Kurt: From a small town in Ohio, Kurt has discovered that it’s a great big world out there, and he’s eager to see it all! While home in Austin, he enjoys his career as a computer engineer in hardware design. He’s a die-hard Ohio State fan, especially for football (which, unfortunately, Melissa has absolutely no interest in). When he’s not watching sports, he enjoys participating in them, particularly running (whatever race Melissa signs him up for) and skiing.
Melissa: A Texas girl at heart, Melissa caught the travel bug early in life, and she’s happy to have a partner who is as passionate about it as she is. After two decades serving children and families as a psychologist, Melissa closed her private practice in Austin in late 2021, and working out (yoga, running, swimming) and planning our upcoming trips have become her full-time gig since then. She’s an avid runner with multiple marathons & ultramarathons under her belt, and she is hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
K&m: We met at a post-marathon party for our running group in 2006, took our first big trip together as a couple to Hawaii a few months later, and then ventured out of the country the following year. And, we haven’t stopped since (running or traveling!). We left our travel comfort zone of Europe after a few years in search of more remote adventures around the globe. We enjoy active vacations wherever we go, so you’ll usually find us running a race, kayaking, whitewater rafting, snorkeling/scuba diving, hiking, and biking while exploring our new surroundings. Melissa generally sets the itinerary for our trips, while Kurt tends to handle the logistics to make it all happen. We hope to live abroad at some point in the not so distant future.