There is no doubt that we travel a lot and we've experienced some pretty amazing romantic locations from dinner in a 15th century monastery in Florence to sailing the crystal Caribbean Sea in Belize to walking under the sea in Bali. So when Valentine's Day comes around I seem to get stuck for ideas.
So I decided to ask our some of our favourite couple travel bloggers all about their private love lives in the hopes this would inspire us with great ideas for a future Valentine's Day and perhaps you too.
But first a little about us...
Josh & Erin
Travel With Bender
We often refer to ourselves as the Bender family. But there is a long history before those two adorable children became part of the picture.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Josh and I are highschool sweet hearts. Yup, Josh first asked me out way back when we were 16. We had a pretty steady relationship right up until I moved to London at 20. While I was in living in London I learned one very important lesson: I could not live without Josh, I was in love. Lucky for me he travelled from Australia to the UK to beg me ask me nicely to return home. I did. Once I returned home he proposed and we were married.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
1997 - gosh, really? Now you are asking me to sift through the memories. I believe we were in our last year of high school. So it would of been a school day. I am sure we went out to dinner or something though haha. We are coming up to 20 Valentine Day's together - EPIC!
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We celebrated early this year at a luxury resort in Nusa Dua, Bali. It was an all-inclusive hotel with a kids club. It was the most time we spent together as a couple in awhile. We went ocean kayaking, did a sea walking tour, had a couples massage and sipped cocktails at the swim up pool bar. It was relaxing and just about the two of us, which was perfect. For a couple who travel the world full time with kids, this is what we wanted the most.
Dave & Deb
The Planet D
I met Dave & Deb in Crete, Greece and then again a few months later in Sri Lanka. They are an adventure couple from Canada who are seriously just the cutest.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We met the good old fashioned way, at a bar. The bar was the hottest spot in town and it was called Tequila Willies. There was a Blue Rodeo cover band playing (Blue Rodeo was a popular Canadian band at the time) and Dave and I both had similar cowboy boots. My college housemate Melissa yelled, "you two have the same cowboy boots!" And the rest is history. We both put our feet up on the stage and tapped in sync to the music. The next day Dave gave me a call and we went on our first date two days later. Ever since we've been inseparable.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
We were both still in college our first Valentines Day, so we would have most likely gone to Sharkey's on the waterfront in Burlington, Ontario. That was the "nice restaurant" that people our age went to. I do remember Dave had a dozen roses delivered to my class at school. I was the envy of all my friends. After dinner, I am sure that we went to Tequila Willies because that is where we always went. Our friends hung out and worked there and we always had so much fun together. We were already living together at that point to, so we had our own celebration when we got back to the townhouse.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We'll actually be in Canada this Valentines Day. Dave broke two vertebrae in his back in November and is still recovering a bit. He'll be good to start the adventure again in March but for now, we're still taking things a bit easy. We have a very expensive bottle of aged balsamic vinegar from Emilia Romagna that the lovely caretaker of Spessano Castle gave us. He was too kind to pull out a bottle of his own stock to give to us. It's soooo expensive! We have yet to open it because one - we hadn't been still enough to really sit down and enjoy it, and two - by the time we were home due to Dave's injury, he couldn't drink wine because of his pain medication. So now that we can truly enjoy it, we are going to splurge on a very expensive bottle of wine to go with our very expensive bottle of balsamic and then we are going to buy some very expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano to drizzle it all over. Then we are going to savour every bite. Dave is then going to make me dinner because he loves to cook. And then we are going to sit by the fire and reminisce because we don't get to do that a lot. It's going to be heavenly.
Cam & Nicole
Traveling Canucks
Another remarkable Canadian couple, but these guys are newbie parents travelling the world.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We met 13 years ago while attending university in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). We were both out for a night of partying with friends when we met at a night club (yes - you can find love on the dance floor!). Two days later, we went for coffee. Coffee turned into a 6 hour date that ended with drinks and dinner. We kept it casual for the first few months but continued to date even after Cameron moved back to Vancouver a few months later. We later moved into a small apartment for a few months before taking off to Malaysia for Nicole to finish her final semester on university exchange.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Honestly, we can't remember our first Valentines Day. It would have been around 9 months after we met. I'm not sure if we even celebrated Valentines Day back then? If we did, it clearly wasn't memorable.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
Our wedding anniversary is Feb 4th so we typically combine Valentines Day with our anniversary. This year, we had an epic anniversary in Banff / Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. We spent 4 days without our boys for the first time EVER. We stayed in the cutest mountain lodge in the middle of nowhere. Our days were spent snowboarding, snowshoeing and dog sledding, while our evenings were spent being wined and dined at fancy restaurants. It will be very hard to top this one!
