Here's to Hanami
We are a rural-loving American guy (that would be Aaron) and a city-dwelling Japanese girl (introducing Nao), who met serendipidously at an event hosted by a friend. At the time we met, Aaron had been in Japan for over 6 years and Nao was 3 years into working in Tokyo after coming back from a year each in Germany and England. We were both in jobs that we were finding less and less satisfying, so when one of us finally revealed a dream of around the world travel, the other jumped at the chance. We began planning and saving for this remarkable experience, knowing that neither of us could deny the urge to seek out places unknown (to us anyways).
We entered into this endeavor knowing full well that there would be troubles, fights, and tears along the way, but committed to seeing the world together, hand in hand (feel free to choke on sweetness here). We seek here to discuss the hardship of shared long term travel. While our personal situation focuses on a couple, we hope that the advice and thoughts will be relevant to anyone doing joint travel, whether it be with a spouse, best friend, or someone you met at the last hostel. We appreciate you reading and always appreciate hearing from new people, so feel free to drop us a line.
About Aaron
Another day in Hakuba
After being blown about the States by the winds of fate during his youth, with time spent in Minneapolis, Seattle, Saint Louis, Grand Rapids, and Austin, Aaron decided that he wanted a bigger adventure after college. So, promising his friends that he would only be gone a year (definitely!), he set off for the beautiful countryside of Nagano, Japan for a year of teaching English. In that beautiful landscape, he rediscovered the love of the natural world that his parents had tried so hard to instill during his childhood and that video games and single handedly blocked for most of that time. After 3 years of teaching, he moved to Tokyo to try a new adventure, working as a project manager in an internet services company. After three years of climbing the ranks to become the leader of the Project Management Office, he decided that his growing wanderlust needed to be sated and, having met his match in Nao, decided to embark on this great adventure.
About Nao
Nao’s life remains a mystery, wrapped inside a riddle, trapped inside an enigma. If you want to know more, you’ll just have to send us an email.
