Another reason why we travel
She and my husband met each other two years before I met him.
Thirty years on, she and my husband (and I) are enjoying spending time together.
My husband was traveling Austria by train with his best friend. They happened to share the compartment with a local couple. And a day later my husband and his friend ended up joining the surprise birthday party that the woman arranged for her boyfriend in their house, instead of visiting Insbruck.
The next summer the couple visited my husband in Florida.
A year later my husband moved to Seattle. I happened to move to Seattle from Tokyo that summer. We met each other, started dating, and started living together.
We decided to get married. Where should we go for a honeymoon? My husband’s decision was already made – Austria.
The couple welcomed us newlyweds by coordinating a village brass band. In the snow they were waiting outside to play music as soon our car arrived.
It became an annual event for my husband and I to visit new places in Europe. The exception was a visit to Austria. We would visit the couple once in several years. The couple visited us in Seattle a couple of times.
Then the pandemic hit.
The first place for my husband and I to fly together after 3 years of interval… Austria!
Over the years things change. The couple is now split. But here in Vienna she, my husband, and I are now celebrating our reunion.
Why do we travel? Of course, we are drawn to the excitement of visiting, learning, and experiencing things new. But nurturing friendship with someone dear is just as important for me. Austria, India, and Japan… We all grew up in different countries, but together we are assuring ourselves our common ground as people.