Thank you to our Guest Contributor Sophia Smith for writing this amazing article…..
Many couples perceive their honeymoon as the peak of their bond, the most liberating celebration of their love as they enter a new chapter of their life.
However, as mesmerizing as this experience can be, it doesn’t have to be the final stage of your relationship blossoming.
In fact, as your marriage slowly unravels, there are many ways to further strengthen and enrich your relationship over time.
One of the most rewarding and beautiful ways to do just that is through travel.
Marriage, just like any form of long-term commitment, requires love, hard work, imagination, kindness, and respect.
When you’re surrounded by many stressful situations, it becomes all too easy to forget how to be kind to one another, or we simply forget to pay more attention to our spouse.
Travelling is a wonderful way to help you keep the fires of your passion burning bright, and to learn many a valuable life lesson along the way.
Master the art of compromise…
It is true that traveling on your own gives you ample space to explore at your own pace, and to choose every single pit-stop that’s to your liking.
You can spend an entire holiday on a foodie cruise of the Mediterranean, with no one to complain about not having a single museum on the itinerary.
However, when you travel with your significant other, you need to strike a fine balance of your interests, and make sure that the wishes of both are included in the planning process.
Compromise can be a tricky lesson to learn, but the first time you see your loved one so excited about their favourite art exhibition (which you didn’t want to attend), you’ll understand the value of making them happy.
Making invaluable memories…
Your everyday life offers plenty of room to make fond memories with one another, but they are often those moments of simple, precious joy such as enjoying a meal together or talking about your day.
When you travel, you have the time to let go of those everyday troubles and focus on one another completely.
As soon as you unpack at your favourite Hong Kong Gold Coast hotel, you can start enjoying the sun away from the crowd, and walking hand in hand down the beach.
Perhaps watching all the families flock together will be the moment of epiphany when you realize you’re ready to have kids, and this is the moment you’ll cherish for as long as you live.
Every time you go back to that same hotel and that same beach, they’ll carry a special meaning and value for you and your loved one.
Embrace appreciation and gratitude…
You certainly do feel grateful for the comfortable, stable life you’re leading.
However, we often fall into our routine, and we sometimes even let ourselves take our existence for granted.
We’re human, and it happens to us all. But when you find yourself immersed in an African safari, watching the locals leading their humble lives and the endangered wildlife roaming around, you get a new perspective of your own life.
Opening up your world to new cultures and new modes of living will give both of you a chance to reboot your mindset and appreciate one another more than ever.
Perhaps this new feeling that you share may inspire you to do good together, volunteer more often, or lead a more sustainable life, which will only deepen your connection even further.
Reliance and support…
We’d all like to believe that we are self-sufficient. It’s healthy to work on our resilience and make sure that we are able to solve problems in life on our own, but marriage is also about partnership and being able to work together to solve an issue.
What if you ever find yourself lost while exploring a US national park?
These vast regions can be riddled with wildlife, with poor cellular connectivity, and you might need to rely on each other for problem-solving and smart solutions.
Hopefully, you’ll only ever get lost exploring bustling city streets in complete safety, but no matter the environment, these unforeseen circumstances help you become more supportive of one another.
Romance and intimacy…
If your fast-paced lifestyle has made it difficult for you to devote more time and energy to your marriage, there’s nothing quite like travel that can help you refresh your bond.
A few weeks into your resort vacation in Greece, and you’ll be as good as new, feeding each other fresh strawberries dipped in cream, and enjoying local wine.
Setting aside this time for your relationship deliberately is an act of love and respect that will help you feel more connected.
The hours you spend love-making, basking in the sun, enjoying romantic meals, and goofing around in the waves will only make you stronger as a couple.
For better or for worse…
Finally, we all have quirks. Some are more, some are less annoying, and some are completely unique to those travel scenarios.
As you prepare for a six-hour bus drive to see the Egyptians pyramids, you’re bound to discover one another’s strange little habits and push your patience to the limit.
This is when you’ll learn to love each other more than ever, not despite, but because of those little quirks.
It takes plenty of effort and creativity to cherish and grow your marriage.
Use travel as one of the most rewarding ways to do that, and let your union grow stronger with each adventure you embark on together.