A Mini-Trip to Cincy

Last Saturday, November 3rd, we rented a car (ours is on its last leg, but that's a story for another day) and headed up to Cincinnati for the night. Cincy is only an hour and a half away from Louisville, but it feels longer than that because of perpetual road construction, bad drivers, and traffic. I-71 has to be one of the worst interstates ever!

The reason for our trip was to attend a charity function benefiting children who have disabilities or who are from underprivileged backgrounds through the game of baseball. Many former Major League Hall-of-Famers were there, including Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, and Pete Rose (who isn't in the Hall but probably should be). We even received a VIP pass, which allowed us into a room with the players before the actual event, and included an open bar. It was in this room that I got to get my picture taken with Pete Rose. Pretty cool!

After dinner, we were introduced to the children who were nominated for the awards. One little girl was visually impaired and was wearing big glasses. She reminded me so much of me at that age. She didn't win, but still, she was so cute! The former players then shared stories of their days in the game. These stories stayed pretty PG-rated, since there were kids in the audience. I bet those same stories would be told completely differently in a different crowd!

After the event, we came back to the hotel bar for a little bit to have a drink. The next morning, we packed our bags and headed back down to Louisville to watch some football on an 100-inch projection screen!

The event was fun, and it benefited a great cause. Nathan and I were both a bit disappointed though. We get to attend these events and meet these famous people because of his job, which he has only had for two years. This is still new and exciting for us, especially so for Nathan. He's been following baseball since he was in kindergarten. Nathan is still struck with child-like wonder when he's in a room with such great players. Even though we get to do these things every now and then, it is still not a typical, run-of-the-mill experience for us. Some of the people we met at the event, though, take this for granted. If Babe Ruth were alive, having lunch with him a few times would be no big deal for them. They have the money and the influence and they know it. I guess we were both just disillusioned...

When Our Journeys Began

Riss and I standing in the clear waters of the Bahamas, December of 2009. 

It was our first trip together.

On a beautiful, Saturday afternoon in October, I stood at the altar across from this beautiful woman in a wedding dress who was about to become my wife.  She held my hands, looked me in the eyes and vowed to "boldly go" on life's adventures with me.  Those in attendance laughed, knowing good and well how much we love Star Trek.  But it really goes deeper than that.  It speaks a lot to our outlook on life in general. 

Since I was a little kid I have always been fascinated by maps.  When I was four years old, I got on a children's television show in South Carolina because I knew the capital of all 50 states.  I would get lost in maps of all sorts, wondering what it was like to see those places. Today, I have over 150 maps and about 25 atlases...and counting.   

When Riss and I first met, one of the things that we connected on right away was that we both loved to travel.  We wanted to see all the world had to offer and learn about new places.  As we would come to learn, getting in the car and going places became something that always brought us joy, and even re-connected us when things were difficult.  The first few months of our relationship were trying, I'll admit. There even came a point where we weren't sure we were going to make it.  That December, the week before Christmas, she and I got into the car and headed south for a few days in the Bahamas.  I think we were both a little nervous about how things would work.  The start of the relationship had its share of rough patches, so how were we going to handle 10 hours in a car together?  The answer: brilliantly.  With it just the two of us away from school and work, we got to know each other a LOT better.  We learned so much about each other and really began to understand one another better after that.  By the time we had reached Ft. Lauderdale to take the cruise ship over to Freeport, we were already having the time of our lives. 

The Bahamas was our first trip together.  We took long walks on isolated beaches, at brunch on the beach, danced the night away at a local fish fry, and enjoyed all the excitement around us.  (I think I ate chonch every meal, including breakfast!)  It was also during this trip that we first told each other "I love you."

The Bahamas was the first of many trips we would take thereafter.  Since the Bahamas, we have been to Niagara Falls, Lake Lure, Toronto, Washington, DC (several times since it's close to her parents), Indianapolis (very underrated city with tons of things to do), St. Louis, San Diego (the honeymoon!!), Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.  In all, we've been to 17 states in just three years.

Looking forward to many more trips together, and writing about our adventures!



Our Introduction

Nathan and I have been meaning to do this for a while now. What better time to start than soon after our wedding, right?? Although we've been together for a little over 3 years now, marriage is definitely a watershed event. We've now begun our life together.

A little about us...

 I am Marissa and my husband is Nathan. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I was born legally blind. I moved to South Carolina in 2009 to attend graduate school. The day after I moved there, I met Nathan, who is from South Carolina. He actually hired me for the work-study job I had at the museum on campus. It was apparent right away that we had a connection. It didn't take long for our friendship to turn into something more. A year later, we were both unhappy in our careers and surroundings, so he started looking for another job. Lo and behold! he applied for and got a near-perfect job working as the Exhibitions Director for a baseball museum. History, sports, museums all combined into one job - perfect! I certainly wasn't going to stay in South Carolina without him, so we packed up and moved to Louisville, Kentucky. We love, love, love it here! In the last few months, I also got a great job, working in social media for an organization that makes products for people who are blind and visually impaired. We were married October 6, 2012 in a beautiful, very "us" ceremony here in Louisville. We are so excited to start our life together in this great city!

What's up with the title?

Even if you're not a trekkie, you may have heard of the saying "Boldly go where no man {or woman, thank you} has gone before" from the TV shows Star Trek, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Nathan is a HUGE trekkie. He's loved it since he was little. I would have laughed in your face if you had told me three years ago that I'd be a Trek fan now. But I am. He got me into it -- that darn peer pressure!

But the name symbolizes more than just our mutual geekdom. Nathan once asked me what I wanted to see in the world. Being legally blind, I can't "see" everything, but I want to see everything. I want to go everywhere in the world, have new experiences throughout my life. The world is such a big place--I think it is imperative to see as much of it as possible. Nathan feels the same way, one of the many reasons why I love him. In our wedding vows, I vowed to "boldly go on life's adventures" with Nathan. So, we want to "boldly go" everywhere. Or almost everywhere. I'm not sure I want to go to Saudi Arabia or the North Pole!

This will be our accounts of our journeys together, whether we're journeying to Shelbyville, only a few miles away, or the Kamchatka peninsula. In the 19th century, travelogues were the big thing at the time. This will be our "travelblogue," if you will.

We can't wait to get started!