Swept Together
Swept Together
Christian Montecillo and Annabelle Needles
The story of a modern romance between two adventurers: at home, at work, and on the road.
Episode 77 | Where We Build Something Together
On today's episode, we’re chatting about travel-inspired businesses, board games that bring us together (or tear us apart), and jumping in vs sitting on the sidelines. And we're joined by the fun + multi-business couplepreneur, Erin + James of Denver Graffiti Tour. Here's what we covered in this interview: * The importance of shared interests + core values to a successful relationships * How they were inspired + decided to start both their first + second businesses together * Why they believe hands-on experience is more important than fancy education * Why learning history + context deepens your appreciation of art [Tweet "Your core values are more important than the small stuff - @denvergraffiti on @swepttogether"] [Tweet "Even the worst case scenario is still an opportunity to learn - @denvergraffiti on @swepttogether"] [Tweet "The biggest disservice you can do to yourself is stay on the sidelines instead of playing the game - @denvergraffiti on @swepttogether"] Stay Connected with Erin + James: Denver Graffiti Tour | Instagram | Facebook | Trip Advisor | James Carlson Real Estate
Jul 24, 2018
55 min
Episode 76 | Three Years and Counting
Today we're talking about relationship math, Annabelle's bad habit of wandering off into her own head, and we can neither confirm nor deny the first book we read together. Here's what we covered: * What we've learned about ourselves and each other after three years together * The difference between passionate love and companionate love * How struggles have impacted our relationship as we've grown together * Why it's important to keep pursuing each other even when you're tempted to coast * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "One of the lifelong objectives of any relationship is figuring out your partner's communication style - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "I can trust you have our best interests at heart even if we don't agree - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "Our relationship is dynamic so we have to keep learning what works for us now - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 76: Mural in our cover photo by Jason Thielke Episode 0 | Where the Coffee Is Aziz Ansari on Modern Romance Episode 32 | Together with Nocturne - Scott + Nicole's interview Graph from The Happiness Hypothesis by Johnathan Haidt Gottman Institute on Building Love Maps Episode 048 | The Funny Thing About Marriage - Gerard + Jessie's interview Denver Graffiti Tour
Jul 10, 2018
39 min
Episode 75 | A Whole New World
Today we're talking about FOMO, moving (the stuff in boxes kind, not the RV life kind), Annabelle's childhood tchotchkes, and the classic Aladdin karaoke song. Here's what we covered: * How we picked our new neighborhood in Denver * The hardest parts of being in a new "stationary" home after a year of travel * Our decluttering rampages continue! * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "We thought we'd pick up our lives where we left off but truthfully, our lives are changed forever. - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "FOMO is a part of life for someone who loves to travel - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 75: Episode 5 | Where You Park It Simple Green Bus on Instagram
Jun 26, 2018
38 min
Episode 74 | Our Inner Circle
Today we're talking about what we're most looking forward to about being home for the summer, the evolution of friendships as we age, and the theme we've given this next season in our lives. Here's what we covered: * The size of our network vs the number in our inner circle * Our biggest realization after being on the road for over a year * How a community impacts our marriage and relationships * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "It's so important when you're experiencing hardship to know you're not alone - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "We're designed for friendships IRL, not just online - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 74: See Christian's modeling debut Denver Grafitti Tour Validation of Dunbar's Number Episode 48 | The Funny Thing About Marriage What it's actually like making plans with people - that funny video about adult friendships Episode 4 | A Secret Camping Spot
Jun 13, 2018
28 min
Episode 73 | There and Back Again
Today we're talking about a huge transition we've just experienced as we've made our way back to Denver. Here's what we covered: * What our final days in Gulliver the RV looked like * How we think 13 months of RV life has changed us and where we're headed from here * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "Our possessions were so hard to get rid of but now we hardly remember what we left behind - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "Sometimes live changes so drastically you can no longer imagine your old "normal" - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "RVing has made us more aware of our impact on the world - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 73: Episode 58 | Our Own Irresistible Interview Episode 27 | A Huge RV!
Jun 5, 2018
46 min
Episode 072 | Where Our Memories Are
Today we're talking about Christian's definition of "cute," Annabelle's childhood backyard, SPORTS!, and our time at Big Bend National Park. Here's what we covered: * Do you get nostalgic for places you've visited or spent a period of time? * Can landscapes hold memories for us? * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "13 months in an RV together and we're both still alive! - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 72: Big Bend National Park Ken Burns National Parks: America's Best Idea Series
May 29, 2018
40 min
Episode 71 | The Best of Texas
Today we're talking about regional vocabularies, whether bluebonnets are actually purple, and our favorite stops from our two months of traveling around Texas. Here's what we covered: * The assorted day trips we took from our "homebase" in Austin including Waco, San Antonio, Marfa and more. * The extra-Texas seasonal traditions we participated in * Proof you should always be checking in with your spouse (and not assume you know them) * Is there a place in Texas that would tempt us away from Denver? * Have questions for us that you'd like to hear us answer on an upcoming episode? Leave a comment below! [Tweet "We were submerged in a vat of Dr. Pepper nostalgia - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 71: Regional Dialect Quiz via The New York Times (based on Harvard Dialect Survey) Episode 70 | All By Myself Proof about men vs. women and color perception via Psychology Today Dr Pepper Museum Groupon in Waco, TX (not an affiliate link) Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, TX Big Bend National Park
May 22, 2018
47 min
Episode 70 | All By Myself
Today Annabelle is out of town, teaching a workshop back home in Denver so Christian recorded a solo show talking about the upsides to being alone. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. What does Christian have to say? Resources mentioned in Episode 70: Evergreen Lane Productions (Annabelle's video editing business)  
Mar 20, 2018
28 min
Episode 69 | Dealing With Change
Today we're talking about the oddities that Christian dreams about, whether Annabelle has any idea where she's going, and how we cope with constant change. Here's what we covered: * What's next on the last planned leg of our road trip * The tools we've used to navigate our relationship, career and travel transitions over the last few years * The difference between co-dependency and influence when making we're making decisions [Tweet "Sometimes we'll do it your way + sometimes we'll do it mine - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 69: Evergreen Lane Productions (Annabelle's video editing business) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo The Minimalists Packing Party
Mar 6, 2018
47 min
Episode 68 | Where We’ll Marry the Wrong Person
Today we're talking about Christian's obsession with romantic comedies, Annabelle's gratitude practice, how dating websites are like Yelp, and where we stand on the "soul mate" debate. Here's what we covered: * Have we married the wrong person? * How we develop a messed-up idea of what relationships are supposed to be about * Is settling for "good enough" really worse than holding out for "perfection?" * Why vulnerability and self-discovery are the keys to a "good enough" marriage * How we teach each other to be better romantic partners [Tweet "Until you know yourself, you can’t properly relate to another person - @swepttogether"] [Tweet "Real love is about being a good teacher, not a good mind reader - @swepttogether"] Resources mentioned in Episode 68: The Five Minute Journal Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person by Alain de Botton | Watch the video Episode 0 | Where the Coffee Is
Feb 20, 2018
45 min
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