Lucky colours as per your Chinese zodiac sign 2024
Who Will Be My Future Life Partner
Who and how will be my future life partner is a very natural anxiety reaching a certain age. As humans, we all crave companionship and to find our soul mate. We spend considerable time searching for that perfect partner who will complete us in every way possible. Gone are the days when parents will decide who should be your future life partner. The criteria for finding the best life partner has changed considerably for professionals who want a partner with perfect compatibility in their personal and professional lives.
Therefore, finding the right spouse can be an overwhelming task, and sometimes it feels like we are looking for a needle in a haystack. But if you can have a brief glance at your birth chart, you can get a good sketch of your future spouse. Yes, your seventh house tells all about your future life partner. A very important point here is that sometimes you miss a partner due to certain traits that do not match your aspirations, but maybe destiny will finally take you to that type of partner only.
By analysing your horoscope, astrology can indicate how your future life partner will be and provide valuable insights into the traits of your future spouse. You can know your future life partner's name/nature/social status/career path from your horoscope. So, you are narrowing down your search within that sketch.
How to select future life partner
How to select right life partner depends on two main aspects:
Set the parameters of your choice and start searching in that direction. Once you got one, go for the second step.
Check the compatibility between you and your life partner. Yes, this is more important than simply finding a future life partner.
Both these aspects are in your own hands, and you have full liberty to set your own standards and get the compatibility evaluated.
Whether male or female, you all have personal preferences, family values, and professional aspirations embedded in you over 25/30 years. This surely would have inculcated many traits in your personality, habits, behaviour, expectations, likes and dislikes that you have seen in the married life of your parents, siblings, friends and social circle. And you certainly would have a sketch of your dream soulmate.
Of course, you have many portals, sources, family members, social circles, and friends to suggest the best future life partner: Nothing wrong or unusual here.
But then this is your life, and if you follow the above two steps, you decide according to your own choice and after getting convinced that your chosen life partner is compatible with you. This narration will explain how you can know about your future spouse and refine your search in that direction. How do you select the best spouse for you?
Know all about your future wife from your birth chart
One can check who and how will be your future wife from your birth chart? The article will explain how to know about your future wife. But understand how knowing about the future wife helps you select the best better half for you.
You need a wife with personality and looks as you desire. A female who respects you and your family (her in-laws), stands by you in your professional decisions and is ready to move with you if necessary. Is a completely healthy woman able to take care of kids properly in the present times? Many combinations in your seventh house help you find the future wife. Based on your horoscope reading, astrology can provide insights into your future wife's positive and negative traits. A good Venus brings you a wife to love and many luxuries for life. Just a small example: what if your horoscope is destined to get a wife with malefic Mars (the planet for aggression): can you expect the above discipline from such a female? That is where knowing all about your future wife's nature, habits, and professional aspirations from your horoscope helps you.
Important Note: no one is perfect, and everyone has positive and negative traits. By understanding these characteristics beforehand, you are well informed about the potential challenges that may arise in your relationship. Knowing future wife life partner's strengths/weaknesses in advance can help you appreciate/adjust with her more fully as a partner.
Know about your future husband from birth chart
To Knowing about your future husband from your horoscope can give you a slightly different perception while shaping your ideas about the future wife. In today's time, professional stability is the most important point, but there may be a small factor that, due to professional hobnobbing, can cause issues of loyalty and love in the long run. It is not imperative, but it is a possibility that may even be unintentional. Another important factor is the husband's future professional locations and how he will react if you are also a professional. Jupiter is the most important Karaka for the future husband to ensure longevity and the wisdom to handle post-marriage.
You need a husband who can stand for you in any eventuality and give you the sense of WatchGuard. A person who is not excessively spiritual (Ketu impact) or inclined towards his family. The person who will act in the family as you have seen your father and brothers. Like that, so many things about future husband can be seen from the 7th house in your horoscope.
Again no one is perfect, but then a foresight to know about future husband's many traits/strengths/weaknesses can make you aware and prepared to handle many situations accordingly.
How to assess future life partner's characteristics.
You can assess all about future life partner from your birth chart. Your seventh house in astrology tells all about your future life partner. There are combinations to assess your future life partner's personality/profession/health/financial status/name/origin/likes, dislikes and many more things. Now read briefly the combinations seen to know all about your future life partner, be it the future wife or future husband.
