Guest Post Courtesy of Sylvia Smith (Bio Below)
Traveling is one of the most fun and exciting experiences you can have with your spouse. It teaches couples how to work together, rely on one another, and communicate on a deeper level. But did you know that travel also expands the mind?
Couples can learn a lot from going to new places. It was Mark Twain who wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Traveling is an exciting opportunity for couples to get closer and experience new things. Here are 6 ways in which traveling with loved ones can expand your mind and broaden your horizons.
1. Creates a strong bond with loved ones
When you travel with a loved one, you become each other’s sole company. You rely on each other more than you would if you were at home in a safer, more familiar environment. This gives you the opportunity to deepen your bond and learn new things about one another.
A Harvard study found that staying curious about a partner is one of the ways couples keep their relationships healthy and humming. This is perfect for couples who are traveling since they are going to be each other’s companions. So, why not make it a learning experience?
When you’re out to dinner together, take turns asking each other questions. Ask as many questions as you like. It can even be fun (and sexy) to pretend you are on a first date or that you just met in this new, foreign country and you’re just getting to know each other for the first time.
Ask about their favorite foods, hobbies, music, and shows. Ask about their family life, their hopes for the future, their best memories. The list of potential questions are endless and all of them give you greater insight into the love of your life.
Even couples who have been together for many years may be surprised by the answers their spouse will give.
2. Deepen marital friendship
The Journal of Happiness Studies found that couples reported higher levels of marital satisfaction when they viewed each other as their best friend.
When you travel with your romantic partner, you deepen your bond of friendship. Online marriage courses also stress the importance of creating a form of emotional (and physical) intimacy with your spouse. Maintaining eye-contact, trying new things together, and spending quality time together can have a hugely positive effect on your relationship.
3. Experience new customs and traditions
In a survey about what causes couples to split, 55 percent of the 886 couples survey cited “growing apart” as a huge factor in separating.
Travel can be your golden opportunity to ensure that you and your spouse never grow apart. Instead, you’ll grow together and share new experiences.
Wherever you travel, go there with open minds and hearts. Learn to embrace other cultures and take part in local customs. This can broaden your thinking and make you more approachable and accepting. These are valued qualities that can have a positive impact on your relationship.
Building traditions as a couple are an important part of a successful marriage. Traditions create structure, routine, safety, and familiarity. By making traditions and customs, you create something sacred and personal between you and your partner.
4. Reconnect with nature
When you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted. You have plenty of creature comforts, not to mention technology, to keep you from truly appreciating the beauty around you.
When you travel, make it a point to reconnect with nature. Catch sunrises or sunsets with your spouse. Go admire the glaciers of Alaska or marvel at the bright, hillside houses dotting the mountain towns of the Amalfi Coast.
Wherever you visit, forget your phone and look for the beauty there.
Speaking of technology. Ignoring your partner in favor of your phone has been proven to lower relationship satisfaction. While you may be excited to snap photos of your trip for Instagram, it would be nice if you turned your phone on silent mode for at least a half an hour each day and give your undivided attention to your spouse.
5. Get inspired by local cuisine
One of the most exciting parts of traveling is getting to try new and exciting foods.
If you and your partner take online marriage courses, you know that spending quality time together doing new and exciting things can boost your relationship success.
Get inspired by your vacation and your favorite meals you ate by cooking them together at home! You can even make your cooking session a mini-date night in your own kitchen. Pop open a bottle of wine, put on some music, and work together to recreate your favorite travel dishes.
6. Become more adaptable
Adaptability is essential for a lasting marriage. And if you think about it, travel is all about adapting. Your well-scheduled itinerary may not always go according to plan. Your rental car is now a rental motorcycle, your day trip to Rome has suddenly turned into a weekend in Switzerland.
Instead of getting stressed about little changes in your plans, learn to adapt. Better yet, learn to laugh about it! Research shows that couples who make a habit of laughing are more likely to stay together. They also report sharing more positive emotions together on the whole.
Traveling with a loved one can truly expand your mind and improve your relationship. You boost creativity, build memories, and connect with the world. By taking an online marriage course, you can continue to strengthen the qualities you learned on your travel such as communication and the importance of traditions.
Author Bio:
Sylvia Smith is a writer who likes to write about relationships and how couples can revitalize their love lives in and out of the bedroom. She is currently associated with Marriage.com. She is a big believer in living consciously and encourages couples to adopt its principles in their relationships. By taking purposeful and intentional action, Sylvia feels any relationship or marriage can be transformed and truly enjoyed.
