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.
Marilyn at the Plitvice National Park in Croatia
Enjoy Marilyn’s work at Intelligent Travel. Follow @Marilyn_Res
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“The world is a beautiful place, go out and see it.”
How did your love of travel start?
I guess in college when I went to live and work in Antwerp one summer, and when my job was over I traveled down the Rhine and through the Black Forest to Switzerland, went hiking in the Alps and then explored along the Loire, staying in hostels.
When I say…travel, what’s the first thought that comes to mind?
Airport. Passport.
You’ve been the Chief Researcher at National Geographic Traveler Magazine for 10 years, what’s one of your favorite travel stories that you’ve covered?
One of my very favorites is “Bus to Antarctica” by Andrew Evans, that was published in our September 2010 issue: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/bus-to-antarctica/trip-essay-traveler/
It’s about Andrew’s quest to travel by public buses from National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC to the tip of South America, in order to board a boat to Antarctica, tweeting and blogging all the way.
It was fun to work on because I’d been in on it from the beginning, when Andrew first proposed the crazy scheme to our editor Keith Bellows and he (amazingly) agreed. It was a tremendously exciting project, and I followed Andrew’s tweets through some pretty hair-raising adventures, not all of which made it into the magazine story.
Thinking back to the person you were 10 years ago, in what ways has travel and being part of National Geographic Traveler changed you?
Working at Traveler has greatly expanded my knowledge about places and has made me insanely hungry to go out and explore more.
Favorite travel book?
I am absolutely floored by Freya Stark’s books, especially “The Valleys of the Assassins”, about traveling in Persia on foot as a single woman in the 1930s.
We included it in our Ultimate Travel Library, which has many other great travel narratives:
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/travel-books/intro-text
I also enjoyed “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orleans, who I think is a terrific travel writer.
In your experience, what qualities/characteristics make a good travel writer?
Someone who is curious, observant, adventurous, and humble. Who does a lot of background reading before going on a trip. Who has a story idea in mind before going, even if that story idea doesn’t pan out. Who takes the time to talk to people. And who loves telling stories. And as a fact checker, I really appreciate a writer who takes good notes and tells the truth!
You’re a very active twitter user. What do you think about Twitter? Specifically, the impact it has on the news and journalism?
When it comes to breaking news, I usually find out about it on Twitter before I read it in the paper or hear it on the radio. It’s an incredibly fast and handy tool for finding out information on the ground.
If you could tell the whole world one thing - - What would you tell them?
The world is a beautiful place, go out and see it.
The Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia.
Taken by Andrew Evans for his “Bus to Antarctica” story.
Mike & Jürgen in Bolivia.
Read Mike & Jürgen’s blog. Follow @for91days
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“It gives us four locations in a year, which is enough to be exciting, but not overwhelming.”
You’ve just arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia - initial thoughts & feelings?
The city feels a lot more affluent than other places we’ve visited in Bolivia — clean streets with wide sidewalks, nice houses and a lot of expensive cars. Not too many tourists make it to Cochabamba, which is surprising, since it’s fairly huge. It’s known as Bolivia’s breadbasket, with its best food and most markets — on our first day, we got lunch in a marketplace. An incredible plate of meatballs, pasta, rice and potatoes. All the carbohydrates you could ever need, for 15 Bolivianos (€1,50).
“We’ve lived in quite a few countries, but I don’t think we’ve ever encountered such compelling faces as in Bolivia.” Can you elaborate on this?
The trials and tribulations of life are etched into the indigenous people’s faces here. Most of them have been hard at work since childhood, often in dangerous professions such as mining, and their faces are weathered and rough. At the same time, there’s an exuberance, or possibly defiance, that comes across in their eyes. Also, there’s a lot of variety in the faces of La Paz — in La Paz, you see rich whites of Spanish descent walking their dogs past criollo (mixed-heritage) businessmen and indigenous Aymara women in traditional dress selling sweets.