Anton & Rache
Our Awesome Planet
Anton's blog was my bible while we were in Manila, but I never met him until Sri Lanka. What a gorgeous man with a big future.
How Did You Fall In Love?
I met Rache in the engineering college in La Salle in 1991. During my freshman year, I would stalk here in the library and try to do "ninja" tactics that did not work. We both had our own relationship in college and during our early professional careers. 10 years after In 2001, we met again both heartbroken and found comfort in each other. We got married on January 11, 2003. I launched the blog, Our Awesome Planet on January 2005 when our first son Aidan was born to document the food and travel adventures of the family.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first valentines day together was when I was courting her in college. The concept is secret romantic picnic in Tagaytay which is about one and a half hours away south of Manila. I bought the food and put it in a picnic basket, with a heart cage for a butterfly that we will release together, and a Nokia phone valentines gift.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We will be travelling together with our four sons: Aidan, Joshua, Raphael and Ysrael to Bataan about two and a half hours away north of Manila. It would be a crazy weekend with the boys for sure!
Chris & Tawny
Captain and Clark
Chris and Tawny were a powerhouse on stage at a conference I attended in Athens, Greece I just had to meet them. I got the opportunity to not only meet them, but become friends with them in Sri Lanka. Fun and adorable I am sure are their middle names.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Our love story is an unconventional one. We met while on a study abroad trip to Tanzania. While we attended the same university, we had never seen each other before we departed for Africa. Our first conversations were had as we climbed Kilimanjaro and lounged on the sunny beaches of Zanzibar. We fell in love shortly after.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Chris actually had to work the night of our first Valentine's day together, but he called me to come visit him as his shift was ending. The restaurant was closed by the time I got there, but he had the fireplace on with a table next to it. On the table was a bottle of champagne and a delicious chocolate cake. We spent the remainder of the night cozied up by the fire with the whole place to ourselves. It was magical.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We're actually planning on spending this Valentine's day in Portland, Oregon. We have reservations at a famous pizza parlor and I'm going to attempt to sneak in some shopping.
Stephanie & Mike
20-Something Travel
I met Stephanie in Sri Lanka and she really was a fun loving, party girl. Her story with husband Mike is an industry love.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Mike and I met in the most travel blogger-y way possible: at TBEX in New York City! As you can probably guess, we've spent most of our relationship wandering around the world and writing about it.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentine's day together was in Hoi An Vietnam- we dressed up fancy in our new tailored clothes and went to a nice dinner. Since then we've celebrated the holiday in Argentina, Finland and Mexico.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
This year will be our first Valentine's day in the US but we're not staying home. We'll be celebrating in Maui!
Nellie & Alberto
WildJunket
Nellie is a super adventurous chick who I also met in Sri Lanka. Unbeknown to her she was 6 months pregnant at the time!
How Did You Fall In Love?
Alberto and I met almost 11 years ago when we both went on a study abroad program in Miami, US. As cliché as it sounds, it was love at first sight. Within a month, we were together 24/7, hanging out at parties, spending weekends together and traveling around the US. We had to return to our respective home - Spain and Singapore - after the six-month stint, but we kept the relationship going and haven't been apart ever since. ;)
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
For the first Valentines we spent together, we were living in London and Alberto surprised me by going home early from work and whipping up a feast for me in our tiny studio apartment. It was his first time cooking and while the meal wasn't great, it warmed my heart.
On Valentines Day 2009, Alberto did a grand gesture by proposing to me on my blog! He took me out for a nice dinner in Singapore and when we went home, he insisted that I check my computer. So the first thing I did was to open my blog of course, and there it was, a blog post written by Alberto, asking me to marry him. When I finished reading, i turned around to see him on one knee, with a ring in his hand. Of course I said yes!
