5 Ways Travel Can Strengthen the Relationship for a Couple

Travelers, I am so excited to be sharing this guest blog post with you from Erin Papworth with Nav.it! I virtually met Erin through Wanderful, an international women’s travel community, and through their Nav.It Podcast. Her thoughts on how travel can strengthen relationships resonated a lot with mine. I wanted to share, and what better way than in her own words! Thank you Erin for sharing your knowledge. I hope you all enjoy her 5 ways travel can strengthen the relationship for a couple.

By: Erin Papworth, CEO and Founder at Nav.it

Couples that travel together, stay together. If some famous person hasn’t said it, let me be the first to make that grand statement.

I have spent the majority of my adult life traveling, and I have had the pleasure of not only traveling as a couple and seeing the joy that it brought to our relationship, but also knowing many couples that use travel as a form of couples bonding (and maybe some therapy).

Five Ways Traveling can strengthen the relationship for a couple

Here are the top reasons why travel can strengthen your relationship as a couple:

1. You shake up the routine.

Travel is a moment to take yourselves out of your daily routine. This is also very helpful for couples who can connect in a new setting, with new energy. When you are relaxed and the stresses of real life seem far away, it opens space to discuss issues with a new perspective and take your time to explore topics that shouldn’t be rushed.

2. Travel conversations open new lines of communication.

Now, not everyone travels the same, so getting on the same page about the kind of travel that makes you both happy is a good first step. Is he a weekend-getaway type traveler? Are you an international explorer? It’s always ideal to work through your preferences, not only for your relationship, but for your wallet. This is a great way to understand your partner more and to express your needs and desires. Since travel is usually low stacks (you’re not buying a house or having a baby!), it can actually be fun to find your travel cadence as a couple!

Couple sitting on a rock in front of a lake and mountains

3. You get to learn together and see a different side of your partner.

I never would have known my partner had an adventurous palette, and had even eaten snake, if we hadn’t been in a random village in West Africa. At the time he was starving and was offered some fried crickets by our ever-helpful driver. As there was little else to consume in the area, he happily gulped them down. When I protested in disgust, he mischievously laughed and said: “this is nothing compared to the snake I once had!” And so, I learned more about him then, at the time, I wanted to know and decided not to kiss him for at least a day to ensure no random cricket legs got near my mouth.

4. It gives you a chance to talk about money.

Travel is a great and more neutral way to understand how each person in the couple manages money. The amount you’ll spend (or at least the way you want to spend your money on a trip) gives you an opportunity to express your budget comfort zones. Maybe s/he loves food and is willing to splurge, while you’d prefer to stay in a nicer hotel and eat street food. Working those styles out beforehand helps you plan out how much you want to spend and what you want to do before you go. It’s a great way to open a safe dialogue about spending habits in general too. (P.S. Nav.it has a great budget tracking app that can help you both keep track of your goals! It’s free to download and can be found at www.nav.it )

5. You make lasting memories.

When life gets back into a routine. When you have children in school and are beholden to summer holidays like everyone else. When your partner starts a business and she only has time to travel for work. At those points in your life, you will be so happy you have travel memories as a couple. It also gives you something to look back on and forward to. Once you establish travel as a priority within your relationship, you know you will do it again. Maybe not at the frequency of the early years, but you will do it again. If it’s the yearly excursion, or the monthly weekend getaway, the experiences you have exploring the world together will define your relationship and your memories throughout time.

Venice, Italy — Photograph by Justin Key Photography

Thank you Erin for sharing your insights on how travel can strengthen the relationship for a couple! To learn more about Erin Papworth and Nav.it head to their website at www.nav.it, listen to their Podcast, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.