Sharikay & Eric met in 2001 while working at Christie's auction house. Though they worked as colleagues for a long time, it wasn't until Spring 2003 that the love connection was made. That summer, Eric decided to cruise down the Amazon, while Sharikay endured her own concrete jungle -- a.k.a. New York City. They survived on email, two-minute phone calls from pay phones in the middle of nowhere and an all-too-brief, 10-day tryst in Paraguay and Argentina. After spending months fighting off piranhas in Brazil and the Border Patrol in Paraguay, Eric returned to the real world for a job in London.

In December 2004, the seed for the big trip was planted. They decided they'd had enough -- not only of the day jobs, but most importantly of the distance between them. After much thought and consideration, in July it was official - it was time to make the dream a reality. By summer's end, Sharikay kissed all those near and dear to her good-bye and packed up for a new life in London to assume the responsibility of planning our expedition full time.

Although their methods of travel have not always been the same - Sharikay wouldn't mind flying around the world in style, while Eric would walk around it with just the clothes on his back - they've compromised, as couples often do. With luck, the next two years will be spent safely traveling the globe in Ginger, our Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80, fulfilling the dream of a lifetime.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

A bag is always packed ready for the next adventure. There were many family road trips as a child, and after her first trip to Europe as a teenager, wanderlust officially set in. Upon graduating from university, she bought a backpack, an airline ticket and a Eurail pass. With a degree in Art History, she was ready to explore the Europe she had studied in the classroom for so long!

Once back to reality, with her education, knack for planning and organization, several years were spent applying those skills at Christie's auction house, working first in Chicago, then in New York. However, as some good things must come to an end, eventually there was a need for change in "corporate environment" so she switched gears to put those finely tuned skills to use in the marketing industry at Worth Linen Associates, Inc.

Meeting Eric has only made the wanderlust that found Sharikay at sixteen more intense. Even though many were surprised about the idea of this expedition, they knew a trip around the world was always a desire of hers. Those five weeks after university spent back-packing from Greece to Belgium hadn't been nearly enough. However, it was at least a start to fulfilling her dream to visit all seven continents and to see as many wonders of the world that her time on this precious earth would allow.

Buffalo, New York

Ever interested in new experiences, Eric always enjoyed exploring the world. His childhood appetite for adventure stories set in exotic locales developed into a desire to find his own adventures in far off lands.

After finishing university in his home town of Buffalo, New York, he moved to New York City. By night, he enjoyed the culture and nightlife of the greatest city on Earth. By day, he worked hard as a Financial Analyst. He first found success at Salomon Smith Barney, but it was with Christie's auction house that he had the opportunity to move to London.

An avid outdoorsman, Eric enjoys the simple pleasures of forest and trail. Racing sunrise on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and finding wonder at the gates of Macchu Picchu showed him the beauty of the great treks of the world. But it was on the trails closer to home - the Appalachian Trail in America and the Cumbria Way in England - that he found the quiet glory of the road less traveled.

That road has taken him to many different corners of the world. His first experiences with independent travel took place in the Central American rain forest. Since then he has seen the Great Wall, Iguaçu, Giza and Angkor. But what he values most was his experiences meeting people along the way.

With Sharikay by his side, he looks forward to the next new experience and the next new adventure.