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Naomi lost in Middle Earth
Born in 1977, Naomi grew up in Knoxville, Tennesse with her younger sister Anna, her
folks Ernie and Pam Gross, and the family labs, Sunny & Luna. Naomi has
always been intrigued by the vastness of the world's cultures and her love
of travel emerged and has only deepened with time. At 19, she took
off for 6 months in Nepal, Thailand, and India. She spent a year at
university in Israel and the gypsy winds have taken her to a wealth of other
countries along the way. No one was too shocked with the news that Naomi
was off again to feed the travel bug.
Hand in hand with Naomi's passion for seeing the world, service to others has
always been a priority in her life's work. Her International Studies
degree allowed her to extensively examine women's roles in improving
sustainable livelihoods in Third World countries and work directly with
women in need in Charlotte and Israel. Prior to leaving on this trip, Naomi's
professional career had her working with Outward Bound, a non-profit
educational organization, striving to provide leadership development and
meaningful experiences for young urban students in Baltimore and Philadelphia
by taking them backpacking, canoeing, and sailing. Otherwise,
in Naomi's estimation, nothing beats sitting in the sun with a good book, a
cup of tea, and our cat, Lily, snoozing close
by.
Brice trying to catch that shot
Brice was born in 1975 in Maryland to Brian and Anne Lynn King, joined soon
after by his brother Matthew. Brian and Anne Lynn created a unique
environment, raising their children in a household with a unique emphasis
on a variety of things from travel to sound financial practices, and from the
desire to help others tempered with the constant pursuit of self
improvement.
From an early age, there was an interest in art; from pencil sketches and comic
books to wood-working and welding. As the years progressed, furniture building,
photography, and web design were added to the mix. Software design ended up
being the breadwinner. In addition to the creative endeavors, a constant
passion for combustion, especially motorcycles, is also part of the equation.
While we may have technically sold everything we own to finance this trip,
there is still a Nikon in the backpack and a Ducati (sorely missed) in the
folk's garage. Obviously, outdoorsy pursuits, such as hiking and
backpacking, are enthusiastic pasttimes for both Brice and Naomi.
Enjoying a post-glacier buzz
After meeting at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, our
romance sparked over 8 years ago, with plenty of time to follow our
separate paths over the years, Naomi sealed the deal with a move
up to Maryland in 2003. Brice proposed at the end of a lovely
day hike along the coast of Oregon in 2004 and we were married at Naomi's
family farm in Clinton, TN on May 29, 2005 and then the adventure began...
Where we end up ater the trip ends is a constant question for us. Do we
head back to Maryland and our lives before our trip? Do we head somwhere
else in the US? East coast? West coast? Abroad? Only time will
tell.
We hope that you enjoy this site and sharing this amazing experience with us
Cheers
Naomi and Brice
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