Help Me Win The Experience Of A Lifetime - With The Big Blog Exchange!

Hey guys! 

So I'm back in Kota Kinabalu after a great (although unfortunately more fun than work) trip to Kuala Lumpur. I think I tried to cram too much into the last week I was there and didnt get enough sleep, which caused me to fall sick the day I left, and spend the first 3 days of being back curled up in bed. But now I'm back with a vengeance! Did you miss me KK? ;p

First up, I wanna ask you guys for a little help. If you were given the opportunity to be flown to another country and experience a whole different culture for 10 days, and then share that experience with hundreds, maybe even thousands of readers, would you be up for the challenge?

I am!

Which is why I've joined this blogging competition, and it's for a great prize: 16 lucky bloggers get to exchange lives with another blogger from a different region on a 10 day trip with sponsored air fare, accommodation and a daily allowance. The good people at Hostelling International will even draw up a personalised itinerary so that each blogger can experience the chosen country to the fullest!

So as a lot of you may know, I love travelling, but unfortunately havent had the chance to go anywhere out of Asia yet. Here is the best chance I could ask for, but I can only get there with your help! Here's how:

• To get a guaranteed blog viewing from the judges, I need to be in the Top 25 in Asia Pacific before 15th  April, which is around Top 60 Worldwide. Currently my world rank is 142. 
• To vote, all you need is a valid email address. Just click on this link http://www.bigblogexchange.org/blog/399003, enter your email address then verify the vote in your email!
• If you really love me, you can then share the link and ask all your friends and family to vote too! *big smile*

Although the country you'll be visiting will be determined by a draw of all the 16 countries the bloggers chosen are from, I really wouldnt mind going anywhere! Any country will be an adventure I may not have the chance to experience again, and I just love the thrill of flying to another country with new things to see, do, eat and enjoy! The thought of someone having the chance to experience Sabah and all it's wonders is inspiring as well.. I hope someone who would love to dive in Sipadan or climb Mount Kinabalu gets to come! =D

My ultimate? Here's my list of my top 5 countries I'd be more than overjoyed to experience:

1. Africa - What could top a wildlife safari??
2. Australia - To dive in the Great Barrier Reef
3. Greece - Just the beauty of it all!
4. New York - The city where everything happens!
5. England - Mainly because I'd love to see all my relatives there. After moving to Sabah when I was 7, I havent had the chance to meet any of my aunts/uncles/cousins, and though we have been able to keep in touch via facebook, it would be amazing to have an actual family reunion with them!  

I think this will be the ultimate chance to experience a "travel journalist" kind of journey, as long as learning how to utilise social media such as Instagram, Facebook and obviously my blog and vlog to share my experience and hopefully inspire my readers/viewers to travel more and also vote for me one more time to win the final competition and have a chance to select other winners for next year's Big Blog Exchange!

I estimate about another 100 votes will get me where I need to be, so please do help me be one of the chosen bloggers representing Malaysia, Sabah, especially Kota Kinabalu in a bid to change the world, one blog (and vlog) at a time! Armed with my fancy new Samsung Galaxy Camera, I have a feeling many a good picture and video will be filling up your screens! ;p

'Cause you never know what you'll find while on holiday!
- Penang, February 2013

And yes, I promise to buy you a little souvenir/send you a postcard, whichever tickles your fancy! (Does that constitute as bribery..? ;p)

xxxxx

PS: Thanks The Big Blog Exchnage team for featuring my motivation in your blog post #26! =)

PPS: I am planning to upgrade to a dot com soon, and with that get a better blog design, so stay tuned! In the meantime, feel free to check out:

• My vlog channel (where I am learning how to edit videos step by step, so bear with me) at www.youtube.com/user/PetiteModel87
• My Facebook page www.facebook.com/CalistaLeahLiew
• My Instagram (User ID: CalistaLeahLiew)