I have been pretty healthy my whole life and it wasn’t until college that the symptoms started to show. At first I kept it under control and not many knew the day-to-day struggles I dealt with. But recently things have taken a turn for the worst – I have been diagnosed with a severe case of the travel bug. I am fighting a losing battle and there is only one cure – a year’s prescription of RTW (Round The World) trip.
I was born and raised in Wilmington NC, earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from NCSU, and worked for the past 2+ years as an Application Engineer in Virginia. I have been dreaming of/planning this trip for many years and can't believe it has finally materialized. I am extremely lucky to not only have the opportunity to embark on such a journey but also to share it with someone as special as Jenn. Hopefully I will still feel this way about her 15 months and 20+ countries later...
Jenn
Super quick life synopsis: I am a Texas born 26 year old with amazing parents and 2 crazy fun younger sisters. After studying civil engineering at Texas A&M (class of '06 - whoop) and working in Houston for a year, sick of the humid heat, I quickly fled south TX to explore living and working in California (Aug '07- Aug '08) and then Virginia (Aug '08-Aug' 10).
As for traveling the world - I must say that I never thought it was possible. Would it be amazing...heck yes. But is it attainable? I didn't think so. However, Jonathan had a more positive outlook on it and has had 4+ years to explain to me that it can and should be done. So 4+ years after meeting him, I can attest to the fact that the travel bug is extremely contagious and, luckily for him, he won't have to experience the side effects of his RTW trip prescription alone. I am hoping that there are not any adverse effects other than the known common risks of homesickness, explosive diarrhea, and a decrease in personal hygiene. (Please dear God let me find at least one spider-less shower a week!) Anyways, I can't believe I have this opportunity and I can't wait to experience it with my boo!
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We met on a snowboarding trip in Colorado in January of 2006 through a mutual friend (Thanks Crumps!). It really was love at first sight. (Jenn typed that...) Anyways, we have been dating ever since and are at a point in our relationship where we are ready to take it to the next level. The next level meaning traveling the world, not getting married and not having kids, just to clarify. After much discussion, (mainly Jonathan doing some convincing that we are too young to "settle down" right now) we decided that quitting our jobs and traveling the world for a year or so would be the perfect solution to our "quarter-life" crisis feeling. We have been saving money, selling possessions, and planning away for a few months now and are ready to take on the world (well, part of the world) together! We have committed to the frequent updating of this website so our friends and families can follow us through our journey and so we can have a record of our experiences and thoughts. If you would like to contact us, click here.