How did you meet and when did you both realize your love for travel?
We met at a party that a lot of mutual friends were at but didn’t actually really hang out for a while. We met and spoke briefly but never got together for a date until a few weeks later after I reached out to Alex and asked if I could cook her dinner. Both of us had traveled quite a bit before we met and after dating for a while we began traveling together. We went full force when we quit our jobs and started Couple’s Coordinates. Since then we have traveled to something like 20 countries together.
Where was your first destination together and tell us about it?
Our first flight together was to Salt Lake City. We spent some time there for business and then went up to Park City for a ski trip. If you’re asking about international travel, however, our first trip was to Italy. We quit our jobs and moved to Florence in June 2015. We lived there for 4 months and bounced all over Europe before heading to Southeast Asia for a couple months.
How do you share your work on the road? Who does what?
Alex tends to focus on photography and photo editing for us while I prefer to focus on writing/copy as well as web design. We had a professional help us with our overall website design, but when it comes to tweaks, cosmetic updates, console management, and blog launches I take the lead.
How do you make decisions together for next destinations?
We bounce ideas off one another. We have a very open dialogue and communicate well with one another so that we know what the other wants. Balance and sacrifice are also huge for us, so we try to ensure the other is happy with the plans. Fortunately we both love the same destinations invariably and dislike the same (albeit few) locations.
Have you noticed any changes in the relationship since you started traveling together?
We have definitely grown closer. Many people travel to “find” themselves, but we both would agree that we have learned more about the other person while traveling extensively than we have about ourselves. We have always been confident of who we are as individuals so there was not much of a soul search aspect to our travels. More so continual soul replenishing. But we definitely have learned everything about the other person inside and out from traveling together. In the past we have written about this as well. Travel is imperative for couples and can be a key contributor to the overall success of a relationship. Traveling together makes you fall in love over and over and over again while also learning to work as a team. This, we feel, prepares you to be a family down the road. Think power couple.
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?
We are contributors to The Blonde Abroad and have written a number of articles on this type of stuff. Check out this one here for some of our favorite tips on mitigating or managing these situations: Do’s and Don’ts of Couples Travel
What is the most beautiful moment you have experienced together while traveling?
Last month on September 6, 2016 we got engaged in Positano and it was absolutely magical!
What do you like the most about traveling as a couple?
Somewhat touched on this a couple questions ago but the aspect of falling in love over and over again while truly becoming a team. We have become SO close from traveling together. I literally could not imagine my life without Alex and I know she feels the same way. Our adventures together are one of the things that makes our relationship so amazing and so rewarding.
What do you like the least about traveling as a couple?
Probably needing time alone/with friends. We touched on this in another article that we wrote for The Blonde Abroad: The Importance of Personal Time When Traveling as a Couple
How do you keep the relationship spark alive on the road?
I would be hard pressed to find a couple LOSE a relationship spark on the road. Traveling creates the spark. Spending time with your partner in foreign locations while indulging in amazing cuisine and walking through history is about as romantic as it gets. It is almost as if every day is a romantic date. It’s almost hard to keep up with when you get home (lol)!
What is one piece of advice you’d give to any couple wanting to travel together?
I hate to beat a dead horse, but these questions are all in line with articles that we have written before that I think better sum up the answer than a simple 2 or 3 sentence excerpt. Check out this article: The Reality of Traveling as a Couple
In short, however, I would say learn to compromise. Love your partner, and enjoy the ride. You’re going to create memories for a lifetime and you’re sure to have the best time of your life.
Get to Know the Couple:
Alex: @alexandra_carson
Michael: @michael_j_gallagher
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