The biggest reason for Thomas and me finally taking to Vanlife at this time is so we can get to Michigan in time for a very special celebration. My baby brother, Joey, moved to Singapore not long after graduating from Berkeley in December 2022. All of us missed him right away and I worried he would like it over there too much and never come home. Well, as beautiful as the green scenery is, Joey fell in love with another beauty of Singapore.
From the lovebirds’ perspectives:
Joey says, “A boy had just completed a move to the other side of the world to explore a new job and seek adventure, and he thought to himself, “let’s see who’s out there, you never know…” Not too far away, a girl wanted to give dating a shot after a long break, and she was thinking about the same. Luck (or fate) would have them come across each other’s phone screens and swipe right for their own reasons (“Wow, she’s stunning~” or “Haha look at this silly ang moh”). Luck again would strike as they started talking; the boy with a bit of liquid courage quickly asked the girl out for dinner, and the girl said yes after some prodding from her friends. She quickly booked a reservation at a nice Italian spot before the boy knew what happened (she’s obviously a planner, “score!”). The next day at that restaurant, their eyes met and their lives truly changed instantaneously (with two more dates happening in the same week!). And now they want to take on the greatest adventure of all – together :)”
Charmian says, “I swore off men for a little while after a couple of humbling heartbreaks. I was cautiously open to the idea of dating after but never had the courage and tenacity to take the leap. It took me one dinner with my girlfriends, and one of them lamented, “what do you have to lose?”
So I whipped my phone out right then and shot Joey a message on Bumble to meet up. We met up at a quaint Italian restaurant a few days later, and our lives changed forever.
Everyday since then has been that much sweeter, that much warmer. We decided to get together 2 weeks after our first dinner, and get married just over a year after that. The concept of time has become so elusive for us – we’re always losing track of time when we’re around each other. But I guess this is the beauty of finding your one true love, and I will not trade it for anything in the world.”
Charmian and Joey were able to visit us here in Tucson in January 2024. It was easy to see how in love they were. The light in both of their eyes when they looked at each other makes my heart glad. Charmian is an absolute dear. She is kind and smart and funny–everything my baby brother deserves. It is so heartwarming how she and her family have embraced Joey, celebrating Thanksgiving for him and incorporating him in their traditions. During their visit, we went to the Sonoran Desert Museum, us DeGrandchamps got tattoos, and Joey and Charm were able to sign Eremos (they had to wade through a bit of a mess).
It was not a surprise later that year when Joey and Charmian told us they were engaged. Honestly, they seemed like they were practically engaged while they were visiting. The timeline of their wedding was surprising! They officially got married in Singapore in July 2024 and started planning celebration ceremonies in the US and Singapore for 2025.
Once they decided on a Michigan celebration in May 2025, Thomas and I decided to make that our goal for finishing the van and taking to our missions field at last. We cannot wait to see Charmian again and we are excited to meet her family in person as well. Plus, this will be the first time in about 20 years since both my brothers and I will be in Michigan together. Michigan, here we come!
The Traveling Mountains 
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