Our Story
Moab
Summer 2021
Summer 2021 was where it all began. Rob was working at Under Canvas, in Moab, UT. Erica was on an adventure of her own. Leaving New York City, she made it all the way to Hawaii before these two lovebird’s stories began to intertwine. On a blisteringly hot day in the desert town, Rob heard from his manager that they had just hired a new concierge to come and work at the camp. “I think you’re going to like her,” said the manager to Rob. Little did these two know that these decisions they made would impact their futures forever. On the day of Erica’s arrival in Moab, these two romantics had their first encounter. Rob famously recalls that, “The moment I saw her, I thought ‘Wow that is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen’ and I know people normally say that about their spouse, but I really meant it.” The two shared about their love of travel, people, and new experiences. Throughout the summer, they would become closer and closer, going on road trips to faraway lands. From desert to mountains, sunrise to sunset, they experienced many things together and made memories that, unknown to them at the time, they would be able to share for a lifetime. One fateful night in the La Sal mountains just outside of town, on a camping trip amongst tall trees and a bear encounter, they discovered that they were more than friends. From that moment on, their adventure truly began.
Peru
Winter 2022
After taking a road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, they decided that naturally as a new couple, a six week long volunteer trip to teach English in an underprivileged school in Peru would be a fabulous way to test the relationship. Erica’s parents thought this was exceptionally crazy. Rob’s parents were just happy he was going somewhere with a responsible adult. The two bought their tickets and were on their way. Peru was in fact a way to test the strength of their relationship. The young couple experienced life-threatening food poisoning early on in the trip, which allowed for them to see each other in their purest forms-on, near, and sometimes not even close to the toilet. It tested envy, when Rob jealousy watched Peruvian men line up to dance salsa with Erica, the professional dancer. It tested cultural immersion, and the ability to assimilate, which would eventually become a big factor in their lives. However, most of all, it showed them how loving their hearts were and the extent to which they would go to show love to others, even those who they did not know. They learned how to experience joy together, as well as hardship and struggle. It showed them how deeply they cared for each other. Leaving Peru and heading back to the US, they were ready for anything, and the future was brighter than ever.
Yellowstone
Summer 2022
As the couple settled back into their lives in the states, they were ready to take on their next adventure: Yellowstone. The two had received and accepted job offers to work in West Yellowstone, Montana in the summer of 2022. After spending the spring in Moab digging up old roots, they were ready for another great adventure. Working in West Yellowstone was anything but boring. The work hours were long, the weather was terribly unpredictable, and the faces weren’t all too familiar. Those were only the downsides. The upsides included: the couple sharing an old trailer for their living space, only having around 150 feet squared for the two of them, being able to take some spectacular weekend adventures together, and being so close to the natural world that they so loved. The high’s were high, and the low’s weren’t real lows. Feet began to itch around the middle of the summer again. The couple wanted more out of their lives, and as the world was opening up again, they knew they wanted to see more of it. After receiving job offers to teach English as a Second Language in both Taiwan and Vietnam, they flipped a coin. Heads for Taiwan, and tails for Vietnam. Look at the next section to see where they ended up.
Taiwan
Fall 2022-Winter 2023
Taiwan was the place that set the stage for where these two are at now in life. This was their first experience truly living and working abroad, and they discovered so much about each other and their futures here. Arriving at the tail end of the COVID era, and after spending over a week quarantining in a small hotel room, they stepped out into the unknown city of Taipei and were immediately blown away. Taipei was a spectacular experience for both of them. They were able to experience a new culture, a new part of the world, and a new occupation. Furthermore, they grew into people who knew how to work together, learn together, and tackle whatever obstacles came their way. It was the place that solidified them and their relationship, and made them comfortable with the idea of forever together. Erica and Rob spent many weekends away from Taipei, exploring the beautiful parts of this tropical paradise that they called home. They went north to south, and east to west using planes, trains, and scooters. They met excellent friends here from all over the world, and took away experiences that would last a lifetime. Towards the end of their time in Taiwan, Erica had been offered a job to teach drama at an international school in Beijing. Seeing as this would be an amazing opportunity, the couple decided that this would be their next location. Rob was happy to tag along, as he loves a crazy adventure. It was heartbreaking to leave Taiwan, but the future was glowing.
The Great Road Trip
Spring 2024
The couple returned home to the States. Settling back into life in America was wholesome in a number of ways. Extended times with family, reconnecting with friends, and devising a plan to make the most of their time back in their home country. After a couple of phone calls, the couple was blessed with the opportunity to work on the set-up crew for their old company, Under Canvas. The couple was set to travel from Tennessee, to Maine, and then all the way to Montana. Throughout this time, they were able to revisit some extraordinary locations, see friends located all throughout the country, and come to terms with the fact that they simply were not skilled in positions requiring manual labor. They had an electric time during these three months of pure road-tripping. It was the true American experience. Towards the end of the short season, Erica and Rob had decided that they would take a road trip to Alaska before heading out to China. Sleeping in a truck, “Trixie” every night, the couple explored extremely rural, rugged, and gorgeous parts of northern Canada and Alaska. Erica made the campfires every night, but Rob did always try to start the fire first at least. They were amazed by how beautiful North America was, and how the routes for adventure were seemingly wide open. Most of all, they were spending every day and all day together-laughing, listening, and loving. They spent two months spending every night and every day in that truck and didn't fight at all... right?
China
Fall 2024- Now
China, the Middle Kingdom. What an experience they've had living in the country's capital. The couple arrived in Beijing in August of 2024 after the great road trip through North America. Seeing that China and Taiwan are the same country and that there is no difference between the two countries and that Taiwan is surely and most definitely and seriously a part of China and that there is one country and two systems, the couple figured that it would be easy to settle in. To an extent, they weren’t wrong. The language was the same, many of the systems were similar, and the traditional cultures were similar. However, on a societal level, the two locations are quite different. Erica started working her job as a drama teacher, and Rob started his job as a kindergarten teacher. The two spent their first year in China exploring the country, trying new experiences, and learning more about this ancient civilization. They were so interested in many of the intricacies of this country and were eager to dive deep into the culture. Presently, the couple is still living in Beijing, and they are both teaching at an international school associated with a top university in China. After an extremely successful first year, Erica is continuing to teach drama and act in local theatre productions. Rob has moved up to teaching first grade and has enjoyed exploring hobbies such as language study, trail running, and drinking Chinese beers.
The Engagement
Taiwan- May 4th, 2025
On a trip to Taiwan in May of 2025, the couple began their biggest adventure yet. It was the morning of May 4th, 2025, and Rob was waiting quietly next to a sleeping Erica in a tent under an overpass located on a beach on the east coast of Taiwan. Holding the ring in his hand, he knew that this was the right moment. All of their friends who were with them knew the plan, and this was the time to do it. Waking up Erica when she does not want to be woken up is not easy. The couple went out for drinks and dancing at a beach bar the night before, and if Rob didn’t know that he was about to propose the next morning, he would’ve been asleep until at least 11 AM. However, now was the time. He convinced Erica that they needed to take a beach walk, and enjoy the sunrise. A reluctant Erica agreed, and the two set out holding hands down the beach, enjoying the sunrise glassing over the calm ocean. While Erica was giving Rob a hard time for bringing her out of her slumber, Rob pulled out a letter detailing everything he wanted to tell Erica about his love and admiration for her. Before Erica could realize it, Rob was already down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage. Through a series of laughs and tears, Erica said yes and Rob was over the moon. The rest of the day was spent on the beach, surfing, and enjoying the day where day-to-day became their hearts' forever.