How to Not Kill Each Other While Traveling the World with the ONE

Every time I post a Reel video, my friends always comment about how nice it is to travel together with my partner.

“I’d trade anything to be where you’re in life right now”

Umm. No, Mike. You wouldn’t.

As magical as it looks on Instagram, being on the road with your partner 24/7 isn’t always easy. We don’t always sing along or giggle and be silly with each other.

Here’s the truth…

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The biggest issue: lack of some alone time

My partner and I traveled to the Canadian Rockies for a whole month this Summer. It remains the best trip we’ve ever done together.

But we also realized how much we both needed some space from each other.

That’s why we tried our best to take a break from the road trip at least once a week just to spend time alone.

I’d be reading a book or baking a cake and he’d be out for a walk for hours.

We both are introverts. Being surrounded by people all the time is a nightmare so no surprise we ended up feeling somehow mentally exhausted at the end of the trip.

People love the idea of being with their partners 24/7.

The thing is, it’s so much fun when you’re still in the honeymoon phase. But even then, it’s still impossible to be madly in love all the time while you’re on the road together.

You need to recharge your battery.

Sometimes some alone time even for a couple of hours is all you need. Too much of anything isn’t good either.

Spending every hour together with no break will also cause some unnecessary drama. Misunderstandings are unavoidable.

A bonus tip:

Before you start the trip, make sure you have a conversation about this. Schedule a time when you both take some time off.

In case you’re the only one who needs it, you should communicate it earlier.

This talk is important because when you’re drained mentally, it’ll change your mood and create problems.

Do you both want to see the same places?

Those couples who made it long last know how to compromise. Not because they’re good at it on the get-go but because they learn.

Especially during traveling, a little disagreement will turn into a big fight. Because your mind isn’t calm. You’re always in a rush for what’s next.

During the first week of our travel, we had some disagreements related to the places we want to visit. I wanted to explore more canyons and he just wanted to do more hikes.

On the day I wanted to take a break, he wanted to go on another road trip. And many more disagreements almost every day.

We realized if we didn’t do something about it, the next 3 weeks would be hard. We also spent lots of money on this trip so we needed to make the best out of it.

So we compromised. We planned it through and made sure we both got what we wanted. A win-win solution.

I used to underestimate this compromising activity in a relationship because I assumed I knew what my partner wants. But of course, I was wrong.

When your partner and you are willing to compromise, it eliminates the resentment we might have towards our partner.

Resentment-free is a must to build a long-lasting relationship.

A bonus tip:

Avoid visiting places on a whim. Proper planning can make the trip less stressful. Plus you need to know if your partner actually wants to go to the same place.

This seems small and perhaps, silly. But you’ll be surprised how many couples end up breaking up because they think the other person is selfish.

Traveling together should strengthen your relationship, not the other way around.

So create a list and plan accordingly before booking your flight.

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But is it worth it?

Hell yes. 100%.

But I want to highlight how important it is to find the right person to travel with. Don’t just pick a guy who you just met on Bumble.

There are enough nightmare stories out there. People lose their temper due to the stress of being on the road.

It’s much better to set your expectations really low during the trip. You’ll most likely get exactly the same experience as you’ve seen on your Instagram page.

It’s all perfect because it’s curated.

You don’t see behind the scenes — how many arguments they’re into on the road.

You don’t see the times when they hate each other’s presence yet need to suck it up because they’re stuck in the same car for days.

Some say traveling with your partner will put the relationship to a test. I can 100% attest to that.

It tests your compatibility and your patience for each other. That’s why you see many Instagram couples call it quits after traveling together for quite some time.

They figured they aren’t right for each other.

So before you start planning yours, really make sure you have a solid relationship with your partner first.

Because a strong connection is what will make traveling easier.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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