The Plan for Stu

Soooo... With all the moving details and ideas being tossed around, it might be unclear to some as to what we are actually planning on doing. In short, several months ago, Jen and I decided that a life change was in order and that we wanted to include each other in said changes. Our dream was to maybe take a long trip somewhere and then return to the US in one way or another. As plans shifted and took shape, we thought that Paros offered a great deal of accessibility to the places we wanted to go, not to mention a family home that we could use as a jumping off point. For those of you who don't know, my family is extremely fortunate to have a summer residence on the island of Paros, located smack dab in the middle of the Cycladic Islands, Greece. 

Photos never do  justice to the view from the house at sunset.

A beautiful getaway for anyone who has visited and a second home for me as I have spent near every summer on this island since I was a toddler. This place is my home on so many levels that I cannot bear a year away without it. It is my sanity, my youth, my family compound, my fortress of solitude and one of the founding pillars that defines my very existence. 

This will be our home during our travels, it will also be my office, for which I will continue t0 work remotely for my current job in New York. Paros offers a very nice starting point to reach our ideal destinations; Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Croatia and many of the greater Mediterranean countries. This destination is also a great choice because it will be a mean for me to be able to save a decent chunk of my paycheck which often goes to rent in NYC, as well as stay for an extended amount of time overseas. Much of this can be used to travel as well as paying off student loans that much faster.

To recap, we are taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city and taking a rare opportunity to journey to new places, do a little relaxing and maybe find a little time in between to get to know each other a little better.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got about 3 years of "crap"... I've accumulated since living here to sift through and get rid of one way or another.

Leaving New York

My dream as a small child, much to my parent’s anguish, was to move out of the safe environment of my home and try my hand in the largest city in the world. I believe I have taken on the challenge of living here with a sense of humor, a little bit of cynicism, and an all over zest for life. I have found New York City to be a place of inspiration, motivation, energy, excitement, and last but not least, wildness. But as I grow, so do my dreams. And as my dream for continued New York living was falling away, I was thrilled to have found someone who shared the same views as me. With his help, my dreams have been crafted into an amazing adventure for the two of us to experience together. My hope is that you will walk these new paths with me and discover a renewed inspiration to experience firsthand the sights, sounds, and soulful reflection of new places. Welcome to an insider’s view into our journey to find our better selves, and the life we have always craved; a life of travel.

Travel for Two with Jen & Stu

 

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

I have always loved this quote, because it represents how I view the world. A place that is stranger than fiction, full of amazing locales, people, food, sights and rich histories that has been shared by millions before us. I believe a good traveler will seek to connect with their surroundings, not merely pass through and take in the attractions, but step into the lives of the locals and expand upon their previously held beliefs, customs and experiences. I believe that travel is a very singular experience, but in the past year I have been lucky enough to meet such a like minded partner in the lovely Jen. For places I have visited dozens of times, she excites me to see these places again. Through her, our senses have grown exponentially and the adventures documented here will hopefully be greater than the sum of our individual experiences, thus we are happy to bring life to our little book.