About
We are Shaun and Erica Kuschel from the adventure travel site, OverYonderlust.com. We’re high school sweethearts, married for over 8 years, who traded our ‘normal’ existence in Austin, Texas for a life of new experiences around the world. Erica, who is a photographer by trade, likes to view the world through her lens while Shaun, who travels with his skateboard/snowboard, fearlessly takes the world head on.
It started out with a penny and a promise.
***INCOMING MUSHY LOVE STORY.***
One day, long, long, long ago, Shaun was working as a manager for the dinosaur company known as Blockbuster Video. As an avid coin collector (yes, hubby is a huge geek), he came across a Barbadian penny. Knowing my love for Barbados, he quickly “bought” the penny from the till and stuck it into his linty pocket.
He held it up in front of my face with a huge toothy grin.
“I have a deal for you.”
I was intrigued.
“If you keep this penny, one day you can cash it in for a trip to Barbados.”
I snatched it from him quickly and hid it in my memory box. This thing was worth its weight in gold and I wasn’t about to lose it.
Fast forward a few years to Shaun’s very amazing wedding proposal in a photobooth (yes, it caught the whole thing on film) and my very enthusiastic yes. As we arrived home, I frantically dug through my memory box filled with bowling scores, miniature golf cards (that I beat him at), Blink 182 concert tickets, and high school notes to find my shiny penny.
In a rush I ran out of my room and placed it in his hands.
“Time to pay up.”
Little did we know our honeymoon would turn into our travel obsession.
Join us on our adventures across the world as Erica flails and Shaun has reflexes like a jungle cat. It is all in good fun!
Welcome to the chaos!
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!
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.
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!
I am so spoiled living in Austin. To keep appreciating how wonderful my home is I need to also go away.
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!
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!
Yes, I would love to!!! Email me — emily [at] maiden-voyage-travel [dot] com
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?
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.
That sounds awesome! Maybe with the money saved it will stretch on even further! That seriously sounds awesome!
We’ll see how much we have at the end of the year and if Shaun’s job will give him sabbatical or not.
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?
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.
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!
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!
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!
@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!
Great blog!
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?
@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.
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.
@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.
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.
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
@LA: Thank you! Please feel free to email me if you have any questions whatsoever. I’m super happy to help out.
We Texans know how to do it–go big or go home! Keep traveling and keep livin’! So glad I stumbled upon your blog!
Awesome story guys. Very cute.
You guys are awesome & perfect for each other! Love the story, so sweet.
Love it you guys. Such an adorable story. Three cheers and all the best wishes as you take on the world
Wonderful. You both are an inspiration.
what a cute story! keep on traveling!!!
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!!!
One of the best “About” pages I’ve read!!
Thank you Paula!
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!
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.
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!
At first glance, I love you as a couple. Keep it up.
Thank you John!
Sounds a lot like what happened to us in 2004. We are also still on our honeymoon, currently in Nicaragua. Happy travels!
Happy extended honeymoon!
Thanks, you too!
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 
Aww! Thanks Brendon!
You guys are so adorable. My first time here but I think I’m going to like this blog
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!