They say travel is a lot like Love, where you are not just receptive and mindful, but also willing to transform. However, when travelling with the right person, it becomes more of a release than a restriction; a space left for individual growth (and choices, if I may say so) driven by the power of that strong bond! This time we thought of exploring a few vital angles of couple traveling and the stories of the 6 duos we've interviewed have helped a great deal!

The sisters, Sari & Maya (@ChaseLenscapes) go on to prove that it is

Their passion for Photography has only heightened their old love for travel. In fact, the idea of their blog sprung from the wish to channelize their passion through a common mode. When enquired about the ‘safety scene’ , besides agreeing to the common difficulties, they also acknowledged that the possibilities of dangers could crop up anywhere, even at home. Similarly, the journey of Gerard & Grainne have taught them that down the line whether at home or while traveling, the standard rule is the same- ‘to let go when required’. Echoing the words of John Steinbeck, "_A journey (travel) is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it_” , mutual respect for each other’s space is key to liberation and also happy travel experiences. I mean, think about it, can disagreements really strike off the acceptance of the fact that you’re on the same team?

Backpacking Housewife (@JaniceHorton) and Gerard & Grainne (@ggjourneys) have a common affinity towards "slow travel". When for Janice, slow travel perfectly fits her writing schedule (she has signed a new 2-book deal, due for publication in 2019), Gerard explains how their 12 weeks of full-time travel through East Europe has got them closer to actually enjoying slow paced travel. The bug has bit them so hard that they know they’ll drop by home before heading to Canada coming January but, they are clueless about ‘exactly when’! Taking their time to feel the pulse of a place rather than just slightly touching the main attractions in a short span seems to have justified their letting go of "normal things", like their first rented home. They even quit their jobs and in turn, the journey strangely aroused in them their inner passions, which they plan to nurture alongside earning a living. The ex-housewife, as she would like to call herself, Janice expresses how ‘housesitting’ is a great option, especially for empty nesters like themselves in enhancing the essence of slow travel. In her words, a concoction of homestays, house sitting, and even farm tending arrangements, and can make you feel more bonded along the way since,

Their attitude towards travel as a way of living breaks through the general notion of having a permanent home base. To them,

Oh! how they collect Memories, not mere things and the journey itself becomes the Home !

Lucian (@tlucian9) and his girlfriend from Romania, always shared a similar interest in travelling unlike Sav (@savvydispatches) & Emmett who despite being high school sweethearts, did not share the passion, initially. However, post graduation, by the time they were on the verge of ending their backpacking trip around Europe, the travel bug had bitten Emmett. There was no looking back and they’ve been to 20 countries as a couple since then. As a matter of fact, later they also moved base to New Zealand and Australia on Working Holiday visa. Of course, it took Sav 3 long months to convince Emmett to take that first step forward but, they leaped that hurdle and justified Robert Brault’s saying."What we find in a soulmate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with." While they’ve dug into long-term traveling, Lucian & his partner, on the other hand, are more into weekend or vacation travels and would like to have a steady home. He says, "travel is for our spirit"; a means to live his age-long passion for photography beyond the humdrum of a joblife and he plans to continue no matter what!

Till date, none of the interviewed travelers have actually succumbed to money as a hurdle to travel. The monetary side is only a small part of travel plans. Most of all, there is this misconception about how one has to be rich in order to pursue the passion for travel. Instead, it is the opposite. All you need is, to be smart in allocating your finances and strategically spending it. Plus, there is scope to earn while traveling as well, take digital nomads for example!

The NYC based duo, Natalie and Jackson, may appear as though they’ve come out of some Woody Allen film, having Art, New York, Travel and Jazz in common but, they can be tagged as gurus when it comes to financial management or budget traveling. If you are bent on traveling smart, you will find a way to cut down on the expense. The duo stands as an example themselves, who became fond of camping while in Africa when they actually chose camping, in the first place, as an alternative to the expensive accomodation options in the area. Hand-in-hand with working towards becoming digital nomads, the couple have shared their ways of managing travel finances by curbing extra travel expenses overseas. Guess what their weapon is? They call it a fancy-ish credit card from Chase.com. Another common instance is extracting money from foreign ATMs, which can cost a tad bit too much. If you’re curious about places where most transactions happen via cash, getting a pre-hand estimate of your expenses and extracting the amount at one go is your best bet. If you have leftover cash and are shifting destination, take Jackson’s advice-

What are the future plans for the phase of ‘old & grey’? None have actually spoken of any plans material, for the second innings of their lives. Janice & her husband in their late 50’s are full of life and feel that

On the other hand, Sav & Emmett wish to travel and with their savings they intend to "help others with less means, to be able to travel as well." In the end, each reverberated C.S Lewis’s words that one is “_never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream._”