Almost exactly 20 years ago, Rand proposed to me. I knew he was adventurous. It was part of what attracted me to him in the first place. I figured life with him would never be dull.

After we had been engaged for about 6 months, he suggested that we elope to Hawaii (which is, interestingly, where we now live) and then travel around the world for a few years. Now I was pretty daring for a girl born and raised in small town Ohio. But traveling around the world, especially long term wasn’t something I thought people did. The most exciting thing people from Ohio did was backpack through Europe for a few weeks, which I definitely wanted to do. Or move to New York City, which I did right after I graduated from college.

As soon as I agreed to consider this wild plan, Rand started spending every free minute at the New York City Public library looking through travel books and researching on this new thing called “the internet,” planning the ultimate round the world trip.

He had spent two years in Japan and thought we should start there. I should apply for the JET (Japan Teaching and Exchange) program, he said, since I had a college degree and he didn’t. He would find work once we got there since he spoke fluent Japanese.

Let’s just say I wasn’t totally sure about this crazy plan. I completely bombed the JET interview.

“Why do you want to teach English in Japan?”

“Um, ’cause my fiance wants me to.”

“What will he do in Japan?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Teach English illegally?”

Needless to say I didn’t get the job. And the trip was put on hold. Indefinitely.

Until now. 3 kids, 9 moves, 20 years later. On June 11, 2015, Rand and I and our teenage daughters will embark on a 13 month round the world trip. And I can’t wait.

I married a man afflicted with the travel bug. He wants to drag our family on his adventures. And we don’t mind one bit.