Just Go.

To travel is to love. It is to acknowledge all of God's world and to seek a better understanding of its multitude of parts. When we travel, our perspective shifts again and again, each time, without fail, and we understand how to love in ways that we couldn’t have understood before. It’s a different kind of education, but one equally (or more) important than that from any university.

First off, WELCOME to our blog! Thank you for taking the time to read about our trip. We hope to post fairly regularly throughout our journey (wifi permitting). Here’s a little introduction of who we are for those of you who may not know us so well:

I’m Allie -- fresh air enthusiast, adventure-seeker, and lover of all things wellness. I was born and raised in the little Southern town of Brevard, NC. I grew up slow, surrounded by waterfalls and the sweet smell of hay bales. In May, I graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, with my liberal arts education and a social scene full of expectation behind me. In my time at WFU, I majored in Health & Exercise Science and minored in Spanish and Dance. The last four years were trying ones. I was faced with questions about who I was and who I wanted to be. Somewhere along the way, I understood that I needed to travel for a while...in hopes of both furthering my education in a different way and of scratching that itchy travel bug.

Patrick will be your co-host for this 10 month extravaganza. Patrick and I started dating after studying abroad through WFU. On our trip through the Health & Exercise Science department, we took cooking classes in Barcelona, biked through Provence, and backpacked in the Alps. Patrick’s gentle personality and little quirks quickly drew me in. He has a quiet spirit, always steady and thoughtful in his pursuits. Patrick grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, a town just outside of Detroit, Michigan. He is a small time juggler/unicyclist and amateur osteologist. He, too graduated from Wake Forest University, majoring in Health and Exercise Science and Anthropology. Patrick says that these last four years have taught him how little he knows about the world he lives in. Anthropology especially has given him great insight into the cultures of the world, but reading about those cultures is not enough. Studying abroad last summer gave Patrick a taste for travel, and ever since, he’s wanted to experience more. One goal of his for this blog is to document his juggling skills, showing new tricks along the way (and perhaps even bringing in some show-stopping side income)! Other things you need to know about Patrick...he likes alpacas. A lot. And he's really counting on seeing one at some point during this trip. So stay tuned for what happens if we DON’T, ha.

If you’ve read this far, it’s probably because you have questions about our trip! Let’s get to it. First off, where are we going? Over the course of 10 months, we plan to hit South America, Australia, Asia, Europe, and Puerto Rico. We’ll reveal more details as we go. :)

What are we doing? Well, in short, a little bit of everything. But we’re primarily utilizing programs such as WWOOF and Workaway to volunteer in exchange for food and accommodation. Throughout the year, we’ll be living in other people’s homes, on farms, and perhaps even in a few alternative communities. One of our primary goals is to spend a lot of time working with our hands throughout the year. We’re ready to build some skills that we...let’s be honest, don’t really have. Things we’re particularly looking out to learn include cooking, gardening, farming, language, and building skills. Stay tuned for more information about what we’re doing when.

Is this planned or spontaneous? For the most part, the first several months of this trip are planned. Traveling around the world for 10 months on a budget actually requires a great deal of planning. However, much of that planning won’t be happening until we’ve left the U.S. And we’re flexible about it all. We’re listening for God’s plan each step of the way.

When are we leaving? On September 4th, Patrick and I meet up on a connecting flight in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. From there, we will fly to Lima, Peru, where it all begins. We will be out of the U.S. for the following 10 months.

What’re you up to now? This summer, Patrick is spending two months studying osteology in Transylvania, Romania. He’ll be home for the month of August before he’s off again! Meanwhile, I’m spending the summer in my hometown of Brevard, NC, saving up every last penny for the trip while working as the office manager at Camp Illahee (my childhood love). We’re each preparing in our own ways and in our own spaces to be away for 10 months, leaning in to both our excitement and our nerves.

Love has accompanied every travel experience I've had so far. Spain is where I fell in love with language. In Costa Rica, I found love in lifelong friendships. In Mexico, I came to love 40+ ninos. In France, I just plain fell in love. Really, this trip is just one big drawn-out love venture. We’re looking for love in every corner. We’re hoping to learn how to master it for ourselves. We also hope we can share what we learn with you as we go. <3

So......that’s it! We're doin' it! We're just goin'! And we SO appreciate each and every person who has supported us in pursuing this adventure! Please feel free to leave comments and questions below as we post. We hope this blog can be a platform for communication with everyone while we’re gone. We’ll get back to ya w/answers. You can also follow us on Instagram @one_way_wanderers for more frequent updates. :)