We had the pleasure of meeting Jenn and Ed of Coleman Concierge at TBEX, and are so very excited that they’ve contributed to this series. Their travel photos, experience, and expertise make them one of our favorite travel couples to follow – and they’re quite warm and friendly, to boot! Now, they’re sharing some of their best advice for travel couples of all kinds.
What’s your story?
We came from two different worlds that happened to coincide in the same place at the same time. Ed had the traditional corporate 9-5 job. Maybe not traditional because he’s a physicist and wicked smart, but…. butt in the chair every day and adventures on weekends and holidays. He even had an ex-wife and two kids to boot. I lived my life as a ski bum, traveling from mountain to mountain in the American West working a couple of seasons in each place before moving on to the next town. Big world, short life I say.
We met when both of our lives were in a transition period. I was in Tucson to get a new set of knees (fully bionic baby!…I wish!! But metallic none the less), and Ed’s kids had just left the house. There is, of course, a lot more to both of those stories but, long story short, we were ready for something new. For Ed, he wanted to find the next chapter beyond the 9-5. For me, I wanted to continue my life on the road given life’s new challenges.
We both loved travel and adventures. The words – sensation seeker- has come up a time or two. We wanted to share, not only our love and experience of adventure but also the need for it in your life. For Ed, it kept him sane in a sea of insanity. For me, I missed it so much after I had to come down from the mountain that I knew I needed to find a way back. That is why we founded Coleman Concierge.
Do you have the same travel style or different travel styles? How does this impact your adventures together?
Yes and no. We both are activity first travelers, so we love to go out and have fun. Our travels are all about transformative adventures. For me (Jenn) I am a planner. I love to Tetris in pieces of the travel puzzle and maximize every moment. Ed is more of a golden retriever. He is generally good to go on a day to day basis, but he has some long-term dreams he holds dear.
Chinese astrology has us pegged. I am metal, and Ed is wood. Metal has the inner strength of steel, sharp and hard. Wood is characterized as being strong but flexible. It’s this combination that gives us our greatest strengths and also our most significant challenges. Which is an excellent segue into your next question.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from traveling as partners? What makes your partnership work on the road?
There are so many ways to answer this. Looking ahead, I see that I can slip some more pearls of wisdom in the next couple of answers so I will not get too ambitious here.
My lawyer tells me not to answer compound questions (lol) so – What is the biggest thing we have learned… That would have to be travel like you live. If you love adventure at home, look for adventure on the road instead of chasing culture or history. Know your level of luxury. If you go too low, you’ll be uncomfortable, and you will probably not notice the difference if you go too far above your station. Just be you and own it.
What makes our partnership work? It’s that we really are compatible at our cores. We generally like the same things and also have a sincere desire to make each other happy. When there’s conflict, we try to focus on the process for making decisions. 9/10 times, if we can agree on the method for reaching a choice, we can both accept what we come up with.
What’s the best part about traveling as partners? And the biggest challenge?
This is an easy one. It’s the same answer for both – you always have your best friend with you. You have somebody to share the adventure with at the time and also to recall the memories afterward. Things seem so much more real when they are part of our shared reality.
The problem is, everybody needs a little elbow room (cue School House Rock). We find it’s good to work in a little alone time on long trips together. For example, in Chiang Mai, I went to the cat cafe, and Ed went on a bike ride through the city. I didn’t have to face the heat or the traffic and got to love up some kittens at the same time. Ed got to burn off a little energy and check out new regions of the city. Win-win.
Based on your experience, what’s the best advice you have for couples who have just scheduled their first trip together?
Take the first trip very seriously. In many ways, this is a dress rehearsal for your life together. Our first trip together was to Havasu Falls. Ed has been their bunches of times and wanted to show it to me. I think he also wanted to see if I could hang. I must have done ok, even with one fake knee and one in desperate need of repair, since we are married now. BTW, he hung in their pretty well for a nerd too;-)
Travel lays your soul bare, and it’s the quickest way to test your mettle. Know what you want to do, how much you want to spend and how much downtime you require. Be honest and advocate for yourself. Own the process, but this is the real key. If you disagree, you don’t always have to compromise 50/50. Find ways to take turns, so you each get 100% of your needs met at a given time. If that doesn’t work out, maybe have a solo day in the middle of couples travel.
Any additional thoughts or words of wisdom?
For us traveling together has been the best thing ever. I love our adventures and partnership on the road. It’s been an incredible five years being married to my best friend, and I can’t wait for fifty more. (I can’t complain about having him as a blog partner either and the occasional ghostwriting for me đ ).
Don’t forget to share the wisdom!
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