Travel Partners

I was having a discussion with some co-workers about their travels and who they normally travel with. I thought about how an awful travel partner can completely ruin your experience, and my co-workers proved this to be true. That's when I realized I have the best traveling partner! The following reasons are why this is true.

1. We both share a strong passion for travel.
2. We can play off of each other's moods like you wouldn't believe. If one is contemplative, so is the other. If one is energetic and on the move, so is the other. If one is homesick, yep, so is the other.
3. Our traveling ideals are similar in the sense that we are open to whatever experience comes our way. Even if this includes following a woman who speaks no English onto a rickety old bus somewhere in Germany in hopes that she is leading us to our destination.
4. We both value naps and know they are necessary part of vacationing. It also happens that we like to nap at the same times and inexplicably wake up at the same time.
5. When money is tight we have no problem sharing meals and we rarely disagree on what to order.
6. If I am sick this person is willing to sacrifice precious sight seeing time to be there for me.
7. When riding the plane to our destination I prefer the window seat and they prefer the middle. This works perfectly as I rest my head on the window and they on my shoulder.
8. We both seem to have good luck and that usually pays off well for us.
9. We like a semi-structured trip. One where we know where we are sleeping, but still allows the flexibility to stray from an itinerary.
10. Silence is never uncomfortable.
11. Compromise is key and I know we've mastered it!
12. When insecurity creeps in, the other one is there to be confident or to be insecure with you, and yet we still force ourselves out of our comfort zone.
13. This person is so dear to me, that I know when I'm away from home there is still apart of it there in them.
14. This person can make me laugh and we have such fun times together!
15. With our limited knowledge and language skills we have definitely mastered the saying "two heads are better than one". Thinking together has helped us get out of some potentially scary and tricky situations. We value each others thoughts and opinions.

Drum roll please.....this friend is none other than Miss Cory Willey. I have had the great opportunity to share some of my dreams with her and I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. We have had the chance to go to Chicago, Puerta Vallarta, Prague, Austria, Germany, Venice, Florence, and Rome together. We are also planning a trip to Greece this summer! Thank you Cory for a friendship that is so easy and rewarding.

Trying to get the guard at the Prague Castle to break his "guard etiquette".
You can't see it, but we are actually grabbing his butt!

Sightseeing in Rome. Bloody hot!!!

Standing in front of the Vatican.

Marveling at beautiful Florence

Fortress of Salzburg