Hello everyone. We are Jordan and Megan, a couple of Midwesterners who love to travel, learn about new cultures and cuisines, and experiment in the kitchen.
As travel fanatics, it's been tough being stuck in Wisconsin this past year. We never thought we'd miss airports, and yet, here we are, itching to sit in a Delta Sky Club or eat airplane Cheez-Its again. When we explore new places, one of our favorite traditions is trying delicious, local cuisines, and we've been looking forward to a time when we can get something other than lukewarm takeout again.
While we've been grounded, one of the activities we've enjoyed together is learning to cook new foods. Whether pulling out an old family recipe for Banana Croquettes or trying our hand at a hearty Irish Stew, we love spending time together in the kitchen. Sometimes we get to share old memories that a family recipe stirs up, other times we get to learn about a new culture through their food. Either way, endless laughter and priceless memories are on the menu.
About Megan
Hi, my name is Megan and I am our primary writer for the site. I'm a project manager by trade and a storyteller by passion. I recently graduated from NYU with my Masters in Journalism and I write features about local Madison restaurants. I chose my job as an IT project manager nearly six years ago, excited about the travel it required.
I have spent countless hours in airports over the last six years, sometimes for fun and often for work. I've been fortunate to find a job that I not only enjoy but also that lets me travel the world. Some trips are with friends, others with coworkers, and many alone, but I've learned something from each one. I'll go almost anywhere once and look forward to getting on the road again soon — especially for Girls Trips with my friends. Over the next few weeks, I'll be working in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia, and then relocating over to Bristol, England for a few years.
Growing up, my time spent in the kitchen was mostly used for baking. I've "cooked" myself too many unseasoned chicken breasts and asparagus spears over the last decade to count — I was never much of a chef. Over the last year, with Jordan's help and a few Hell's Kitchen binges, I've really enjoyed building my confidence in using the kitchen for cooking, too. Oh, and learning to sear scallops.
I've always loved the way the kitchen brings people together. Whether it's assembling charcuterie with your girlfriends for a night of The Bachelor or sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table with your aunts, uncles, and cousins, some of my best memories come from being together and sharing stories with your loved ones there.
About Jordan
Jordan feels right at home in the kitchen. He grew up in a "cooking family" and learned most of what he knows from watching his dad teach himself how to cook for the family and from watching his mom and his aunts make family recipes around the holidays.
Jordan is particular about avoiding food waste and can do a lot with a fridge full of leftovers. He also loves learning about new cultures and cuisines when he travels. And boy, does he love to travel.
He often plans his vacations around eating experiences, whether it's choosing a city based on a restaurant he wants to visit or scoping out the best restaurants in a city he knows he will be in. He and his dad love trying new restaurants when they travel together, agreeing Joe Beef in Montreal was one of the single best meals they've ever shared together.
He loves being outdoors, especially on the water. If he's not in the kitchen, you might just find him out fishing, hunting, or getting in a round of golf. He also saw travel as a huge benefit of our job as project managers and is looking forward to planning trips to visit Megan overseas.
Why Craving Abroad?
We're mostly hoping to keep better track of our adventures. Over Christmas, we looked at the family history book that my dad put together and were reminded how nice it is to be able to find your stories and memories in one place. We want to do a better job of logging our own and thought a blog would be a simple way to keep it all together. Even if it's just for us, we hope it'll become our own digital scrapbook of sorts.
Our families and friends are also such a big part of our lives that we wanted an easy way to keep them up to date on what we're up to as we head in different directions. It might just be our moms reading (hi, Terri and Judy!) and that's okay. We want to at least provide a platform to foster those connections when we're not all together.
In the end, we hope that if you've taken the time to read through our blog, you've found something that made you smile. Whether it's a story that sparks a memory of your own that you haven't thought about in years or you're excited about keeping in touch, we hope you find a little bit of joy from visiting our corner of the world.
Comments