Traveling is such a beautiful experience that can often be made even more meaningful when you get to share that experience with that special someone. As it turns out, however, traveling can tend to bring out the worst of us and is a true test for a relationship as well. It’s important to be fully prepared when traveling with a significant other, and to do that, it’s utmost necessary to know some very specific things about one another:
1. How they handle stress, hanger, and tiredness…and how to remedy that, or at least deal with it
When traveling, you’ll likely encounter a stressful situation. In fact, you will happen upon a stressful situation. Whether it’s a mistake in a reservation, a hiccup in some travel arrangements, things may sometimes sneak up on you. If you’re traveling, you may have to go longer periods of time without eating or sleeping and that affects everyone differently. It’s important to know how your SO reacts to those factors as well as know what you can do to calm them down or soothe the situation.
2. Their quirky travel habits
Often times, we’ll adapt quirky little habits that will help us adjust to the traveling lifestyle. It can be used as a calming and comfort mechanism, or maybe it’s a way to help them relax. Maybe it’s an annoying habit like having superstitious rituals pre-flight, or maybe they have a tendency to pass out and fall into a deep sleep as soon as their ass hits that airplane seat. Know their habits and learn how to cope with them.
3. How they like to travel
What’s their travel style like? Do they need everything meticulously planned out? Do they pack for two weeks when they’re gone three days? Personally, I’m a zero plans kind of girl. I prefer to only have plans for transportation to get me there and then I like to figure everything else out as I go. I CANNOT travel with people who are uptight about traveling or have to have everything planned out. There are many people out there who are the same way, and I know that there are people out there who can’t travel with people like me. It’s a good discussion to have beforehand to avoid butting heads after you hit the road.
4. Any medical issues
I would hope that you would already know any important medical issues your SO has that may cause issues, especially before traveling. Know what the condition is and what to do in an emergency. It’s also good to know if they are prone to motion sickness at all (air sick, car sick, seasick, etc.). The last thing you want is to kick off your adventure with a lap full of vomit AND to be taken completely by surprise by it.
5. Their problem solving style
Do they clam up and shut down when faced with a dilemma? Do they need to talk it out? Do they need to physically write down a plan? Traveling brings plenty of opportunities for problems that need to be solved and knowing what to expect from your SO when it comes to solving those problems will save you time, fighting, and headaches.
6. What they want out of the adventure
Ask your SO what specifically they are looking for out of this adventure. Is there a certain activity or food they’d like to try? Is there any sort of itinerary they’d like to stick to? Discuss what things are “must-do’s” for both parties and then meet them halfway to make sure those things get done.
Without sugar-coating it, traveling together could really make or break a relationship. I know couples who have traveled together and ended up breaking up shortly after and I know couples who have traveled together and it brought them closer together. Take it seriously, have fun, and don’t sweat the small things. Seeing how a guy keeps his cool in stressful situations will make me that much more attracted to him. Being aware beforehand of all these things will make the trip much more enjoyable and the risk factor won’t be as high when it comes to conflict. Take the time to talk it out. Happy travels!
Featured image via Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
