After The Aisle: 5 Things You MUST Discuss Before Traveling with Your New Spouse – Blackbride.com

Photo Courtesy of CaryTravelExpress.com

Whether it's setting sail to a sandy beach, or exploring a city on your bucket list, traveling with your spouse is definitely a marital perk. Many, if not most, couples look forward to vacationing. Contrarily, traveling with your spouse can be extremely stressful if you aren't prepared. In fact, surprisingly, many couples complain about having had some of their worst arguments while vacationing. What is it about traveling with our significant others that brings on the blues? Here are a few things that are worth considering before jet-setting with your spouse:

1. Spending

A fun time away can easily turn into a nightmare if you two make it home realizing that you’ve spent far beyond your means. To prevent a post-vacation meltdown, make sure to set realistic and reasonable spending parameters. Setting that standard will likewise set the tone for your trip, and get the both of you on the same page.

A good idea is to come up with a spending range versus a rigid number. With a range, you have a bit more wiggle room; and it’s always a good feeling to spend under budget. Most importantly, remember to hold each other accountable to the budget while on your trip.

Photo Courtesy of CovePoconoResorts.com

2. Lax or Luxe

So you’re all packed. You’ve made your travel to-do list and checked it twice. Now you’re contemplating all the wonderful things you can’t wait to indulge in on your vacation: massages, bottomless cocktails, fancy dinners, mani-pedis….the list definitely can go on. You guys finally make it to your destination, and the hubs promptly starts vetoing several of your plans. Clearly, the two of you aren’t on the same page regarding the experience.

To prevent disagreements, make sure to discuss and figure out what kind of experience the two of you are planning to have. Will it be lax – beach-bumming all day, and not spending as much – or do you plan to do it up big? Make sure to come to a consensus beforehand.

3. Connected At The Hip

Believe it or not, it isn’t always the best idea to spend your entire vacation connected at the hip. For many newlyweds, their honeymoon is the first time that they spend almost every waking second together. And although we all love our spouses, spending all that time together sets the stage for small annoyances to become big ones, and quickly.

Factor some time for precious solitude into your vacation. If the two of you are vacationing in a big city, perhaps you can spend time reading at a café. If you’re on a cruise, take time out to explore the ship solo. Individual ventures also allow you both to enjoy the fun things on your respective lists that the other might not be so keen to do. Overall, you will enjoy your trip that much more.

4. Plan, plan, plan!

There is nothing worse than having grand ideas about what you’d like to do on your trip, just to have those things fall through for lack of planning. So with that, PLAN! Especially if the two of you will be traveling somewhere that is foreign to you both, make sure to acquaint yourselves with the area beforehand.

Many couples forgo planning for their vacation transportation. This is one of those items that can sneak hefty expenses up on you if you aren’t careful. Will you be traveling to a place where you’ll need a rental car, or is travel by taxi the better bet? Many cities have amazing public transportation that can cut travel costs exponentially. Whatever you decide, make sure to research and plan accordingly.

5. Relax A Little

On the opposite end of the “preparation” spectrum is over-planning. More than anything, remember that vacation should be a break from everyday life. Don’t ruin it by trying to pack every possible activity you can into the short time that you have. You don’t want to return home in desperate need of a vacation from your vacation!

Photo Courtesy of CovePoconoResorts.com

Relax, de-stress, exhale, and just chill. Enjoy your vacation. Bon voyage!

 

Angela Souza is a native Clevelander. She is wife to Omari, and mommy to Noah and Ezra. You can catch more of her work at Love Notes by Jazzymae Photography, a blog where she writes about the ins and outs of all things marriage. She also frequently contributes to For Harriet. Angela is a regular contributor for BlackBride.com. 

Follow her on Instagram: @its_angiesouza and Twitter: @therealangelans

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *