Meet Us

Hello again. You might be curious about our back story, so we’ve written multiple publications to get to know us better. These options include a Family section, where you can read travel stories our parents and sons authored, Blogging Biz to learn about the business side of blogging, and Our Travel Tools, which provides helpful tools for navigating this Travel Tug of War website.

So here it goes… now is the time to Meet Us. I’m Brent, and that one over there is Missy. We have been married for 25+ years and together for more than 30, implying that we are old or have lots of wisdom! We are also officially empty-nesters, with both sons completing college and working full-time.

Our home base is Memphis, Tennessee. Missy is a lifelong Memphian, and I am a transplant, originally from Champaign, Illinois. Missy talks Southern, and I speak Midwestern. Think of the difference as saying “y’all” and “coke” versus “you guys” and “pop.” It’s all very straightforward!

We met at a small college in Mississippi called Millsaps. I was one of just three Illinoisans who ventured into the deep south, and some of my college friends would never let me forget this. During my entire first year, a next-door dorm neighbor referred to me as “damn Yankee.” I considered this a genuine term of endearment.

Missy began her professional career in public accounting and then as a tax professional at a large multinational corporation. After our first son was born, she made the “best decision of her life” to leave her job and become a stay-at-home mom. Her proudest accomplishment, and she would say “by far,” has been raising our two sons and seeing them become the men they are today.

For 20 years, I worked as a stock market analyst for several Tennessee-based Wall Street firms. Most recently, I represented a Fortune 500 building products company as the investor relations lead.

We are new to travel blogging (hard launching our website in February 2025) but have been planning and working on this little venture for much longer. In fact, we were committed after I left my corporate job in February 2021.

The genesis of this travel blog is relatively simple: I’ve always had entrepreneurship dreams; we both love to travel; I spent my 30-year professional career researching and writing (two essential pieces for travel blogging); and we see a clear opportunity to add meaningful value to what’s currently available.

At Millsaps College, we had the same major, accounting, and often shared a classroom with only 10, 15, or 20 other students. However, we did not “meet” until senior year. Before our introduction, we had strong opinions of each other, and those views were not necessarily positive.

To simplify, Missy thought I could be a slacker (her words). Why? Maybe, just maybe, I missed a few classes. To amend your confusion, I was likely off meeting with a study group (i.e.-fraternity brothers) at a local coffee house (i.e.-bar). Officially though, I will not confirm/deny any of these heinous rumors and innuendos.

However, I should add that I did pretty well in my accounting courses. And that represents the other side of Missy’s strong negative opinions – she was super competitive and irritated about my grades. What Missy didn’t know: I studied a lot! As it turns out, it requires significant extra efforts to make up for missing class. Haha… life lessons.

And my opinion of Missy, let’s say that I thought she was a bit uppity. How did I arrive at this conclusion? Quite simply, she didn’t go out of her way to speak to me! 20-year-old Brent was not above pre-judging people. Looking back, I need to knock some sense into that version of myself.

Due to these irrational thought processes, we kept our distance for 3+ years in college. This future couple desperately needed a catalyst to bring us together. Interestingly enough, the catalyst was travel! Not kidding.

Here’s the detail. Missy spent the summer between her junior and senior years nannying for a family near Boston, Massachusetts. And I wanted to begin my career working in the finance/investments industry, and Boston was (and still is) the mutual fund capital of the world. I think you might see where this thing is going!

During our senior year and armed with this background information, I approached Missy in the college library with possibly the smoothest ever pick-up line: “Hey, so I hear you spent the summer in Boston; tell me about it?” The rest is indeed history. Now happily married for more than 25 years and counting.

Does that mean travel was our destiny?

We recently completed a visit to our 48th U.S. state (representing 100% of the lower-48); now, only Hawaii and Alaska remain! We’ve traveled many times to New York, Florida, New England, Colorado, and California. Domestically, we’ve taken skiing vacations in the Rockies, the Northeastern U.S., and to numerous regional midwestern resorts. And I feel like we sure have covered most of the U.S. theme park infrastructure: Disney World, Disneyland, Legoland, Six Flags, and all three SeaWorld locations.

We’ve also visited 30 U.S. national parks; more state parks than I can count; a coast-to-coast selection of art, natural history, science, and history museums; zoos and aquariums; and visits to 19 of the 20 largest American cities (Austin, Texas remains a difficult to comprehend omission).

In addition to extensive travels across the lower-48 states, we’ve been to more than 26 countries plus Scotland, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Vatican City; some travelers count these latter four separately. This tells me that there are so many more countries, and a couple states, to visit!

We have some big international trips upcoming the next 9-12 months. And we are very excited to tell you all about them (and hopefully we can help in your own planning processes).

