How To Travel Together For The First Time
Make traveling a breeze with these tips
Traveling together with your new boyfriend can be trying when it’s your first trip together. Navigating the waters of shared closet space all while being together 24/7 and having fun at the same time can be a test for any relationship.
Here are ways to minimize the stress and ensure a fun vacation together.
Have an adventure
Travel bloggers Mike and Luci Willits write one of America’s top couple’s travel blogs, 1000Fights. Their mission is to get couples to leave their kids at home, have an adventure together, and try not to kill each other while traveling. They share their best tips on how to have a great vacation and bond with your partner without getting into too many arguments:
Make a Plan, But Take Turns: Vacation time is hard to come by.. Don’t waste a day by not planning appropriately. Each partner should make a list of the top five things you want to see and do on the trip. See where your interests align and where they don’t. Plan to see the things you both like together and
another one or two things that the other person may like, and you are along for the ride. Don’t be afraid to see some sights by yourself. This brings us to tip number 2.
Have Alone Time: This might seem odd given you are going on a “couples” trip. But spending 24 hours with your partner is exhausting and sometimes boring! A successful couples trip includes time to refresh as an individual. Don’t be afraid to spend an afternoon or a morning apart. Meet for lunch and share what you’ve seen and done. You’ll find that you’ll be more patient and more enthralled with your partner if you aren’t spending every minute together.
Boundaries are Your Friend: Where’s the line? If you are going on a couple’s trip, it’s difficult to know where the boundaries are. Do you turn off the light? Where do you put your makeup bag? There are no hard and fast rules other than, you have to communicate with your partner. Be careful about asking “permission.” It’s never good when your relationship feels more like parenting. But common courtesy is always a good thing. Ask you partner; “I am going to put my clothes on this side of the closet. Any objections?” This shows your partner you care about their opinion, but they aren’t your Mom or Dad.
Be Prepared to Fight: Often couples go on a vacation to get away from it all, only to find they want to get away from each other. Rarely do couples spend 24 hours, 7 days a week with each other so when you actually start spending that amount of time, it can be stressful on the relationship. Add in a new location, different culture, and a dash of jetlag and you are in for trouble. If you do have a disagreement, take a line from Frozen, and let it go. Don’t let it ruin your entire vacation. Agree to shake it off and start fresh. Don’t waste time on the vacation being mad at each other. You won’t get a second chance to experience this trip.
Take a Break from Social Media: You may want to tweet and post on Facebook what you are doing every minute, but set aside some time where social media is put to bed. Agree that you don’t take your phones out during dinner. Talk to your partner instead. The point of the trip is to spend time together, to reconnect, and to have an adventure. Don’t let the Facebook post become more important than the one you are with.
Do’s and Don’ts
Tina Tessina, psychotherapist aka Dr. Romance, shared her tips on traveling together:
DO talk in advance about your hopes, expectations and fears about the trip. While you can't anticipate everything, having discussed these issues will help each of you understand the other better.
DON'T make assumptions that your companion will like what you like. You may have dreams of lying on a beach, while your companion loves the nightlife. Find out who wants what.
DO discuss money. Who pays for what? How much will this trip cost? If you're invited by your companion to come along for free, find out what your companion's expectations are.
DO create a budget in advance.
DON'T deviate from the budget without checking first with your companion.
DON'T bring work along without checking it out with your companion first. Not everyone wants to lounge around a hotel room while you're emailing away.
DO talk about your ideas for travel. Do you want to shop, see the sights, haunt museums, hang out on the beach, visit friends?
DON'T spring surprises on your travel companion. While it might be nice to see someone you know on your travels, or to visit a place you visited with your ex, your companion might see it differently, if not given time to deal with it in advance.
DO understand that your companion might have a different interpretation of what traveling together means. Does it mean your relationship is now more significant or exclusive? Is it a celebration of a relationship milestone? Talk about it, and find out.
DON'T suddenly decide you want to do something unplanned, unless you discuss it and find out what your companion wants. It will only be fun if you don't argue about it.
DO try to create a balance between what you and your companion want, quiet time and party time, activity and rest.
DON'T always opt for the most expensive option, if your companion has less money than you, or doesn't like to spend.
