Hey there! Welcome to Compasses & Quests!
We’re Lia and Matt, a couple of adventurers who believe the best moments in life come from time spent exploring the world around us. We met in college, where we both started taking little trips together and going camping as often as we could. We’ve both always had a love for adventure, but since our year backpacking through South America after graduation, we have been determined to continue living a life full of travels, outdoor adventures, and new experiences.
While our real obsession involves spending time hiking, camping, and enjoying the great outdoors, we also have a love for exploring bustling cities, learning about history and culture, and trying tasty cuisine around the world.
Lia
My love for travel started when I was very little. I was born in Colorado, but moved to Indonesia with my family when I was a baby. I spent my childhood in paradise on a few remote islands until we moved to a big city in Ghana (talk about culture shock). Life overseas provided me with amazing opportunities to travel to many countries, and I developed a passion for experiencing the unknown.
My family moved back to Colorado so my sister and I could attend high school and college in the U.S. I stayed in Colorado for college, studying marketing and finance and minoring in Spanish. But, travel has always been the thing that excites me the most, so this blog and my adventure-themed general store, Tawny Pine, were born. Thanks for following along on our adventures!
Matt
My story started in Pennsylvania in a town an hour north of Philadelphia, but my parents packed up and brought me out to Colorado before I could even walk. As a kid, I immersed myself in sports and spent most of my time with a hockey stick in my hands or shooting a basketball out in the backyard. I grew up with a love of the outdoors, and I was able to travel throughout the United States and into Canada and Mexico as well.
I stayed in Colorado for college, where I studied integrative physiology (more than you’d ever want to know about cells and the human body) and added a business minor and a certificate in public health. In 2020 I completed my Master’s in nursing and am now working in the Emergency Department at a hospital in beautiful Montana.
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For the foreseeable future, our home base will be in Montana. Here, we plan to explore the amazing places this area has to offer while continuing to embark on regular adventures abroad as well.
We hope that the stories we share will be helpful and informative while inspiring others to pack a bag and leave the comfort of their homes on a quest for adventure!