Combinations seen for future life partner
There are specific combinations seen for future life partner predictions. The position of different planets in your seventh house indicates how will be your future life partner's personality/nature and temperament.
Let us (briefly) read the combinations seen for future life predictions. This is just a brief about combinations seen for future life predictions. All these future life predictions are made from your birth chart.
Sun in the 7th house will give you a spouse with might, self-ego and inflated feelings. Means an authoritative spouse.
Moon in the 7th house will get a sympathetic, god-fearing, devoted and soft-hearted person.
Mars in the 7th house shows your life partner can be aggressive, impatient, always demanding, and less compromising.
Mercury in the 7th house indicates life partner will have excellent communication skills and refined person.
Jupiter in the 7th house indicates that the life partner will be knowledgeable (Guru), have a good education, learn and grasp power, be practical in life and have the wisdom to deal with things diligently.
Venus in the 7th house gives you the luckiest life partner, lovely, charming, attractive , affectionate, and a person with luxury in your life.
Saturn in the 7th house gives you a karma-oriented person highly focused on professional life, conjugal relationships and not good for a happy marital bliss.
Rahu in the 7th house first can delay in finding the life partner and then gives a life partner overboard, inclined towards too much materialistic tendencies, marital discontent and not a very good position for the future wife/husband.
Ketu in the 7th house can get you a life partner, highly spiritual, indifferent towards worldly pleasures, a little away from normal marital bliss, actually reverse of Rahu effects.
The 10th house in the horoscope represents career, but it also represents the social status of your spouse, and the position of its ruling planet can indicate the social status of your future spouse. For example, if benefic planets are in the 10th house or aspects it, it can signify that your future spouse will come from a well-respected family or have a high social standing.
Astrology provides insights into the career path of your future spouse by analyzing the position of planets in the fourth house of your birth chart. The Navamsa horoscope's specific reading can indicate how far away your future spouse may be from you.
However, none of these planetary combinations are seen in isolation because one particular planetary position does not mean the other planets have stopped giving results. So, for the correct predictions of future life partner needs to see the impact of all malefic and benefic planets in the seventh house. One can read more about combinations seen for future life predictions on the link below.
With a proper evaluation of your seventh house and tenth house also can give you predictions about how and who will be your future life partner.
In addition to the above characteristics, future life partner's predictions also help you to know all about your future wife/husband. One can read more: how will be my future life partner to get a wealth of ideas to help you better understand the topic. All these factors help you narrow your search to target and select the life partner of your choice.
Then comes the most important aspect of marital bliss: how to check your compatibility with your future life partner. Many people are scared of major doshas like Mangal dosha, Nadi dosha, Bhakoot dosha, Gun dosha, etc, which results in low chart matching scores.
Just a concluding note:
Don't worry if the matching score is low. Read what to do if matching points are low
Don't worry about Mangal dosha.. Read what to do for Mangal Dosha
You follow these simple steps, and I assure you of a timely marriage because you have squeezed your search into a well-informed sketch. Then, you can marry after checking compatibility; you will never have to turn to an astrologer to discuss your marital affairs. For any specific query, connect with my office at 9278665588 or 9278555588.
My Husband Is Completely Delusional About Saving For Retirement. I Need To Knock Some Sense Into Him.
Pay Dirt is Slate's money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Athena, Kristin, and Ilyce here. (It's anonymous!)
Dear Pay Dirt,
My husband grew up in a household where saving for retirement wasn't really a thing. I grew up the opposite: My parents saved, invested, and thought about finances long-term.
I have a state pension and my husband pays into a 401(k) through work. He's been paying into the 401(k) for about 10 years and we would be able to live off of it for about six months at this point in time. He feels my state pension (which will be about half of our annual salary upon retirement) will be enough to live on "forever." I don't want to put every penny into high-yield accounts and investments but I want to live happily when we retire. Retirement is about 30 years away so we have time to put away funds and let them grow. I'm in the right here, correct? How do I get through to him?
—Rainy Day Fund
Dear Rainy Day,
The answer to your question comes down to some basic math and maybe a bit of compromise. How much money do you both want to have in retirement? Or, maybe the more pertinent question is, what do you want your retirement to look like? Will it involve travel? Dining out regularly? Will housing be a big part of your budget?
