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The Story Behind Us: Carla & Guil

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

We actually met in high school. We attended different schools and met through water polo. I had the biggest crush on Guil, but we lost touch when we went to different colleges. We reconnected seven years later and have been dating ever since!

You see, both of us are from Brazil (he was born there, I was born in the U.S.), so the bulk of our family members reside abroad. As I told Guil when we first began dating, “airports have become my rest stops, and the sky a comforting reminder of the welcoming embraces soon to come.”

We bonded over that, because we both knew that travel was an inherent part of our lives — the only way to reconnect with family and friends!

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

Our first trip together was to New York City. It’s one of my favorite cities in the U.S., so Guil surprised me for my 23rd birthday with tickets. We flew in on a Friday night, stayed in a tiny two-bedroom shared with strangers, climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the New York Public Library, had brunch (a must), and ended the quick getaway with a rooftop drink at Hotel Hugo on Sunday afternoon.

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

So we’re just getting started, and we have a big trip coming up next year. Both Guil and I love taking photos. I handle our Instagram account, while he’s polishing his video editing skills. We are starting a blog — Double-Occupancy.com — in which I will chronicle our journeys. I’m a journalist, so writing is my thing!

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How do you make decisions together for next destinations?

It’s a mixture of research and checking off places from our personal bucket lists. A lot also depends on our allotted vacation days, as we both work full time now.

We are planning a pretty cool trip next year, where we’ll visit several countries over an extended period of time. In this case, we basically threw all the places we’ve ever wanted to visit in a hat and chose the ones that fit our route best!

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

It’s a lot more exciting to be together now because it’s no longer“if” we take that next trip… It’s always “when” we take that next trip!

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 live together now, so we’re pretty used to being together 24/7. When we are traveling together, the excitement generally trumps most misunderstandings. For the times it doesn’t, we remind the other to take a step back, breathe and count to ten, and remember how fortunate we are to be doing what we love with the person we love.

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

Drinking a beer together, overlooking the entire city of Rio de Janeiro from a rooftop bar that seemed to sit on top of an abandoned, dilapidated building, inside one of Rio’s most infamous favelas, or ghettos, called Vidigal. To get to the bar, we entered a long van that zig-zagged its way up the hill, somehow unscathed, that so many Brazilians call home.

The ride up was frightening, for several reasons. But sitting at the top of one of the poorest communities in Rio, we realized we were witnessing one of the best views in the entire city, while surrounded by the richest culture and the warmest of welcomes from the happiest of people.

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

It’s nice to always have someone there by your side, whether it’s to plan how to spend the day; or learn to communicate in a foreign language; or to discuss the culture we’re experiencing at the time.

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

Guil: Having to linger around every tiny shop.

Carla: Not as much privacy!

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

It’s not so much about the “spark.” It’s about the thrill of the adventure, and appreciating the fact that we can share these moments with one another.

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

Don’t procrastinate: Pick a place and GO!

Get to Know the Couple:
Carla & Guil: @double.occupancy

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