Okay, now is the time to meet us at a bit deeper level.

We each compiled some truly random facts and stories about ourselves. And Missy will kick this off…

• Youngest of four children and the only girl. There are perks and pains of being in this situation. People always say, “Oh, you must have been spoiled and your brothers so protective.” That theory of overprotective brothers did not apply in my situation. Instead, while growing up, I always felt picked on, made fun of, and excluded by my siblings. Ultimately, I learned that while they loved to tease me, my brothers taught me to be strong and stand up for myself. When that first college boyfriend ended our relationship, I knew exactly where my brothers stood, 100% in my corner. Their protective instincts kicked in, and I knew they would always have my back.

• Favorite food and beverage. My top two food and beverage choices are pretty simple. Diet Coke is my vice and my consistent caffeine fix. I will not, however, comment on exactly how many soft drinks I consume daily (but its a lot)! And I love ice cream, not just any ice cream, but chocolate ice cream with peanut butter mixed in. Suppose you recall the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials, where the chocolate candy bar landed in the peanut butter jar by mistake. Well, for me, that’s essentially perfection. You will also note that in many of our itineraries, we magically find our way to the local ice cream shop. I’m pretty sure these are Brent’s decisions, but certainly no complaints from me!

• Arriving on time or fashionably late? If I were the fairytale princess Cinderella, the midnight deadline would pass, my carriage would turn into a pumpkin, my horses become mice, and my beautiful gown would return to rags. While I do love a good pair of shoes (or even some glass slippers), if that means being on time maybe I’ll choose to be barefoot! If you haven’t guessed, I view a specific meeting time as a flexible target, and I tend to round my arrivals by roughly 5-10 minutes. Honestly, I do try hard, but somehow, meeting at noon always becomes noonish. If you want to meet up with me, maybe engage in some light deception – tell me we’re meeting at 11:45, and I might just make it there by noon!

• I love people-watching. Whenever I’m out at sporting events or any public venue, I enjoy watching people and their interactions with one another. In 2019, we attended a Women’s World Cup soccer match in Le Havre, France, supporting the United States women playing Sweden. When we entered the stadium, I felt the fans’ excitement and saw tensions building amongst the players. It is so much fun seeing fans cheer for their country’s team, for the favorite or for the underdog. We saw young children looking on in amazement at the event’s grandeur and asking their parents to explain certain plays. I witnessed sportsmanship and compassion when a player was injured. I’m observing every little facet of humanity on display: acts of kindness, respect for older people, and drunken idiots in their most obnoxious, but simultaneously entertaining, state.

• Acts of kindness abroad. We got lost driving back from a coastal city during a trip to Santiago, Chile. We stopped at a gas station trying to obtain directions, but the employee at the counter did not speak English. Fortunately, there was a group of three elderly Chileans eating outside. One of them understood we were lost and offered to let us follow them in our car so they could lead us directly to our hotel. Now, that was pure kindness!

The following day, the kids and I bought snacks at a local market. I attempted to pay with a credit card, but the card was declined. I moved off to the side so we could wait for Brent to arrive with some local currency. Immediately, a stranger behind us insisted on purchasing our items. I tried to pay her back with a $20 bill, but she refused, noting that the cost in Chilean pesos was no more than 10 USD. She smiled and told me to enjoy my day in Santiago.

Yet another reason why I love traveling internationally. People go out of their way to help total strangers, unique acts of compassion, generosity, and kindness. During our international travels, we always find it so curious that, despite the negative news headlines seemingly pitting nations against one another, people are essentially the same everywhere you go. And most of those people lead with kindness, particularly in Chile!

• I’m an extrovert. Here’s something that is not one of my great secrets – I like to talk. Brent is the introvert, and I’m the extrovert. Funny story about me… Brent and I were hiking in Badlands National Park and ran into another couple we’d just met earlier that day. So what did I do? I started another conversation. I would call this being friendly (Brent better not be rolling his eyes right now). However, my chattiness can become dangerous when being talkative distracts me from some slick post-rain Badlands rocks. It was not life-threatening or hazardous in this case, but the falling, ankle swelling, and struggle to get down the hill were painful. I’d love to say it was a hard lesson, but I haven’t learned. If I see you on the trail, I will try my hardest to be friendly and initiate another introductory conversation!

• What’s up with the weight limits on luggage? Some travelers do a superb job of packing light. Let’s say this: my journey to becoming that person remains a significant work in progress. Here is my best argument for “overpacking” (and I stand firmly behind this): I want to be prepared for every possibility! For example, when traveling to Las Vegas, I pack, assuming we will encounter 3-to-4 consecutive days of rain. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but only a slight one. When we travel as a family, Brent and the kids’ bags each weigh 25-30 pounds. In contrast, our family is often at the airline counter, hurriedly pulling garments out of my bag to get under the mandatory 50-pound weight limit. Hopefully, you can see the comedy in this.

