7 Questions With Debbie Lee, Trippy's Community Manager

Trippy asked a panel of travelers from all walks of life to answer the same seven questions. Here are the stories behind the excursions of just one of those travelers, Trippy's own Debbie Lee.

As Trippy's community manager, Debbie welcomes new members to the site, helps them utilize it for trip or destination information, and highlights the conversations and friendships she sees growing through Trippy.

So, Debbie...

What is the kindest thing someone did for you while traveling?

One winter when I was road tripping around Western Europe a few years ago, my French driver accidentally put diesel into our gas car in Belgium.  Apparently, the color on the nozzles for gas and diesel in Belgium are the opposite from those in France.  Of course, we didn't start the car for fear that it might explode, or at least ruin something inside the car.  The gas station attendant was super nice.  He called a truck for us, which took a while, and since it was cold outside because it was winter, he let us wait in the employee break room, offered us hot chocolate and coffee from the store's vending machines, and even let us use their computer for internet.  People were just as nice at the car shop.  I also learned on this trip that AAA road side assistance from the U.S. is pretty awesome because they covered all of this.

What’s the most fascinating subculture you ever encountered while traveling?

This isn't so much a subculture as it is a small ethnic group that I encountered in Yunnan, China, called Mosuo.  It doesn't even feel like I'm in China.  Though many Chinese people still hold on to traditional morals and values, many aspects of Chinese living are very modern these days in terms of dress, technology, lifestyle, etc.  You don't see that modernity at all in Yunnan, and some of their behaviors in regards to relationships, courtships, and family may seem taboo to modern society, especially the concept of "walking marriages" and the fact that they're a completely matrilineal society.  The more I listened to them explain why practice some of the things that they do, though, the more I see why and how it works.  It was fascinating in the most humbling way.

When I close my eyes, I can smell and taste...

Mangosteen and it takes me back to every time I've been in Asia.  It's my favorite fruit ever and it's the one thing that I can't get fresh in the States.  I love it so much that one time while packing on autopilot in Thailand, I accidentally packed one into my bag to go back to the United States and almost got in really big trouble for it.  It almost would've been worth it.  God, I want mangosteen right now.

One travel expense that is always worth the money...

Once in a lifetime meals, attractions, and overall experiences.  For example, when traveling to Switzerland, I was not expecting it to cost $100-$200 to visit each mountain, nor was I expecting $65/person fondue or $35 burritos.  But I was already there, so of course I wanted to experience it, and even though it was a lot of money for me, I have no regrets.  On a side note, I should really look into opening a Mexican restaurant in Switzerland.

The most incredible attraction I’ve ever seen is...

The entire Swiss countryside.  I can't believe something as beautiful and idyllic as it exists on earth.

http://instagram.com/p/dOdRCwuVRI

The best meal I ever had while traveling was...

At Union in Seattle.  I was brought there by one of my best friends and two of his friends.  All three of them were up and coming chefs in Seattle, so they knew where it was at.  I was fresh out of college and had never really experienced fine dining and gourmet food like that before because I had been a vegetarian and part time vegan for about a decade.  This Seattle trip, though, was where I started eating seafood again and Union was one of the most memorable places I went to that trip.  I wanted to go back to Union when I was in Seattle again this past year, but discovered that it was closed for good, but local celeb chef Ethan Stowell, who opened Union, still has a slew of other amazing restaurants in the city.  Now Union will just be forever immortalized in my mind as pretty friggin' amazing.

The first time I felt like a traveler and not a tourist was...

Any trip that I've ever taken without a tour group.  Growing up, my parents were huge fans of joining all-inclusive tour groups and staying at all-inclusive resorts.  I'm really grateful for all those travel experiences that I had when I was younger, but I've discovered that I'm much more of a bootstrapped choose-your-own-crazy-random-adventure-at-every-corner type of traveler than a just-tell-me-where-to-go-and-when-to-show-up-so-I-can-be-shuttled-off-to-a-major-tourist-attraction type of traveler.

Debbie is the Community Manager, aka "Lead Hug Giver" at Trippy.com. When she isn't helping out members or answering travel questions, you can find her on Twitter.

Would you like to contribute to the Trippy blog? If so, drop us a line at feedback@trippy.com!




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