“You and your partner’s happiness will be noticed by someone, somewhere, who will attempt to dampen it. Don’t let it sink your ship.”
- Mihir Gada
Synonymous to “pizza”, Mihir and Vaishali’s relationship exudes an aroma that smells like their favourite toppings, seasonings, and cheese, but most importantly, a fresh, firm, yet soft base, which is pretty much the most important ingredient in a good relationship as much as, well, a slice of your favourite pizza.
I hope you never stop letting enthusiasm fill you if there is someone you are passionate about, a goal you are working hard to achieve, a dream you are still sketching in the corner of your notebook, or a song you can't stop singing. At the end of the day, what matters is your love, your devotion to your love. Not how many things we own or how much cash we have in our pockets, not the accomplishments we've made, the accolades we've received, or even the times we've failed.
Mihir and Vaishali’s love story evidently proves that no matter what, the world is going to be skeptical of your love when they see it. When they see you growing and glowing vibrantly with your loved one, with a smile on your face, they're going to make fun of you, pass judgment, or point a finger in your face.
Mihir and Vaishali Gada in a candid chat with Harshita Dagha Maisheri on travel-couple goals, peer pressure, de-stressing, dealing with excessive expectations, and more, exclusively on Baely:
Year 1 – Long Distance, Lasting Love
“I was away from home for a year touring India for a play after our wedding. I don’t think it would have been possible without Vaishali,” Mihir reminisces while swiftly shifting onto a joke (to lighten up the mood on the table), “Thank God it’s not someone else, because then I don’t think I’d ever get the permission to be away this long.”
Vaishali jumps in with generous amounts of honesty and modesty, “It’s all him. Mihir is a talented guy, I have always believed in him and will continue to do so no matter what. He needs a year, or two, or a decade, it doesn't matter as long as he enjoys his work.”
Takeaway:
A year-long long distance relationship right after marriage can be a huge deal for couples, especially when living in a joint family setup like Mihir and Vaishali’s, since moving into a new space can be a challenging transition for everyone, especially, the woman. This is the time she needs her husband the most.
“There were times when I felt that maybe he was flirting with his senior at work. That also stems from the fact that I am insecure at times. But he would calmly sit and we would sort it out,” admits Vaishali, as we continued addressing challenges that are inevitable in a long-distance relationship. How the two managed to smoothen the transition phase despite the odds is pure “couple goals”. Having faith in each other is the foundation of any good relationship, it thus proves.
Year 2— Between Backing and Packing
“We live in a slightly conservative joint family setup where explaining travelling as a career to everyone was challenging initially,” Vaishali explains how she, as a bahu, was expected to be and behave, and that staying out and travelling was not well-accepted in an Indian society.
Takeaway:
However, they dealt with the situation with maturity by prioritizing their growth over dealing with others’ judgments and doubts.
“Mihir has always been the director to my acts. He has helped me with editing, shooting, taking that perfect shot, and everything in between,” she smiles.
Both Mihir and Vaishali feel that if the partner has the other’s back, and if the partner is constantly there for you, everything seems easy.
Year 3—The Big Baby Steps
“Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tsu
The line rings as true as a classic gramophone. Travel, as a career, came with its own roadblocks for Mihir and Vaishali.
They started The Great Indian Explorer small, with little bytes from their day to day travels and experiences, which later got acknowledged for its refreshing take on travel, food, and living.
Nonetheless, while peer pressure of making “money” from friends and relatives was constantly meddling with their growth, they were both also struggling to understand the nuances of digital marketing, which both were fairly new to, to gauge and crack.
Takeaway:
Not letting external negativity dull your sparkle is what we learn from the effervescent couple. They never let anything or anyone mess up with their heads and kept at what they were doing, without doubting each other, or themselves.
“We believed we’d let our work do the talking. We focused more on building our skills, understanding digital marketing, and polishing our blogging skills.” Vaishali asserts.
Year 4 – Getaway from Great Expectations
As life has just marked its “new beginnings” when The Global Blogster finally took off with brand collaborations, barters, and ample paid campaigns that justified the blog's sustenance, family and friends suggested Mihir and Vaishali plan a child.
We all know that four years in an arranged marriage set up in India makes way for an obvious conversation about having a child. In most cases, it’s “high time!” or “too late.” In some others, it’s “do you have a medical condition?”
“We did want a child,” Mihir calmly explained, “But we both wanted to settle first. And we had just started. This was all adding to a lot of stress.”
Takeaway:
This was essentially because they were both stressed given the family and workload. They took us-time often to detox.
“The key is always helping each other detox. Whenever Vaishali was stressed, I made it a point to just lighten up her day by booking a day’s staycation or just being around her. And when I was burning out, she made me my favourite food. I am a sucker for good food, and she knows that.”
Year 5—When all is Standstill? Stand Still. Stand Strong
“It was the time of the year when almost everything came to a standstill. Covid took a lot from us, but we digressed more toward food since travel wasn’t an option,” Vaishali nods in agreement as Mihir opens up about managing a travel blog amid Covid struggles.
“I additionally started my own fashion brand to keep fuelling our travel costs and Mihir was also acting alongside, we were both trying to be productive. There were days we wouldn’t meet because I would be leaving for work and by the time I was back, he was already asleep. But we knew, we’d come around,” Vaishali smiles.
Takeaway:
Not being able to give each other time, sometimes, is not the end of the world if there’s a good rapport between the two.
“Most times, it’s not the lack of time, but lack of understanding that results in a flaky relationship,” Mihir suggests.
Year 6— “US” is Stronger than “I”
“2022 was a bonanza all along, throughout, and through and through,” the twinkle in Vaishali’s eye depicted honesty.
Mihir quickly adds, “Yes, the blog started gaining not just national, but global recognition. The Times featuring us was just the beginning, we were invited to TEDs, Vaishali got the Real Woman Award for the best Lifestyle Influencer and Blogger. We were covered as successful bloggers in several places, I was now also a travel and food writer at Midday.”
Vaishali seems a little teary eyed as she finishes his sentence, “It had all started bearing fruit, and all credit goes to US.”
Takeaway:
Mihir and Vaishali are proof of where appreciation can get you – at great heights. You can be the best version of yourself when there’s someone constantly inspiring you to be one. “Anyone can credit themselves, but it takes a lot to grow from your egos and credit your partner for all that you are,” Vaishali acknowledges.
Year 7 – Live with Him/ Her Fully before you Die
Stronger than ever, this year is a year of fulfillment and abundance for Mihir and Vaishali as they’re all set to plan a child and take the travel game up a notch higher.
Takeaway:
“All we want to tell the world is, one day you’re going to die with all the money in that bank. So, take your favourite person by your side, and travel with him/her. And I’m going to show the world I can do it with a child too, I’ll do it even when I’m with a stick and older,” Mihir raises a toast with his final coffee sip, “I’ll join you, babe” Vaishali closes with a wide grin.
