Nice to Meet You!
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by.
We are Brian and Shiva. Both transplants to the Bay Area from Louisiana and North Carolina respectively. We met in San Francisco seven years ago after being set up on a blind date by mutual friends and have been partners in crime ever since. Like many of our friends, we have always had a strong case of the Travel Bug; however, spending 2 weeks out of the year on vacation was never enough – our curiosity pool only grew deeper after each trip. We constantly found ourselves day dreaming; starting all of our sentences with “what if we could…” and “if only we had…” Then, three years ago our good friends Brendan and Brit took the plunge and announced they were taking a 9 month trip around Africa and SE Asia. MAN! Cue the broken record of “if only…” and “they are so lucky…” talk again…
Fast-forward to 2015, after years and years of wishful thinking and a lot of talk (and driving our friends crazy I’m sure), we decided that this would be the year of “doing.” After months of research, collaborating with friends, collaborating with friends of friends, outlining an itinerary, re-outlining an itinerary – we finally picked a date: August 1, 2016.
I’m not going to lie – this wasn’t an easy decision. While the idea of traveling for a year and a half seems like a no brainer, there is a lot to consider. We were constantly picking dates only to adjust months later – life gets in the way and we really had to learn how to hone in on our patience and flexibility (I’m still working on that patience bit). These days I feel like all Brian and I talk about is budget! But…it’s a necessity. Not having a steady flow of income is scary and learning how to deal with that…well lets say I’m still working on that bit too! :) Saying goodbye to friends and family, knowing you won’t be a part of their everyday lives the way you were before isn’t an easy pill to swallow. Its no wonder that we have been “planning” this trip for over four years now – half the battle is the mental preparation of it all. But – we are here and cannot wait to start our adventure.
We will be traveling for roughly 15 months making our way through Africa, India, and SE Asia. We are hoping to spend the last 6 months settled in a picture perfect apartment in France (budget Shiva…budget) determined to make somewhere abroad a more permanent home. We have gained so much insight from all the travel blogs we follow and hope to one day see our names alongside other travel bloggers. It may have taken us some time to realize we have the ability to take control of our future and now that we are here, we can’t wait to start writing it…so here’s to Chapter 1 – our Midlife Leap! Bring on the adventure, the smells, the tastes, the grief, and the excitement – an overload of all senses and emotions – We are ready and we can’t wait to have you join us!
“Not all those who wander are lost" – J.R.R. Tolkien