As Michael Jackson sang, “I’m gonna make a change.” During a family trip to Spain in 2019, I had an epiphany. We were hauling our luggage up a cobblestone road in the tiny town of Alquezar. And when I say “we” were hauling, this means Brent. A couple of days later, the game score read as Missy’s bag one and Brent’s back zero (yes, my overpacking threw my husband’s back out). They say the path to redemption is a realization of the problem. I’m sure you’ll hear more about my personal packing journey in future posts.

• Faith and family. On a serious note, my faith and family are always my top priorities. I have been blessed to have been raised in a loving family where we were always there for each other. I have been doubly blessed to have been happily married to Brent for more than 25 years and to have two incredible sons who are the joys in my life. I genuinely love being a daughter, sister, mother, and wife. Throughout my life, I believe my faith has always kept me grounded during life’s ups and downs.

• To cook or not to cook, that is the question. I come from a family of good cooks. My dad was always the grill master and chef, and my mom was baking homemade bread and desserts. That cooking gene, however, must have skipped a generation. Some people find cooking relaxing and enjoy every moment in the kitchen. Not me. At family holidays, the running joke within my family is what will Missy make? Some day, I might surprise them by delivering a gourmet meal. Maybe someday…

• Sports and the outdoors create quality family time. My athletic abilities are another running joke. I played soccer, basketball, and softball in elementary school, but that was long ago. With that said, I’m the type of mom who goes out to batting practice with her husband and two sons to shag baseballs—anything to be with my family and spend time with my children. Similarly, over the years, I have also come to enjoy hiking. Admittedly, I am a slow hiker who likes to stop and enjoy the scenery (or maybe to catch my breath). Even though the kids are much faster than me, I push to keep up as much as possible. That family time is special; hiking has always produced some of our best memories.

• Graduated high school with a record-setting bluegrass performer. I am from Champaign, Illinois. Growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, my city was always known as the proud home to Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Bonnie Blair. However, we didn’t realize back then that one of my middle and high school classmates would become one of the most accomplished musicians ever!

We should have clued in when she competed and won local and state fiddling competitions as a teenager. Regardless, Alison Krauss, a Columbia Middle School alum and 1989 Champaign Central High School graduate like myself, is now the female artist with the 2nd most Grammy Awards in history, behind only Beyonce. So now, my hometown celebrates an Olympic speed skater and the bluegrass and country superstar Alison Krauss. It’s not too shabby for a small city in Central Illinois.

• Played basketball, somewhat anonymously, with arguably the greatest running back in NFL history. As a child, my dad, younger brother, and I played basketball at a hotel-attached gym in suburban Chicago. A man approached us and politely asked if he could join our little shootaround. He proceeded to play basketball with us for approximately 20 minutes. It was a casual interaction, a lovely man just shooting baskets with a father and two sons.

As he departed and began to walk away, we discovered he was none other than one of the greatest NFL running backs of all time, Walter Payton. If only briefly, I believe he enjoyed being anonymous, casually playing basketball with a couple of kids and their father. Most Chicago Bears’ fans and people from Illinois have their favorite Walter Payton on-field memory, but this is mine of him off the field.

• Major sports fan. We’ve been to the U.S. Open and French Open tennis championships, MLB playoff games, the Rose Bowl (football), NBA playoffs, NCAA basketball Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eights, the Men’s and Women’s World Cups (soccer), and Copa America (soccer). I’m a significant fan of Illinois athletics, the Chicago Cubs, and the Memphis Grizzlies. My most substantial “fan” moment was the 2005 Illinois Elite Eight comeback victory over Arizona to advance to college basketball’s Final Four. I’m not ashamed to admit, but I cried tears of joy in the arena that day.

• My athletic dreams ended early. Looking at this 50-something now, who would know, but I played college baseball, albeit for just one semester. I was raised in a baseball-centric culture. My brother played two years of college baseball, and my dad coached for decades and now plays competitive softball into his late 70s. Unfortunately, after that singular semester in college, I quickly realized that my skill set was not at my peers’ level, and there was a tremendous time commitment involved with playing collegiately. Thus, I “retired” from college baseball, never playing a game. I did partake in many practices, though, making me a former college athlete, right?

