the Egg and Spoon race. I only won because I ran so slowly the white ceramic egg precariously balanced on a large stainless steel dessert spoon had no chance of falling off.
The Egg and Spoon Race – image prezzybox.com
Those of you for whom winning in sport or other endeavours is, or was, a more regular occurrence, can have no idea how significant that event was. Because I never won anything else throughout all my years in education (or for most of my adult life). I’m not one of those who says we shouldn’t have competition in schools; it encourages excellence, enhanced team and individual performance plus is a realistic reflection of adult life, where there is competition, winners and losers everywhere. What I do believe in, is taking part in a spirit of openness and fun, enjoying the experience for what it is, and being as gracious as is possible in defeat or success. But when we do win something, isn’t it nice!
In October 2014 I was informed one of my blog posts had been nominated for an award from The Caribbean Tourism Organization. These awards recognise work done during the year to promote Caribbean travel. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the evening so fellow travel blogger Heather Cowper kindly offered to accept the award on my behalf, should I win. I really didn’t expect to, so when I got a text from Heather saying ‘You’ve won’ I was genuinely surprised and absolutely delighted, especially as it was about St Kitts, a lovely, unspoilt Caribbean island I had visited earlier in the year.
Heather Cowper with CTO Blog Award
The Caribbean Tourism Organization Journalism Award – Best Blog Feature‘ was for the post ‘Discover the Treasures of St Kitts Rainforest‘. The judge said of the article, “I love that that Zoë’s really looked at something different. Not many people think of rain-forests when you mention the Caribbean and there was just loads in it I wasn’t aware of and I think that is what really makes a great blog post.”
Guide O’Neil in St Kitts rainforest
This is what Quirky Travel is all about – looking at things, familiar and unfamiliar, from a different angle, hopefully bringing something new to the experience. To receive this special award means a huge amount, not only because it is such a privilege to win but also because it will hopefully encourage more people to visit St Kitts and discover more of its natural treasures for themselves.
Zoë with CTO Award
The lovely award (large and very heavy engraved glass) sits on my sideboard in pride of place. It represents the personal pleasure of travel blogging and the unadulterated joy of winning, a dab of icing on the cake of life! And for that little girl who once won a book for the egg and spoon race is very, very grateful …
I hope you have a winning year whatever you do and however you measure it 🙂
Hope this doesn’t read like one long ‘humble-brag’! It’s meant to be a paean of delight at winning something that is very significant to me but also to perhaps encourage others who don’t often win in life and also to celebrate the joy of travel and writing 🙂
Lovely post Zoë and one I can relate to, having never won a single thing at school. More recently, however, I have started winning, all thanks to travel blogging. Your post from St Kitts is well worth first place and certainly has me longing to go. Congratulations on your well deserved win. I’m sure you’ll have more wins along your travel blogging journey maybe more awards, but definitely more wonderful experiences, meeting fascinating people and making new friends.
Well done Mum! Good to see you getting such a nice trophy for your writing 🙂
Thanks Alex – it certainly is the icing on the blogging cake to win something special like this 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words Kat 🙂 Maybe it is only when we really follow our passion that we get meaningful rewards. Delighted that you are winning now. Your writing AND photography is excellent and brings a lot of pleasure to many. Hope 2015 brings lots of quirky travel for you.