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
For this Valentines Day, we're going on a trip to Mijas, a charming little town in the south of Spain. It's going to be a quiet affair as we're expecting a baby (who's due in a month's time!) I guess you can say this Valentines Day is going to be the last one we're spending alone. ;)
Ish & Heather
Globetrotting Mama
Heather is a wonderful mum and a gorgeous wife. We knew we wanted to hear from this Canadian about how she spends her Valentine's Day.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Ish and I met when I was 18 at a nightclub in Toronto. I was in my last year of high school and he was a college man! LOL. Late night phone calls and meetings after school convinced me that we would be good friends pretty quickly. He stuck by me through my years at university in Ottawa and despite the difficult separation, totally backed my decision to then turn around and go to law school in Windsor, Ontario. When I finished that degree he popped the question. 2015 will mark 25 years of us being together as a couple and 16 years of marriage.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Wow, That’s so far back I can’t even remember. It would have to have been in Toronto but I’m pretty sure I got flowers and chocolate. That was his staple go to Valentine’s approach for a long time. Don’t knock it if it works, right?
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We aren’t huge Valentines Day fans. Trying to get a reservation or do something together on the 14th always results in either overpriced gestures and comes off as being more about the day than the couple involved. We are having a lunch date at some point in February. On the night itself? You’ll likely find us cuddled up with the kids watching movies on the couch. It’s a happy place for us so no regrets here.
Mike & Megan
Mapping Megan
You know I have never met Megan, but I feel like we are great friends. She is a fun, vibrant Aussie now living in the US and chasing her travel dreams.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Mike and I met in Tanzania after both having summited Mt Kilimanjaro! I love the reactions that we get from people when they ask: “So you’re from Australia, he’s from America, where did you both meet?” My response is always: “Africa – as you do!”
We only spent a day together in Tanzania before both having to catch flights to our different corners of the globe; however we kept in contact regularly. Having a passion for travel was the only way our long distance relationship actually worked – the only way to see each other was to travel, so we began planning ‘dates’ in different destinations. Our first ‘date’ was in Scotland, and then we travelled to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Sydney, New York, and everywhere in-between.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
While our first official valentines day as a couple was spent apart (gotta love long distance) we made up for that two years later with an intimate outdoor wedding on February 14 2013 on the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Maui. We will forever be each other's Valentines.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
Valentines 2015? You mean married couples celebrate Valentines Day?! Kidding - we'll be doing what we love to do most when we're stuck at home - planning our next big trip.
Mike & Anne
Honey Trek
These newlyweds weren't keen on a normal honeymoon. They decided they needed at least 675 days to honeymoon all around the world.
How Did You Fall In Love?
Nine years ago we were set up by a mutual friend—not for a date, but to play doubles volleyball. It took a few months of courting—including a river rafting trip, homemade jewelry, an 80s dance party, and text message poetry—but eventually Mike's adventurous spirit and big heart (plus, devastating good looks) won Anne over.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentine's together was in Cuba. We flew into Havana, rented a car and drove southwest exploring tobacco country, deserted beaches, colonial towns and sleeping in local homes, even a meteorological weather station. I think entering a country illegally as our first romantic getaway was a sign for the adventures to come.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
As for this Valentine's, we are heading to Phoenix, Arizona for a family reunion but we'll be sure to sneak away for a hike into the Sonoran Desert with some wine and chocolate in our pack.
Hai & Jessica
Notes of Nomads
We love these guys and seem to bump into them everywhere. My favourite memory was of our time with them in Croatia and our hike around the most scenic waterfalls ever - Plitvice Falls.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We first met during university when we were both working part-time at a department store in Melbourne. We didn’t start dating for two years but having already gotten to know each other fairly well by then, we decided on travelling the world together soon after.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentine’s Day was spent eating Thai take-out while mapping out that very journey that started this whole travel lifestyle.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
A decade on, this year we’ll be in our adopted home base of Tokyo, eating a different kind of Asian food but no doubt eagerly planning our next crazy travel adventure.
DJ & Michael
Dream Euro Trip
Josh met DJ in Finland. He is full of energy and the life of the party.
How Did You Fall In Love?
