How Travel Has Made My Relationship Stronger

Have you ever heard someone say that if you think someone might be the one…travel with them? I can’t begin to tell you how true this is! You learn a lot about someone when you’re miles away from home and put into stressful situations. Travel can make or break a couple but I’m excited to tell you all of the ways travel has made my relationship stronger.

Now I had known by boyfriend for a few years before our first big trip together and we had been dating for almost a year by that point. We drove from PA to Florida stopping only once to sleep on the way. Now this was a short introduction to the travels that were to come but we made it back alive and still together, even after being inseparable for 7 days and in a car driving for 3 of those days. The next year, we decided to do a spring break trip across the country for a total of around 72 hours in a car (when you include our random detours) over a 10 day period. Now I don’t know about you, but road trips don’t always go the smoothest. I’m proud to say we had the time of our lives and came back better than ever.

Our most recent trip was a 28 day trip across Europe where we were inseparable for 28 days straight. There are very few people in this world that you can handle for 28 days straight for every single minute of the day and night. I can tell you this much, your travels with your partner are not always going to be smiles and roses, there will be some things you need to work through but hey! That’s a relationship right? We had our disagreements and we each had days where we just needed some space but that was the great thing about travel. We learned to read each other better and to enjoy spending time together and apart. There are so many important ways travel has made my relationship stronger.

Contents

• 1 Strong Communication
• 2 Romance
• 3 Adventure
• 4 Compromise
• 5 Learning How To Handle Stress
• 6 Making Future Plans
• 7 Appreciating Companionship
• 8 Safety
• 9 Making Memories
• 10 Trust
• 11 Related

Strong Communication

If traveling together has done anything, it encouraged us to communicate better and understand the importance of communication. We were already decent at it before but when you’re in a foreign place with people you don’t know well, it becomes essential to maintain your safety and your sanity. We learned to work as a team and let each other know when we were tired, hungry, or just plain grumpy that day. Just the simple ability to say “Hey. I’m just grumpy about everything in general today, probably because I miss my family or I’m upset that I didn’t get to see this place because we ran out of time” goes a long way so your partner knows you’re not just mad for no apparent reason OR that you’re not upset with them. I love that I now feel much more connected to him and that in turn leads to less arguments because I know what’s going on with him and he knows what’s going on with me before it becomes a problem.

Sharing a Kiss in the Swiss Alps

Romance

There is just something surreal about sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower as the sun sets, sipping wine, snacking on meats and cheese, or being snuggled up close to the one you love. Traveling with my significant other has presented incredible opportunities to keep our love alive. Whether it’s dressing up to go out in Vegas, walking beautiful streets hand in hand, or floating down canals in Venice, you learn to find romance in the simplest of moments. Traveling the world has left me even more in love with my best friend.

Adventure

One of my favorite things about exploring the world with my boyfriend is going on new adventures together. There’s nothing quite like seeing his face light up as he gets ready to jump out of a cable car in the Swiss Alps or his reassuring looks and hugs as I get ready to brave the waters on our white water rafting trip (I had tipped my kayak in rapids a few weeks earlier so I was absolutely terrified). It’s great to see what excites each other and cheer each other on as we tackle our individual fears. It’s also been scientifically tested that by doing things with your significant other that are exciting and get your adrenaline pumping, you will actually start to associate it with your relationship being exciting and in turn improve your relationship. Who knows how much credit should be given to that theory, but it seems to make a lot of sense to me!

Compromise

One of the best things that has come out of traveling for my relationship would be improving our compromising skills. This has been invaluable as we are trying to see as many things as possible. There is no way to ever see everything in a city so we have to come up with a game plan together of what is important to both of us and the things we can miss if we don’t have enough time. This comes with practice and it’s important in any relationship. Relationships are all about compromise and travel helps you do this without even realizing it. I loved learning the value of give and take while exploring the world with my best friend.

Learning How To Handle Stress

I’m going to be completely honest with you. Traveling can be incredibly stressful at times. Now add someone else’s feelings, wants, and wishes into the equation and it can spell disaster. Fortunately travel can help you learn how to deal with stress in a positive manner. I know that’s not always easy but there are other ways to deal with stress other than taking it out on those around you. For me, I like a hot bubble bath and something super chocolatey. If that’s not available a simple long hug is just as good to drain all the negativity out of me and start to come up with a game plan of how to get out of the stressful situation. Just remember, life can be stressful but taking it out on your partner is only going to add to that stress. Travel teaches you to go with the flow and accept that sometimes things won’t go as planned. If you can remember that, then your relationship will definitely get stronger.

Making Future Plans

Travel plans usually have to be made well in advance. This helps build confidence in your relationship because you’re willing to plan into the future together. There’s just something extra exciting about being able to plan a trip together. It gives you something to look forward to as a couple and shows your how well you work together as a team. This has definitely strengthened my confidence in our relationship because we’re willing to plan months, even years ahead for our trips and that says we’re in it for the long haul.

Taking in the views of the Rocky Mountain National Park with my best friend

Appreciating Companionship

Travel has taught me the value of a companion. Not everything you encounter on a trip is romantic. It’s nice to know that your best friend is right there to experience everything with you. I love that I have someone to share laughs with or just take in a beautiful scene together. I have learned through traveling how nice it is to have someone who encourages my love for travel and takes care of me along our journey. There’s no one else I would rather explore the world with than my best friend, who also happens to be my boyfriend.

Safety

I have always been a stickler for safety. I’m always over prepared and overly cautious when traveling alone. Having my boyfriend there with me has helped me feel at ease while traveling. It’s nice to have someone to look after you in a place where you know no one. You can’t always trust your new friends, so having my boyfriend there to make sure nothing happens to me has really meant a lot to me. I have never felt unsafe on our journeys with my boyfriend by my side to keep me safe, and that’s a great feeling.

Making Memories

Putting a lock on the Love Lock Bridge together

I am one of those people who would rather have someone to share memories with rather than make them on my own. Also, some of our stories of our trips are a little off the wall so it helps to have someone to vouch for the validity of them. These stories will provide laughs, happiness, and beautiful memories that we will have for the rest of our lives. Travel has given us more things in common and amazing stories to tell our friends together.

Trust

Traveling together causes you to rely on each other and work together as a team. You have to know that your partner is always going to be there when times get tough to help you figure out what to do next. We’ve learned each others strengths and weaknesses and how to counter those with our own strengths. More importantly, we have learned to trust each other to make decisions that keep both of us safe and happy.

Traveling with my boyfriend I have done some of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life. It’s opened my eyes to the beauty of the world and shown me that it’s okay to be scared, but don’t let that hold you back. I guess that’s also pretty explanatory of a relationship. There may be things in this world that scare you, but with an awesome sidekick and the world at your fingertips, you can conquer those fears.

Do you believe me yet that travel has made my relationship stronger? You do! So what are you waiting for? Send this to your significant other and start planning away. Your adventures are going to make your love stronger and your wanderlust greater. Like me on Facebook to keep up to date with our travels or Follow me on Instagram for some beautiful pictures of our travels.

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