This Seat’s Taken interview series: Cat & Kev of For Two, Please

We love getting to know couples who are different from us – but always enjoy getting to read about couples who mirror the way we interact and travel together. Cat and Kev of For Two, Please felt very much like the latter. They met through friends, and the rest is history. We’re so excited to learn from their many travel experiences, and we hope you are, too!

What’s your story?

We met in Taiwan in 2011. At that time, Cat was working as a HR consultant in Taipei. Kev was in med school and had the opportunity to travel from Canada to Taipei because of a summer exchange program. One day, Cat’s friend from university contacted her to have a reunion in Taipei. That friend happened to be Kev’s classmate in med school. She introduced us and the rest is history!

While Kev was in Taipei, Cat took him around the city. We would explore the city together whenever we were free. That’s when we realized we love being around each other and traveling together. After relocating to Canada in 2013, we’ve continue our adventures as a couple.

Traveling together as a couple comes naturally for us. We like to share experiences and create new memories together. Even though it is not always sunshine and roses (conflicts and quarrels are inevitable!), we learn to communicate better and deal with our differences. Throughout the process, we discover new things about one another and ways to strengthen our relationship.

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Do you have the same travel style or different travel styles? How does this impact your adventures together?

Different travel styles. Kev likes to travel at a slower pace with a fairly relaxed itinerary. Cat, on the other hand, travels at a faster pace because she wants to see as much as possible. She usually has a travel itinerary with things planned out, including what restaurants to eat at, what activities to do, how to get to from one place to another…etc.

While having a schedule helps keep us organized and prepared, things sometimes don’t go exactly as planned, and that would stress Cat out. Kev sometimes found it difficult to keep up with the pace because there were too many activities packed in a day!

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from traveling as partners? What makes your partnership work on the road?

Having a different travel style doesn’t mean we are not compatible and can’t enjoy traveling together. Kev’s slow travel style helps Cat slow down, engage with a destination, and explore deeper. Cat’s organization makes Kev realize planning ahead ensures us not miss out on some important experiences.

Communication is key. In the planning stage, we will discuss together what we want from the trip. When we are finalizing the itinerary, we make sure both parties are happy with what’s planned. On the road, we will voice any concern we have so we can resolve it right away.

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What’s the best part about traveling as partners? And the biggest challenge?

Best part – we have each other for support no matter what happens. We share laughter, fears, worries, and the ups and downs.

The biggest challenge – we don’t always enjoy the same experiences/activities. E.g., Cat likes to take photos during sunrise, but Kev doesn’t like to wake up early for that. In that case, Cat will choose go alone.

Based on your experience, what’s the best advice you have for couples who have just scheduled their first trip together?

Before the trip, talk about your expectation for the trip and agree on what you want to see and do. In addition, tell each other your travel style and preferences (e.g., do you like to sleep in? do you need some downtime/alone time? do you need coffee to start your day?).

Don’t forget to share the wisdom!