Opposites Attract — How To Make a Marriage Work When You Travel Differently

As much as he might have loved to propose next to a campfire on the side of a mountain somewhere, he chose instead to pop the question on a Thanksgiving trip with her family to Italy. With a little planning help from Jill’s sister (yes, the same one who initially tried to keep them apart), he dropped to his knee at a beautiful overlook near the Isle of Capri.

After the engagement, they continued to merge their travel styles by adding hiking to their winery tours and wine to their camping trips. Even the wedding was a blend of her newfound love of the outdoors and her worldly travels. After an outdoor ranch-style ceremony, they toasted with “flutes that were a gift from my mom that she bought when we were in Venice a few years ago, before I met Shawn,” she says.

Then came the honeymoon, which had to have enough activity for him and enough luxury for her. They chose a beach bungalow at the InterContinental Moorea Resort and Spa followed by InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, with its overwater bungalows. The adventure included a sunset sail that turned stormy, a helmet dive, standup paddleboarding, and, much to her initial horror, swimming with sharks.

True love can overcome travel differences. 

“Bora Bora taught me that my husband is a really good Jet Ski driver, that ‘Madame Whitley’ is not, that no matter what you do while snorkeling, you still constantly suck in water,” said Jill. “Even though it looks like a giant blue pool, the ocean is not. Stingrays are pretty cool and not nearly as scary as I thought they’d be when I swam up on one.” 

Jill survived the stingrays and sharks and cannot wait to see what her hubby has in store for her next. For him, it’s not all about showing her his world but rather sharing the whole world with her. For their six-month anniversary, Shawn gave her a jar with little slips of paper inside labeled, “Things I love about Jill.” 

Now, that is a guy worth going camping for.

Shawn’s six month anniversary gift to Jill. 

WATCH: 8 Adventurous Ways to Explore Bermuda

Let Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Hang out with us onFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Check out our original adventure travel series, “A Broad Abroad.”