I met the man of my dreams in Stockholm when I was living there and working at the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm while he was finishing his Masters degree at Uppsala University. I just moved to Sweden and so on our first meeting and first date he helped me move my stuff to my new apartment in Stockholm. The next day he prepared breakfast in bed for me. I knew right then that he's a keeper!
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentines Day together was in Malta. We escaped the winter in Stockholm for 2 weeks in February and spent it exploring all corners of this small country. The next ones were celebrated in the Philippines and Germany.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We love traveling during Valentines but this year we will probably spend it in costumes at Carnival in Cologne, Germany.
Paul & Karen
Global Help Swap
We've met this couple in several different countries and even stayed in their one bedroom apartment in London. They are sweet and seriously a good looking couple.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We actually met when I was 18 and Paul was 21. We both lived in Malta at the time - I grew up there while Paul moved there when he was 16. He had bleached blonde hair at the time and his British accent made him quite irresistible. We dated for a couple of weeks which was pretty disastrous, we broke up and lost touch. Fast forward 12 years later. We were both living in London and met up again at a mutual friend's birthday party. Paul had just come out of a long term relationship and I had been single for a while. He wanted to take me out on a date but I wasn't so sure, given our history and his newly single status. So we just hung out together, just as friends. A few months later I had had a horrible day at work and I remember thinking that I just needed a hug. I met up with Paul later on that day and told him all about it. He got up and gave me one of the loveliest hugs I'd ever had. We had a great night out together and at the end of the night he gave me this whole speech about why we should be together. Whatever he said, worked. We kissed that night over 6 years ago and have been pretty inseparable since then.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Without knowing Paul made a big wish of mine come true. I had never visited Paris as I had this romantic notion that I wanted to be taken there for my first visit. Paul had no clue about this when he organised a day out in Paris following the movie 'Before Sunset''s trail. When we got to the train station in London and I found out where we were heading I started crying my eyes out like a crazy woman. That was pretty embarrassing.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We will definitely be in Sri Lanka which is great. But apart from that we haven't made any specific plans yet. I'm hoping Paul has a surprise up his sleeve :)
Nick & Dariece
Goats On The Road
Those Canadians really love to travel. This couple travel at their own pace, free from the 9 - 5 job stress and loving life.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We were actually friends for about 3 years before we started dating, which is great because there aren't any secrets from our pasts! The day that we became more than just friends was on a fateful day driving from Alberta to British Columbia and there was a mudslide on the highway. No traffic could get through, so we did what we had to - we rented the nearest hotel room for the night, and the rest is history.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
We spent our first Valentine's Day together at a resort near Tulum, Mexico. It was our first time travelling abroad together and it was very romantic! Nick even surprised me with a diamond necklace at dinner. I'll never forget how nervous he was, I thought he was proposing!
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We're actually spending this Valentine's Day in Mexico again! This time we'll be in the State of Oaxaca, but not sure which city yet. Every day that we spend together is special, but I'm sure we'll do something extra romantic on February 14th this year.
Jen & Tim
Luxe Adventure Traveler
Jen is a beautiful American living in Italy. She loves luxury, but also adventure.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We met in Las Vegas, but it wasn't the usual meet on the Strip story. I was going to UNLV and a manager at Blockbuster Video. Tim got a part time job after he moved to Las Vegas and all the new hires for the Vegas Valley came through my store for training. In just the three days he spent at my store for his training program, I knew he was the one.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentine's Day together wasn't too exciting, but very sweet. I had a class that ran until the late evening and when I got home, he had 'I love u' spelled out in candles and had made us a spaghetti dinner.
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We're spending this Valentine's Day, which also happens to be our 13th wedding anniversary, truffle hunting and wine tasting in Istria, Croatia.
Oren & Cassie
42nd Class
We met this guys in the Czech Republic and hung out with them nearly every day we were they. They are fun loving and good lookin'. Josh also gate crashed their Christmas in Israel a few years back too.
How Did You Fall In Love?
We met in a fairly normal but completely strange way. We met at work. That's the normal part. Oren was a reporter at a TV station in Dover, Delaware. For those in Oz, that's an incredibly small state that's not all that important to the rest of the country. Kinda like a mini-Tasmania. In summer of 2007, Cassie was hired to work at the same station. Here's the strange part. Cassie was hired to replace Oren. Oren vowed never to talk to her, but basically changed his mind the second he saw Cassie. Instead, he took her out on a date, and the rest - as they say - is history.