The two of you need to sit down and talk through your future together. No one can predict the future entirely, but we can plan for it as best we can, and that's easier to do when you know what you envision for it. Knowing how you both want to spend your golden years will help you figure out how much monthly retirement income you'll need. You can use a retirement savings calculator to help you figure that out, and how much you'll need to save now to reach that goal. (I like Nerdwallet's calculator because it's simple, but there are plenty of options).
This may be where the compromise comes in—maybe your husband doesn't think you need as much to be satisfied, and maybe you'd rather live modestly now so you can live large in retirement. If your visions don't align, talk through it and come to a middle ground. The goal is to get to a place where you can agree on a number. Once you do, set that amount aside each month into an automatic savings account. You can spend what you want now knowing that your money is working for you—and for your future selves.
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Dear Pay Dirt,
I'm 22 and living in my hometown after graduating with a BA at 18 during COVID. Since graduating, I've been bouncing between theatre jobs, and I previously managed three theatres at age 19. I was underqualified and overworked. I quit after the stress pushed me to a health crisis. During this time, I was also diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses that have limited my energy, mobility, and fine motor skills. Recently, I began working as an assistant at a top performing arts university—a job I like, for now—and was asked to apply for a promotion to technical director. It's a very generous offer with hefty compensation considering my age. They're also willing to teach me on the job, but they're asking me to commit to at least two years. I'm also incredibly unhappy in my car-centric hometown (I can't drive currently) and have fallen out of love with the often-toxic and physically demanding industry. If I want to stay in theatre, taking the job is the right career move and will give me a larger financial safety net. I'm financially stable with $27,000 in the bank and I don't pay rent on an inherited condo. My partner lives paycheck to paycheck.
However, I feel a persistent longing for something new and different. I can also count on one hand how many times I've even left my home in the American South. My illnesses are also unpredictable, not well understood, and have the potential to significantly disable me before age 30 (or maybe not, we just don't know). On top of EVERYTHING else, I'm trans and my state may ban my access to HRT by next year. Do I move, change careers, and take advantage of what time I have left in my body, at the risk of my finances and before my partner is also financially ready? Or do I wait, push myself physically, and build a nest egg for the potential of becoming more disabled and unable to work later? That would also mean missing out on travel and experiences I desperately want, which require my body to behave itself. Working since age 13, I've made so many sacrifices for the sake of my career and financial security often at the cost of my health and happiness. I'm burnt out, overwhelmed, and don't know what to do.
—Recovering Pragmatist
Dear Recovering Pragmatist,
It sounds like you know what you want to do. You're burnt out and unhappy, and your physical health is declining. I think your instincts are right. It's time for a change.
Sometimes it makes sense to tough out a situation and see it through. Grit can pay off in some circumstances, but in your case, I'm struggling to see what that payoff would be. Best case scenario, you would be financially stable, but it would come at the cost of your mental and physical health. A big move might be hard, but you don't seem to have trouble finding work, saving money, or paying your bills. Chances are, if you moved to a new city, you would find a way to survive and thrive. It might even be easier in some ways because you might find a community where you feel safe and accepted.
Maybe you feel you need permission to let go. Or perhaps you're finding it hard to motivate yourself to make such a big change. Either way, it sounds like you know what your gut is telling you to do. Yes, you want to consider your partner's financial situation, but surely, it's something the two of you can work on together. Sit down and talk about what a move would look like for both of you. If you decide to go for it, come up with a budget and a plan for the transition. It's hard to let go of a rent-free situation, but could you rent out your condo while you're away? Even a small income stream would be helpful. Could you stick it out at your job for six months to build up some savings, which might make you feel more financially secure about the move?
And if you don't decide to move, that's OK, too. But find a way to make your current situation more palatable. That might mean changing industries or moving to a new neighborhood. Whatever you decide, it sounds like it's time to shake things up.
