About

18/365 Dear @Burton, went to @REI and it is true... I love your jackets but can't fit my boobs into any of them. I know there are busty snowboarder chicks. What do they wear? #365days6/365 This is what happens when we get bored... Make funny faces that is- not dress in drag. #365days11/365 Been trying to save money to travel again so we have been on a #Madmen kick. What do you think? Can we pass? #365days17/365 of our #365days project. We had a #hipster moment today so we rolled with it. #mustache #moustache

If you are interested in reading things about a tattooed, no-holds barred, honest, potty mouthed, cheeky traveling chick with her oh-so-hot skateboarding mohawk-ed husband, you may have come to the right place.

Somehow staying together through thick and thin for half their lives, it made sense that they would make an amazing traveling pair. In all of our years we’ve become closer through the chaos. A couple of years ago Erica convinced Shaun to leave his “dream” job at a video game company and they sold everything they owned and traded their “normal” existence in Austin, Texas for a life on the road.

Over the years we’ve both been in bands; became musicians (I, drummer, Shaun guitarist and bassist); sung in the car during epic road trips; danced in the streets; learned how to skateboard (him more than me and I have the scars to prove it); pushed each others limits; fought like the best of them; traveled 200,000 miles together; went to 20+ countries when we had no clue we would fall in love with travel; learned to scuba dive; made art; made interesting friends; had Burning Man change our lives.

From Mexico to Argentina, Iceland to Italy, Burning Man festivals and food trucks, we were non-stop for almost 2 years. Now we’re back in Austin, starting our life again from square one.

Does this mean an end to travel? Hell no. It just means we get to start designing our life the way it should have been in the beginning.

Join us while we keep life interesting.

 

60 thoughts on “About”

  1. erica, i am so proud of you. also, so in AWE of you! keep going, because you will realize your dreams. i have faith in you!

  2. Thank you Ali! I’m trying super hard. I think we’re going to go sometime this winter come Hell or high water so I’m trying to make this last as long as we can – and I’m having a blast meeting other travelers as well. 🙂

    Thank you so much for you support. Joel and you mean the world to me.

  3. I love your Mark Twain quote. You’ve been bitten by the bug. It’s the best bug bite you’ll ever receive. I’m looking forward to reading about your future adventures.
    Austin is a really cool city. Not at all what I expected from Texas but I’m sure you hear that a lot!

  4. I am so spoiled living in Austin. To keep appreciating how wonderful my home is I need to also go away. 🙂

  5. I didn’t realize you guys lived in Austin! So do I 🙂 It’s definitely a good place to call home base, except for the fact that it takes so long to get overseas from Texas!

  6. I love my home! We have visited our fair share of cities and nothing in this world compares to my love for Austin. We should grab a beer sometime!

  8. That Mark Twain quote is always amazing. No matter how many times I read it, I just love seeing it. It rings so true. How long do you plan on going to South/Central America for?

  9. Well, it really depends on a few things lol. We’re shooting for at least 6 months. If we are allowed more time then we will probably stay until we reach our last penny. 🙂

  11. We’ll see how much we have at the end of the year and if Shaun’s job will give him sabbatical or not. 😀

  12. Just came across your blog via Twitter. Nice one. Haven’t read it all yet, but really enjoyed so far. I love that Mark Twain quote too. It’s what I try to live by as I get older and older!!!

    I have a question – how do you reconcile having pets with travelling? I have managed in the past (friends, family and an excellent kennels- I have one dog now), but next year, when I would like to do a long trip I’m stumped. Any tips?

  13. Thanks for stopping by!

    As for the pet thing, we’ve decided not to take on any more fur-kids since it is so incredibly hard to find someone to take care of them when we’re gone. Since we’re leaving for 6 months, I don’t think its appropriate to ask for the animals back when we get back (but if they want to hand them over we will gladly take them). We’re lucky right now. We live with Shaun’s sister and she has a dog that our dog has fallen in love with. We don’t dare separate them so she volunteered to take him on. As for the ferrets… well, we’re still out on that one. I love them so much but not many people are too keen on their musky smell.

