Wonder // Wander // Wunder

Photo by Christian Gideon

This week’s Wanderlust Wednesday is a little different

because it isn’t about a destination, a festival, a site or a culture… it’s about a person and that person is this man, my fiancé, Matt Wunder.

Matt and I met last fall and have had a whirlwind romance that started on our first date which was just two days before I left Asheville and moved back to Springfield, MO for a few months. Luckily, he’s a bit of a wanderer himself. Our second date we met in the middle for New Years, making the most of our stay in Paducah, Kentucky by visiting the Superman Museum in nearby Metropolis, IL. Multiple times, he drove 12 hours each way to spend just a day or two with me, and I came back to Asheville once to visit him and each and every time we came back to each other we took adventures.

Our first outdoor adventure together in Brevard, NC

In early February, Matt proposed to me and I said yes!

While this seemed shocking and quick to our friends & family, we both knew that we had found a home in each other and no matter where we roamed that was all we needed. Less than a month later, I was on a plane to Cambodia where I started a 101-day backpacking trip… without Matt. This was, and always will be, one of the greatest experiences of my life, but it was also insanely difficult because I missed Matt so very much. But he waited patiently & supported my decision to take this trip.

 

We celebrated my return to NC with a road trip.

We originally just wanted to go up on the parkway so I could see the rhododendrons in bloom, but since a storm blew the blooms off we ended up on a spontaneous trip to Tennessee on a hunt for wildflowers. Besides a love for travel in general, Matt and I share a love for the outdoors. Having this in common has been one of the greatest parts of our relationship because at least once a week Matt & I get outside and explore this beautiful area we live in. He continues to inspire me to never stop exploring and to share moments in this beautiful world together.

He’s a romantic, an encouragement & my inspiration.

Matt is so romantic. He daydreams about adventures with me and has been just as dedicated to saving for trips together all over the world. He loves me and shows that to me every single day and reminds me just how lucky I am to be marrying him.

Matt encourages me. He makes time for hikes & trips with me. He values the work that I do: he actually reads my blog (which I know because he helps me catch mistakes, tells me parts of posts he loves & screenshots of photos he likes), gives me advice on photography and tells me how proud he is of me.

Matt inspires me. Most of the time he inspires me by pushing me. His passion for photography pushes me to improve my own. He says he wants to take that second hike when I kinda wanted to be lazy after one. He suggests spontaneous trips and tries new things. He inspires me to be a better adventurer.

photos by Christian Gideon

Life with Matt is an adventure everyday.

Sometimes that adventure is taking a hike and sometimes it’s folding socks & talking about our dreams, but it’s always an adventure.

photos by Christian Gideon

Thanks for the adventures & our life filled with

wonder & wandering, together as Wunders.

 

*I know this post is a bit more personal in nature, but I wanted to share a very real inspiration for my travels. Matt constantly supports me & my writing. He’s a driving force behind me being so productive and creative. I am so grateful for him and I can’t imagine these every day adventures without him. Also, a huge thank you to Christian Gideon for coming to Asheville and capturing our love for each other & our sense of adventure. I’m so excited to see the rest in the next week or so and we’re forever grateful for the lessons you gave us through the shoot. 

To keep up with my travels in real-time and read more posts and travel articles I find interesting ‘like’ the For the Love of Wanderlust page on Facebook. Simply click HERE.