Dear Pay Dirt,
My grandmother is 95 years old. She lives at home and has caregivers 24/7 to help as her health has declined. She really likes and trusts them, which is important because she doesn't trust many people now that she's getting further into the stages of dementia. The problem is that one of her caregivers, Harriet, who has been with her for the better part of a decade is now 70 years old. Grandma trusts her and Harriet is great as a companion. Unfortunately, she's no longer physically capable of doing things like lifting Grandma on her own, which is something we need because her mobility is starting to go completely. Recently, things became even more alarming when Grandma had a fall. She was fine but Harriet could not get her back on her feet from the floor no matter what she did and had to call the paramedics. We've been hoping Harriet would want to retire on her own but unfortunately, she seems to have no intention of doing so. We love Harriet like family, but we can't keep paying someone who cannot do a task that has become essential to her job. Firing her is going to crush both of them. Is there another solution we're not seeing here or do we have to bite the bullet on this one and get a new caregiver?
—She's Technically Elderly Now, Too
Dear Technically Elderly,
Your grandmother's health and safety come first, but there might be a way to make the transition an easier one. For example, could you modify Harriet's job? Perhaps she could transition into more of an emotionally supportive role, which might involve visiting your grandmother a few times a week. You would still have to hire a replacement, which would get expensive, but this scenario might make it easier for both Harriet and your grandmother. Alternatively, you could hire an additional caretaker to assist Harriet with the more physical demands. Of course, the solutions that don't involve letting go of her entirely might be costly.
Whatever you decide, you'll need to have a frank conversation with Harriet about your concerns. She might even have some of these concerns herself, and if she's close to the family, she will most likely be understanding. Let her know that you're not just worried about your grandmother's safety, you're worried about hers, too.
Keep in mind that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act makes it illegal for employers to fire workers based on their age. But there are exceptions to this, including when that person's age prevents them from performing duties that are essential for the job. It sounds like your situation counts as an exception, but make sure she knows your concerns aren't about her age but her ability to safely perform these duties—if there's already been an incident, you can point to that as cause for concern. If you're worried about the legal consequences, consider consulting an employment attorney before you have this conversation.
Ultimately, it sounds like there's no avoiding the uncomfortable reality on this one. It's a matter of your grandmother's health and safety. It will undoubtedly be a tough conversation, but with a little kindness and empathy, you can make it easier.
Dear Pay Dirt,
My last living grandparent died a few years ago, and he left quite a lot of money to his children, one of which is my mother. She and my father are both practical and plan to give me and my sibling (we're both in our early-to-mid-30s) the maximum amount that can be gifted before taxes. "Why should we wait to give you money after we're dead?" is their mantra! They've gifted us money once already, and a large chunk of it on my end went toward buying a new car.
However, with the money from my parents and a lot of income I've saved from my job, I still have about $45,000 in my savings account that's just…sitting there. My parents encouraged me to get in touch with their financial advisor, who works for a well-known company, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I have since looked into investing myself, and I'd like to go with an investment firm that cares about and focuses on socially responsible investing.
But after looking into all of this, it seems so confusing. A lot of places only do "negative" screening, where they claim to be socially responsible by omitting companies that deal in tobacco, firearms, fossil fuels, etc., but then don't look into the "positive" screening aspect—how the company treats their workers, their carbon footprint, etc. Some investors consider Amazon and Nestle to be "ethical." I did use the USSIF site to search for investment firms and found a few that seem promising, but I know nothing about investing or investment firms and what I should be looking for (or looking out for). I know nothing is perfect and I'm not so naive that I think I'll be able to find a perfectly ethical, sustainable, socially responsible fit for my investments, but are there any specific investing firms that are transparent and actually ethical about this kind of thing? Should I take what I can get and look the other way? Or should I be going down a different path altogether?
—Conscientious and Confused
Dear Conscientious and Confused,
What you're referring to is generally known as impact investing. That is, intentionally investing in companies that have a positive social and environmental impact. There are lots of different acronyms tossed around when it comes to this kind of investing. The two most common you'll see are ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing and SRI (socially responsible investing). These mean two different things, so while an investment fund could pass muster in one domain (let's say it's socially responsible and pays workers fair wages) it may also be using fossil fuels to power its operations—a big mark against environmental sustainability. It's hard to find reliable investments or investment firms that check every single box when it comes to impact. Some popular firms recognized for sustainable and responsible investing are Parnassus, Calvert, and Trillium, but there are others, too. Even big investment firms—Vanguard, Fidelity, and Betterment have ESG or SRI fund options.
