How traveling together can make your relationships stronger
Travel helps us to better understand ourselves. But can it help us in our relationships with others? Turns out, traveling together can bring us closer with our partners and friends, or make, previously strangers, create an unbreakable bond. There’s no better way to get to know somebody, than during a trip.
Traveling together – why is it worth it?
When you travel together, you get to see your co-traveler from a completely new perspective. If it’s somebody you already spend a lot of time with, you will see them in extraordinary scenarios, that do not happen in your day-to-day life. These new experiences together can reignite the spark that sometimes gets lost between the routines.
If on the other hand, it’s someone you don’t see very regularly, you will get to see their more relaxed and personal side, and learn things about them, you didn’t know before. Your relationship will gain a new dimension, and you will bond over the moments you shared.
Why do couples need to travel together?
If traveling makes us happier people, then in theory it should make us happier (better) partners. When you travel, you let loose and bring out your most fun side. The new environment helps you forget the little quarrels at home and healing on the partnership can be done. Long-time partners, the ones who have already passed the “puppy phase” will greatly benefit from a change of scenery in their romance. But traveling can also make new love happen. It’s easier for a special bond to form when you’re doing what you are passionate about. You become more emotionally open and the connections you make will feel more intense than ever. Many lifelong friendships or romantic relationships begin while traveling.
Traveling – better together!
Travels are often associated with challenges and adventures. This is the tricky element of going on a trip. When you travel together you can rely on each other in stressful situations. A partner may prove to be an invaluable help when you run into trouble. Other than a helping hand your travel buddy will also bring emotional support, which is sometimes the most important thing in a time of crisis. Such situations show the true face of a person and can ultimately make or break a relationship.
The famous quote by Mark Twain: “I have found out there is no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them” also says a lot about traveling with others. In more than one of his works, Twain described the adventures of friends who had to count on each other during various journeys. A lot can happen while traveling, and a friend’s helpful hand is just what you might need when you’re in a pickle.
And when everything goes well, you will have someone to share the special memories with.
Group traveling also has some more down-to-earth benefits. Sharing the cost between multiple people can reduce prices and make more options possible, as larger groups usually get discounts on everything. You could get your friends together and rent a stunning villa somewhere in Italy, or book a whole campsite just for yourselves. When you pick who you are close with to travel with you, you can enjoy a private atmosphere, with people you know and get along with well. They are people you trust, which also makes it safer when you’re on the road.
Travel for healthier relationships
Traveling with your loved ones allows you to get to know them even better and get closer to them. It is popular for partners or close friends to travel together. But going on a trip together can also strengthen family bonds. Most people remember traveling with their siblings or parents as children, but as we grow up, we kind of forget that that is a possibility. Many of us have complicated, to say the least, relationships with our family members, but perhaps a weekend getaway together could take away some of the family drama. If there’s somebody in your family you would like to get closer with, your sibling, grandma, or in-laws, a little out-of-town adventure will naturally bind you tighter together.
Good communication = good trip = good relationship
Traveling together, be it as a couple or a big group, means a lot of compromises. When different people are bound by travel, they have to communicate through their differences, which can be difficult and lead to arguments. And nothing spoils a trip more than conflict. If being patient and understanding are not your and your partner’s strong sides, minor inconveniences and petty fights can overshadow the good moments on your trip. Good travel partners are flexible, both to the events of the journey and to their companions.
The thing about relationships is we can learn to better communicate with others. We can learn to better understand our partner’s needs, what triggers them, and in which moments they need our support the most. Travels enable these learning experiences in a much shorter and more pleasurable time, and sometimes can even save the relationship from falling apart.
Not better off alone
There are many reasons why you might prefer to travel solo. You can choose what to do, where to do, and when to do it. You have complete freedom and you don’t need to take care of anyone’s expectations. And yes, travelling alone does have many plus sides and is important, even for people in committed relationships.
But even the biggest loners need somebody close to validate their experiences, go over the memories and talk about their impressions. In the end, what is the point of anything if you can’t share it with anyone? Traveling together is a wonderful opportunity to join efforts and reach a common goal.
