The Travelling Lovers.

We are Kim and Adrian from New Zealand. We met in 2012 during our final year of university. After six months of dating, we moved in together and gave the 9-5 life ago. Unfortunately, we soon realized that lifestyle wasn’t for us so we decided to set off overseas together in search of something different = Travelling.

Location: Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia. So our tripod has always been our trusty photographer, but we almost lost it (along with our camera) because the tide nearly swept it away as we were taking the photo! This place was very beautiful and we found the view to be much better (and more peaceful) further away from the temple during low tide.

Here’s the thing though – we had no idea what to do or where to go. After searching high and low online we eventually agreed to do the most common thing people do when travelling abroad: Teach English.

Location: Yangshuo, Guanxi Province, China. We woke up at 4am and set off to see the sunrise from a viewpoint atop the mountains. The entire climb to the top was about 45 minutes. Although there were a lot of people there, we just picked a spot and enjoyed the amazing views!

Teaching and Roaming The World Together

We both settled on China and worked in various roles within education over the past four years. The experience was both eye-opening and life-changing. We were able to get out of our comfort zone, try different things, make new friends and travel to other parts of China. It was during our time here that we developed a deeper passion for travel. As expats, we were granted more holidays than we were used to having and we took advantage of every opportunity.

Location: Longji Rice Terrace, Guilin, China. This was an amazing experience. We have never seen rice terraces as grand and majestic as Longji. While hiking up to the peak of the terraces, we were able to walk along some of the terraces and enjoy more of the views. It was definitely one of the more fairy tale moments of our travels.

We loved exploring the world so much that we decided to set off yet again and create our own story together.

Adventures Over Financial Security

Location: Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten), Chiang Rai, Thailand. No photo could ever do this place justice. The blue at this temple just pops and it’s a lovely place to visit and look around. We actually found this nice little quiet spot at the back of the temple while trying to get away from all the other tourists!

Oh, by the way, we’d be lying if we said we aren’t terrified. Choosing to leave our jobs and get out of our comfort zone to pursue our passion is legitimately scary. No job, no set home, tight budget, and the unknown. All these things combine to make one messy plate of self-doubt for people who want to chase their dreams, so most never do. For us, it was the same way for a very long time.

Location: Shwe Indein Pagoda, Inle Lake, Myanmar. The beauty about this place was simply the sheer number of pagodas. As we entered into Shwe Indein it really took our breath away. Shooting this picture was a little challenging due to the height of the pagodas, but we had fun with it! I actually hid around the corner while Kim thought she was getting her “perfect shot” and in the last minute I peeked out and caught her totally off guard. Her reaction is what you see here.

We have spent the last three months travelling around South East Asia. There’s something indescribable about these countries, we love everything from the beautiful people and their culture to the amazingly flavorous cuisine!

One Advice = TRAVEL.

Our biggest advice to anyone seeking adventure and self-discovery would be, TRAVEL! Our lives get so busy that it is important we take time for ourselves, travel can also be a great way to give back to local communities. We’ve sacrificed a lot to be able to do what we do, and its totally possible for anyone to do it too. Save a little each week, plan ahead on tickets and accommodation, do a work exchange or volunteer for a cause important to you and you’ll be amazed how far your money can really stretch.

Location: Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar We initially sat down to relax and take a break and decided to take a photo just for fun! We liked the colour of the wall too!

We hope to inspire others to travel the world and open their minds to what’s out there. To connect with others and share our own culture and values. We truly believe people are always searching for a better version of themselves in one way or another, and in our case, we hope to educate and inspire those along our journey as we go searching for us.

Roaming the world together,
Kim and Adrian
@searchingforus