How To Survive Your First Holiday As A Couple
The road is the ultimate test of your love.
Aah, that dreamy first trip away together. You’re going to get to know each other much more than before - for better or worse! Take heed of our top tips for your first holiday together as a couple, and you’ll be coming home on the same flight.
No pressure!
Try not to place too much importance on the holiday - unless you are actually a couple from a Sandals ad, it’s not all going to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean that he/she isn’t the one for a lifetime of holidays, homes and babies.
Accept the low points
Even if you’ve shared a house together, a holiday will introduce you to a whole new world of intimacy. Being with one person all day, every day for a week or two takes some getting used to. And for most of us it isn’t going to be a continual hot bedroom marathon. Sorry fellas! As much as we all love our holidays, people sometimes get tired, stressed, sick, sunburned, grumpy and bored when they’re away from home - accept this, and don’t take it personally.
Discuss your budget
Make sure that you’ve both agreed the kind of cash you’ll be spending and how you will pay for things while you’re away. If it’s a new relationship, this can seem awkward but you need to be honest about what you can afford to avoid stress and financial difficulties.
Say no to travel stress
Prepare for the journey in advance to minimise last-minute problems. When you’re stuck on the motorway for two hours en route to the airport, or discussing collision damage waivers in a sweaty hire car office, you’ll really find out how your partner deals with stress - and the same goes for them.
If a situation, or their reaction, is winding you up, try to keep calm, breathe deeply and slowly, count to 10, bite your tongue and generally be more patient than you would under normal circumstances. You don’t want to have your first argument before you’ve even reached the hotel.
Shared activities
We all have different expectations of a holiday. Before you go, discuss the activities and trips you’re interested in - don’t leave it until you realise that he plans to lie by the pool with a cold beer and a Kindle all week, while you were dreaming of scuba diving, kitesurfing and trekking together. And remember that compromise is always healthy in a relationship!
Time apart
While doing stuff together is a great part of a couple’s holiday, having a bit of separate time is equally important. That might just be reading your book in a shady nook or going on a day trip to a nearby city that she doesn’t fancy.
Do what you’re good at and share the jobs
It’s easy to forget that there’s some organisation and boring stuff to do on holiday - try to share responsibility for things like asking for a table in a restaurant, booking a taxi, going food shopping or planning an excursion. If you’re better at speaking Spanish, don’t leave it all to him; or if you’re more organised don’t expect her to plan your day out to the mountains.
Meeting other people
When you’re finding that two is too much of a good thing, perhaps make an effort to find some holiday friends. Swapping stories and having a laugh with some new people can often give your holiday a whole new lease of life.
Avoid picking arguments
If your formerly-loved one is really, continually getting on your wick, it’s wise not to unleash a torrent of abuse and detailed description of everything that’s wrong with them while on holiday - especially when you’ve had a few drinks. It’s likely to spiral out of control, and you’ll say things you’ll both regret.
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Written by Maxine Clarke: a writer, mummy, missus and campervan-lover. Used to travel, now enjoys a good holiday! Follow her on Twitter.
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