Whether you’re solo or with a partner, adventures truly do start at home. At least, that’s how Nic and Paul of The Roaming Renegades started out – and it’s set these childhood sweethearts up for a lifetime of globetrotting and exploring side by side. Happily, they’re sharing their advice and experiences with us.
What’s your story?
As a couple we have an interesting story, we have actually been together since we were teenagers. We grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Manchester in the UK and would go on adventures with a group of friends every weekend on our skateboards. First it was just around the village, then the town, then into the city and eventually travelling around the UK, getting up to mischief and skating together, it was an amazing adventure at a young age. I remember that feeling of freedom and a feeling of living outside of “normal society”. Whilst everyone was shopping we would be exploring backstreets, ripped clothing and often bleeding!
It was that same sense of adventure and breaking out of the normal constraints of living that made us want to travel full time. I went to uni, twice, we had jobs, a mortgage and we go married. We seemed to be heading down the path we so wanted to avoid but we didn’t know anything different and backpacking certainly isn’t something people from where we are from usually do!
But after reading blogs and seeing other people do it we thought, why not! 3 years ago we quit our jobs, rented our house out and set off backpacking. Doing it together is such an incredible way to share this experience and to also know each other in a different way too. You rely on the other person so much more, its quite an intense thing for a relationship to go through but we’re lucky to have been together for so long and to want the same thing.
Do you have the same travel style or different travel styles? How does this impact your adventures together?
We both get bored on the beach and love either being in the mountains or exploring cities. We love adventure sports and growing up skating together I think that has fostered that desire to explore further. We also love off the beaten path places and really getting to know local culture.
The only differences we do have is that I (Nic) am more into photography, so Paul does sometimes get frustrated with me taking 20 shots to get the right angle!! He’s also the one who tells us when it’s time to stop and take a break and get some food – otherwise I would walk myself into the ground exploring!
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from traveling as partners? What makes your partnership work on the road?
I think that to travel together you really need to know your partner before. It’s such an intense place to be, across the other side of the world together, with only the other person to rely on. It’s liberating but scary. I have seen people break up along the way and I think it’s because they realised they wanted different things from their travels.
It’s important to communicate and to be honest, to be able to compromise but also to know when not to compromise. If you want different things you will just both end up losing out. You should really know the other person before flying off to the other side of the world with them!
What’s the best part about traveling as partners? And the biggest challenge?
love that all these crazy experiences, the good, the bad, the boring even, they are shared! Sometimes when you try to relive your travels to a friend or family, they just don’t get it, they didn’t feel it or it comes across differently. When you can share these life changing moments together, it’s nice to be able to talk about them and remember just little things as well as the big ones. To see somewhere you always dreamt of and to have your partner there to share it, that’s the best feeling. It’s also nice to have someone when you feel down too.
The biggest challenge is being together 24/7 and sometimes needing space.
Based on your experience, what’s the best advice you have for couples who have just scheduled their first trip together?
Talk to each other, communicate, and be honest. You should make sure your plans and expectations of what you will be doing line up. Go through your itinerary together and make sure you’re both involved. How long are you going for? If it’s a long term backpacking trip, maybe you should do a shorter one first and see how you go. Stay in a hostel, take some tiring bus rides, and do a test run!
Any additional thoughts or words of wisdom?
I think trust is a big issue, and is why you should know your partner before you travel together. Sure, lots of people want to travel solo and that’s awesome, but some don’t. I’ve known people to break up halfway through a long trip, be left stranded, and end up going home, as they never wanted or didn’t feel comfortable travelling solo. So their dream trip was ruined and they were potentially left in a dangerous situation.
Don’t forget to share the wisdom!
9 ways to make two-person road trips more bearable (and even fun!)
These guys are so awesome Luke and Meg. I have followed the RR’s for years. Nic and Paul are awesome, inspired travelers who run a first class blog, all the way.