Longhorns Find Love in Europe

By Julia Farrell in Special, Travel, TXEX on February 14, 2014 at 11:11 am | No Comments

Some people travel to find adventure, others to see the world. But on a hot summer day in May 2009, Dylan Richey, BS ’09, Life Member, found his other half on a Texas Exes Flying Longhorns trip to Europe.

Dylan had always wanted to travel abroad. But with school, graduation, and work on the horizon, he simply didn’t have the time to plan it himself. He signed up for the Texas Exes Essential Europe Trip.

“Once I decided that the Texas Exes trip was the way to go, I started lobbying my roommate to join me on the excursion,” Dylan says. “We didn’t know anyone else on the trip, but that didn’t matter much to us.”

The trip was the first of two that summer, and there were 37 other enthusiastic new grads in the group. Dylan recalls meeting lots of friendly faces at the Houston Intercontinental Airport before the group boarded the plane. However, one face stood out from the crowd—Shannon Albritton, BS ’09.

“I love how free-spirited and easygoing she was and still is,” Dylan says. “She is so easy to be around and spend time with.”

After 24 days of exploring some of Europe’s most romantic spots, Dylan and Shannon realized they were more than friends.

“Shannon and I spent a lot of time together during the trip,” he says. “We did things like bar-hopping, vineyard-touring, four-wheeling, and many other adventures.”

When the trip came to a close in late June, the group packed up their bags and flew home. But what started in Europe certainly didn’t stay there. The two lovebirds began a long-distance relationship that lasted nearly two years, with Dylan working in Houston on drilling rigs and Shannon pursuing her advertising career in Dallas. And after Dylan’s career put him in Houston for the foreseeable future, Shannon didn’t hesitate to follow him there for good, finding an advertising job in Houston to be with him.

The couple was engaged in the fall of 2012 and married the next spring. They have built a life together in the Rice Military neighborhood of Houston. In their spare time, Dylan enjoys shooting and being outdoors, while Shannon is busy maintaining her own fashion blog. Dylan describes them as enjoying the simple things—walking in Memorial Park, movie dates, and of course, Texas football and tailgating.

The Richeys still have the travel bug—every winter they make sure to go skiing.

“We love to snow ski and will always try to make a trip every year, if not more than one,” Dylan says.

These days, the Richeys look back on their Texas Exes trip with a smile. Although Dylan says it’s impossible to pick one favorite moment from the trip, he’ll never forget the beautiful view of the Austrian Alps.

“A day hike in Austria while we stayed at Wagrain Sport Hotel was a memory that will stick with me forever,” Dylan says.

Dylan and Shannon Richey on their honeymoon to St. Lucia in March 2013. Photo courtesy Dylan Richey.

Tags: Austria, austrian alps, Europe, Longhorn Love, texas exes essential europe trip, wargrain sport hotel