Where Was Your 1st Valentines Day?
Our first Valentine's Day? Wow, that's going back a few years. We tried to remember what we did on our first Valentine's Day, but we couldn't remember. At the time, we lived 3.5 hours apart, so one of us visited the other one. We almost certainly spent a weekend relaxing together, either in Dover, DE (where Cassie was) or Norfolk, Virginia (where Oren was).
What's 2015 Valentines Day Look Like?
We're super-excited for this question (and, consequently, this answer!)! This Valentine's Day, we'll be boarding a plane for Panama, making it our 32nd country together. We'll be there for a week, and we intend to enjoy every minute of it.
Valentine's Day now has a double meaning for us. Last Valentine's Day, Oren was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in Nepal while we were halfway through traveling around the world. That week was the hardest week of Oren's life, as we spent time in two different hospitals in a Third World country. After a month at home recovering, we got back on the road and finished our trip. It was a way of saying Oren controls his disease, not the other way around. Traveling on this Valentine's Day is an extension of that sentiment. Diabetes will not slow Oren down, and we're thrilled to celebrate it together, on the road, enjoying life, and enjoying each other.
So where will you be spending Valentines Day this year?
Reader Comments...
"I respond to every comment by direct private email. I look forward to your feedback" - Josh BenderYou made me almost cry Bender. I totally love this post. Even more so as I know most of these bloggers.
Well done.
Love is definitely on this page.
Aww! Thank you so much for including us. There was so much love in the post and we really enjoyed learning how all of the couples met.
What a beautiful post guys! There's so much love and wanderlust in the lives of this amazing couples, some of them, my favorite travel bloggers.
Oh well, and for the single ones like me, there's the hope that next year our wandering one will be by our side at some exotic location :)
This was so much fun to read! I loved everyone's fun stories about how they met and I'm glad to see Eric and I aren't the only travel couple who met in a bar! haha Happy Valentine's Day!
I love this! And so many of my favourite travel couples. I found that so many of us had a lot in common when it comes to Valentine's Day. Many of us met in college, many of us can't remember or didn't do too much on our first Valentine's Day and many of us had an immediate connection. I'm with Nellie, it's sounds silly and cliché but Dave and I were "love at first sight as well." We annoyed all our college friends and room mates. It's sort of never stopped how connected (and sometimes annoying) we are :) Happy Valentines Day out there to all the traveling couples!
This is too cute -- put a huge smile on my face. Perhaps the best way to celebrate Valentines day is just to reminisce on the most romantic thing you've done with each other! Well done, and thank you!
So cute to see how everyone met. A great roundup!
Great lovely post that took us everywhere and with everyone to enjoy some of the bestest Valentine's Days in the life of those wonderful travel blogging couples! Thanks for sharing your stories, ya' all! and Happy Valentine's Day to each of you, once more!
Cheers and Happy Trails!
Jul'
Great post! Thanks so much for including us and our story - was great getting to pry into the love lifes of other bloggers out there :D Happy valentines day everyone!
Oooh, I love reading how my fellow travel bloggers met. It offers a different insight into their lives and makes them that much more fun to read.
You made me smile, seeing people together and in love is always awesome. Next year I'll send you our story :P
i just loved this post !!! So exciting to read that love blossoms in so many different ways all I've the world!!!
Very inspiring post. This is another travel tidbits that Ive learned from you. Thanks for spreading the love.
Thanks so much for including us in this post! It was so awesome to hear how all these couples met. Some really great stories here! Hope everyone's having a great Valentine's Day!
I loved reading this post! Love seeing so many couples sharing a passion for travel together!
Hi Erin,
What a perfect Valentines Day post -- to showcase traveling couples. It proves, once again!, how fabulous traveling is, because to share the world with the one you love is simply the gosh-darned BEST!
Wishing you safe and happy travels -- to all those cool couples,
Josie
What an amazing (and romantic) group of travelers! We are honored to be a part of it.....now all we need to do is meet you in person Erin (and hopefully the whole fam).
Happy Valentines Day everyone!,
Mike
It was very funny post .....i like it. But thanks for sharing us !!
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