When did you two fall in love with travel?
Mike: My family moved around a lot when I was young, and I probably got infected with restlessness during childhood.
Jürgen fled a future career in insurance by moving to the States as an au pair — a sudden decision which surprised everyone, including himself.
When we met in Boston, we immediately recognized in each other the love of travel, and embarked on a lot of adventures — China, biking through Scotland, exploring Lanzarote, Christmas in Moscow. The more we see and do, the more addicted to traveling we become!
You move to a new city, once every 91 days. How did you decide on 3 months?
Three months felt like the right amount of time to really get to know a place, and also not get bored by it. It gives us four locations in a year, which is enough to be exciting, but not overwhelming. Also, it’s useful in terms of Visas, which are often 3 months in length.
When choosing your next place to live 3 months in, what things do you consider?
There are definitely practical matters (such as our account balances!) that come into consideration. We choose Asturias first, because we were already in Spain, and it was an easy place to start. Likewise, since we were already in South America, Bolivia felt like an easy jump after Buenos Aires. Weather, too, is a big consideration… we want to avoid cold winters as much as possible. But mostly, we go for places that have captured our imagination, for whatever reason. Buenos Aires had always had a strong pull on me, for example, and I knew we’d go there during our first year.
You’re 6’6”. In what ways does your height make your travels a bit different, compared to someone who’s 5’6”?
Jürgen: Well, living in Bolivia is tough!! Mike is 5’11”, and even he feels like a giant here. I don’t know how many times I’ve hit my head, and there are times when I’ve refused to get onto a bus because it’s too tight. Also, I tend to cause a commotion in countries where being so tall is rare. In general, though, it’s not something that causes a lot of stress — I’ve lived my whole life at this altitude and am used to dealing with things.
What’s one of your absolute favorite travel memories?
Mike: Ice skating in Moscow’s Gorki Park the day after Christmas is something I’ll never forget.
Jürgen: The Lucha Libre fight here in Bolivia was crazy — I’ve never been a fan of wrestling, but I just had a blast here. The image of La Loca throwing a chair into the crowd will never leave my mind.
What’s an interesting meal you’ve eaten while traveling?
Mike: Just the other day, I ate cow tongue. I mean: the whole tongue. It was delicious, as long as I closed my eyes and didn’t think about a cow licking the inside of my mouth.
Jürgen: Chef Jerome’s Old School Diner in Savannah, GA! That was such a great experience, not just the food (all fried, of course), but being able to meet the Chef and hear his stories.
The Hamori Family (from left to right): Alfonz, Angelina, Daniel & Eva.
Follow their adventures at “That’s Hamori!”. @ThatsHamori on Twitter.
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“I want the kids to learn to roll with the punches. Self driven interests and learning the things they encounter through experience. Life is beautiful but learning it from a book is boring! I want them to gain a love of travel, and experiencing the world we live in my immersing themselves into it. And language. They speak Hungarian and English and soon French. I hope the list goes on for all of us.”
In less than 3 weeks, you will be moving to France with your two school-aged children and your husband.
Can you tell me a bit about where you’ve been living and what you’ve been doing up to now?
Our family has been in a temporary townhouse, not 25 yards from the house we sold. Totally lucked out, and we are house sitting for friends of friends until we leave Aug 2nd. We have been preparing ourselves, selling off the last bit of things, and setting up our kids with homeschooling. Finishing up my work, 6 shifts to go, and loads of going away parties. Keeping it simple.
What made you decide to sell all your belongings and make this move?
Time Currency! We want to live our life as if it were our last years to live. We want to be together for the crucial years of the kids being small. This is the plan that made the most sense to us. Have a viable income that keeps us together.
What things made you choose France?
France has an amazing tourist drive. Number one visited place in the world, boosting 320 days of sun on the Med Sea each year.
We needed a place that has enough of a commercial drive to sustain a B&B and produce an income to support a family of 4.
