Whether you know us well or just happened upon us while daydreaming at work surfing the ‘net, chances are you don’t know our whole story. What can we say… we like to move around a lot! From meeting at a music festival to traveling across the US on Phish tour to moving to China, to exploring different countries in Asia, a lot has happened in five years. Follow our story chronologically and dive deeper into any parts that catch your eye.
“What a long, strange trip it’s been.” – Grateful Dead
Our journey begins in the summer of 2008 when a guy with a bag of wine in his hands met a cute blonde from Tennessee on a trampoline at a music festival. Unfortunately, he had plans to move to China the very next month. For the rest of the year, we were thousands of miles apart.
Thanks to the reunion of a little band from Vermont, we hit the open road together in the summer of 2009, traveling all over the country to see shows and music festivals. In the fall and winter months, we caught as many shows as we could while we desperately looked for jobs in TN.
Down and out in middle Tennessee, we decided to change things up and go to Beijing. Most of the year was spent getting settled, finding an apartment, and jobs in China. Travel was limited to visa runs in Hong Kong and South Korea, with a few China trips thrown in for good measure.
2011 began with an epic 1-month backpacking trip around Thailand and Laos, where we fell in love with Southeast Asia and the culture of long-term travel. The rest of the year was spent working in China and traveling back to the States to see friends, family, and of course Phish.
What better place to begin the year 2012 than in the Mayan Riviera? The world didn’t end, but we sure had an amazing year, starting out with a 2-week trip to Mexico. It was a huge year of travel, as we also made it to Japan, Sichuan, Singapore, Bali, and even back home for a quick trip.
Another year, another Chinese New Year trip. In early 2013 we headed to the Philippines for sun, sand, and adventure. Before bidding farewell to Beijing, we camped out on the Great Wall. We then kicked off our gap year with three months in the US. Our SE Asia journey began in Vietnam and we finished the year up in Cambodia.
There’s some stiff competition, but 2014 just might be our best year yet. From getting scuba certified in Thailand, to hiking into a volcanic crater in Indonesia, to moving to and traveling in Yunnan, to getting engaged at a Phish concert, it was a pretty epic year, to say the least.
While 2015 may not have been our biggest travel year, it sure was a big one for life events! We got hitched in the summer with a DIY Asheville hippy wedding. Music was a big part of the year, too, as we saw the GD50 shows in Chicago and went on Phish tour. It was also a year of change, as we bid farewell to China and moved to Bali so Sasha could take part in the Darmasiswa program.
The first half of 2016 was spent living in Bali and exploring other Indonesian islands. It was back to the USA for a huge month of music that included trips to Red Rocks and the Gorge. We decided to stick around for the fall, so we could try our hand at farming and catch the Phish Halloween run in Vegas. The year wound down with the trifecta of holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, as we geared up to head to Mexico and start a new adventure.
While this timeline highlights a lot of the cool stuff we’ve done over the years, there’s still a lot more to this site. Whether you’re interested in teaching English, extended travel, or spending summers following live music, we’ve got you covered with tons of content on how to live an alternative lifestyle full of adventure and excitement rather than routine and boredom. So what are you waiting for – Get In The Van!
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