Ready to put your relationship to the test? Traveling is the way to do that. Not in a bad way. Beat with me. As I’ve discussed before in previous articles, when you travel, you’re essentially intensifying everything in your personal life and in your relationships. If there are issues, they’ll be more pronounced. If you’re madly in love, your trip will be filled with more passion and intensity than you’ve had beforehand. If you typically miss your family, you might feel even further from them.
So before you go on a trip, you should definitely consider te laying out a game-plan beand discussing any potential issues that you may have
Personally, I wouldn’t get too far into a serous relationship without going on a trip together. It’s an important test. It lets me see how she does in unusual circumstances and how I do as well. It’s a great learning opportunity for each other. It’s similar to having dinner with my girlfriends parents or introducing her to my parents. If everything goes well then we’re probably on a good track. This is even more true since I’m so passionate about traveling.
Now that we’ve discussed the big picture, let’s discuss some general pointers that you may find helpful.
Allow yourself downtime.
Having time with no plans is important on a trip, especially for couples. It allows you to regroup, communicate freely, get some alone time in (who doesn’t like afternoon sex?) and rest your body. It’s really easy to not schedule down-time and then have stress slowly build up. Downtime is awesome, especially after a long hike, a kayaking trip or just a day at the beach.
Give yourselves private space.
Staying in hostel dorms is awesome. Socializing at Tiki bars can be an awesome experience. I love it. But couples need private space, if not for peace of mind occasionally, then definitely for sex. Yes, it’s important. No, it’s not something to put off. Vacation/travel sex is some of the best sex you will ever have. You feel sexier when you travel. Your mind is more open. Your bodies are tan and your hair is sun bleached. For the love of sex, have some sex!
Schedule a time to talk alone during the day, even if only for a few minutes.
Talking alone amongst each other is just as important as planning fun activities. This communication time will help you maintain each other as a priority on the trip and show that you care. When you don’t talk, it’s really easy for someone to get frustrated. If there are other people around, remember to include each other in the conversation. It’s not fair to get so excited about meeting new people that you forget to include your significant other in the conversation.
Also, private conversations can really help someone out. It someone just got an instant case of food poisoning, having a few minute to discuss that and review options for the remainder of the evening can prevent embarassment. If you’re out with friends, being on the same page between each other can make the differences between a great memory and a terrible evening in a foreign place.
Schedule at least 1-2 dates per week.
Dates keep the romance flowing. It shows you both care. It allows you to talk and grants a full access pass to each other. When you don’t do dates, it can be easy to get lost in the trip. Having solid date plans shows that you value the other person and that the trip is for you as a couple versus one person individually. Similarly, dates exclude unwanted people. It’s a good reason to bail on others…”thanks for the offer to hang out, but we have a date planned that we’ve been looking forward to.” It can be empowering too 🙂
The dates can be simple, but be sure to schedule a fancy date occasionally. Get sexy, dress it up, look and smell good, and paint the town. This is your night. She should look beautiful, he should look good and both should be confident.
It’s ok to give each other space.
The entire trip doesn’t need to be with each other. In fact, it’s a good idea for you to both part ways briefly. Chances are one of you will hate this. But just wait. You will be surprised to learn how much you can enjoy it. She can go kayaking with that new friend she made. He can go to the bar at that cool bar around the corner. It’s ok to go separate ways occasionally.
Like any form of traveling, just be sure you’re safe and that you communicate well with each other. This leads me to my next point…
If you part ways for a while, have a guaranteed meeting time place.
Knowing where to meet after parting ways for a while is important. Even if it’s just a general understanding that you both know where your hotel/hostel is and both have room keys.
Not knowing where the other person is can lead to frustrating and dangerous situations. At the very least, if you don’t have a pre-determined meeting place, both keep your phones on you and charged. Use WhatsApp because it only uses wifi and/or data.
Always look out for each other no matter what.
If your relationship takes a turn for the worst or you have an argument, make it a rule that you’ll at least know where each other is. Being in a foreign country can be dangerous if one person is left without money, a form of communication or knowledge of what’s going on. Taking space from each other is completely fine, but definitely stay on the same page in terms of each others whereabouts. Additionally, no matter how bad things get, always look out for each other’s safety.
Generally speaking, traveling is a positive reinforcement experience for relationships. When you travel together, it should solidify your relationship, help you appreciate your significant other, and make you want to trave more with them.
Happy travels! 🙂
