'Do you take this woman ... and her incredibly filthy Tevas?'

Only a few weeks prior to my trip to Asia I was introduced to John. I was in the process of packing my New York City apartment into undersized boxes, resigning from corporate America and saying my farewells when a mutual friend decided the timing was just perfect for a setup. John and I both realized the futility of blind date especially when one of us was about to go AWOL for over a year. So we decided to meet in New York City’s Central Park for a low cost, low key picnic on a night when the Philharmonic orchestra was performing a free concert. We jokingly labeled the evening a “non” date due to my imminent departure, but as timing is oh-so-cruel, the music and the wine were perfect, the conversation was effortless, and a romance was sparked, however inconvenient.  

At the time that I was hurriedly planning for my trip, John was entrenched in a new job. Meeting and feeling that unexpected connection with someone else was not what either of us expected and the inevitable question soon reared itself -- could our romance be sustained via email and long distance phone calls while we each pursued our individual paths? Well those long distance connections worked, and before long John was on his way to Sri Lanka to spend Thanksgiving with me!

Anticipating John’s arrival, I felt an awkward (and all to natural) combination of nervousness and excitement. I was thrilled to have someone to share a little piece of my journey with, but I hadn’t seen John for a while and to say some water had passed under the bridge was an understatement. I didn’t know a lick about his travel style and my other concern was what if our on-the-go personalities didn’t mesh?  Well I was leaving nothing to chance, and before his arrival I got my hair cut in a fancy hotel hair salon, bought a new outfit in Sri Lanka’s capital, and soaked my glamorous Tevas free of dirt. In no time, I was a refurbished backpacker, as fancy and shiny as you could expect of someone in brand new cargo shorts, and John and I were together again, this time in Sri Lanka.

John got our super powered travel date started on a high note. He quickly demonstrated his negotiation skills by securing an impressive rate for an air-conditioned car, private driver, hotels, and a seven-day tour of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. Not bad for a “newbie” on the travel circuit! With the week’s itinerary secured we went for a walk on the beach to explore and catch up. Within minutes, a beggar approached us. He handed John a card stating he was deaf and in need of money. Rather than thrusting the card back at the man, John looked him in the eye and started to sign to him -- a skill he had learned several year’s earlier. I don’t know who was more impressed by the exchange of unspoken words, me or the beggar!

John and I spent the week exploring Sri Lanka’s ancient cities, bell-shaped dagobas, tea plantations, and Buddha filled caves. John quickly learned that car rides lull me to sleep. I learned of his fear of heights while hiking up a rusty metal staircase to the top of Sigirya -- a breathtaking rock fortress 200 meters in the sky. 

We also learned to be careful of what we wished for. We revealed to our driver, Siri, that we had never seen wild elephants. Driving home from dinner one night, Siri slowed the car in a dark stretch of forest. “Here,” he said, “you may see elephants”. It felt like we were on safari in Jurassic Park as we peered into the dark jungle looking for any sign of movement. Then I heard John catch his breath just as the trees parted and an elephant came barreling towards the car. Siri hit the gas, I snapped a photo and John and I were driven away to safety with the red eyes of the angry elephant captured forever on film.

As the vacation drew to a close we enjoyed a final dinner together watching a golden sunset reflecting on ocean waves. We tried not to dwell on the months ahead when I would be continuing my exploration of Asia and John would be back in the U.S.  We talked, instead, about our future and falling in love at the most unexpected of times, in the most unexpected of places, in the most fantastic of ways.

When finally I ended my travels and returned home six months later, John was waiting to pick me up at New York City’s JFK airport.

We are still together but now as husband and wife. We’re often asked how we managed to spark a long distance romance. Being apart gave us a year to focus on ourselves while building our relationship from afar. While the timing was seemingly off, our fondness for each other didn’t waver. Meeting up to travel together was crucial.

John and I are the co-founders of Charity Begins, its mission is to help people who live in developing countries. And thankfully we have not stopped travelling together, having spent a New Year’s in Iceland, a winter break in Sweden, explored Machu Picchu together, fell deeper in love on Lake Como and hiked the Cinque Terre in Italy, seen ancient pyramids and tiny villages near Mexico City, and visited family in Switzerland. Next stop for us: Costa Rica where we will be spending a week with several of John’s siblings and of course, will be making a delivery through a local charity.

Five years after I followed my heart to travel through Asia on a solo exploration, I was rewarded with a travel partner for forever.   

Charity Begins is a non-profit with a mission to deliver necessities to developing countries via world travelers. 

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