This seems to be the problem you're running into. There may be an investment firm out there that perfectly aligns with your values, but it's likely that when you look into it closely enough, you'll find something you don't like. But to answer your question, there are a handful of things to look out for when picking a firm. First, there's the transparency you mentioned. What are their ESG criteria? What's their methodology for picking companies? They should have this information readily available on their website. Also, what's the firm's track record? In other words, what's their history of managing socially responsible investments, and how do those companies perform? What are their management fees or transaction costs, and how do these compare with other firms? Morningstar, Investopedia, and Consumer Reports are all solid resources to compare and look up this information. So is the US SIF (Sustainable Investment Forum), as you mentioned.
We live in an economic system where the simplest and most common way to build lasting wealth is to invest in the broad stock market. Unfortunately, that same system makes it difficult to be a socially conscious investor—or consumer, for that matter. Most of the companies that make up the broad market likely have some mark against them when it comes to environmental concerns, labor practices, or other ethical considerations.
Nothing is perfect, but that doesn't mean we can't do better. You can think of it as "taking what you can and looking the other way," but you don't have to look the other way, either. You can do what you can with an awareness that the system—and your choices within it—has much room for improvement.
—Kristin
Classic Prudie
I suffer from a food restriction disorder—my sense of "disgust" (colloquial term) is heightened and I'm highly sensitive to food textures and smells. I've always been a little picky but was diagnosed with the disorder a few years ago, in tandem with severe anxiety. I manage it fairly well now. However, I just moved in with my partner, who has a much more adventurous palate. My food issues are causing problems. My partner knew a couple growing up who ate two different meals every night and my partner finds this absurd.
She'd Only Known Her Future Husband For Five Days When He Proposed. Here's What Happened When She Said Yes
CNN —
Meryl Gage woke up wondering if she'd imagined the whole thing.
As she came to, she heard the rumble of cascading water and remembered where she was: lying in a sleeping bag, inside a tent pitched by Iguazu Falls – at the precipice of a sixteen-week camping trip across South America.
"I guess it's all real," Meryl thought.
The night before, Meryl had sat up all night with Tim Rivett, one of the drivers on the trip. All the other travelers had gone to bed. But Meryl and Tim had talked all evening, into the early hours, gradually shuffling closer and closer to one another.
"We're on the campsite, there are beautiful waterfalls all around. And we're sitting in front of the truck. We've just been talking all night," Meryl tells CNN Travel today.
It was around 2 a.M. When Tim looked at Meryl and said: "Do you want to get married at the end of this trip?'"
Without missing a beat, Meryl replied: "Yeah, sure."
She and Tim laughed, neither quite believing what they'd just agreed to. But then Tim turned serious.
"No really," he said. "Tell me tomorrow."
Now it was tomorrow. Meryl still couldn't quite believe the conversation had actually happened. But she felt just as sure as she had at 2 a.M.: she wanted to marry Tim Rivett. And she felt absolutely certain she would.
So Meryl wriggled out of her sleeping bag, pulled on a jacket, peered out of her tent door and glanced around the campsite. A handful of people were walking about, grabbing breakfast, pulling on hiking boots. Meryl spotted Tim among them, and headed his way.
"I just said to him: 'Yeah, okay, I'll do it,'" says Meryl. In response, Tim just grinned.
That was that. It was settled. And while it had only been five days, Meryl felt certain Tim was "the right person."
"I'd dated other people, and I just never clicked with them," she says today. "But we instantly clicked."
When Meryl and Tim crossed paths in September 1981, Meryl was 29. She'd graduated college in Florida in the mid-seventies and spent the last several years prioritizing travel.
Meryl had a pattern – she'd work for a bit in the US, save every cent, and then head off on adventures. One year she bought an Eurail pass and backpacked around Europe. Another time she spent months on a double-decker bus heading from London to Kathmandu. She'd also traveled solo to Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
While in Australia, Meryl befriended a woman from Queensland: Karen. The two stayed in touch, and then, in 1981, Karen convinced Meryl to join her on a camping adventure in South America.
Meryl agreed. She decided South America would be her final big adventure – she'd round off her twenties in style, and then settle down properly into corporate America.
