I am the one behind most of the text and social media posts you see! I’m Kendall. I grew up in a very small town and due to the limit of exposure in regards to different cultures and people I had a very close minded view of the world. Some of what I need to express in many of my stories is my before and after thoughts about the particular subject. A certain cultural view before I got out of good ole’ East Tennessee… and after. With that being said, some of my views, thoughts and opinions pre-travel are a bit appalling, but I want you to understand the severity of my lack of exposure. I don’t want to offend anyone, but I think sharing this raw, real side of me is a first step in minimizing racism, stereotypes and social biases. Righting my wrongs and admitting that I was once ignorant to my own subconscious biases and stereotypes is a step in the right direction. In this regard, I hope to lead by example.
Now- with that being said- my thoughts and views do not represent everyone from my small area of the world. Not by any means! Everyone has different experiences and are exposed to different things. My views DO NOT represent every single persons’ view in my small town. They are MY thoughts and opinions alone.
Now a little about my sweet German husbands past experiences as it pertains to travel.
Maxs’ past travel experiences and exposure are almost polar opposite of mine. He grew up in Balingen, Germany. Growing up, he went on family vacations to countries like France, Croatia, Austria and Denmark. He loved the high of seeing new things and the anticipation of a long car ride to get there was once of his favorite aspects about traveling with his family.
As an adult (prior to us meeting) Max had already visited the U.S. a handful of time for vacation. He had traveled to New York, Boston, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California and Nevada. To say his exposure to other cultures and languages is more than mine would be a total understatement.
There is one item in particular that Max NEVER travels without. Clothes? Shoes? Camera? Nope! I’m certain he could get on without these Items. His one item that he never travels without is an excel spreadsheet! It’s his way of ensuring there is not one moment or penny wasted. He is very passionate about planning his travels in extreme detail. He wants to ensure that we are able to get everything out of what a place has to offer, all while on a budget. And, guess what? He’s really damn good at it!
Also, to highlight the obvious, there was a me before him and a him before me. I mean, we are newlyweds after all! One aspect we have always been able to understand in each other, and bond over, has been the topic of travel. With that being said, we are very different travelers. Maybe you’ve seen the meme that says:
“There are two kinds of people. The ones that pack six days before a trip, and the ones that wake up day-of and realize they need to do a load of laundry. And, they marry each other.”
Nothing describes our different personalities quite like this silly meme. As you get to know us, I’ll let you decide who is whom in this relationship.
We hope you enjoy and can possibly relate to our traveling perspectives, opinions and insights!
We want to personally thank you for visiting our blog.
THANK YOU!!!
-Kendall & Max
