Things That  I Am Worried About When Traveling As A Couple

“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way.”  Henry Boyle

It all seems perfect when you are thinking about it in your living room. I imagine breakfast in a fluffed bed, over looking a clear blue ocean. In my story, I look effortlessly beautiful five minutes after waking up. The new normal airport security lines are fast and stress free. My suitcase is not heavy. Traveling in my fantasy is just as glamorous as traveling looks on Instagram and Facebook. No one has jet lag, gets annoyed, sick or has physical bodily functions.

Traveling  together as a couple prematurely  can ruin a potentially great relationship. The pressure to get along and enjoy yourself all day long can be huge.  A short trip is a good test. It is easy to over look things when you are home, but when you are traveling together every minute, an issue that would otherwise not be a big deal, can blow up out of proportion.

He does not yet know that I truly believe that to have the perfect trip you need to have the perfect travel wardrobe no matter how heavy the suitcase is. I am a spiller and not just on myself. The pressure of not knocking over a glass of wine or cup of coffee all over him will probably make it happen. Does he really understand that saying you get carsick and being in a car with someone who is carsick are two different things?  What funny, weird habits does he have that I don’t yet  know about? Besides that he just mentioned he has a fanny pack for traveling.  At least it is a cute one. What is a jet lag problem?  We are both planners. Will that turn out to be one of our issues?

Finding oneself in a challenging situation often changes temperaments and can lead to misunderstandings. Different agendas often lead to calendar conflicts and the inability to visit every site you hoped to see. Flexibility and at least a bit of alone time is important.We both are funny so that might help. He says that he is funnier. 

The unpredictability  of any trip  and being together twenty-four hours a day means there is no place to hide. The chips will fall one of two ways: I will return hating every fiber of his being; or I will be convinced that this is the person I am going to travel the world with. The first trip we have planned is a few days in Northern California – the second is to the most remote place on earth.

I am  about to learn quickly whether he  can read a situation, problem-solve, and handle his  baggage in any circumstance. He is about to learn what it is like to be with a serial traveler. 

Fly safe,

JAZ