“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” – Anna Quindlen
Our relationship began as a long-distance thing and we had many weekends of meeting up in different places + getting to know one another as we saw new parts of the states we lived closest to. Each of us always dreamt of traveling beyond that and seeing the world - or at least more of our country - but didn't think it was something "people like us" could really do.
So we talked, daydreamed and inevitably postponed any real planning to make our desires come to life.
Because…
- We were waiting for the perfect time.
- For more money.
- To lose weight.
- For home repairs to be done.
- Waiting on the holidays + travels home to pass.
- For Carl’s day job to “settle down”.
- We needed pet care.
and the excuses went on, and on, and on..... and on...
Before we knew it, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, months began turning to years and simply put, we didn’t value our dreams enough to make them a reality. We could have made them a priority but for some misguided reason we just didn’t think it was possible. It felt extravagant, unnecessary.
“Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” —Lawrence Block
Chrysti was one of the first to use Instagram and develop a large following. One of the first to help build the community there. One of the first Instagram “influencers”. Suddenly, we were no longer the “people like us” and we began seeing we could be “one of them” as offers came rolling in. With those offers a passion for travel was reignited and an exciting, boy-am-i-ever-so-blessed new career path was born.
"Travel is like a giant blank canvas, and the painting on the canvas is only limited by one’s imagination. " -Ross Morley
Oddly enough, we have since realized ALL of this was attainable without Chrysti's big following, it just happened to be the catalyst for our own adventures. This, is why we will begin sharing it all on the blog in addition to Instagram - we want you to know what we didn’t - that your dreams can also become a reality.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flauber
We have chosen to travel part-time + to focus on the United States for now. This country is A-FREAKIN-MAZING and we want to see it all. Experience it all. Document it all. While we occasionally travel internationally, we love the ease of traveling within the USA.
We are smitten with National Parks and truly believe they are America’s Best Idea. We are head-over-six-inch-heels in love with small towns filled to the brim with charm. We heart anything off the beaten path and are always open to something new. We love spectacular landscapes, seeing places as locals do, cities filled with lights, iconic monuments and road trips. Animal sanctuaries, helicopter tours and sunrises get us excited to wake up in the morning. Oddly enough, we have never been camping - but hope to one day, preferably under the milky way or northern lights.
"The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes ‘sight seeing.’"- Daniel J. Boorstin
Join us as we see the world in our way, at our own pace.
Always,
Chrysti + Carl
Want to know more about us?
-Who are we? Check this page out.
-Read why we DIY and how we fell into it here.
-Read the blog regularly, we are always revealing more.
-See Carl's travel photography here + Chrysti's here.
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