Willia CabatinganIn recent years, budget airlines have made it easier for millennials to travel out of our own pockets. Along with this comes the option of inviting our significant others along for the ride. It’s fantastic that we’re able to do this because travel helps the relationship grow in many ways.
Also read: Why Couples Who Travel Together Are Not Your Average Couples
You learn to cooperate with each other
Even before flying out, you’re already working on the flights, schedules, hotels rooms, and itinerary together. You ask each other which flight or tourist spot works best for whom, what room price the other is willing to pay for, or what schedule is okay with the other? You learn to consider your SO’s needs and capabilities. You build that aspect of give and take that’s important in any relationship, which brings me to the next point.
You become a team
One of you has to figure out the city map, while the other has to learn the bus routes, right? You can’t just let one person do everything while you travel because that creates a massive headache. Eventually, you get in sync with one another and establish who’s in charge of what.
You see each other’s strengths and weakness
It’s easy to see your partner’s strengths and weaknesses in any normal day. But boy, trust me when I say that travelling can bring out a different side of your partner that you may not have seen before. Travelling, especially DIY travels, can be stressful. You may learn that your Other Half can’t keep up with the situations at hand, or find that they’re actually pretty good at keeping calm during hectic times.
Also read: Travel More for a Stronger Relationship
When you see the strengths, you learn to appreciate
You will probably see that your girlfriend is such a boss, once she talks to the airline manager after an eight-hour delay. You might witness how firm and assertive your boyfriend really is, after the taxi driver dupes you into paying more in fare. Maybe you’ll fall in love again, five times over. If not, at least you’ll have a deeper admiration for the person that you previously didn’t see.
And when you see the weaknesses, you learn to be patient
Turn the above-mentioned situations around, and you might see a flaw in your partner during these times. You find out that they’re not as confident, or as clever as you are when the situation calls for it. Unfortunate events – which happen frequently while travelling – need quick thinking and smart actions, which your Other Half might not be capable of doing. But instead of criticising their weaknesses, you learn to be patient with them.
You learn something new about the other person
Even your partner might discover something about themselves that they previously didn’t. You could learn that they’re actually passionate about food or history, or you realise that you have different priorities when travelling. One of you would want to check out the food scene, while the other prefers to check off all the touristy sites and museums.
You learn to love what they love
And then you develop an interest in the things that they like. Soon you’ll enjoy going to every Michelin-starred restaurant in the country, or any well-known restaurant for that matter. You’ll want to check out the specialty coffee places instead of the museums. You’ll enjoy budgeting while abroad because, apparently, that’s what your boyfriend or girlfriend is best at, and you acquire that habit.
It creates opportunities for you to communicate
Image credit: x1klima
I mean, it’s just you two for the entire trip. You have all the time to talk at breakfast, lunch or dinner, during bus rides, even while walking. This likely doesn’t happen, all the time, back home because you both have separate lives, right? Not only that, when a problem arises during your trip, it’s the two of you trying to solve it, which requires a great deal of communication.
So what are you waiting for? If you want to strengthen your relationship, you better start planning that couple trip soon!
