By Zoë Dawes From the Quirky Traveveller

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.

IMAGE: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!

Caribbean Tourism Organization Journalism Award for Best Blog Feature – The Quirky Traveller

IMAGE:CTO Journalism Award – Best Blog Feature for The Quirky Traveller post on St Kitts Rainforest

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 with The Quirky Traveller CTO Blog Award

IMAGE: 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 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

IMAGE: 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.

Caribbean Tourism Blog Post trophy

IMAGE: 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 that little girl who once won a book for the egg and spoon race is very, very grateful …

For more on this story go to: http://www.thequirkytraveller.com/2014/12/winning-caribbean-tourism-award/