Me: “I’m starting a food and travel blog.  And wine blog.  And life blog.”
Husband: Sarcastic smile.  Goes back to watching Youtube video on chrome polishing. 
Me: “Thanks for the encouragement, babe.”
Husband: “It’s just that I’ve been telling you to do this for a while now.  Do we have any steel wool?”
My interpretation: Essentially, he said, “I told you so.”

It was about three and a half years ago that I received a tremendous blessing in my life.  An old friend from high school and I reconnected, and eventually he gave me his heart.  (He might say I gave him mine first, but that’s one of those questions that defies an answer, a kind of “chicken-or-the-egg?” dilemma.)  But in addition to his heart, he gave me the gift of travel.

Within a month of our very first phone conversation I was on a plane from Boise, Idaho to Montgomery, Alabama to see him for the first time in 11 years.  We married one year later and since that first takeoff I’ve logged just about100,000 miles in the sky to keep up with him.  For my husband, travel has been a way of life for most of his adult life due to his job.  He moves every couple of years, and living in different places affords him the opportunity to explore his new surroundings.  For me, the itch to travel is something that has grown on me and now that it’s here, I can’t get enough of it.

We’ve traveled through South America, much of Europe and of course parts of the United States in our young marriage.  So many times I’ve been somewhere truly unique and incredible and closed my eyes in gratitude, wishing I could share that exact moment with all the people I love.  Once it was when the clouds in the Andes Mountains were at my eye level, and the sun was shining through the sharp, green peaks into the valley below and <cheese alert> it was so beautiful that seeing it for the first time brought tears to my eyes.  Another time it was in Lima, Peru where I had a bite (well, several bites) of local dishes that blew my mind.  I’ll proudly admit to being a “foodie” but I had never tasted flavors and combinations like that anywhere before, and I likely won’t ever again until I go back.  (Oh, and I will!)  And once in Argentina I discovered a winery with such incredible wine that I wish every single person who drinks wine could taste it at least once in his or her lifetime.

I will acknowledge that our ability to travel is helped by the fact that my husband accumulates more vacation days than the average person.  However, I think that is balanced by our one income.  Unfortunately, our locations have made it virtually impossible for me to have a meaningful career in my intended profession.  What that means is that everything we do, we do with a very modest budget.  You won’t find us at any Four Seasons resorts, or driving fancy cars or shopping in the fashion district in Milan.  When we go somewhere new we always seek out the “off-the-beaten-path” places to find those wonderful people who keep traditions and make artisanal, one-of-a-kind products and we are never disappointed. In fact, we are almost always pleasantly surprised. Their hospitality and passion for what they do is inspiring and humbling.

The way I see it, we live in a great big world that has so many more of these moments to show us.   So I’m going to share mine with you in hopes that it will inspire you to seek out the special things in the world that you’ve always wanted to experience.