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The Story Behind Us: Ayesha & Gavin

How did you meet and when did you both realize your love for travel?

Gavin and I met in our hometown of Northam, a country town of just 7,000 people in Western Australia. Funnily enough we had been to school together (although two years apart), and had worked the same after- school job without ever actually meeting, until a party on a mutual friends farm that neither of had intended on going to. We were both fortunate enough to travel overseas with our families, so from a young age we both had the sense of adventure instilled in us. It took us four years before we travelled together for the first time – I have no idea how or why it took so long!

Where was your first destination together and tell us about it?

We went to Singapore in 2011. Gavin has been numerous times when he was young but it was new to me and we were celebrating the completion of my university degree before I dived into full-time work. We absolutely loved it although our travel style has definitely changed over time – we went back recently and we weren’t nearly as enthralled – we’ve definitely learnt we love the country more than the city when we’re on the road!

How do you share your work on the road? Who does what?

We’re both professional photographers so we both constantly have our cameras in our hands, although Gavin’s the man behind all the epic landscapes – I have a background in portrait photography and that’s where my passion lies. I do the majority of the writing as Gavin is actually dyslexic, although he does write a lot of the photography related content and I then act as the editor!

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How do you make decisions together for next destinations?

There’s really no logical reasoning behind where we choose to travel – it’s different every time. Sometimes we’ll be travelling to destinations based on work opportunities, others because we know they’ll be incredible to photograph or it can even just be simply based on weather (hello sunny Greece after six weeks in chilly Scotland!). We both have destinations or experiences that are on our ‘bucket list’ so to speak, but many cross-over which is fortunate!

Have you noticed any changes in the relationship since you started traveling together?

Travelling has strengthened our relationship more than we could have imagined. We saw ourselves as extremely close before we embarked on this adventure but we’ve realized it’s not until you’re put into extreme situations that you’re really shown someones true character, and travelling long-term is certainly not the same as going on holiday for two weeks, it’s make or break!

Living and traveling together 24/7 can sometimes be stressful and relate to moments of disagreements or misunderstandings. How do you cope with these situations?

Even before we started travelling we barely argued, my friends used to laugh at me when I’d go to uni and tell them we’d had a fight because Gavin had told me I was going to blow the vacuum cleaner up because I was using it incorrectly (I’ve never been one for housework, and he’s done the vacuuming since) – we both get over it pretty quickly, you have to when you’re with each other 24/7. It normally ends in a laugh somehow, that’s just how we work.

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What is the most beautiful moment you have experienced together while traveling?

There’s been so many but one of our favourite moments was when we first saw snow. We had moved to Canada with the intention of living and working on a ski field but when we arrived in Vancouver we fell in love with the city. It did, however, mean that we weren’t going to get months of snow like we had wished for (being from extremely flat and dry Western Australia!). We woke up one morning not long before Christmas and I walked out into our living room – we had a corner apartment so almost a panoramic view of English Bay and the city – and it was all covered in snow. I yelled out to Gavin and we got changed in about ten seconds and ran down to the snow-covered beach with a friend who lived in the same building. We were SO happy – you can see it in our faces!

What do you like the most about traveling as a couple?

There’s nothing quite like sharing new experiences with your loved one, we both have different strengths so we lift each other up in different ways. Puzzling over a map in a foreign language, navigating a new public transport system, seeing a volcano for the first time together, landing in that destination you’ve dreamt about for years – it’s all these moments that we share that makes travelling as a couple so special.

What do you like the least about traveling as a couple?

The only downside we’ve found is that as a couple you’re not forced quite as much to interact with other travellers – you always have the comfort of someone with you. In saying that, it works the other way too – solo travellers seem to be drawn to each other more than approaching a couple. However, we have definitely met some amazing people on the road – both singles and couples – and it’s one of our favourite parts about travelling!

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How do you keep the relationship spark alive on the road?

We never stay in hostels and opt for hotels or Airbnbs instead, we splash out every now and then and forget about the budget, and although we are often chasing the sunrise for photography opportunities, we remember to take a moment every time just to sit there with one another and appreciate where we are and what we’re doing.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to any couple wanting to travel together?

Work as a team. Communicate. Compromise. Listen. Laugh. Cry. Step out of your comfort zone. Never get too hungry, it never ends well. Live in the moment. This is our recipe to success, and it’s worked pretty well so far!

Get to Know the Couple:
Ayesha & Gavin: @lensesandlocals
Travel Blog: lensesandlocals.com
Travel Shop: shop.lensesandlocals.com

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