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Love at first sight in Chicago’s O’hare

By on December 13, 2013 in General

In this installment of our 7 questions with couple travelers we are featuring our friends Chelsea and Jeremy of Lost in Travels.  These two newlyweds, packed up everything they owned and headed half way around the world to South Korea to teach English.  Since then, they have had some crazy adventures!  They run one of the better expat blogs for couples.  They post great insights about the ins and outs of being an expat couple.   Be sure to check out their blog for some incredible couple travel ideas.

Blog: Lost in Travels

Twitter:  @lost_in_travels

Facebook: Lost in Travels

Pinterest: Chelsea

 

Jeremy and Chelsea of Lost in Travels

Jeremy and Chelsea of Lost in Travels

1000 Fights:  First off, tell us how you two met?

My husband and I have a little bit of a different story. Long story short, I saw him through friends in common on Facebook and added him on a whim. After two months of talking, he got up the nerve to fly to Chicago from Tulsa where he was living and visit me for the first time. So the first time we actually met was in the domestic terminal of the O’hare airport! If you want more of the ooey gooey details you can read the whole story here.  

 

1) Chelsea-A fashion marketing degree?  Give us some travel fashion hints.  How do you avoid looking like a tourist?

Honestly, there’s no big secret here! I try to keep it pretty simple when I’m packing and try to think of colors that blend well together so I can get the most out of what I pack (since we mostly try to pack in carry-ons). I also keep in mind that I want our travel photos to not look outdated in a year or two. Which means that I mostly wear solids when we travel and pack scarves and jewelry to mix up each outfit and add some more color to it!

 

Lost in Travels

Lost in Travels

2) If you had to travel with someone else besides your travel partner, who would it be?  (this person can be living, historical or mythical?.)

He Said: Scuba diving has been a recent love of mine and I would love to experience it with one of the best explorers of all time, Jacques Cousteau.

She Said: I would have to say one of my best friends here in Korea. She’s the type of person that no matter what frustrating situation we’re in, how lost we may be (which is one of my biggest pet peeves!) she can always make me crack a smile and realize that it’s not the end of the world. I think that a positive trait of any couple travel partner is one that can keep you calm! Thankfully my husband falls into this category also!

 

3) Waterfall rappelling!?  Tell us about it!  Where you guys totally freaked out?

 He said: No! Not at all, it was a lot of fun. I have done a lot of climbing/rappelling before in my past so it was just adding the excitement of water to the mix.

 She said: Ha I’m not nearly as adventurous as my husband so I would have to say I was a little nervous. Especially when I was about to go down and our guide grabbed me to retie my knot since it was tied incorrectly. Comforting huh?! But I would say for the most part it was a blast and we both love trying new things outside of our comfort zone.

 1000Fights: Do you LOVE couple travel?  Want to be featured in our 7 questions?  Just get in touch with us (here).

 4)  If you had to eat one last meal, what/ where would you eat?

 He said: Indian curry! Since moving to Korea we have actually found a true love for Indian food and can’t get enough!

She said: I’d have to agree! I had never tried Indian food before and was shocked that it was Korea of all places that made us fall in love with it.

 

5)  What is the great challenge as a couple and individual living abroad?

 He said: Having too much time together. When moving abroad, your spouse is the only person you know, you often times work at the same place (at least we did our first year) then you come home and spend all night together. It has turned out to be a blessing but something that we definitely were not used to and had to adjust to.

She said: I would say not having our usual support system. Like Jeremy said, this too worked out for the better in the long run. But moving to a different country, you learn to fully rely on your partner for everything since let’s face it, for awhile there, you’re each other’s only friends. But I think the more time spent together and having to rely on each other more made us grow together instead of apart. It’s just that initial adjustment phase that can be trying!

Chelsea and Jeremy of Lost in Travel

Chelsea and Jeremy of Lost in Travels

6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?

He said: Hygiene. The lack of it causes so many different diseases worldwide and if that problem were tackled, there would be far less deaths due to unhygienic scenarios.

She said: Clean water. It’s something that living in a first world country we take for granted but several different problems such as disease arise from just this one issue. So many deaths can be avoided if just this one problem was solved.

 

7)You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement?

She said: My favorite happened while on our honeymoon in Fiji. We decided to take a hobie cat and sail to a nearby island about a mile away. I had warned my new husband that it may be the wrong time to do this since the wind was dying down; but we went anyway and made it there in no time. Well when we were heading back, the wind died. I’m not just saying, it died down, I mean, there was zip zero zilch wind coming our way. We were stuck about half a mile from either island, in the blazing heat of the sun and for some reason we made the wise decision not to put on sunscreen that day. Being stuck, with no sun screen, and no way back does not make for a fun day of sailing. Of course at the time it wasn’t funny but it didn’t take long for us to laugh about it later.