    I would suggest asking a family member with another dog that your dog gets along with? People are more likely to take on pets if they have them.

  14. Thank you for taking the time to reply. It’s a hard one, isn’t it! It’s a dichotomy that most of the travellers I know are also the people who love animals the most! Perhaps there should be a worldwide network of petsitters or something!

  15. It is so hard sometimes. Shaun and I do not want kids (at the moment) and for all intensive purposes they are our children/companions. I wish it was easier to take dogs with us but it breaks my heart to think of the quarantine process trying to get him back into the states.

    A network like that would be AMAZING!

  16. You two are so sweet! I hope you guys many more wonderful travels together! My boyfriend and I met while traveling in India and we haven’t left each other’s side ever since! The world is so much more interesting and magical when you get to share it with the person you love. Good luck in South America!

  17. @Connie: Thank you! How fantastic to meet someone while abroad! At least you knew at that point you had the same priorities. I know so many people where one person wants to roam and the other wants to stay home. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂

  19. You guys seem really cool! Would love to meet up someday for coffee!
    My boyfriend and I met while traveling in New Zealand. He’s from England and I’m from Canada, and we planning to travel the world together as well! Isn’t it wonderful to meet someone with a similar passion who you can share your travel adventures with?

  20. @Kelly: I count my blessings every day that I have Shaun that carries the same passion for travel as I do.

    I would *LOVE* to meet up for coffee one day… or beer… preferably beer but I’ll take coffee. 😛

  21. You pointed out one of the most essential things couples should do together: play video games! I’m a bit biased since I’m a gamer myself. So what games are you two crazy about? I do love the fact that you guys went from no passport to sailing the high seas together. I firmly believe that your full appreciation of a certain place depends on the person you are with. So go ahead, you two. Enjoy life together, and experience what lies ahead.

  22. @Rod: Thank you for your kind words Rod! You are too sweet! We used to be hardcore World of Warcraft gamers (ooh nerd alert!) in a top 100 guild and if we weren’t playing together, I don’t think we would have lasted this long together lol! Our house used to be full of people playing Mario Party and Mario Kart as well. I’m glad to have found someone that shares my similar interests and is willing to take the plunge into the unknown.

  23. hope your dream of travelling had already came true Erika. Can’t wait to read your adventures. I’m envious you and your husband has plenty of things to do together. You two are lucky to have many things in common. Enjoy the your travels.

  24. Hi!

    Just came across your blog and wanted to say that it’s awesome that you guys are travelling the world. Love the Photo Friday pics!

    My boyfriend and I are headed to Central/South America next month to travel indefinitely so I’ll be checking out your blog for some tips on how to travel through the region and how to travel as a couple 🙂

    Your site is super cute by the way!
    Safe travels!
    alex
    -LAbackpackerChick
    WanderlustandtheGirl.com

  27. Pingback: Seven awesome reasons to go to Austin, Texas | C'est Christine

  33. sorry- posted too soon!

    what a cute story!!! can’t believe you still had that penny! wish my husband did something like that- so romantic!

    keep on traveling!!!

  36. Just came across your blog via Pinterest, what a sweet story on how you got engaged! I say, live your dreams! Travel when you can because you never know what can come around the corner. I met my husband many years ago. I was very young and hitch-hiking on Vancouver Island -back (supposedly) when it wasn’t so dangerous. This cute little VW drove by (heading in the other direction) and turned around – best ride I ever got! We’ve been inseparable ever since and married for almost 40 years. Traveling is a passion of ours also. Heading to South Africa in a few weeks. Enjoy your trip, you will have so many memories!