• Nicknames. Most people call me Brent, but I’ve taken on several “nicknames” over the years. Here’s a rundown. I was known as Hoover, after the famous vacuum cleaner brand, in my early baseball years. I liked this one, so named because I swept up every groundball as a baseball infielder. Later in high school, my coach dubbed me T.I., standing for “too intense.” Didn’t like that one. I may have been a bit tightly wound then, or some would say I still am. My kids have created an alter-ego name for father or dad by calling me “dod.” Dod is an adaptable term to them, as I shift between moods or modes, transitioning from “finance dod” to “work dod” to “travel dod.” I’m a bit like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, but with 5-6 distinct personalities, and hopefully not the monster version.

• “Shepherd to lost sheep, shepherd to lost sheep.” Before my initial trip down south for college, I had never traveled to the state of Mississippi. In this case, I have the perfect example of how media and television impact perceptions. I recall peering off at roads leading away from the main north-south interstate in Mississippi.

Funny thing, I genuinely expected to see dirt roads, but the roads were all paved! This seemed a logical conclusion because in Hazzard County (Georgia), Bo, Luke, Uncle Jessie, and Daisy led Roscoe and Enos on car chases consistently traveling across dusty dirt roads. So much for one of my favorite TV shows, the Dukes of Hazzard, not being historically accurate. One of life’s early disappointments, indeed. For those non-Dukes fans, the header to this section was Uncle Jessie (the shepherd) calling Bo and Luke (lost sheep) over his CB radio. It is captivating dialogue, for sure!

• A love of comic book heroes and Star Wars. I hold great interest in superheroes and the space versions of those. Not necessarily at the attending Comic-Con level, but indeed, fandom that spans my entire life. I loved the old Super Friends cartoon episodes. My favorite was Challenge of the Super Friends, as they battled the Legion of Doom. I’m not sure why television didn’t run more seasons of that! Like most Americans, I’ve extended this superhero passion by watching every installment of Batman, Superman, and DC movies and the entire Marvel Universe. I’m also an incredibly devoted Star Wars fan. I still have lingering nightmares about when my mom sold my large Star Wars action figure collection. To make it even more horrifying, she sold them as part of her end-of-garage sale promotion, “anything you can put in a bag for a buck.” That was difficult, I’m not going to lie.

• Interest in entrepreneurship jump-started my corporate career. Fairly early in my Wall Street career, I submitted an offer to purchase a local business through a business broker. Unfortunately, as these negotiations often go, we were meaningfully apart on valuation. Instead of pursuing further acquisitions, I leveraged the process of learning about a small local industrial distributor into a significant career shift. The subsequent transition launched the most successful part of my career, first covering the industrial distribution industry for several Wall Street firms and ultimately moving on to a Fortune 500 building products distributor.

Sometimes, life comes full circle. Now, I’m seizing the opportunity to rekindle that entrepreneurial interest and I’ll leverage knowledge gained during three decades in the financial sector, a deep understanding of competition, product differentiation, and the importance of adding value, and a passion for writing fostered by writing research for investors and developing investor materials at a large publicly traded company.

• I’m a television star (slight exaggeration). Fun fact: I’ve been a CNBC guest several times during my career. If you’ve ever watched the channel, I was, once upon a time, an analyst interviewed by the financial network’s anchors. During one uneventful interview, I recall speaking to economic trends, price inflation, and discussing one particular public company. The twist, however, occurred when the anchor asked about a small acquisition announced earlier that morning. Unfortunately, amid my thorough interview prep, I had not seen that announcement. The lesson here (politicians plug your ears): don’t answer the question asked, but instead respond to the question you want to answer. What did I do? I talked about the company’s general acquisition strategy. Problem solved, and crisis averted. Whew.

• True or false: I’m a hesitant flier, fearful of heights, and can’t swim. Yep, all three of these are factual statements, albeit none in a paralyzing manner, and I don’t let any of these fears limit my travel (and you shouldn’t, either).

I regularly fly on airplanes and ride hot air balloons and helicopters. And although I’m getting very close to having Million Miler status on Delta Airlines, I remain a white-knuckle flier who squeezes the armrest tightly with any turbulence.

My fear of heights has kept me from parachuting out of an airplane, bungee jumping, and paragliding. And each of these fears is likely going to remain in place. However, I’ve also hiked the Cares River Route along a cliff’s edge in Spain. Yes, I will be the person staying away from danger, but I try not to let those fears take me away from experiencing new things (with only a few exceptions).

My favorite swim stroke is the doggie paddle, and I can tread water briefly. As a child, my aquatics claim to fame was a day camp ribbon for a 75-foot successful swim. Hold on, maybe I’m underestimating myself here! Despite this, we still go canyoning, white water rafting, and sea kayaking, and we’ve taken boats across the Adriatic and on the surprisingly choppy Grey Lake in Chile (those Patagonia winds pack a punch). But I will always be fully aware of the location of life preservers. To reiterate, I try not to let my fears limit possibilities.