Jessica Martin & Woody Collins
People often ask me why I moved back to Oregon. I always tell them the truth: For Love.
Woody and I met on the steps of the Beanery in Ashland. It took over a year before we both realized that going to the coffee shop was a great excuse to see each other. Finally, we started dating. At the time I was going to school and was to graduate that spring. I already had plans to travel abroad to teach English and so, after only six months of dating, we had to say goodbye.
I traveled and taught for eleven months through Eastern Europe and eventually landed a teaching job in Siberia. Throughout this time, Woody was my constant companion. We spent hours on the phone, I sent him letters (I was often without the Internet), and he was always on my mind. I would not trade my experiences abroad for anything, especially because they taught me one essential truth. Adventure is nothing without someone to share it with.
My life has been filled with adventure since moving back to Woody, the thrilling kinds of adventures like climbing Pilot Rock in a lightning storm, skiing, and mountain bike rides and the more mundane adventures like quitting my job to go back to school for my teaching degree while he supports me.
Even though we have been in love for seven years, when Woody asked me to marry him I realized that our adventure together is just beginning.