  37. Thank you so much for your comment Sue! This is probably one of my favorite ones yet! That is such an amazing story about how you met your husband. Crazy how life works sometimes, right? I can’t imagine my life without him. How long are you going to be in South Africa? There is a small chance we may be there in a month or so. 😛

  38. Thank you, Erica! It is funny how life works. We have been away from that Island for more than 35 years now. 6 months ago, we bought a 2nd home just 2 blocks away from the spot where we met. We now have something to look forward to, as in the next few years we will move back there! We try to fly out about every 4-6 weeks to escape the winter here in Edmonton. It really is funny how we’ve come full circle! As for Africa – we actually leave on the 13 of May. My Jim has a real African Safari set up for us. We will be somewhere in the middle of nowhere, away from civilization, in the Eastern Cape Province for 10 days. After that, we plan on touring the southern coastline, know as the Garden Route. I plan on taking a lot of wildlife photos (in the “outback”) and I sure hope they turn out! In the meantime, I will practice shooting our 2 Golden Retrievers (they LOVE the cold) – once the sub temperatures subsides. When I look outside now, I see a raging blizzard, it’s hard to believe that we will ever see Spring come! Unfortunately, we are not lucky enough to travel for months at a time, we will be gone for only 3 weeks. Man, how that “work” get in the way! It would be fun to cross paths, but South Africa is a huge country! Have you two ever toured Canada? In the right seasons, this country can be sooo beautiful!

  42. Love your story it’s very sweet :). I’ve read a bunch of your posts and been following you on Facebook your stories and funny photos always manage to put a smile on my face 🙂

  47. Howdy Jade! I’m so glad that you can join us on our journey! If you ever need any advice, please feel free to send us an email!

  48. What a sweet story!! Now, where IS the photo booth that captured the proposal on camera? While I’m supposed to be honing my biker chick skills in preparation for the RTW motorbike trip, I am really a softy and romantic at heart. Just don’t tell anyone or it’ll ruin my street cred 🙂

  49. We have the picture in a box in our closet, we just need to scan it. And don’t worry, we have the same secret (even though we posted this sappy story on our About page). 😛

  50. I stumbled upon your blog while searching for any reasonable, yet convincing excuses to present to my wife in hopes she would move to Omaha, NE for a job. Your site is fresh, young, fun and honest. There are too many perfect world blogs out there and I hope this one rises to the top. I’m a self proclaimed amateur food blogger (Scarf or Barf) and would be happy to meetup if you are ever in Salt Lake City, UT. Peace!

    Josh

  51. Aww, thanks Josh! I really appreciate your kind words. 🙂 We try to keep it real ’round these parts. How did the convincing go?

  52. What a sweet story!! Presently, where IS the photograph corner that caught the proposal on Polaroid? While should be sharpening my biker chick aptitudes in readiness for the motorbike outing, I am truly a softy and sentimental on a basic level.

  53. HA! The picture is somewhere in storage with the rest of our things. Not sure where it is exactly lol. Good luck on your biking!

  56. That’s awesome that you guys made he leap to travel. A lot of people want to do it but don’t have the guts to do so. Also definitely helps to grow a couple if you can travel together. You’ll see the best and worst in your partner.

  57. Dear Erica

    We are small Peruvian company which recicles plastic bottles all over Lima. We work with small micro companies which picks up all the bottles. We make fabrics ang bags out of it and we have come acrossed your nice Llama Photograph. We want to produce bags with tourist thems so yor photograph can be usefull. It it possible you authorize us to use your photo?. If you need further info please let us know

    Miguel Medina

    51 994048717

  58. Hi guys, it’s still missing one destination on your map….Portugal 🙂 Specifically, the Algarve in the south side. I think you will enjoy it. Summer time almost year round, only destination in Europe with the most sunny and shinny days on a regular basis. Also if you are into music as a job there is a lot of demand for artists to play during mostly of the year on many pubs and well there is a huge musician community in the Algarve.

    All the best with your new life stage. Take Care and enjoy Life 🙂

  60. Hi,
    My name is Jody and I’m a producer on a show called “Battle of The 80’s Supercars” For the History Channel’s Car Week.

    We saw some youtube footage on your site we’d love to incorporate into our show if you’d allow us.

    Here’s the link to the clips we’d like permission to use, please let us know if your interested in talking about this. I’ve also attached our materials release below.

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