I’m lucky, very lucky. I’m lucky in travel. When Kevin and I met, travel was definitely a common denominator for both of us. We met in Italy–I always add to this statement that even though we met in Italy, my husband is not Italian. When we fell in love, it happened fast. After just one month he declared he loved me through a kazoo on the top of the Pink Palace in Corfu, Greece. I said it back! Then the rest of that time in Greece we daydreamed about how we could travel together. What could we with our lives to allow for travel?
After that junior year abroad, we did return home to the States to finish our schooling. The traveling started then: I finished university in Seattle at the University of Washington while Kevin finished in Spokane at Gonzaga University. We flipped flopped back and forth all that last year always avoiding our parents’ homes, and yes we did get busted a few times sneaking around to see one another.
Fast forward past some life experiences that I’ll save for another post. We both went back to school to become teachers. One day, early on in our schooling, Kevin saw a flyer for an international educators fair. Upon some further research and absolutely no convincing, we signed up for the fair. I did have one concern though: I wasn’t going to move overseas with him without being married. We were engaged in November and got our first international job that February. We planned our wedding, got married on July 25th of 1997, and moved to El Salvador five days later. We’ve been traveling ever since!
We don’t actually have travel plans for our upcoming spring break–which has me a bit bummed, but it’s ok. I know how lucky we are… We were just in Laos, before that Cambodia and Thailand, and before that the Philippines. That’s a lot of travel in past six months, and I leave on a school trip to Thailand this upcoming week. I am so lucky with travel! I don’t want to take it for granted, but it might be possible that I do. I love to travel though, and I love this life of travel that Kevin and I dreamed into being. It is safe to say that travel and traveling with Kevin is an integral part of our relationship.
Can you guess what prompted this reflection of travel? My new Laos skirt purchased from our recent travels! When I bought it, it was more of an apron. Then the shop tailor cuts off all the white bits of the top and the white strings that tie the apron together. He cuts down to the black and closes the seam adding elastic to the waist. I had to add the belt to give myself a waist–poof on poof at the tummy section is never a good look! Wait till I post pictures from Luang Prabang and you meet Baby V…. this is definitely my Baby V skirt!
Do you enjoy traveling? Or are you more of a homebody?
Come summer, when we hit our cabin, I definitely turn into a home body!
That skirt is fabulous!!! Exactly the kind of ethnic vibe I am in love with and always have been!! You are lucky but clearly you and Kevin carefully planned for a travel and adventure filled life. I suspect you’ve also learned that this lifestyle brings out the best in you and your relationship. I think you have to have real passion to commit to a lifestyle that would be too unpredictable for many folks!
Your entire family has gained an incredible “whole world” point of view that is uniquely empowering!! I hope your kids find ways to incorporate these special skills into their career choices.
I loved reading some of your romantic story too! AND! you look darling in those little bangs Annie!
I now have three of these types of skirts Jude: one from China, one from Sapa, Vietnam, and then this one from Laos. And each one is different!
I think you’re right too–it’s really the glue that connected us on that rooftop daydreaming of a life filled with travel. Little did we know we’d make it happen by international teaching. I was the 21 year old English major that said “NO WAY!” to all those assumptions that I’d be a teacher after receiving that degree!
I do wonder about our kiddos….There is actually have a name for them–a third culture kid. For example, my kids were born in Venezuela, they have American parents, but they live in Hong Kong–before that Beijing, and before that Mumbai. Asking my children where they are from is one of the most difficult questions to answer! Anyway, will they continue with their parent’s wanderlust, OR will they want to settle down and create strong, deep roots since they never had them?
Bangs–Kevin HATES them, but sometimes I just don’t care and I get them because I like them. I’ll be growing them out now. He doesn’t ask me for much, and actually he didn’t ask me to, but I will since he doesn’t like them. ;P
There’s more romance to the story…maybe it will eventually all get told!
Love you Jude! Annie
For the record I never thought I’d actually end up teaching either. Initially I pursued other “social work” with kids. Getting an interview completely unsolicited by me (with a principal who was looking for women candidates to balance a heavily male staff in Social Studies) because I had not sent out any applications was a shock as well as a bit of a miracle. Teaching became SO fulfilling and such a passion after I found my talents and skills during those first few years.
Your kids will have a unique level of openness, acceptance, appreciation, enthusiasm and self confidence when they are exploring their options as independent individuals. If the want to sink roots they will still benefit immensely from all you’ve exposed them to AND so will everyone who works with, befriends, and simply knows, them!!
I hope you’ll share more of the romantic story of you and Kevin as it feels right Annie!
Love ya right back Annie!
Jude
I love travelling but don’t do it often enough. Hubby says he’s too busy to go on holiday throughout the year so we usually have one big four week holiday in December / January instead. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to convince him to finally go away when it’s nice and warm for a change!
Love the skirt and the top. Both are SO YOU!!
Hope you’re having a fabulous week.
Hugs
Suzy xx
P.S My blog has had a re-vamp! I’d love for you to come and check it out <3
On my way! Congratulations!! I need to finalize my revamp. I’m such a procrastinator! I mean heck, you wrote this comment 16 days ago, and I am finally replying!! Goodness. I’m lucky you keep coming back. Mwah! Annie