Planning a vacation, or even a weekend getaway, can make your troubles feel like they are a world away. If you are hitting the road with someone special, it can be a great time to get closer and learn more about your partner; but, a lot of couples fall into the trap of focusing so much on planning activities that they miss the point of traveling together. Sure, you can spend quality time sipping margaritas on a sandy beach, but a trip is a chance to escape the distractions and noise of busy lives and get to know each other on a deeper level.
A truly great trip is one where you bring home more than a tan or souvenirs, it’s when you come back with a deeper bond and understanding of each other.
Communication and Compromise is Key
Whether you want to test the waters of a new relationship or strengthen your long-term partnership, taking a trip together is a milestone. A trip requires decision-making, cooperation, negotiation and compromise. Deciding your destination, style of vacation, what route to travel and where to stay takes a lot of communication. You both need to voice your opinions, but the key is to listen to each other and find compromise. This is a particularly good exercise if you and your partner struggle with compromise with the day-to-day things. You might decide that you both are willing to try something totally new, which could lead to a conversation about each other’s willingness to be flexible in your everyday compromises.
They key is to be supportive when doing the other person’s activity so they return that same consideration when doing something you prefer. At the end of the day, you want to be able to have an experience that you can reflect on and share.
Does Travel Turn Into Teamwork or a Tantrum?
When you’re together every waking moment, you’re there for every high and low. Whether it’s a missed flight, lost luggage or getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, you’ll have to handle the situation together. As frustrating as these situations can be, it’s a chance to work together to problem-solve, ask for help or make light of the situation. During our busy lives, we tend to try to solve problems quickly because we have so much going on. We might not turn to our partners for their input or guidance. Sometimes we come to an agreement about a problem, but silently stew if it wasn’t the decision we wanted. Travel is a good time to acknowledge that mishaps will happen, and decide ahead of time that you will use these as opportunities to flex your problem-solving muscles. The end goal, whether you’re on the road or at home, is to be able to laugh about it later and not have it end in a fight or ruin the day.
This is a great time to take the 16Personalities test that matchmakers at 1 True Match have all their clients take to determine what truly drives, inspires and worries them. Understanding your own personality, as well as your partner’s, is a very useful tool when approaching challenges and determining a problem-solving approach that works for both of you.
Diving Deep…And We Don’t Mean Into The Pool
What many couples miss is the opportunity travel presents to spend some quality conversation time together. Taking a break from the everyday hustle of work and social schedules can bring a chance to connect and communicate. Vacation is a good time to have conversations you don’t have time for because of busy nature of your regular lives. A delayed flight, a long hike or a day on the beach can provide those extra hours that simply aren’t realistic at home. It might be a good idea to have a couple of smaller conversations before you address the bigger topics you’d like to tackle. You want your partner to be open to a deep conversation about something like a job change, moving to a new state, plans for aging parents, or what the future holds for the relationship itself.
Traveling also provides the opportunity to have conversations that you haven’t had time for or that you may be intentionally avoiding. No one is saying you have to get ultra-serious, but if you can’t make the time and effort to have a heart-to-heart now, when will you? Consider it a chance to learn more about each other. It may be difficult to dive deep into discussion at first, but you’ll be thankful later, no matter the outcome. A great ice breaker is to take The 5 Love Languages® quiz. This exercise provides an analysis of your emotional communication preference. It will show you how identifying your love language can help you connect with partner on a higher level of intimacy.
How To Handle Coming Home
After your trip, you and your partner will hopefully know each other on a deeper level than you did before. Your relationship might be stronger, and you may have built up your confidence that your partner is the perfect companion. On the other hand, it’s okay if you realize they’re not someone you can spend the rest of your life with. It’s better to know than to invest more time and energy into something that doesn’t have staying power. If you find yourself back in the dating pool after a travel exploration trip, go head and fill out a complimentary profile on 1 True Match. Matchmakers will utilize their skills to connect you with one of their successful clients. You can also give them a call for a consultation and see how they can put their talents to work finding your next great travel partner. Plan a trip, see how you communicate and compromise, and make the most out of it. You’ll be happy you did, no matter the outcome.
