Travelling for Canadian globetrotters Giselle and Cody Correia is very much a lifestyle.
Being on a world tour has been a life-changing experience for Giselle and Cody Correia.
So it does not come as a surprise that, when the opportunity presented itself, they jumped at the chance to explore the four corners of the world.
Back home, Cody, 33, worked in a warehouse. Giselle, 35, sang and bartended at a restaurant and bar in Toronto.
"We went to Africa for five weeks for our honeymoon and when we returned [to Canada] our plan was to purchase a home," Giselle said. "But life has a funny way of making changes that at first you may not agree with. We had to wait a little longer to buy a home, and so that gave us some time to think about what we really wanted.
"Our time in Africa was outstanding, and I had travelled quite a bit before our honeymoon, and so we started talking about travelling the world instead of making the big commitment to buy our first home."
So here they are in Thailand, speaking with Life about how their travels.
"At first we decided we would do six months of travel, and then it turned into a year. And now we are on our 22nd month. We still have Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Israel and Palestine to explore, before heading home in June of next year," Cory said.
The Correias planned their trip by first deciding on the countries they specifically wanted to visit, paying special attention to places where they could stretch their dollar. Initially, they planned to stay in each country for at least one month. When they arrived in Thailand, however, they enjoyed themselves so much that they stayed. Now they've been here for 15 months. The Correias plan for February to be their final month in Thailand. Then they'll head to Turkey. It will be a bittersweet goodbye, Cody said.
It was in Thailand that the couple decided to become vegan. "After working and living at Elephant Nature Park for six months... we came to the realisation that we cannot love some animals and be OK with killing others," Giselle said.
"We respect all animals and see their lives as their own, and not for us to take or exploit. Luckily Thailand is an easy country to be a new vegan in, and so it was not a difficult transition."
Giselle and Cody get their creative and daring sides from their upbringings. As children, they were taught to explore and think outside the box, that anything was possible with determination.
Their happy-go-lucky, adventurous personas have often presented them with opportunities to mingle with people from all walks of life, resulting in all types of experiences.
While taking a bus to Aswan, a city in the south of Egypt, for example, a local offered Cody camels for Giselle's hand in marriage. She said the man started at 50 camels, but Cody told him that there were not enough camels in the world that were worth the deal. This happened more than once during their travels in Egypt, she said.
In India, a group of boys approached them at a restaurant, asking Cody for a photo and an autograph. They were so excited and happy to have a photo taken with their "favourite actor" that Cody humoured them.
"To this day we have no idea who that actor is," Giselle said.
Cody said two countries stick out in his mind when he thinks back on his travels so far.
"We are big fans of Egypt," he said. "Between the two of us, we have been there five times, and we will be possibly paying Egypt [another] visit before we head home. And of course Thailand. We are in love with Thailand. Bangkok is one of our favourite cities. It buzzes with life...every time we leave [Bangkok] for another country, we are so excited to head back."
There have also been low moments, such as when the Correias visited a facility in Nakhon Phanom province which held dogs rescued from the meat trade.
"We fed the dogs, separated the males from the females so they could not mate, treated several for wounds and illnesses, and just spent some time comforting them. It was probably the lowest day of all our 22 months," Cody said.
Giselle said they hope to continue to travel long after they return home, and to continue working with reputable animal welfare organisations.
Over the course of their travels, the Correias have learned that they complement each other quite well. But there are also times that they need to give each other space.
The couple hasn't only learned about each other.
"We have learned that if you truly love something, and work at it, you will be successful at it," Giselle said.
"From very early on we discovered that people around the world are all the same. There are small differences, but many more similarities.
"Most importantly, we have learned that compassion for all beings is one of the most important virtues one can possess for a more peaceful, loving world."
Cody getting up close and personal with a resident at the elephant shelter.
