Written by: Shirea L. Carroll

So you’ve finally met “the one,” or at least the potential one. It’s been a while and things are going great. You’re both goal-oriented and accomplished, appreciate your independence, and see the power of being a unit. It couldn’t be better. Or could it?

Chris Rock said it best, “In your relationship, all you should be doing is having sex and traveling…coming and going.” It’s funny but true. Travel is a unique but effective way to strengthen your relationship and keep #relationshipgoals as a constant mood.

Most relationships experience the highest of highs in the initial “honeymoon phase” but often couples struggle to find ways to maintain that initial passion and excitement found in the early days of a relationship. If you’re looking to keep the relationship interesting, the answers might not just be between the sheets, but between the pages of your passport. Here’s how:  

Make Your Next Date Night “Dreamy”

Instead of going to your 312th dinner or 87th movie, opt for you and your laptops to convene at your local bookstore or coffee shop. Use the time to discuss dream destinations you’ve always imagined traveling to and why. You and bae will bond over sharing your travel dreams. Using your current interests, talk about the things you would love to do and see once arriving at potential destinations. Are you both sneakerheads? Maybe Hong Kong should be your next stop. Love cooking together? Maybe a trip to Florence, Italy would excite you. Who knew getting to know more about each other through geography could be sexy?

Love and Logistics

Once you’ve talked about all your baecation fantasies, bring it back to reality and figure out what travel days work best for your schedules.

Keep in mind, planning three to six months ahead will definitely help with minimizing the costs of traveling and allow you to save. Once hotels and flights have been booked, set a budget for your next trip and figure out ways you can start saving. You’ll be amazed how simply cutting down on randomly grabbing drinks and mall trips will help you stash cash. On top of the financial benefits, working together towards a goal will ensure you are cultivating a true partnership within your relationship.

The Value is in the Experience

Once you achieve your savings and planning goals, find interesting ways to keep the momentum for the trip going. Go to the gym together, and prep for the mountain hike you are planning to tackle on your trip. Spend social media scrolling time hashtag searching and sending each other additional photos and current info about the cities you are traveling to. Go shopping together for the trip. There is a lot of value in the journey getting to the destination.

On The Trip

The benefit of traveling with a partner isn’t just all the amazing Instagram photos and Facebook posts. Tripping with someone allows you to witness what a person really is made of. From how they handle the stress of new surroundings, to their level of cleanliness in very close quarters – traveling with your partner for a week in the equivalent of living with them for six months. Ideally, you’ll learn how to problem-solve together and create unique memories that will be shared by you both.

A couple that travels together, stays together. You’ll bond over bringing some of your biggest dreams to fruition. You become more aware of each other’s desires by tapping into your own imagination. You accomplish goals together that reinforces the importance of partnership within a relationship. Being in new places allows you to see your partner in a new light keeping things exciting. Ultimately traveling gives you the opportunity to cultivate a stronger relationship for you and your partner, and to reinforce your love. What are you waiting for?