17 Ways Traveling Can Ruin Your Relationship
Going on a trip together is often considered the ultimate test of a relationship. It might sound idyllic to explore new destinations, and make memories with your significant other, family, or friends, but when you’re on the road, you’ll see a totally different side of your relationship.
Shared decision-making, culture shock, exhaustion, and unpredictable circumstances can quickly turn a dream vacation into a bit of a nightmare. Watch out for some of these things that can turn your relationship sour.
Different Travel Styles
You might be excited to go backpacking through jungles and deserts, but your partner might prefer relaxing on a beach. There can be real friction when deciding between different travel styles. The trip can go south pretty quickly if one person wants to do and see everything and the other just wants a more laid-back vibe. When you’re all pulling in different directions, it’s hard to enjoy the journey.
Budget Battles
Budgeting for travel is a big part of any trip. If one person is frugal and the other is a spendthrift there will be disagreements. Expenses can quickly add up, and soon enough an argument over an expensive dinner or a spontaneous shopping spree might ensue. Money stress is a thing, especially on the road.
Packing Problems
It’s a classic travel conflict. The choice between packing light, or packing for every possible occasion. Maybe you’re the person familiar with the ‘just in case’ items to pack in your suitcase, but your partner is the one who prefers the bare essentials. That simple difference in packing philosophy can be more of a headache than you’d have thought when you’re lugging around extra bags or trying to fit it all in the car.
Losing Patience and Getting Lost
Getting lost is part of the adventure even with GPS. Not everyone sees it that way, however. Tension can arise if one of you is easygoing about taking the scenic route and the other just wants to get where you’re going. Throw in a wrong turn or two, and before long, someone’s yelling about directions, or the lack of them.
Different Sleep Schedules
Early bird or night owl? Travel can make you realize just how different your schedules can be. One of you is ready to hit the ground running at sunrise, the other might be content to snooze a bit longer. This causes arguments. Waiting for the other person to catch up can ruin the mood and itinerary while feeling like you’re racing to do everything is exhausting.
Food Preferences
Exploring is what travel is all about, including trying new food. However, if one of you is adventurous with food and the other is satisfied with the same old, hunting for a place to eat can become a chore. After a few days of no common ground, hangry feelings can escalate into full-blown disagreements over where and what to eat.
Photo-Taking Expectations
If you are the one who is obsessed with capturing every moment and the other one would rather just soak it all in, then you are bound to clash. A partner who feels like taking photos frequently interrupts the experience might be annoyed so, compromise is needed here, or you’ll end up with one person sulking while the other snaps away happily.
Social Media and Fear of Missing Out
Posting photos is an urge along with taking them. Sharing vacation updates might seem fun, but one of you might want to keep things to yourself. If your partner is glued to their phone for likes and comments, the other person will feel unloved and angry.
Too Much Togetherness
Being with your partner 24/7 is a test of patience. Spending every minute together without a break can be irritating. This irritation could turn to impatience, intolerance, and annoyance with each other.
Jet Lag
Jet lag doesn’t just mess with your sleep, it can mess with your mood, too. When you’re both exhausted, you could become a worse version of yourself and be too exhausted to enjoy the trip. This makes you more prone to arguing. When you’re both running on fumes and out of sync it’s hard to connect or have a good time.
Overbooked Itineraries
An itinerary that is too packed turns a trip into a marathon instead of a vacation. Frustration builds when one of you wants to get everything done and the other is simply tired. If you don’t pace yourselves, you might end up hating the very things you were excited about in the first place.
Unrealistic Expectations
Travel can be stressful, and if you’re expecting everything to be perfect, you’re setting yourselves up for disappointment. Things can go wrong and you can blame each other, whether it’s a missed flight, bad weather or disappointing attractions. It can save both of you from unnecessary conflict if you manage expectations.
Language Barriers
It’s hard enough to navigate a new language on your own, but it’s even harder with a partner who might be embarrassed or impatient. Resentment can brew if one of you is having a hard time and the other is breezing through.
Unexpected Illness
Imagine catching a cold or food poisoning while traveling; that will make a great wrench in your plans. It can be a lot of stress and a lot of canceled plans dealing with a sick partner. Soon, the two people can become sore points for each other if the one who missed out feels guilty or annoyed or the other feels unsympathetic.
Handling Emergencies
How you respond to a real emergency like a lost passport or missed flight can also say a lot about your relationship. Crises can reveal sides of each other you didn’t know existed, depending on how you handle them. A source of conflict could be if one partner is an anxious and paranoid traveler and the other is relatively calm.
Homesickness
Travel can make you miss home, and when one person is homesick and the other is not, the homesick partner may come off as unenthusiastic while the excited partner may come off as insensitive. Both could feel guilty for not making the most of their time together on the trip and that can lead to friction.
Culture Shock
Being in a different culture is exciting, but it’s also overwhelming. If one person is adaptable and the other feels out of place, it may lead to tension and quarrels. It’s hard and exhausting trying to navigate this friction when surrounded by unfamiliar.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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