He said: I honestly don’t remember our travel fights that well, I guess I try to block it from my memory. But ask my wife, she can give you full accounts on them : )

1000Fights:  Thanks you two for taking the time to introduce yourselves to us.  Give these couple travel experts a follow!

7 Questions with Captain and Clark

By on October 10, 2012 in General

Here at 1000 Fights we invite some great couple wanders to put down their compass and backpacks and take a few moments to share their take on our seven questions.  This week we would like to introduce you to the traveling duo that call themselves:  Captain and Clark (aka Chris and Tawny).  As their name accurately indicates, these two are all about adventure.

Blog:  http://captainandclark.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CaptainandClark

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/CaptainAndClark

couple travel bloggersFirst off, tell us a little about the two of you?  How did you guys meet?  You have a very clever blog name.  Where/how did you come up with it?

We are Chris and Tawny, currently hailing from sunny Seattle, Washington.  We actually met while in Tanzania where we were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.  Romantic, no?  It’s hard not to fall for someone when they’re covered in dirt and grime and have only showered with wet wipes for the last two weeks.

As for our blog name, it happened pretty organically.  We had been living in South Korea and filming videos for our friends and family back home.  We decided that we should come up with a name for ourselves and Chris decided on Captain and Clark.  One, because Chris is an actual sea captain and well, Tawny’s last name is Clark.  Two, because it’s an alliteration and those are the best.

 1) How many countries visited between the two of you?

Between the two of us?  We’ve probably been to about 40 total.  The majority of those come from Chris’ time at sea.  Together we’ve traveled to about 10.  We’re working on getting that number higher though.  It doesn’t seem like a lot of places, but we spent two years living and teaching in South Korea.  Quality over quantity.  At least that’s what we’ve been telling ourselves.

2) If you had to travel with someone else besides your travel partner, who would it be?  (this person can be living, historical or mythical?.)

He Said:  I would have to choose Tyrian Lanister.  I respect his travel style.  He’s always hungry for new experiences, he’s a well of clever banter, and he could fit very well in my carry-on.  No extra tickets needed.

She Said:  Ryan Gosling.   Kidding.  Kind of.  This question is a hard one.  I think I would have to choose between Amelia Earhart, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (you’ve got to read her autobiography), or … Ryan Gosling.  As sappy as it sounds, Chris is an ideal travel companion.  I don’t know if anyone would ever be able to top him.

1000Fights:  Awe Shucks!

Grand Canyon3)What has been your favorite destination in your wanderings?

 He said:  It would have to be South Korea.  I found Korea to be the most genuine travel experience.  Of all the places that I’ve been to, the country and the people opened their arms and embraced me fully.  It allowed me to experience the country more deeply than any place that I had ever been.  It was so easy to access all of its culture and history.

She said:  While Korea will always have a special place in my heart, I think one of my most favorite destinations would have to be Bahrain.  We only spent a few days in the country, but we were able to see and experience so much.  We witnessed royal falcons being trained to hunt, ate our weight in shwarmas, and were able to experience Ashura first hand.  It was incredible, one of the top travel destinations to say the least.

 1000Fights: Do you LOVE couple travel?  Want to be featured in our 7 questions?  Just get in touch with us (here).

4)  Tawny-We hear rumors that you are a blackbelt?  Chris-We understand that you hunt with Bahraini Falcons, true?  We pity the fool that messes with you two.

He said:  Unfortunately, I personally do not hunt with Bahraini falcons.  I wish I did though.  I did, however, get my very own blackbelt alongside Tawny while we were in South Korea. I did fence for several years before the blackbelt though, which is another rich kid sport, like falcon hunting. If only I had done polo too…

 She said:  Ah, it’s true.  Chris and I both studied Hapkido during our time in South Korea.  We actually received our double black belts right before we left.  We were also being trained in the art of kum-do towards the end of our time in Korea.  We had extremely sharp katanas that we were learning to control.  I only sliced myself a couple of times.

couple travelers5)  We love your bucket list, but one item has us scratching our heads: Find witches and healers on Siguijor, Philippines.  Story please?

 He said:  I had heard a rumor that there were healers and witches on the island of Siquijor in the Philippines.  How could one possibly turn that down?  The first chance we got, we went on a quest to find them and see if the stories were true.

She said:  It was our Christmas break in South Korea and we decided that it was time to visit the Philippines.  My mother is Filipino, but was born and raised in Hawaii.  I had always wanted to go and see the islands of “my people”.  We stayed at a little resort called “Casa de la Playa” situated right on the beach.  Our host took us out one day in search for a local healer.  Upon meeting him, Chris had his shoulder looked at and massaged with sacred healing oils.

We were told that the island possessed white magic healers and black magic sorcerers.  The black magic practitioners often do it in hiding as they could be killed for practicing dark magic.  I think we just barely scratched the surface of what truly happens on Siquijor.  It would be interested to go back and see what we find out.

6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be? Why?

