Given the recent comments on the take where I outlined some pros and cons of me travelling on my own, I've decided that I need to tell you a little more about my parents for you to better understand my background.
[Especially the comments from @Jjpayne, @Agape93, @Gedaria]
This is a cute story if you care to read it at all :)
How they met
They met at a church event when they were 15 but only got together when they were 21. They got married at 24 (they're the same age).
My mother thought that my father needed to get more mature, and she told me recently that it was worth the wait.
My parents had both started to get to know each other more closely when they were 18/19, but then my mum went to South America and my dad to Australia for a year, to travel. When they met at yet another church event after they had returned to Austria, they were shocked to see the other person, mainly because they had expected the other person to still be in another contintent.
After that, they started writing each other letters, some of which I've secretly read, they were a little odd, not embarassing at all, but long - sometimes four pages/day. My parents both worked at the time and didn't live close to one another.
Then, my mum moved to his city and they got engaged a little after that.
Then, they got married...
Africa
...saved up money for a year and then went to Africa for a year. That was their honeymoon. They visited at least ten countries there and got a holistic impression of the people, landscape and overall governance in each country.
They did get Malaria eventually, and my dad got bilharziasis because they took a two week diving course in Lake Malawi (9th largest lake globally) and my mother hid the meds from him that they had gotten as a precautionary measure (I think it was her idea of a joke).
My aunt had a horrible car accident, which is why they returned, they were planning to stay there longer but my grandmother thought that my aunt wouldn't survive the accident so they came as quickly as they could (she's fine today).
More traveling
My parents never had a lot of money, but they always set their priorities straight. They knew they wanted to travel, so they did.
When I told my mum about the planned cycling trip, she just shrugged and said "Do it, go on, it'll be fine and you'll like it, it sounds like a decent idea".
How they still lead adventurous lives
I'd say that my parents are far more active than the majority of people who live in my area, despite living in a place where people exercise A LOT.
My dad participated in an olympic triathlon about three years ago, loves cycling, swims like an actual fish and loved it when he's faster than younger guys haha.
He also bought a racing bicycle for my mother, but she's more an alpine/winter person: skiing, ski tours, hiking in summer (also in the mountains).
When they go on holiday now, they always make sure they can move. For example, they went to Mallorca last year just to cycle around the island for a week. They came back exhausted but happy.
What else makes them special
Maybe I'll write about this another time, they have very balanced, unique views on money and education that I highly appreciate. They also helped me draw close to God, which I am very grateful for.
The fact that they can afford to exercise and stay healthy now is something they appreciate a lot, mainly because there were definitely points in their lives during which they couldn't afford dairy products, for example. Now we live in a house with a big Garden for the standards here. Priorities. They never worked too much.
What makes your parents special?
Do your parents also exercise?
Most Helpful Opinions