Were you considering any other places in addition to France? If so, where and why?
We have a home in Budapest Hungary, when we are not there it is rented out. But mostly summer income with the occasional New Years and Christmas visitors. Not enough to sustain a family of four. I love Budapest, my family is amazing, and our social life there is rich with culture. They have 4 distinct seasons, beautiful seasons however not tourist rich all year round.
I would have considered anywhere. I’ve never been to France but Alfonz sure has. And it he says this is the place, I believe it.
What do your friends and family think about the move?
Most of the people that love us support us. Some close friends say we are crazy.
We did give up a great life for the pre retirement plan of living now and not waiting until retirement, time currency, spending as much time together as possible while the kids are young, and lastly hanging out with my best friend, Alfonz, while we are healthy enough to play with the kids and each other on some well deserved adventures.
I will miss my circle of friends but the world is getting smaller, and options are readily available for travel and staying in touch. It’s not as scary as when our parents came here. We are not escaping danger we are going on an adventure.
Are your children excited to move?
Daniel is more aware of what it means to leave. He has friends from kindergarten that he is very blessed with, and saying goodbye might be hard.
But with the internet and Skype he can stay connected and we will come back to visit. Angelina adapts far easier. But both are bright and adventurous and once we are having fun and exploring Europe I believe they will get more value out of it than they will appreciate until they are older.
What did they say when you told them?
Daniel negotiated a place he wants to go. Africa! So our family has to pay the debt. Darn eh? Poor us have to go to Africa to make things ok with my boy!
Where does your love of travel come from? Have either you or your husband traveled much before?
Alfonz and I have travelled each and every year since we were born. Our families are Hungarian, and with all the countries so close together, it was never a question.
Alfonz travelled Europe with his family even in the communism era. They would have been huge adventurers if not for the restrictions back then.
Myself growing up in BC Canada, we would take camping trips all over BC, Alberta, down into the States along the coast all the way to Mexico. And each year we went back to visit Hungary. Once I grew up my first paycheque went to my first vacation to Europe, then Mexico, Hawaii, Cuba, each year a different destination.
Since married we go away each year somewhere. And to Hungary via Germany as often as finances allow and try to hit a different country each time.
By making this move, what kind of experiences and memories do you hope to gain for yourself and your family?
I want the kids to learn to roll with the punches. Self driven interests and learning the things they encounter through experience. Life is beautiful but learning it from a book is boring! I want them to gain a love of travel, and experiencing the world we live in my immersing themselves into it. And language. They speak Hungarian and English and soon French. I hope the list goes on for all of us.
You’ve downsized all your belongings to just a few suitcases each.
What are some belongings that have been rather hard for you and your family to give up?
Nothing surprisingly. I have learned over the last few months that things are only things. Even the dishes and knives, paintings that I thought would be hard, all have nothing really to do with us so much as the value we put on them.
My computer has our photos, the kids are at an age where most of their interests are DSI computer related and quickly out grown. A few items they cannot part with are sleepy bear, and kitty stuffy. Not bad for a life time.
Part of your children’s home school curriculum includes blogging their travels. Do they understand what blogging is? What is their definition of blogging?
They see mommy blogging. I explained it to them as a way to talk with their friends online. Budapest is our first stop towards France, and their first entry with be then. Wish them luck! They are way ahead of their ages, and completely technology savvy. They’ll have some fun with it.
What would you say to someone who’s reading this right now, someone who has school-aged children, maybe has a mortgage or a long-term rental and wants to travel and see the world with their family?
You have to live your life. Some people’s goal is to own a home, someone else’s might be to travel around for a year. I’ve met people who travel around each year all year for 10 years. We are all so different. But if you can take the time out, and travel with the kids even for a weekend, or a week, or a month, or a year. Do it! They will never forget it. And neither will you.
Start living your life today and everything else falls into place. I believe this.
Alfonz & Eva Hamori.