 He said:  I would solve people’s inability to empathize with one another.  It’s people’s inability to see the world through another person’s perspective that’s at the root of all conflict.  That’s what I love about travel.  It forces you to see the world through a different lens.

She said:  Piggybacking off of Chris’ answer, I would love to make it easier for people, especially the younger generation, to travel.  It would be incredible to see the change it makes in everyone’s lives.

I’d also like to make bacon fat-free but just as delicious.

 7)You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement?

 She said:  Haha, I like that you have me answering first on this one!  I’m being completely honest when I say that we’ve never had a huge travel fight.  Our only fights and disagreements happen when I’m tired and hungry and they’re usually about nothing.  If anything, the majority of our fights happen when we’re home.  I think we’re both at our peak when we travel and it’s definitely when we’re the happiest.

He said:  I honestly cannot think of any fight that we’ve had while traveling.  The only time we do fight is when we’re stationary or at home.  Travel is the best couple’s therapy I can think of.

Aren’t they a hoot?  If anything, we hope that hearing and feeling their passion for travel inspires you to get out and see the world as a couple.  Thanks again to our good friends from “sunny” Seattle.  Now go and check out one of their hilarious adventure videos!

7 Questions with World Flavor

By on August 25, 2012 in General, Slideshowable
Rachel and Jeff are on a mission.  They are on a grand quest to seek out everything delicious and interesting in the world.  The duo runs a travel blog called World-Flavor.com.  The entire site is stuffed with amazing pics of food porn.  They lived and taught in South Korea,  if you are planning to explore Korea, spend some quality time with their blog.  So helpful.  Jeff and Rachel have graciously accepted our challenge to answer our 7 questions.
1) How many countries visited between the two of you?

We’ve been to 18, but after our upcoming trip it will be over 30.

girl climbing2) If you had to travel with someone else besides your travel partner, who would it be?  (this person can be living, historical or mythical?.)

He Said: I would travel with one of my three brothers. I already know I get along great with them. For all I know Einstein and Julius Caesar both snore and whine all the time about how much their feet hurt.

She Said: I want to travel to other countries with my mom. We have done plenty of within-the-US travel together, but she is afraid to fly. My dream has always been to take an exotic horse trek with her, so I guess I would travel with a version of my mom who isn’t afraid to fly.

Petronus tower3)What has been your favorite destination in your wanderings?

He said: I love when I find unique experiences that make me feel like part of the local community. For example, a friend of mine took us to a tiny rural village in Costa Rica. They were baking bread and had spent all day warming up the great big earthen oven in their backyard, the only oven in the town. This giant extended family welcomed us in and shared what they had, put us to work crafting empanadas, and let us hold their adorable newborn pigs.

She said: When I was in New Zealand, I was constantly amazed at how beautiful the country was. I kept thinking to myself “surely, nothing is more beautiful than this,” and there kept being other more amazing views around every bend. Also, I did a lot of high adrenaline activities which made it stick very firmly in my mind.

noodles with chicken4)  If you had to eat one last meal, what/ where would you eat?

He said: I would want a world famous chef like Ferran Adrià to cook me a 30 course meal. And, since we’re going all out, I might as well invite all my friends and family and hold it in space.

She said: Truffle mac and cheese and a plate of delicious Spanish cheeses (for example: Garrotxa, Idiazábal, and Queso de Varé) on the side.

1000Fights:  Ok…now we are really hungry!  YUM!

5)How do you pick the places you visit?  Spontaneous vs. planned?

He said: My top two criteria for choosing places are expense and cuisine. We recently went to Malaysia largely because the flights were so cheap.It was also one of the best countries for food I’ve ever been to.I like to have a basic plan in place, but leave some flexibility to enjoy whatever opportunities arise when I’m actually there.

She said: I read a ton of travel blogs, and if some place captures my imagination, I add it to my list. I love lists – I’ve got a ‘where to go’ list and a ‘what to eat’ list. I enjoy planning, but only to a certain extent.

dancing by the sea6) If you could solve one problem in the world what would it be?

He said: It’s hard not to answer this with something extremely general like, “I would solve the problem of everything not being perfect for everyone all the time,” but I’ll do my best to narrow it down a little bit. I would solve the problem of people and organizations making shortsighted decisions. Whether it be about health, environment, spending, or something else. Minimizing regrets seems like a good idea.

She said: I guess illiteracy. I know it might not help that much, but it’s better to be able to read than not, in my opinion.

7)You knew it was coming….What has been your greatest travel fight/disagreement?

She said: I can’t seem to decide…

He said: Generally when we fight it’s because we are both too indecisive about something and we get really annoyed that we’ve just been sitting around trying to get the other person to make a choice for, like, half an hour. I think that neither of us wants to feel liable if we choose to go somewhere and it ends up being terrible.

1000Fights:Rachel we think that is a bit of cop out!

 

What a great traveling couple!  Give their blog a look-see.  A word of warning…dont go there hungry!