About Us

Matt's first travel experience was when he joined the United States Air Force at eighteen. The Air Force provided opportunities to visit exotic locations such as Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Dayton, Ohio where he developed a taste for Cincinnati-style chili.  

Jenn is a travel novice unless you count the United States where she has been to 29 (now 38) of our lovely 50 states.  She enjoys the outdoors, new experiences and exotic foods, like Frisch's Big Boys - hamburgers with tartar sauce instead of mayonnaise (okay - maybe more exciting than that).

Our vacations prior to this epic journey have included road trips, several relaxing getaways to Mexico, one Caribbean cruise (not our cup of tea), and in Christmas 2012 we traveled to Montpellier, Marseilles and Paris, France.  Our goals for our year-off world tour include learning languages, eating unique foods, participating in local cultural events, basically immersing ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings.  We want this trip to help us discover the world while also learning more about ourselves.

Our trip will consist of visiting three primary regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central/South America complemented by several road trips through the United States and Canada where Jenn hopes to check a few more states off the list.  If you want to see where in the world we have been and where we are heading, please visit our Photo Map.

Why Blog?

We want this blog to:

• Provide an easy and fun way for our family and friends to track our progress, and if we are lucky, it might encourage them to come visit us on the road.
• Serve as a reminder of our travels together.  It's so easy to forget the details of a trip, much less a journey of this magnitude.  We can see using this blog to reminisce in the future.
• Offer a means to connect to other like-minded travelers who are currently, have been, or want to embark on a similar journey.
• Demonstrate that anything is possible with proper planning and commitment.

We hope this blog is informative as well as entertaining for our followers.

Other Blogs / Websites You May Appreciate 

Make Big Plans - This blog is about a fellow Colorado couple who are currently on a year-off trip.  We have been following Make Big Plans since learning about them from a mutual friend.  We hope to meet them on the road to swap stories.

Bridges and Balloons - With beautiful pictures and writing, this site is entertaining and informative.

Married with Luggage - A seriously adorable couple writes about their relationship growing pains while traveling as a two-some.

The Body Window - A good friend, who is a professional nurse, shares the knowledge she has gained through many years of holistic healing experience.  We enjoy her thoughts on simplifying life, yoga poses/meditation and recognizing our minds, bodies and souls as a collective.  

TUT - Inspirational daily messages that remind you of yourself, others, and your goals.  It inspires us each day.

Positively Present - Looking for the best in every situation is part of living a happy life.  Positively Present provides a reminder to do just that.