A journey to the center of the Earth, alumni couple visits 113 countries
Scaling an active volcano, swimming with manta rays and running into lions at night in an African jungle sounds like the plot of an Indiana Jones movie, but it is Hudson and Emily Crider’s reality. The married couple began their traveling adventures almost six years ago and have now visited 113 countries out of their goal of 195.
Hudson and Emily Crider grew up as friends in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and after they started dating, they graduated from Liberty University together in 2012. After graduation, they moved to the DC/Baltimore area, both working corporate jobs.
When Hudson Crider’s father passed away, they realized how short life was. God was calling them to live their lives to the fullest, and their answer to that call was traveling. Hudson Crider’s life quote is “think of the stories you want to tell one day, then go out and live them,” so he and his wife decided to travel the world and “live the stories” they would tell their kids in the future.
The couple started with the modest ambition of visiting every state in America. They bought a used RV and soon completed their goal. Their favorite state to visit was Hawaii, where the diverse landscape captured their hearts and they got to dip in the waters with the giant manta rays.
Funnily enough, neither of them grew up traveling, but in seventh grade, Emily and Hudson Crider were in the same class and both had to submit a report on a country. Emily remembered submitting a report on England, a prequel to the dream. It wasn’t until they were at Liberty that they came up with the idea of traveling together once they got married.
Now, the couple has trekked with gorillas in Uganda, swum with humpback whales in Tahiti and spent the night on a volcano while watching another one erupt in Antigua, Guatemala. They’ve seen everything from the exotic mountains of South America to the bustling cities of Europe and the Middle East.
Much to the couple’s surprise, traveling around the world isn’t as expensive as they thought it would be. They found that, oftentimes, traveling is cheaper than living in the DC/Baltimore area. That being said, they carefully save and budget for every trip.
Emily Crider said they keep an eye on flight deals so they can take the cheapest flight out of the country. They also travel in “sections,” meaning they typically fly to one country, and from there, visit the neighboring countries instead of returning to the U.S. The couple tries to take public transportation, like the Eurail trains and bussing systems, as often as they can while trekking through each country.
They conduct research and plan each trip before setting off. Emily Crider admitted that sometimes they don’t plan as early as they’d like, but they always make sure to learn about the culture and what’s safe before hitting the roads. They typically start their planning with a list of five places they want to see in one country and go from there.
Kenya has been the couple’s favorite nation to visit so far because of the wildlife and the kindness of the people there, especially the Maasai tribe who welcomed them into their country. In fact, kindness seems to be a thread that ties all their trips together.
“In the Middle East, the kindness and hospitality was on another level,” Hudson Crider said. “So many people invited us for tea, offered free food and welcomed us to their country.”
When Hudson and Emily Crider arrived in Saudi Arabia, their Uber driver surprised them by welcoming them with a gift when he found out they were foreigners. He bought them coffee and talked with them about sights to see in his country. He refused to take any money from them in exchange for his help.
“The kindness of people has continually blown us away,” Emily Crider said. She also described how people in Switzerland opened their homes to them and let them “couch surf.”
One of the stories the couple is for sure going to tell their kids one day is the time they ran into lions after dark in Serengeti, Tanzania. To save money, they rented their own car to get through the safari trails. However, the safari guides advised them not to drive on the trails at night because they could get shot if they’re mistaken for poachers, as park rangers are taught to shoot poachers on sight.
Long story short, they were driving on the trails at night. As they hurried to reach the end of the trail, they ran into a roadblock: a pride of lions. Several lions laid in the middle of the road, stopping them in their tracks. The couple had to wait for the lions to leave before they could keep going and make it safely to their destination.
As hitting the road entails, things don’t often go as planned. Though Emily and Hudson Crider have seen each other at their worst and have had arguments along the way, it’s only brought them closer. They’ve learned that it’s wise to make up quickly, to forgive and move on.
“It can be easy to focus on getting to the next destination — whether that be literal travel destinations or moving onto the next life stage — so much that you lose sight of making the most of each day and enjoying the journey along the way,” Emily Crider said. “Hudson inspires me to have joy in the journey and to live each day with an eternal perspective to share the love of Jesus with others.”
Though being with someone 24/7 can be stressful, especially in tight situations, Hudson Crider couldn’t imagine experiencing it with anyone else.
“It’s a dream to be able to travel with my best friend,” Hudson Crider said.
Hudson and Emily Crider are currently planning a trip to West Africa. To tag along on their adventures, follow them on Instagram and TikTok @hudsonandemily or visit their website.
Bear is the feature editor for the Liberty Champion
