Travelwiggle - Interviews with travelers.

                                    Luci & Mike at Machu Picchu

                           Enjoy Luci & Mike’s travels. Follow @1000fights.

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“Marry the right person. My grandmother told me to marry someone you could spend the rest of your life talking to at the breakfast table. I did. “

You met in the third grade. Do you remember what your initial thoughts/reactions were upon meeting each other? 

Luci: Mike and I grew up in the middle of nowhere. So when new kids came, it was a big deal. I remember seeing Mike in second grade when he moved to our school and thinking, “What a scrawny looking kid with an ugly head gear.” My first real memory of Mike is him taking a game away that I was playing with during recess in the third grade.

Mike: I can’t remember that far back.

A reader of your blog commented “I’m single, but reading your posts make me hope to find someone to travel and fight with. =)”

Why do you think they said this? What makes traveling as a couple unique compared to traveling alone or traveling with a friend?

Mike: Comments like this make it all worth it.  Granted, no one else in the world is going to find someone as perfect as Luci…so just give up.  We started our little blog with the hope that our story would inspire more couples to leave their kids at home with grandma, and spend some quality time together discovering a new place.  We encourage couples to renew their relationship by exploring together.

Luci: I was so excited to see that post! What a great comment. When you travel by yourself, you get to be the boss. When you travel with friends, it’s all fun all the time.  But when you travel as a couple you have to discuss, fight and then compromise about what you are going to see, do, and eat. It’s like real life except you are somewhere different!

You take turns in planning where to go. In what ways are your personal travel choices usually different?

Mike: Luci and I are very similar in our interests. We both have a passion for history, culture and off the beaten path locations.  I do tend to pick some of the more extreme locations (see Amazon Jungle & Swaziland).   We do recommend that couples take turns picking the locale.  If you have to compromise on a location, then both of you end up going to a place you don’t want to go.  Be open to new places and ideas, you will learn a lot from your spouse’s choice.

Luci: Well, when I pick the location, we actually stay in places with running water and clean sheets. I don’t like roughing it and Mike has hauled me some places that I would have never picked on my own. Mike tends to be more adventurous in his choices. My criterion is simple: amazing food, breathtaking scenery, historical significance, and ability to walk around without feeling like someone is going to mug you. 

What’s the most romantic place you have ever visited? Why?

Luci: Easy. Paris. Everything about Paris speaks love. However, I don’t feel we ever get that when we are there because Mike doesn’t do public displays of affection (PDA). I end up watching a lot of other people have PDA and yell at Mike for not kissing me in public.

Mike:That’s really a hard one.  So many choices!  I would have to say Tuscany, Italy.  We stayed in a little bed and breakfast there.  It was out in the countryside, on a cedar lined drive.  The B & B was on a hillside overlooking vineyards and orchards.  After checking in with our welcoming hosts, we took a stroll at sunset along an old country road.  The sunset was incredible!  The sights, smells and company were perfect.  Words cannot describe the intense beauty of that evening.  I wish I could bottle that and share it with every couple.

Thinking back to when you first started dating and your relationship today - In what ways has traveling together impacted your relationship?

Mike: Much like every country you visit, you get a passport stamp, imprinted on my mind forever are these wonderful adventures with my sweetheart.   One of our favorite shows is the “Notebook”.  Without giving the storyline away for those unfortunate  people that have never seen the show. The crux of the movie is the husband sharing with his wife all of the great memories of their life.  Luci and I have had some wild and incredible adventures.  Memories have been made together that we will never forget…ever. 

Luci: It keeps us married. I don’t want to divorce because I’d miss next year’s trip. Seriously, it’s the only time in our year where we can unplug from work, our kids, and life at home. I get to remember why I married Mike and see some great sites at the same time! 

What’s one place in the world, where you could see yourselves living for a very, very, long time? Why?

Mike: China.  I am little biased.  I speak Chinese and love the: food, culture, history, people and food.  Candidly, I think that I could live just about anywhere.  We chose to live in the Pacific Northwest.  It is a great place to raise a family. 

Luci: Hmmm. That’s a really good question. I love living in Idaho. It’s home. But if I could live somewhere else for a very long time, I would want to live in Slovenia.

What’s the secret to having an awesome marriage? : )

Mike:  The secret to an awesome marriage? I wish I knew.  Marriage is a lot of work.  I admire couples that have been together for 40+ years.  Do we realize what an accomplishment that is?  There are a couple things that I have learned along the way: 1) Marry the right person. My grandmother told me to marry someone you could spend the rest of your life talking to at the breakfast table.   I did.  2) Be the right person.  Marriage takes hard work.  You must constantly try to be a better spouse.  Never take your loved one for granted.

Luci: Uh, why are you asking us this? I think we have a good marriage, but we are in search of a great marriage. My advice is take time to be together as a couple. Kids grow up. Jobs change. Friends move. But if you focus on your marriage, you can weather life’s changing circumstances. So go take a trip without your children!

                              Luci & Mike kayaking at Hilton Head.