Like many other travel bloggers out there, our blog originally started out as a way to keep in touch with friends and family during a year abroad – to share our experiences, our photography, and to let everyone know we were happy and well. Within just a couple of posts, though, I knew it was going to be something much more meaningful.

WHY I WRITE

Traveling is one of my greatest passions, and I’ve yet to find anything more fulfilling. There’s nothing more exhilarating than the rush of stepping foot in an unfamiliar land, the freedom that comes with shattering routine, and the wonder of exploring something new. What’s truly special about travel is not just how much it teaches you about others, but how much it reveals about yourself. Traveling has taught me that I’m more resilient, more resourceful, and more self-assured than I ever thought I was. At times, it renders you uncomfortable, vulnerable and exhausted; but also makes you feel relaxed, empowered, and invigorated. It makes me feel like I’m truly living. It changes your life forever. This is why I want to share the stories of our adventures abroad.

I’ve always enjoyed writing; although, honestly, it’s a hobby that had slowly slipped through the cracks over the years. At the start of our journey, my focus had been solely on scientific writing, specifically my 178-page dissertation. Six months after my doctoral defense, I switched gears completely as I began writing about our travels. While I did enjoy the challenge of technical writing, I quickly rediscovered my love of creative writing.  It’s so much less rigid, yet you still have the opportunity to teach and, hopefully, to inspire others through your work.

Despite my fondness to write, extending my words to the world was a pretty big leap for me. Writing has always been very personal, and publishing your thoughts kind of feels like handing someone your private journal. Even when I would hand in a dissertation chapter or paper to my thesis advisor, I did so hesitantly and qualifying that it probably sucked, even if I was at all proud of the content. His response to my constant hesitation was always the same, and unfortunately accurate, ‘you know, I am going to have to read it eventually.’ Vulnerability terrifies me, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from traveling, it’s to never set limits and always push your comfort zone. Thus, I present the blog.


OUR BLOG TODAY

Stephan and I are both contributing authors and photographers to this website. We enjoy trying to capture the true beauty of each location we visit in our narratives and photography. Moreover, we love fostering an emotional connection with the people and places we visit. We hope that you feel similarly connected with some of our stories – that they make you smile, laugh, cry or reflect, maybe recall a misplaced memory from years past with nostalgia and affection, or simply shake your head at our lame attempts at humor. And even if you take something small from the site – be it a new destination to add to your ‘life list,’ a cool gadget to add to your backpack, or even some curious crumb of odd information – we genuinely hope you’re impassioned to chase your travel dreams and see what limitless beauty there is to explore.