We had only dated about two months when he went on a pre-planned trip to Dubai. We talked about his plans to return to D.C. after flying back into the states via NY. He hadn’t solidified his return plans yet, so midway through his trip I suggested I just drive up to New York and pick him up. I mean, after all, it would be cheaper for him than taking the train or booking a last-minute flight. However, I had a trick up my sleeve. See, his flight landed the day before his birthday and I figured it would be nice to just book a couple of nights in a hotel that way he could immediately sleep off his jet lag and we could celebrate his birthday together out of town. We had an interesting few days. Our time was mostly good sprinkled with a few moments of revelation that might not have otherwise been shared. Traveling with someone forces you into another level of comfort. There really isn’t much shame to be had in a small New York City hotel room where the toilet is separate from the shower and sink. Here is what I learned and this is why we are both better for it.
1. Traveling can be stressful.
We all believe vacations are supposed to relax us, but that is not always the case, especially when you travel with other people. Coordinating events, finding places to hang out or eat last minute can either cause exhilaration or drain based on the company that you are keeping. If you two can roll with the punches and not break a sweat or each other’s necks, then you’ve got something special. Even if there are disagreements, can you solve them and not let it ruin the very short time you have out of town? This is important as it can very quickly give light to arguing styles and conflict resolution skills between the two of you. You don’t want to waste months together to finally have a disagreement and realize that you are in a relationship with someone who will hold a grudge at the expense of everything or furthermore make a scene in public.
2. Annoying habits will show up.
Spending day in and day out with someone will expose you to some annoying quirks that your partner might have. You are essentially living with them for a short period of time. Also, this experience is like a pressure cooker. You are speeding up the “getting to know you” process simply because you probably don’t have anyone except each other to hang out with the entire time.....
**If you want to find out Tia's other beneficial reasons to travel early on in a budding relationship, hop over to the full article now on Blavity.com.**