"I'll do one more trip before I find a real job,'" Meryl recalls thinking.
Meryl and Karen booked the trip with UK-based company Encounter Overland, which operated from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s and ran overland adventure expeditions for travelers, usually in ex-army trucks.
Meryl and Karen met the rest of the group in Rio de Janeiro. There were 20 travelers in total, including Meryl and Karen, as well as two drivers who operated the truck and ran the show.
Meryl had noticed on her previous travels that generally "all the drivers were pretty decent looking." Plus, it was the kind of job that attracted natural leaders who tended to "all have personality."
These two, Meryl felt, were no different. But one of the guys, in particular, stood out to her: "He had long hair and a beard. And he was sitting in a chair. I thought he was kind of cute."
The driver introduced himself as Tim Rivett, 27, from England.
Tim was an art school graduate who'd worked for Encounter Overland for a few years. He'd driven travelers across Asia – often through Nepal and around India – but the 1981 trip marked his first time working in South America.
Tim loved his job. He was in charge of route planning, maintaining the vehicle, finding the camping spots and ensuring the travelers had a great time. It was hard work but always exciting.
Tim noticed Meryl right away too.
"I remember commenting to my co-driver and saying, 'Yeah, I like that girl,'" Tim tells CNN Travel today.
But there wasn't much time for talking that first day. So the travelers stuffed their backpacks and tents into the truck, and the group set off on the first leg of the trip.
"The first couple of days of a trip like that are pretty hectic," says Tim. "We had to train the group in the routines of setting up camp every night, and getting them organized and working as a team."
But even during those busy few days, Tim and Meryl gravitated towards one another.
"Whenever things settled down in the evening, Meryl and I just used to hang out and chit chat," says Tim. "We just found ourselves getting on well – really well – together."
Each night, the two would chat for hours – about everything and anything.
"We talked a lot about our previous travels and experiences as well as a shared interest in art," recalls Tim. "Meryl had been at Florida State studying photography and I had a degree in fine art."
The two also discussed their respective home countries. Meryl knew England – but not the small town in the countryside where Tim hailed from. And when she talked about growing up in Miami, she and Tim were struck by their vastly different childhood experiences.
By the time the group got to Iguazu Falls, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, Meryl already felt she was falling for Tim. It was happening both "gradually" and "quickly." She'd known him only five days, but it felt longer.
Tim felt the same way.
"I was struck by the ease with which we were able to talk to each other," he says.
That's how Meryl and Tim ended up sitting together at Iguazu Falls in the early hours of the morning, agreeing to get married. Tim said he surprised himself when the words came out of his mouth.
"It really was a life-changing thing for me to say that," he says today.
He hadn't been aspiring to marriage, and wasn't even sure what marriage meant to him. He just felt certain he wanted to be with Meryl.
Meryl felt that assuredness too. That's why she said "yes" right away. Later, when she climbed back into her tent, Meryl's friend Karen stirred. Meryl told her what had happened.
"You will not believe this," she said. Karen was gobsmacked.
As for Tim, he confided in his co-driver, Mike. But otherwise, Meryl and Tim kept the news quiet.
But as the truck made its way across South America, the two continued to spend every moment they could together, staying up late, chatting and disclosing stories about their lives and goals.
As they fell in love with one another, Meryl and Tim also fell in love with the landscapes of South America. It was special to experience new countries and new places together, and Tim was grateful it was his first time driving this route.
"We liked the wildlife in Patagonia, crossing the Andes, the beauty of Colombia and the Ecuadorian rainforest," he recalls.
Not everything went to plan. When Tim drove the truck across the Argentinian border, the group was unexpectedly arrested and taken to a detention center on the Paraná River, where they were held for two days.
"It was all because of the tensions between England and Argentina at that time," says Tim, adding he was driving "something that looks like an army truck with a big Union Jack on the front."
It was 1981, mere months before the Falklands War.
"Eventually, after about a week of negotiation in Buenos Aires, they let us proceed, and we were able to drive all the way down to Tierra del Fuego."
When the tour party reached Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, Tim and Meryl purchased an emerald engagement ring.
At that point, "the cat was let out of the bag" as Tim puts it – everyone on the trip knew of Meryl and Tim's intention to marry. As the tour party reached Chile and everyone went their own way, the fellow travelers wished Tim and Meryl the best for their life together.
