Dom:We first met in 2016, on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. Jess was living and volunteering at a hospital for stray animals.
Jess: Dom came in one day to build a pig pen for the shelter’s resident pig, Piggy Smalls, and we fell completely in love.
J:After a few days we went on our first date to a beach up north and after a week I’d moved into Dom’s jungle bungalow.
D:…and within a month we had matching tattoos of each other’s initials.
D:Jess is half Australian, half American and I’m from the UK. We knew being from different parts of the world would mean a lot of sacrifices and challenges, but we also knew it would be worth it.
J:We’ve been bouncing from country to country, mainly because we love to travel, but also just to be together. Visas prevent us from living together long term and one of us is always far from friends and family.
J:It’s been the adventure of a lifetime! From our first proper home together in the Whitsundays in Australia to jungle homes in south east Asia.
D: We’ve road tripped along the east coast of the USA in Jessica’s car and lived the van life in England after converting a van ourselves.
J:We explored the mountains of Central Europe and slept under the stars in the Indian desert. Every day is different and it’s the life we want. A life of adventure and exploration.
J:A lot of people ask when we’ll ‘settle down’. Of course, one day we’d love a home base, but I don’t think we’ll ever be there for long. There is just so much of the world to see and experience.
Follow Jess & Dom’s adventures on Instagram @backpackwithme and @domexplores
