Do You Have Your Travel Buddy?

Hello all!

Here is my tale of romance and travel.  Three and a half years and counting...

Now, I wasn't always sure about this boy.  Michael Williams was an interesting little guy when I first met him.  A nineteen year old, angsty boy and still very much a teenager, as most boys are at that age. When we first started dating he was perfectly content with staying in Mesa and not adventuring beyond maybe California or Colorado.  Now, this was a problem for me.  Travel is and always has been a certainty in my life.  So I knew that if he continued to insist on staying in Mesa, that we would eventually run into trouble.

Over these past years, however, Mike has found his passion and I couldn't be more proud of him. He is one of the most amazing photographers I have ever seen.  His work, especially his documentary work, is incredible.  And I am lucky enough to get to see him behind the scenes. Even though I can get really bored and bratty about constantly hearing about "aperture and lighting," it really is amazing how much he knows about photography.  He really should teach it.  Anyways, enough bragging, where this comes in handy for me is that it has sparked his interest in traveling.

Mike and I have been lucky enough to test our relationship in two ways.  First, when I went to Italy for a month, we found out that "absence truly does make the heart grow fonder."  Running into his arms at the airport when I landed was pure movie magic.  Then, we were lucky enough to leave three days later for the British Virgin Islands for his dad's 50th birthday.  Ten days of pure bliss with him and his wonderful family.  We have also taken countless trips to Cali, Utah, and even Hawaii.  During these trips, we have such deep and intimate conversations and these trips have helped us understand each other on a whole new level.  So, we also have learned how to travel with one another.  

Traveling can show you a whole new side of a person.  It can show you how they handle stress, fatigue, hunger (pretty much all the times when we are at our worst), but it can also allow you to see the more complex and romantic sides of them as well.  If your relationship can handle travel, it can handle just about anything.  In about two/three years, when Mike graduates and starts his successful photography career, we plan on getting married and backpacking through Europe for our honeymoon.  We want to travel as much as possible before we have children, so that we can offer them as many insights about the world possible.

I am so grateful that I found my travel buddy.  Please check out his photography and if anyone needs portraits done, let me know! http://www.mikesazphoto.com/

-Claire Impecoven

Late to the Blogging Party!

Hello all!

So I have never blogged before, which you can probably tell from my page layout (suggestions are welcome!). 

My hope for this blog is that it will tell the stories of the adventures I have been lucky enough to have, help me learn about others' adventures, and will allow me to help others become interested in global exchange.  Global exchange has been one of my passions for years.  I think learning about other people, their lives, trials, joys, and beliefs is one of the most powerful gifts we are given on earth.  While I have my own personal beliefs, I love seeing the differences in others and believe those differences are beautiful. I would never want to change another person's uniqueness. 

International relations is a subject that I feel is sorely overlooked.  While domestic issues are important, I feel that in a globalizing world, we must focus on foreign relations. 

I have been blessed with a supportive family and many loving friends who have helped me live out my dreams.  And although I've been to three continents and many exotic places, I feel like I've only just begun.  My travels include trips to Peru (2009-Spanish V Spring Break Trip), Kauai (2011-Summer Trip with Jenny Baum), Italy (I lived there for a month and taught English to children at the program "You Can Camp), British Virgin Islands (My boyfriend's father's 50th birthday trip), and Oahu (My boyfriend's 22 birthday trip).

I will probably be doing a blog on each individual trip, but that's for a later time...when I'm feeling nostalgic.  Right now I'm just feeling that old familiar wanderlust...

-Claire Impecoven