October 2008

On March 2, 2007, I met Dave on a blind date at Silvertones, a little, chic bar in Boston, Mass. He was in town on business from Boulder, Colo. I won't give you details of our entire first date, rather a quick story about travellers' fate.

During dinner Dave told me about his crazy plan to travel around the world. I nearly froze. Dave assumed the date would quickly end as I wouldn't want to pursue a guy on the go. Yet, my reaction was quite the contrary. I was in disbelief, as just one week before on my birthday, I declared to my friends that I would stop talking about my ficticous plan to travel the world, and would actually do it. Details, of course, were still TBD.

It was tempting, but on that March night we didn't run home, pack our bags, and escape together to circle the globe. Instead, we took time to get to know each other, but it didn't take long for us to realize we had a true companion in each other. We both firmly believe people should work to live life, and for us, living life is about seeing the world, experiencing new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures.

Engaged just nine months later, we planned our wedding while also planning our trip around the world. The latter was definitely the key to our sanity. On Nov. 2, 2008, Dave leaves for Peru to hike the Inca Trail with two of his cousins. (I've already completed the hike.) I will meet him one week later in Santiago, Chile. Our dream is quickly becoming a reality!

Photo above from our wedding: September 19, 2008, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

- Elizabeth

E & D knocking on the Queen's door, London, Oct. 2007.

The Human GPS

I swear Elizabeth has a built-in GPS in her brain. It doesn't matter how foreign or strange a subway station we emerge, she points and says, "It's that way." I can almost hear the Terminator like beeping sounds doing GPS calculations in her head. Meanwhile, as I try to avoid taking out a map in fear of looking like a tourist, I'm usually spinning around gaping at the street signs and the bright lights in the big city. I must look like some crackpot high on his favorite hallucinogen. My only reply as Elizabeth shakes her head at me is typically, "oh, yeah, just getting my bearings." (In other words, I have no !@#$@# clue where I am.)

Anyhow, Elizabeth mentioned that she'll be my GPS for life to our Rabbi who married us. He ended up making it a part of his spiel during our wedding ceremony. He loved the symbolism. My first reaction was, "Hey Rabbi, what are you saying about me?!?" While my first interpretation is somewhat true, I may be a bit lost (not just directionally) at times, the deeper meaning to his thought sums up why we're embarking on this around the world adventure together. Travel time is a microcosm of our lifetime together. As we travel we'll enjoy seeing each other experience new surroundings, cultures and unique situations, sharing views and possibilities based on new perspectives, and always being there as backup for each other to help guide in the many directions we may take. It'll be an experience to reflect back on during all the other adventures life brings our way.

- Dave