Not all those who wander are lost.

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.

Right now Jordan and I are very much the young and clueless couple. We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we know we see ourselves together in the future. We wander together with our eyes open. Every moment is not a moment of feeling lost or bewildered about the unknown in time or space. Instead, every moment is time and space spent together. That is what’s important.

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

- Augustine of Hippo

I like the idea of the world as a book. Obviously, if the world is a book then there are a lot of pages to read through. That can be intimidating, especially when you feel like you have to do it alone. When we travel together, we read the world together. Page by page, line by line, word by word, we move forward together.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

- Laozi

I chose this quote because, just like traveling, a relationship is a journey too. From the very first step, a relationship is a process. It isn’t always perfect. Things don’t always go as planned. There are bumps in the road, delayed flights, and sketchy places we get stuck in for a night or two even in our relationship (figuratively speaking for the most part). Travel and relationships all require love and patience.

I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.

- Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer Abroad

On our first long trip together (about 70 days), I was pretty nervous. We had been together for about a year and a half, but I knew that traveling with Jordan for a long period of time would really put our relationship to the test. It was on this trip that I saw Jordan’s reactions to missed flights, overpriced lunches, outdated maps, and more. I learned that Jordan isn’t the most patient person, I learned that he doesn’t take no for an answer when he needs the answer to be yes, and I learned that he would rather pay three times as much as he should for food rather than have an empty stomach. And, most importantly, I learned that I loved him more after the trip than I could have ever imagined. I know, I know, this is getting corny, but (1) it’s true and (2) it’s Valentine’s Month!

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.

- Andre Gide

This quote to me, is all about love and trust. In a relationship, you can’t save yourself. In a way, you are risking everything. Your most delicate part of you is theirs to take care of or tear apart. However, you must surrender this part of you. I don’t think it is possible to know love with only one foot through the door and one foot anchored outside the door. You have to fully invest yourself into the relationship in everything. If you cannot love wholly, you will never know “true love”. If you cannot trust someone wholly with your heart, then you are, in turn, not trusting yourself. It’s okay to be wrong and get hurt. I’d rather be wrong than to never know love. (Again, cheesy stuff is OK as long as we’re in the month of Valentine’s Day!)