He Gets Me

What's awesome about traveling with Brendan is that we have pretty much the same interests and are almost always on the same page. Clearly that's why we ended up together, but it's never been more obvious how much it matters once you throw yourself into the great unknown (at the time of press, it was still Delhi, India). I'm sure I'd feel naggy and resentful if I was always the one dragging him to a museum, and vice versa if he was dragging me to the nearest McDonald's to get away from the local cuisine (to his credit, this has never happened). You want to travel with someone who will empathize if you just aren't that into it, or have a bad day, or get lonely, or feel like taking a nap rather than climbing to the top of the mosque tower for unparalleled views of the city, or any of those other inevitable buzzkills that are a reality of long-term travel.

When we started our trip, we had all the energy in the world and high expectations of what we wanted out of our year abroad. Each morning over hurried cups of coffee we'd jam-pack our schedule with once-in-a-lifetime hikes and art galleries and outdoor cafes. It took some time to accept that Earth is way too big to cover in a single year, and we just weren't going to be able to see everything. In fact, trying to do so was exhausting and often kind of disappointing. So we started to work at not guilting ourselves into overdoing it. Think about how many times you got sick or crampy or felt like watching movies inside all day in the past year. Probably more than a few, right? That stuff just happens, no matter where you are. And when I say, "Honey, do you still want to go out and get some dinner at that cool little restaurant across town? We could probably keep most of the monsoon rain at bay if we wear these garbage bags on our heads," and he replies, "Um, why don't we order room service and watch whatever's on the Star Movie channel and pass out early," I just sigh and thank my lucky stars that I'm with someone who gets me.

-Sarah

Comments

I just read your archives and found I can laugh and agree with all you guys have written. My hubby and I have just turned 30 and we are at the moment in Istanbul, Turkey. I hope your travels continue and go smoothly. :)