Our Story A Quick Timeline

Our first date. We planned to meet at a restaurant. Upon arriving (Simon arrived first, obviously) we learned that the restaurant had closed permanently. So, we walked to the cash-only dive-bar across the street - The Caribou Tavern, or The ‘Bou to those familiar - instead.

Kendall moves to Dubai. Cheers to a new adventure! We say a teary “bye forever” and wish each other a good life. Little did we know…

Kendall comes back from Dubai for Christmas, and makes a stop in Madison to celebrate New Years with Rodd Tuffcurls, friends, and Simon. We officially begin long-distance dating.

Simon visits Dubai. And, we take our first trip together to beautiful Oman. There was camping, dolphin sightings, and a broken down car on the trip home. While waiting with friends for the car to be repaired, we turn on our phones for the first time and learn that schools are cancelled the next day because of this new thing called “COVID”…

The COVID lockdown begins. Kendall is in Dubai, and Simon is back in Madison. Country borders are totally closed. Lockdown for us included a lot of long phone calls and FaceTimes.

The UAE re-opens their borders after a strict lockdown. Simon has nothing better to do - work is remote, sports are cancelled, and lockdown is still in effect in Madison - so he catches the first flight from the USA to the UAE when borders reopen. He packs a small suitcase, buys a flexible return ticket, and shows up for a “visit”.

We celebrate Simon’s 27^th birthday in Hatta, UAE.

We spend the second half of 2020 as tourists in our own country. Lots of hiking, desert camping, beach days, boat days, brunches with friends, a trip to the indoor ski slope (in a shopping mall) and even a trip to Abu Dhabi (Dubai’s neighboring emirate to the south) and the stunning Grand Mosque.

Ringing in the new year in Dubai with friends.

Desert adventures with the best company! (And, our first Dubai visitor - Abby Chapin).

Our first trip from Dubai post-COVID to Tbilisi, Georgia. We enjoyed the beauty of the mountainous country, paragliding, wine tasting, and delicious food (consisting mostly of bread and cheese). The start of many more adventures around the world!

Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro and on safari in Tanzania.

A week traveling around the “Golden Triangle” of India - New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Karauli - including a visit to the Taj Mahal.

Celebrating our first wedding together as guests. Cheers to Jake and Nicole!

Three weeks traveling Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand - to celebrate Kendall’s 5-year anniversary with Epic. The private pool at our Airbnb in a rice paddy in Hoi An, Vietnam was a highlight!

After 3 years, we say goodbye to Dubai, and hello to our colder and greener home in Bristol, England. A special shout-out to our day one Bristol welcoming committee!

A summer of European travels and a bit of August sun in Mallorca, Spain.

“Cheers” to our first cozy Christmas together in Bristol.

An easy “yes” in Bois de Boulogne in Paris!

We get into running in honor of Kendall’s 30^th birthday. Old age catches up to Kendall first, but Simon runs a marathon in Rhodes, Greece on April 21^st!

Simon’s first trip to Sutton Island, Maine!

A two-week road trip around Albania. The beautiful mountains, abundant hiking trails and crystal-clear glacial rivers in the North were a highlight!

The rest of forever.