It seems an ideal measure of true love, working and travelling together – and of course continuing to keep that ever so important spark alight.
We wanted to find out what it’s like eating, sleeping and breathing together 24/7 while travelling the world and working in a close environment with your one and only. So we’ve asked Elise, who has been working seasons and travelling with her partner for the last two years, what exactly this fairy-tale set up encompasses.
1. What is the most challenging thing about living, travelling and working in a couple?
I don’t really see it as a challenge, I love living, travelling and working with my partner. But I suppose the biggest thing is that there’s no privacy or secrecy from one another which makes it virtually impossible to plan surprises!
2. What is the best thing about living, travelling and working in a couple?
I think the best thing is that we get to know everything about each others’ situations and go through everything together. Because we are dealing with the exact same things it’s easier to support each other. I love getting to work with my best friend because we obviously get on so well but also because we know the other persons’ skill set, we become much more efficient at completing the task at hand.
3. Did you have any concerns before you set off on your adventure?
Not at all. But we had worked and lived together prior to setting off and had also been best friends for a while. I suppose the only concerns I had were whether or not we would enjoy the change of lifestyle but I needn’t have worried as it was probably the best decision we’ve ever made.
4. What do you do if you argue and has this ever affected your work?
If we argue it’s usually down to tiredness but they’re not serious fall outs. We’ve had a few times where we’ve not spoken the night before, gone to bed, woken up still not speaking and gone to work but if you’re going to work together in a couple, you need to learn when to turn your personal feelings for each other off and go into work mode, or you won’t be effective employees.
5. What have been the main causes of any conflicts?
As I said before, tiredness, or the job at hand – perhaps something we disagree on about the way things are done but it’s never actually our relationship or each other that are the problem. We have a rule that if we argue at work, we leave it at work and don’t take it home with us because that’s just not sustainable and you’ll end up ruining your time off shift too.
6. What would your advice be for a couple who are looking into living, travelling and working together?
You need to make sure you get on as individual people and are able to be un-coupley around each other. And by that I mean not constantly calling each other pet names, being glued to the hip or making everyone watch your PDAs – that won’t get you anywhere. You need to integrate yourself with the rest of your colleagues too and no one will appreciate it if you can’t do something or go somewhere without your significant other.
You will also need to make sure you can differentiate between work problems and personal problems and don’t let them mix or you’ll find yourselves arguing about silly things. Once you’ve got that down, you can just enjoy each other and the experiences you’re both lucky enough to share together. Because it really is wonderfully rare to find someone that you can have all of that with and still be effortlessly happy.
You will also need to make sure you can differentiate between work problems and personal problems and don’t let them mix or you’ll find yourselves arguing about silly things. Once you’ve got that down, you can just enjoy each other and the experiences you’re both lucky enough to share together. Because it really is wonderfully rare to find someone that you can have all of that with and still be effortlessly happy.
7. How do you go about getting jobs together?
We usually go for couple roles in chalets or villas and interview together. However, we have been interviewed separately for various jobs within the same company. Most employers will interview you together to gage your dynamic and they will ask you tricky questions. This is how they suss out what kind of couple you are and whether or not they think you’ll last in the job together. Get ready for them to point blank ask you about your arguments and slightly more personal questions than you may be used to.
8. Would you consider taking a job without your partner now that you’ve been colleagues for such a long time?
I probably wouldn’t. Even if we weren’t necessarily employed in the same role I would want us to be at least working within the same company. But I suppose I’ve grown used to having my partner there and we work so well as a team anyway, it would almost be silly not applying together.
9. How do you feel about moving around so much and do you have a base anywhere?
We often visit family and friends in between our ventures but we have no set base. We tend to make a home wherever we are at that moment – it’s quite fun that way, setting up a mini temporary home that’s just yours for the time being.
10. What are your plans for the future?
To continue to live, travel and work together. I am living my dream.
I CAN NOT imagine doing all this with my boyfriend Lol!!!