Love and Travel

I’m getting married in September. I just bought a house in Muncie, Indiana.

These are two events that usually don’t coincide in the same year with leaving the country for 3 months. So, if you are one of those people who are thinking, “Whelp, it looks like his travel writing days are numbered.” I can kind of understand. But on the other hand…

SCREW YOU!

I’m getting sick of this type of thinking. Annie, my fiancé, doesn’t get it either, “Why do they think you’re going to stop writing and traveling?”

See, what many people don’t understand is that Annie and I have dated for 10 years (we’re high school sweethearts). One of her many assets is that she’s cool with me doing my thing and she actually believes in it. Plus, she’s used to it.

The epic saga of Annie and Kelsey

I started dating Annie, a sophomore, when I was a senior.

Engaged

I graduated and went to Miami University. Two years later Annie, my girlfriend of three years, graduated and went to Wilmington College.

After graduating college I went on an around-the-world trip. I returned days before Christmas, surprising Annie, my girlfriend of 5 years.

I worked in Key West as a dive instructor for 6 months. I called Annie, my girlfriend of 6 years, often. She was studying at Wilmington College. I took off work to see her perform as a dolphin trainer at Six Flags in Ohio.

I spent two months in New Zealand. I returned in time to have Thanksgiving dinner with Annie, my girlfriend of 7 years.

I returned to my job in Key West. I took off work to see Annie, my girlfriend of 7 ½ years graduate college.

Annie, my girlfriend of 8 years, and I moved to North Carolina. She was a nanny. I was an aspiring writer and a smiling retail face.

Annie, my girlfriend of 9 years, and I left North Carolina. She got a job in Muncie, Indiana. I went to Central America.

On a chilly weekend in Novemeber, standing on a wooded-ridge in southern Indiana know as Hesitation Point, Annie, my girlfriend of 10 years, agreed to marry me.

The picture in this post is of Annie, my fiancée of 10 minutes (at the time of the pic), and me on Hesitation Point.

Never in the history of vagabonding writers has a vagabonding writer been privilege to such patience and support.

In related news: Annie is my sugar momma! Every traveling writer should have one.

 
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ianmack says:

Who says marriage is the end of all good things? I’m right there with you. I’m getting married in May to my girlfriend of 4 years. I proposed to her on the beaches of Ko Lanta in southern Thailand (sounds cheesy but it was actually quite romantic). We plan on spending 2 weeks in Costa Rica after the wedding, then continue our plans to cut loose and travel indefinitely for a while. (p.s. yes…she is my sugar momma)

Kelsey says:

Congrats! I’m glad to see others are reaping the benefits of sugar mommas.

Annie and I went to a financial advisor this past weekend. She has a great job with great benefits. And then there’s me – a rogue wolf on the lonesome prairie of freelance writing.

One thing that makes Annie and I really work, is that she has no desire to go with me on most of my trips. She requires a certain amount of luxuries that I rarely encounter in the regions I write about. She’s no princess, but she has needs: showers, soap, blow dryer.

While I’m away on this trip, there she’ll be bringing home the bacon. Gotta love it! Gotta love her!

Elizabeth says:

Congratulations to the both of you.

Funny, my man and I were married right next to the beach at Koh Lanta Noi. Just the two of us at the amphour (registry). Called our families in the US/UK over a bottle of champagne, barefoot in the sand at dinner.

Then we spent our first year of marriage apart: he was in Hong Kong, and I was in Cambodia. We saw one another for a few weeks every few months. Tough at times, but worth it – Cambodia was too hot for him, and HK was too busy for me.

Almost nobody got it. You’d have the “macho-men” who’d say “of course he’s got someone else over there” and everyone else would say “don’t you miss him?!” Of course! But there’s more to a partnership than being in the same house 24/7.

I’m hoping to lead tours to Cambodia or France this summer/next year, so may be off again from time to time. But it’s ok. He gets it, just like he gets me. And you can’t ask for more.

Kelsey says:

Wow! Another love and travel success story. I should start keeping track of these so Annie and I can show the naysayers back home, “See, we aren’t so weird.”

DALTON ZAHIR says:

Thats are real picture and its look like successfully family LOVE may waiting for Great baby for our future WORLD HERO .Congrats to you KELSEY & Annie .

Let your voice be heard!

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