Trail Diaries: A Very Well-Traveled Relationship

Nicole's Perspective on How Travel Strengthens Your Bond with Loved Ones

Adventures, reflections, and stories we brought home from the trails we’ve walked - from the Macs Adventure team 

Nicole is an executive customer service specialist based in Colorado who enjoys live music of all kinds, cozy nights in with her cats, and hiking with gorgeous views. 

Dear Trail Diary, 

Ten countries is a lot of ground to cover with someone, and it's almost surreal to think that Alex and I have traveled all over the world together in just four and a half years. 

This past summer, we celebrated our tenth country together, Switzerland, with an Italian food marathon that stretched across a few nights, from Bavaria into Switzerland. My weakness is a Limoncello Spritz, so celebrating our time together over really good Italian food, a few drinks, and some time to reflect felt pretty perfect. 

I met Alex about seven months before I started at Macs Adventure. I knew she was special, and when the opportunity came to bring her along on my first Macs Adventure, the Dingle Way, I thought it would be a pretty great way to kick off a year together. 

I'd never want to call it a test, but I do think traveling brings out all sides of a person. You see how someone handles the unexpected, how they respond when they're tired, and how they find joy in unfamiliar places. It's a different kind of quality time, and I was excited to experience it with her. 

The Dingle Way was a huge challenge for us. At the time, we were living in Denver, Colorado, and although we'd been getting out for lighter hikes in the mountains, we weren't exactly accustomed to walking 13-plus miles a day on sandy coastal trails. The week pushed us physically, but I think we grew together just as much along the way. Our biggest celebration came at the end of the trail. We were so proud of what we'd accomplished, our connection felt even deeper, and my feet were very ready for a well-earned rest. 

Since then, Alex has joined me on every single Macs trip I've taken. With every trip and every new country, I feel like we've continued to grow our relationship in little ways. She's also been alongside me through so many different stages of my job, which makes these trips feel even more special.  

Our most recent adventure took us through the Bavarian Alps. We were looking forward to big, beautiful mountain days, which we absolutely got, but we also faced one of our biggest challenges together so far. On our first day, we found ourselves hiking an exposed mountain route in some pretty awful weather. Before long, we were caught in a lightning storm, running from one patch of tree cover to the next, trying to get out of the elements. We were exhausted, cold, wet, and probably a little scared. 

It was one of those moments where you have to dig a little deeper, practice patience, and put your confidence in each other. Travel isn't always the picture-perfect mountain views or the celebratory dinners at the end of a long day. Sometimes it's being uncomfortable, figuring things out together, and knowing that even when things aren't going to plan, you're exactly where you want to be because you're with your person. 

I think we can get a little caught up in being "screenagers" most weeks. After a busy day at work, it's easy to decompress by reaching for our phones rather than finding ways to properly connect with each other. One of my favorite things about these Macs adventures is how naturally they take us away from that. When you're spending your days walking through a new place, there's so much uninterrupted time to talk. You can chat about everything and nothing, work through the little things, laugh about something completely random, or simply enjoy being together without the usual distractions. It's given us the chance to disconnect from our everyday lives and reconnect with each other, and I think that's been one of the greatest gifts these trips have given our relationship. 

I've learned a lot about myself through traveling together, but I've also come to appreciate so many things about Alex. One of my favorite things about her is that she genuinely doesn't care about the possibility of embarrassing herself. She'll happily act like a tourist, put herself in an uncomfortable position to ask for directions, or strike up a conversation with someone when I'm probably overthinking it. She's so authentically herself, without much concern for how she's being perceived. She also has a wonderful go-with-the-flow attitude, which balances me out perfectly. I'm definitely the scheduler between the two of us, so I think we make a pretty good team. 

After ten countries, countless miles, a few challenging trail days, and more Italian dinners than I can count, I'm incredibly grateful for all the places we've been lucky enough to experience together. From Ireland to Japan, Costa Rica to Switzerland, each one holds a different memory, and I love that we have this collection of places that will always mean something special to us. 

I'm so excited to see where our love continues to grow, and, of course, where we'll end up next.

-Nicole

Tags

• Hiking
• Featured