Simon and I have been married since September 2016, and cycling has been an integral part of our relationship. Cycle touring was our way of getting to know eachother – and it is now our way of growing together as a married couple. What we like most about touring via bicycle is the people you meet that you never would have gotten the chance to otherwise. We travel for the journey, not the destination. OK… a little for the destination, but mostly the journey.

If you’d like to get to know more about us, here is the story about how we met:

The first time we travelled together was coincidentally the first time we met. November 21st, 2012 Simon was coming back from a business trip in Malaysia and I was on my way home from a backpacking trip. That day I had decided to do yoga on the beach, and let go of all sense of time, so I narrowly missed my flight. I sprinted through the airport (admittedly, it was a very small airport) with my backpack bounding up and down on my shoulders. I must have looked a sight, hair disheveled and clothes still damp from my bikini, because the Asia Air employees kindly re-opened the gate and let me take my seat. I stored my bag and relaxed, my breath finally returning to normal, when the flight attendant asked me if I would mind switching seats with a woman at the front of the plane. Instead, she saw the seat just across the aisle was still free and sat me there. Simon was sitting in the window seat reading a book about football and politics, wearing a denim shirt, cargo shorts and Nike Reef shoes that hinted at his quirky side. Once we started talking, one topic led to another, and another, and all the sudden the plane was landing. We parted ways, each with a new facebook friend and an invitation for drinks if I ever found myself in London, or he in Denver.

After that, occasional correspondence eventually turned into daily messages. At some point, I started waking up and automatically reaching for my phone to see if he had sent me an inspirational quote or picture of his dinner. At the end of March, I saw an article online about amazing cycle routes that I sent to him: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/cycle-routes/(link is external)

We joked about it, but the seed was planted.