A day or two after the conversation at Iguazu Falls, Meryl had written to her parents to share the news that she was engaged.
"At that time, of course, there's no way to call anybody – we're in the middle of nowhere," says Meryl.
But unbeknownst to Meryl, this letter never made it to the US. She eventually got hold of her parents via a payphone in Chile.
"I'm coming home, and then I'm going to get married," Meryl told them.
Meryl's parents were surprised, but excited for her. Meryl told them how she and Tim had fallen in love over the course of the trip, explaining they were intending their upcoming wedding to be small, low-key – just a handful of guests.
Coincidentally, Meryl's sister Lisa was also engaged, with a wedding organized for early 1982. Meryl's mother had taken the lead with that planning, and so she told Meryl she'd handle this wedding, too.
"Meryl's mother just sort of ran with the thing, and doubled up," recalls Tim. "She double booked everybody – same florist, same hotel, same band, same officiant, just repeated everything a couple of months after Lisa got married."
This meant Meryl and Tim's wedding day in April 1982 "turned out to be a really pretty big wedding in a pretty fancy hotel on Miami Beach," as Tim recalls.
Meryl and Tim didn't mind that the celebration was more elaborate than they'd envisioned – it was a wonderful day, and fantastic to celebrate with all their loved ones. Tim's best man, Paul, was a friend he'd made on the South America camping trip, who'd been there when Tim was falling for Meryl. And Tim's parents were also there, enjoying getting to know their new American family.
As for Meryl – who took Tim's name that day, becoming Meryl Rivett – she recalls an overwhelmingly feeling of excitement on her wedding day. She felt ready for her and Tim to transition from enjoying vacation romance "to real life."
Initially, Meryl and Tim weren't sure whether they'd live in the US or the UK, but a stint in England post-wedding made up their minds.
"I just went nuts with the rain and the gloom," says Meryl, laughing. "I said, 'I can't live here.'"
As for Tim, he was happy to move to the US – his years of traveling meant he could get accustomed to anywhere pretty quickly.
Meryl and Tim had known each other less than a year when they got married, but they didn't encounter any difficulties as they adapted to life together and put down roots in Florida.
Meryl puts this down to the fact they were both pretty mature. They were still young, but not super young – and they'd both traveled a lot, had lots of different experiences.
And, she adds, they were just compatible. The ease they'd felt those first few days in South America never left, only cemented as the years rolled on.
"It was really easy to work things out," she says. "We never seemed to have any kind of issues."
The couple settled into new jobs and routines, but still made time for travel – from annual trips back to the UK to see Tim's family to adventures in Central America and Australia.
In April 2024, Meryl and Tim celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. Their four decades together have been defined by "being with each other, sharing goals and open dialogue," as Tim puts it.
They still spend their evenings talking for hours, often about their many shared interests – Tim and Meryl share a passion for getting outdoors, and love going hiking, boating and cycling. They're also are enthusiastic amateur photographers. And they're big dog-lovers.
Meryl and Tim remain good friends with Meryl's Aussie friend Karen, who they've visited in Australia and met up with in the US. And Tim went to the wedding of his Encounter Overland co-driver Mike, who – coincidentally – also married one of his passengers.
Four decades on, Meryl and Tim still enjoy telling the tale of how they met.
"I like to share the story," says Meryl, "I think it's so different."
People always love hearing it too, adds Tim – especially when they learn Tim and Meryl got engaged after only five days.
"It just sounds like a movie script or something – they just almost don't believe it," Tim says. "It's only from talking to us more that they realize that it all just did happen like that."
Looking back, the couple struggle to remember exactly what was going through their heads when they decided to get married so quickly. But they've never once regretted their decision. Tim and Meryl still feel just as certain in their choices all these years later.
"I think sometimes people wait too long to make a decision," says Meryl. "You hear the stories about people who've been engaged for so many years. They've been dating for so many years. Why did you wait years?"
Five days is the other end of the spectrum, admits Meryl, laughing. But looking back, she thinks it was truly "love at first sight."
And while Meryl and Tim aren't sure, exactly, what marriage meant to them in the early 1980s, today they feel certain. It is, says Tim, simply "the comfort of having a lifelong companion."
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