Carolyn & Chris meet around Christmas in 2003 in Maryland. They quickly hit it off and started a new adventure to Hawaii in 2007.
We were married in July of 2009 on a classic Chinese junk boat (named the Duk Ling) in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. Why Hong Kong? Well why not!
About Carolyn
I was raised and went to high school in Maryland (I was born in South Carolina but do not have any memories of it since we moved when I was young). I grew up playing soccer, and was even on the varsity soccer team in high school. I also played french horn growing up. I was always really into music and participated in many music-related classes in school and extracurricular activities. I was in practically everything… youth symphony, orchestra, marching band, concert band, brass quintet, brass ensemble, wind ensemble, jazz band, school musicals… !
I did my undergraduate studies in Virginia at James Madison University. My undergraduate degree is in Physics because I always loved math and science (and was I really good at it!). When Chris and I moved to Hawaii together, I was a high school math and science teacher. Then I went back to school in Okinawa, Japan to get my Masters and Doctorate in Civil Engineering (I like to research ocean water waves) from the University of the Ryukyus.
Probably one of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. Unlike Chris, I eat a predominantly vegetarian diet. But together we like to explore all sorts of new foods together, especially when traveling to far-away destinations. I especially love traveling in Japan, and hope when coronavirus is over we can go back to visit. Some of my hobbies are Japanese tea ceremony and wearing kimono, as well as conversational Japanese. Because I study tea ceremony, I also love all things matcha (green tea), mochi (rice cake), and azuki (sweetened red beans common in Japanese desserts). Of course, I also love vegetarian ramen! While living in Japan, I also participated in Hawaiian hula (dance).
I love to be outdoors, whether it is hiking or visiting some gardens, or even just at the beach– I am always ready for an adventure and to explore somewhere new. I enjoy reading, though I mainly read things similar to Sherlock Holmes and Victorian detective type novels. I also read some sci-fi and fantasy novels. Sometimes I read easy manga to practice my Japanese. I also love all things by Studio Ghibli!
About Chris
I was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Always having a love for all things electronic I got a college degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Currently I have a Master’s of Science degree from Virginia Tech, but I hope to finish off the PhD one day in the future.
We both really enjoy traveling, I particularly like to eat new and exciting food. My favorite foods are pizza, Indian food (like spicy curry), Greek food, and Mexican food. Although I really haven’t found that many foods I don’t like and we eat a wide variety at home and out (well once the pandemic is over). I think my favorite place that I’ve traveled is a three way tie between Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, all are beautiful countries full of vibrant people.
I really enjoy interacting with animals, at home all we can have is a dog, but I always looks to a zoo or nature park for fun when abroad. It’s always important to make sure that you choose ethical animal encounters, usually ones run by the government or reputable non-profits are best. Below is a video of us feeding an elephant some bananas (Similar to a dog, they love treats).
I enjoy a wide variety of books, but I think I most like books that deal with science fiction and other worlds. Like Carolyn I have a soft spot for Victorian detective series, we enjoyed the “Enola Holmes” movie and I look forward to reading some of the books in the future. Some of my favorite young adult book series are “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”, “Harry Potter”, and the Discworld novels by Pratchet.
I enjoy some video games, although I tend to prefer adventure games to action/arcade games. My favorites over the past year or so have been Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Golf Story, and Animal Crossing. I also enjoy playing multiplayer games with others on the couch, Mario Kart, Top Shop (a very old PS1 game) and the like.