Else & Ilse | LGBTIQ+ adventurers

[SERIOUS CONTENT WARNING: THIS IS CHEESY!] Today is Ilse's birthday and for me, this is the most important day of the year! This day celebrates the birth of my favorite person and I am beyond grateful to have her in my life. As you know, we met on Tinder  about one and a half years ago and didn't expect anymore that we would find a person we would  really like on this platform. Additionally, I had a serious shortcoming: my bangs! Ilse didn't like bangs at all, but she states that she does like them now. (I would give them up for her, though!) A couple of weeks later, we went on our first date; our second date eight days after that made it obvious: we might be right for each other. Ever since, we are inseparable. We go on the most amazing vacations (remember our posts on Portugal and Belgium ?), have outdoor adventures while hiking, canoeing, or cycling, and explore our city in the best way possible. But our biggest adventure so far is still to come: moving in together! We...

We love traveling, we love exploring, we love outdoor activities. But we barely have (or: had) the time for them! So, here's an upside to the COVID-19 restrictions of not seeing anyone, of not going to bars, restaurants, and clubs, of not traveling: we have more time for each other and more time for outdoor activities! (We  do not  want to downplay the pain, loss, and death this pandemic is causing — we just got lucky enough to enjoy some extra time.) These last few weeks, we have been hiking and exploring the nearby woods. It's incredible how beautiful they are in spring! Lush, green, the sun shining through the green treetops, rustling from last fall's brown leaves with every step. And most of the time, the woods are surprisingly quiet, with only a few people taking walks or hiking. The only thing missing these days, particularly for Ilse: ending the trip with a cool beer (or two) and maybe a snack at a beer garden. She wants her reward! Also, after years without ev...