The Story of Us...A Travelogue

Many of our viewers already know this about us, but for those who don't, Shawn and I have been married for 10 years (2/27/96) and have been childless by choice (some people wonder what MUST be wrong for a couple to wait so long to have children). When parental pangs hit, we started with fish and our beloved Quaker parrot Gonzo about 6 years ago, then added our long awaited puppy last December. After researching breeders for almost a year, we found Polli. Life has, quite literally, not been the same since!

Most everyone has seen their fair share of pictures of her and has heard countless stories about her crazy antics. Although most parents probably roll their eyes behind our backs, we truly believe she is like a human toddler. She has been great practice for the real thing!

Shawn and I have enjoyed traveling, especially in the past few years. We were married on the island of St. Thomas on an empty white sand beach. My family's love for the tropics made this a dream come true for me.

We took a very long hiatus from serious vacations (almost 10 years) as we were the typical young couple with no money, which gave way to building and filling a new house. During our first several years of marriage, our most worldly travels were trips to visit our Mrzena family friends, Dawn and Wally Pfeiffer (possibly the most gracious hosts on the planet) at their mountainside home and lakefront property in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. Both during the summer and winter, it is one of the few places I would stay in the Northwest to live long term. It is really heaven on earth in the middle of nowhere (not to mention the best coffee shop I've found...this is a shameless plug for the “Bowl of Soul” at Java on Sherman!)

I traveled around the country several times a year for my company, which was a great opportunity and we took a great trip up to chilly (understatement) Fairbanks, Alaska to visit Shawn's brother Matt, wife Kristen, and kids Cade and Taylor. Sadly, it has been almost 4 years since our trip up and we can't wait to visit again. Round that out with a few trips to California, an "exciting" trip for Shawn to Fargo, a long weekend to Whistler BC, and a trip to Vegas for my 30th B-Day (does Vegas really count?).

Fast forward to October of 2005, when we set off on a long planned and much anticipated 3 week trip to the Mediterranean. We quickly realized that life is too short NOT to enjoy the world when we can. We cannot wait to go back to Rome, specifically. It was so hard to leave. I've never loved a place, people, or environment more. This is also where a budding amateur photographer named Shawn Mrzena found his hidden talents.

In July, we received the good news that Shawn's team at work had won a well deserved trip to Maui. Because I vacationed there as a child and had heard a million stories from my parents about their annual trips, I was excited to go with Shawn in September for his first Hawaiian experience. It definitely lived up to the expectations. Add Maui to the list of places we can't wait to return to.

Backtracking a bit, Shawn traveled to train a team in the Philippines in August, gone almost the whole month. The trip exposed Shawn to 2 things that he quickly developed a passion for: SE Asia and First Class. A quick stop through Japan to pick up a magnet for my collection rounded out his trip. More places for that list.

So that brings us to present day, as we plan to take more leaps. One, the head first dive into the big scary ocean that is first time parenthood, and another, an exhilarating trip halfway around the world to meet our child in China. Part of us can't wait for another travel adventure, but another part can't wait to see first hand what these children live through and why they should not stay another day. It is an opportunity that few get to experience and we certainly won't take for granted.