Hello!

We’re Chris and Sheila, also known as The Traveling Massholes. We are a Massachusetts based couple living in the city, constantly looking for a way to escape and see the world. We are not only best friends but each others favorite travel buddy! We've seen so much of the world near and far in the short time we have been together and get ourselves into unique situations... and yes, they are quite unique... We truly believe it's not about the journey, but about who takes it with you.

We aim to inspire couples, solo travelers, families, and all to explore the beauties vary and wide in this place we call home. From camping endeavors to elaborate nights in the cities that never sleep - travel is affordable, reasonable, and possible for all.

OUR STORY:

We are constantly getting asked how we met and always laugh to ourselves as it wasn’t anything crazy. We actually met at a few different times in a couple of different locations in various situations. We always like to joke that one of the solidifying times was when Sheila dropped Alfredo sauce in the lobby of her apartment building and Chris reluctantly cleaned it up. To be fair, Sheila rewarded Chris for this terrible task by gifting him a sleeve of Thin Mint cookies. After a few dates and local adventures, Sheila decided to gift Chris a weekend away to New Orleans for his birthday. That trip was filled with lots of good food, the beginning of our relationship, and of course some wild adventure to get home.

Following this trip, we both fantasized about taking an adventure around Alaska. We talked for weeks about how amazing it would be to disconnect and just enjoy nature. This quickly became our next planned trip. Three months into dating we decided to go camping in Denali National Park at the farthest campsite into the park called Wonder Lake. We quickly learned if a relationship could last four days not showering, eating dehydrated foods, no makeup, and no coffee, it would be ours. (You learn a lot about someone when you go camping with them in the middle of the wilderness). We quickly began to plan our next trip and the rest is history.

WHY THE TRAVELING MASSHOLES?

Well, simply because many could consider us a ‘Masshole’. A Masshole is a term of contempt for a native or inhabitant of the state of Massachusetts. While Chris is a native and Sheila is an inhabitant, we both fall into the classification of a Masshole. We started The Traveling Massholes to share all the interesting situations we get ourselves into on our getaways. We wanted to share the beauty of the world that we have been so fortunate to explore via our photography and blog. We strongly believe in collecting memories, not things, and often prefer to gift each other trips or experiences rather than possessions. In the short time we've been together we have been around the world and back while exploring dozens of cities.

GET TO KNOW CHRIS

Chris got his first taste of international travel when he was 20, traveling to Egypt with the Army National Guard on a peacekeeping deployment.  He enjoyed learning about the history and culture of a foreign land so much, he booked a solo trip to Australia right after.  He bought his first DSLR, a Canon Rebel Xti, in 2007 on his second deployment to Kosovo and has been spending his money on camera equipment and travel ever since.

Chris finished out his time in the military and moved back to Australia to complete his bachelors degree. He explored Oceania by taking trips around Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. He retuned back to the United States to pursue a different passion. Chris is an adrenaline junky. Pretty fitting since he is a licensed helicopter pilot. As the master drone operator, there aren’t too many heights out of Chris’ reach.

GET TO KNOW SHEILA

Sheila’s love for travel began as she was growing up with parents who worked for the airlines and spending much of her childhood in airports. Her first time abroad was when she was not even a year old. Her parents took her to the Cayman Islands where they had a condo at the time. She lived abroad in France during a period in high school to perfect her French for her AP exam.

She moved to Boston to pursue a degree in science and continued to travel every break she had. Sheila is always down for dessert before dinner and will never pass up an opportunity to brunch. Sheila is constantly on the search to find a good biscuit. She loves traveling the world and learning about new cultures and how they live their daily lives. She loves to go out on a whim and reluctantly lets Chris drag her into situations she would normally not find herself in. Outside of her travels, Sheila works in healthcare. She is working in Public Health and runs her own business.